About Shrine Big Band:
Embark on a musical journey with The Shrine Big Band, a pioneering group founded by Eric Plaks and Jon Panikkar in 2010 in the heart of New York City. Our renowned big band features some of the city's most accomplished award-winning musicians, composers, and arrangers, and offers a captivating blend of Sun Ra inspired original music and spontaneous arrangements by our talented members. Under the skilled baton of trombonist James Rogers, we perform regularly at iconic venues such as Joe's Pub, Marcus Garvey Park Amphitheater, Sir D's, and Bushwick Public House. Catch us at our monthly residency at The Shrine World Music Venue in Harlem every 1st Sunday from 8-10pm, where we come together to unleash our eclectic, unique, improvised sound. Mission:
The Shrine Big Band is a pioneering group of accomplished award-winning musicians, composers, and arrangers in NYC, on a mission to expand the boundaries of jazz and create a one-of-a-kind musical experience that captivates and inspires its audience. With its captivating blend of Sun Ra inspired original music and spontaneous arrangements by its talented members, the band showcases the limitless possibilities of large ensemble improvisation, drawing from diverse styles such as spiritual jazz, free jazz, avant-garde jazz, world fusion, ethno-jazz, and post-bop. The band is committed to achieving financial sustainability and is exploring innovative solutions such as live streaming of shows, incorporating blockchain to ensure transparency and equity in its revenue-sharing, and using VR platforms to enhance the immersive experience for its audiences. The Shrine Big Band strives to be a leading hub for the avant-garde jazz scene in NYC, providing a space for musicians and audiences to come together and explore new musical frontiers. Its core values of creative collaboration, spontaneous musical improvisation, and cultural diversity guide its work and inspire it to push the limits of what's possible with jazz. Vision:
The Shrine Big Band creates an immersive and sustainable musical experience that pushes the boundaries of jazz. We're committed to achieving financial sustainability and exploring innovative solutions such as live streaming, blockchain, and VR. As a leading hub for avant-garde jazz in NYC, our captivating blend of styles showcases the limitless possibilities of large ensemble improvisation. Our core values of creative collaboration, spontaneous musical improvisation, and cultural diversity inspire us to push the limits of what's possible with jazz. Join us on this exhilarating journey and experience jazz like never before with The Shrine Big Band.
