Kyle NAsser

About Kyle Nasser

A Massachusetts native and graduate of both Harvard and Berklee, Kyle Nasser has been described as possessing 'superlative musicianship as a performer, writer and bandleader…ardent creativity and urbane artistic composure' (Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz).

Since moving to New York City in 2010, he has played at some of the city's most prestigious venues - including the Blue Note, Smalls, Iridium, 55 Bar, Bar Lunatico, and Cornelia St. Cafe - and has toured in the U.S. and South America. Nasser has shared the stage with jazz luminaries such as Jim Hall, Hank Jones, Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Rich Perry, Ethan Iverson, Michael Formanek, Steve Cardenas, and Ben Monder, among others.

In addition to leading his own group, he also plays with and composes for the international collective Beekman, whose sound has been described as 'a joyful and continued speculation flowing in almost all facets with surprising ease.' (Jazz, ese ruido)

Nasser’s music stands out for its seamless integration of classical forms and techniques with jazz language and rock and r&b sensibilities. It weaves together sonata forms, baroque to 20th century counterpoint, and modern rhythms with modern jazz vocabulary.

Kyle describes his latest project, Persistent Fancy :

My debut album as a leader, Restive Soul, was released in March of 2015. It featured a lot of long-form compositions with a contrapuntal weave of voices. I wanted to expand on that concept both timbrally and melodically with this new album, so I added alto sax and some synth textures to the mix when composing new material. I also wanted to explore the concept of the “suite” - multiple tracks related by a common theme. So, I included two suites on Persistent Fancy, one an updated version of the  classic “prelude and fugue” combo with the addition of an improv section on those themes, the other a programmatic tryptic on the stages of desire. Finally, I wanted to include a couple of feel-good tracks, heretofore lacking in my compositional oeuvre.

I was fortunate in the year leading up to the recording to play a bunch around NYC with the band featured on the record. After a few gigs where the aesthetic I’d imagined really came to life, I knew it was time to head into the studio. The two days of recording went swimmingly. We needed no more than two takes of everything, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I’m very fortunate to play with these musicians as they were able to realize my intentions quickly without much in the way of explanation, making my life much easier! The group has an interesting mix of musical personalities, but everyone complements each other very nicely...and shreds!

It is worth mentioning that bassist Nick Jost is in the Grammy-nominated metal band Baroness. It’s pretty cool that he’s such an adept jazz player, as well. Altoist Roman Filiu currently plays in the bands of 3 MacArthur Genius Grant recipients (Steve Coleman, Miguel Zenon, Dafnis Prieto) and a Pulitzer winner (Henry Threadgill) as well as having toured with Chucho Valdes and Irakere for a decade. Allan Mednard plays with everyone - one of the most in-demand drummers in the jazz world.