Soundscapes in Conversation takes place Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts on South Broad Street, and it is the kind of event that gives you direct access to the creative process before the music ever reaches the stage. The free public talkback brings five award-winning artists-in-residence face to face with the audience to discuss new works in development, artistic lineage, cultural identity, and the ideas shaping the future of jazz. If you care about where jazz is going — not just where it has been — Soundscapes in Conversation is a rare opportunity to hear the answer from the musicians building it.

The Artists Behind Soundscapes in Conversation

Soundscapes in Conversation features the five resident artists of the Clef Club’s Soundscapes for Tomorrow: Stage One Residencies, a newly created two-year program funded by a $240,000 grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. The roster is stacked. Papo Vázquez is a Grammy-nominated Afro-Caribbean trombonist whose work bridges Latin jazz traditions with contemporary composition. Miguel Zenón is a MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow saxophonist and composer who has spent two decades redefining how jazz engages with Puerto Rican folk music and identity.

Derrick Hodge is a two-time Grammy-winning bassist and composer whose credits span jazz, hip-hop, and film scoring. Tia Fuller is a renowned saxophonist, composer, and educator whose performance career includes touring with Beyoncé and leading her own critically acclaimed ensembles. Nabaté Isles is a Grammy-winning trumpeter who bridges jazz, media, and contemporary culture with a forward-looking creative practice.

^{(clockwise from top left) Papo Vázquez, Nabaté Isles, Derrick Hodge and Miguel Zenón.}

Together, these five artists are developing new work through collaborative rehearsals, artist talks, public workshops, and a culminating performance at the Clef Club that will be livestreamed globally. Soundscapes in Conversation is the public window into that process — a chance to hear each artist discuss the ideas behind the compositions before the final notes are written.

What Soundscapes in Conversation Offers the Audience

Soundscapes in Conversation is facilitated by Brent White and Valerie Gay, and the format is designed for intimate, engaging exchange rather than a standard panel discussion. The evening invites the community into the creative process at a stage when the work is still evolving — when the questions are still open and the artistic choices are still being debated. Whether you are a lifelong jazz listener, an emerging musician, or someone who has never set foot inside the Clef Club, the conversation is structured to meet you where you are and give you a front-row seat to how new music is born.

The event is free and serves as a precursor to the Clef Club’s 60th anniversary gala celebration in September, which will honor the iconic arts organization’s past, present, and future. Soundscapes in Conversation represents the Clef Club operating at the highest level of its mission — presenting jazz not as a museum piece but as a living, developing art form shaped by artists working in real time.

The Clef Club and the Pew Grant Behind Soundscapes in Conversation

The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts has been a cornerstone of the city’s jazz community for nearly six decades. The Soundscapes for Tomorrow residency program, supported by the $240,000 Pew Center for Arts and Heritage grant, represents one of the most significant investments in new jazz composition happening anywhere in the country right now.

The grant funds two full years of artistic development, ensuring that the five resident artists have the time, space, and institutional support to create work that moves the form forward rather than simply performing it. Soundscapes in Conversation is the public-facing entry point into that investment — a free evening that makes the creative process accessible and the Clef Club’s role in jazz innovation visible to the broader Philadelphia community.

Soundscapes in Conversation takes place Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, 736 South Broad Street. The event is free, but guests are encouraged to reserve a spot in advance through the Clef Club.

About Post Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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