WATCH: Charenee Wade and the Gil Scott Forum

Charenee Wade has the resume of a top-flight classic jazz singer. She came in 2nd place in the 2010 Thelonious Monk Competition. She's a regular presence at Jazz at Lincoln Center, navigating the classic songbook with ease. She's recorded with hard-swinging jazz stalwarts like bassist Rufus Reid and pianist Eric Reed. And, she teaches at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, passing on the tradition to a new generation of musicians.But even with this traditional grounding, Wade is by no means a straight-laced jazz traditionalist. Instead, she uses her jazz background to explore a whole range of modern music. This Friday, Ms. Wade will perform at The Jazz Gallery with her new group, the Gil Scott Forum—a group that teases out the swinging undercurrents in the conscious music of Gil Scott-Heron.Wade and the Forum will be previewing material from their new album Offering: The Music of Gil Scot Heron and Brian Jackson, coming out on Motema Music later this spring. In the meantime, check out these videos of the band performing at Zinc Bar this past January.Charenee Wade and the Gil Scott Forum will perform at The Jazz Gallery on Friday, March 13th, 2015. The group features Ms. Wade on vocals, Branden McCune on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums, Nikara Warren on vibes, Dave Stryker on guitar, and Lakecia Benjamin on. saxophone. Sets are at 8 and 10 p.m. $22 general admission ($12 for members). Purchase tickets here.