JAZZ: A MUSIC OF THE SPIRIT, George Gray/Sharif Kales Quintet to Play Brooklyn
The performance is on Sunday, November 9 at 4:40 p.m.
By: Gillian Blum Nov. 02, 2025
One Breath Rising, in association with Melchizedek Music Productions and Soapbox Gallery will present A Very Special One Time Only performance of the George Gray/Sharif Kales Quintet called Jazz: A Music of the Spirit in Brooklyn.
The performance is on Sunday, November 9 at 4:40 p.m. at the Soapbox Gallery in Brooklyn.
The musicians are: George Gray - multi-percussion; Sharif Kales-trumpet; Tommy Marimoto- saxophone; Sharp Radway -piano; Alex Blake-bass; with the co-leaders on drums and trumpet respectively.
Baltimore native and multi-percussionist George Gray is a Master Drummer. Mr. Gray attended the HBCU Morgan State University and currently holds the drum chair in the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra. George Gray has had a career in Music of the Spirit that has allowed him to work with some of the greatest in this art form. His first experience was with a group called Pockets, a major funk group produced by Verdine and Maurice White of Earth Wind and Fire. After three recordings for Columbia Records Mr. Gray worked with Chuck Berry, Gary Bartz, Pharoah Sanders, Abdullah Ibrahim, Diane Reeves Phillips, Jimmy Smith, James Spaulding and Stanley Jordan, just to name a few.
Trumpeter Sharif Kales is a Queens, NY native who attended public school in NYC and later graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. In addition to Jazz, he is interested in many genres of Music of the Spirit, such as R & B, Latin and Funk. Sharif has worked with the great Charli Persip, The Valery Ponomarev/Art Blakey Big Band, The Harlem Renaissance Big Band, and with artists such as Charles Tolliver, Buster Williams, Mulgrew Miller, Joe Chambers, and Wallace Roney. He is currently working with legendary bassist John Benitz while leading his own band and working on his debut recording as a leader.
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