Less than a mile separates two of Buffalo’s premier spots to hear live jazz. The Historic Colored Musicians Club and Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center on Tuesday announced a partnership to bring top level international talent to the region.
The Point Nine Collaborative is being funded in part by a grant from the Cullen Foundation.
Hallwalls Music Director Steve Baczkowski said the grant provides them with a little more monetary flexibility.
“It just allows us the freedom to support artists more in a manner they deserve to be supported,” he said. “And it allows us the freedom to bring in people to Buffalo, and to have relationships form between musicians and artists here in Buffalo and those in the larger community.”
Baczkowski said the initial plan is a three-year collaboration, but sees the partnership evolving further.

“This was just the catalyst to further a collaboration that had already been happening for some time,” he said.
The first scheduled collaboration in concert is Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble, performing in Babeville in April.