MISHA PIATIGORSKY

Vibrant jazz pianist, composer and producer, hailed by the Boston Globe as the artist who “beautifully merges the worlds of serious jazz and pop,” — Misha blends powerful melodies with an unusual harmonic sensitivity. It's a sound with a deeply personal yet cosmopolitan dimension, reflecting his experience as a Russian-Jewish émigré growing up in urban America. The great nephew of legendary cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, with international upbringing followed by international acclaim, he works in New York City to advance the modern jazz sound beyond the standards. He leads a number of projects including his Trio and The Sketchy Orkestra – his innovative ensemble some 20 people strong. On rare occasion Misha performs solo piano concerts. Such a performance was recorded and released under the title "No Moon At All", captured at the 2016 TD Victoria Jazz Festival. It is with great excitement that Misha has chosen the Soapbox Gallery as his New York venue of choice to continue offering solo piano concerts. His love for the Yamaha grand piano and the intimate, yet concert-like acoustics of the room inspires Misha to dive into his original compositions and standards in a way he is only able to do alone, at the piano.

EMILY BRADEN

With a new album currently in the works, Emily Braden is electrifying NYC and international audiences with her fresh, soulful sound and striking stage presence.  Winner of New York City's 'Best of the Best' Jazzmobile Vocal Competition, this Idaho-born, Harlem-based vocalist keeps her feet firmly planted in the straight ahead tradition while fearlessly exploring the range and nuance of the human voice. Her original music, co-created with producer and pianist Misha Piatigorsky, blends heavy grooves and carefully-crafted lyrics with soaring vocals, always leaving room for off-the-cuff bilingual improvisations. Before the COVID-19 global pandemic, Braden toured regularly and could be seen every first Friday at NYC’s famed 55 Bar. See her live and she’ll make you a believer. No two shows are the same. The video for “Strength of Love," the first single from the upcoming album, was released on YouTube on June 5, 2020.