The Jazz Passengers loom large in the creative history of New York's Lower East Side. In the 40-odd years since their founding, their uniquely downtown mission of "cross-cultural exchange" has enlisted everyone from Jeff Buckley and Debbie Harry to Nick Hakim and Onyx Collective. Their signature blend of avant-garde jazz, 80s funk, world music, and 20th-century classical, coupled with lyrical provocations that range from the wistful and tragic to the vaudevillian and absurd, is a snapshot of the frenetic, syncretic New York of yesteryear: a living memory, a yearning we all have for something just out of reach. The Jazz Passengers embody that same energy - the energy of a scene and style that they helped create, and that has left an indelible mark on the culture of the city they call home. Co-founder Curtis Fowlkes passed away in August of 2023 (his NYT obit is here, and worth a read: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/arts/music/curtis-fowlkes-dead.html ); recorded shortly before his death, Big Large: In Memory of Curtis Fowlkes is a heartfelt tribute by The Jazz Passengers to their brother, a New York original – and it is imbued with all of the humor, drama, swing, groove, and chaos that have been hallmarks of their work from day one. FOOD is a label project founded by Isaiah Barr, Spencer Murphy, and Lucien Smith, and is named in honor of FOOD, the legendary artist-run cafe of early-70s SoHo. Roy Nathanson Instagram