Shortcuts – Courvoisier / Rothenberg / Waits

Ned Rothenberg (saxophone, clarinet), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), and Nasheet Waits (drums) — three of New York City’s leading improvisers over the past three decades — have come together to form Short Cuts, a collectively led trio shaped by the progressive jazz tradition, from Ornette Coleman to John Zorn, while also drawing inspiration from modern chamber music and cross-cultural musical approaches.

With Short Cuts, abstraction is balanced by a grounded, earthy sensibility in the classic New York tradition. Experimental textures meet rhythmic depth, harmonic sophistication fuels free-flowing lyricism, and the music — entirely improvised — grooves and sings while continually steering clear of cliché.

“It feels so natural to improvise with Ned and Nasheet” says Courvoisier. “They are both beautiful players, and they both love grooves, even in a freely improvised setting. Winds, piano, and drums also make for a relatively unusual trio. Without a bass player, Ned and I have more room to explore the lower register, while Nasheet gains greater freedom with his bass drum. And these guys love taking risks, just as I do.”

Born and raised in Switzerland and based in New York for many years, Courvoisier leads several ensembles, including her trio with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Kenny Wollesen, as well as Chimaera, an electric and atmospheric project featuring guitarist Christian Fennesz. She also leads the new quartet Almathea with vibraphonist Patricia Brennan and maintains a long-standing duo with guitarist Mary Halvorson. Her adventurous duo with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith is set to release its debut recording later in 2025.

NPR critic Kevin Whitehead memorably described her approach: “Some pianists approach the instrument like it’s a cathedral. Sylvie Courvoisier treats it like a playground.”

Rothenberg — a virtuoso on clarinet, alto saxophone, and the Japanese shakuhachi flute — has been acclaimed as a sonic innovator by DownBeat, L.A. Weekly, and The Boston Globe. The New York Times has praised the “near religious focus” of his solo performances, and he has collaborated with artists including Evan Parker, John Zorn, Sainkho Namchylak, and Katsuya Yokoyama.

Writing in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, critic Manfred Pabst observed: “Other kinds of music might entertain you, cheer you up, or get your blood pumping, but his clarifies the mind and throws the soul wide open.”

For many years, Waits has been one of the most sought-after and influential drummers on the New York scene. Renowned for his rhythmic drive and imaginative subtlety, he moves effortlessly between contemporary jazz and the avant-garde. His collaborators include Jason Moran, Dave Holland, and Christian McBride, among many others, and he is also a member of the long-running cooperative trio Tarbaby, alongside pianist Orrin Evans and bassist Eric Revis.

Jason Moran has often highlighted Waits’s fire, creativity, and ability to elevate any musical situation. Jazzwise magazine has similarly praised the breadth of his creative range, describing it as extending “from whispers to frenzy.”

So far, Short Cuts has appeared at venues and events ranging from Austria’s Saalfelden Festival to the University of Mexico City, and has also been featured on Mexican national television. The trio recorded its debut album in the spring of 2025, with tours across South America following in November 2025 and a European tour planned for October 2026.

Describing the group’s unique dynamic, Rothenberg explains: “Some bands rely on a unified sound, but this band works through the interaction of three distinct sonic worlds, both stylistically and sonically. Sylvie brings a classical sensibility, while I bring more of a world-music perspective. That gives Nasheet the opportunity to explore a different vocabulary than he might in a more typical free-jazz trio. And for the audience, it’s a bit like listening in on what we hope is an engaging and intimate conversation between three sympathetic artists.” — Bradley Bambarger