On Friday night, The Nth Power and the Jennifer Hartswick/Nick Cassarino duo hit Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg as part of a joint three-night weekend run.
Jennifer Hartswick (vocals/trumpet) and Nick Cassarino (guitar/vocals) got the evening started with a captivating mix of blues standards and material they co-wrote together, much of which appears on Hartswick’s 2018 solo album, Nexus. As always, the pair of longtime friends and collaborators moved incredible well as a unit, showcasing the immense power of their intimate performances as a duo.
As Hartswick, a longtime member of Trey Anastasio Band, explained to Live For Live Music in an interview earlier this year, “I think the thing with Nick and me is at the core of who I am, for a couple of reasons. We know each other so well that … it’s like in an improv comedy troupe, they say ‘Yes, and?’ That’s exactly what it’s like for us. One of us goes left and the other one’s right there to catch him and be like ‘And what else?’ So we get to constantly create. Also, because you don’t have a keyboard player or bass player, chordally what Nick can do. … He can go wherever he wants without, like, yelling out the cords. We can just go, because we move so well as a unit. I don’t know, it’s very satisfying, very fulfilling, and I would say of the things that I am doing, that’s the most true to who I am as a person.”
Following the duo’s opening set, Cassarino headed backstage to prepare for his second set of the evening, a headlining performance with his primary outfit, The Nth Power. As always, Cassarino and his Nth Power cohorts, drummer Nikki Glaspie and bassist Nate Edgar, wowed their Williamsburg audience with their staggering musicianship throughout the performance. Halfway through, the three-piece brought out Hartswick to bolster their three-piece setup. In a more surprising turn, they proceeded to turn their now-four-piece into a five-piece by welcoming Hartswick’s TAB bandmate, Natalie Cressman, to add her trombone tones to the mix. They even brought up a student from one of their music camps to add vocals for a tune before all was said and done.
All told, these two impactful sets by this crew of ultra-talented artists made for a memorable evening of music in Brooklyn. The Nth Power and the Nick & Jen duo head to Pasture Palooza in Berryville, VA today to close out their joint three-night stretch.
Below, you can check out some photos of the evening’s performances via photographer Andrew O’Brien.
For a full list of upcoming The Nth Power dates, head here.
For a full list of upcoming Jennifer Hartswick & Nick Cassarino dates, head here.
