Supporting Acts: Pegasus Warning, Raja, Pepepiano Rafiq Bhatia (Album Release Party!) The music of American composer and guitarist Rafiq Bhatia (pronounced rah-FEEK BAHtia) defies easy categorization. Regardless, groundbreaking artists from different corners of the music world are taking notice. According to jazz drum legend Billy Hart, Bhatia's combination of driving, glitch-inspired beats, blistering improvisation, and expansive production holds "the true potential of the future." In the words of Grammy nominated pianist-composer Vijay Iyer, "his music is innovative and fearless." Valgeir Sigurðsson, who has produced recordings by Björk and Feist, remarks that working with Bhatia "felt like learning a new language." And, speaking about Bhatia's forthcoming debut, Antipop Consortium emcee and producer High Priest proclaims, "this is the type of joint that can exist in both beat and jazz canons successfully." Since moving to Brooklyn in 2010, Bhatia "has wasted no time grabbing wider attention" (Time Out New York), collaborating with an array of forward-thinking artists including Billy Hart, High Priest of Antipop Consortium, The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Vijay Iyer, Alexander Overington, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Gordon Voidwell, TECLA, and others. He has toured extensively across the eastern and midwestern United States with his quartet, which features Jeremy Viner (woodwinds, processing), Jackson Hill (bass), and Alex Ritz (drums, processing). His performances have been recommended by publications including Time Out New York and The Boston Globe. $10.00