New Jazz Underground: Hoodies

American jazz trio formed by Sebastian Rios, Abdias Armenteros and TJ Reddick, combining hard bop with contemporary hip-hop and soul without straying from the roots of the genre.

New Jazz Underground is a North American trio that blends hard bop with contemporary hip-hop and soul, while keeping its link to the jazz tradition. Among its works are Dying of Thirst, MF Doom Suite, Harlem to Havana and cook/swing/work/relax. The group first came to attention playing on the streets of New York during the pandemic and then with performances recorded at home that circulated widely on YouTube.

Sebastian Rios plays double bass, composes and is a pupil of Ron Carter. Abdias Armenteros plays saxophone, sings and is the youngest member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. TJ Reddick plays drums and has worked with Chick Corea, Jon Batiste and Wynton Marsalis.

The trio has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland and Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, and at festivals such as Newport and Montreal. At Newport, Christian McBride described it as one of the most outstanding new ensembles in jazz today. Its debut album has been announced on the Artwork Records label.