Gentei Kaijo Presents: The Lesson

Thursday nights at Arlene’s Grocery has been the stuff of legend over the past three years with The Lesson turning into one of New York’s premiere jam sessions. Fronted by Gentei Kaijo (Japanese for "Limitation Cancellation"), the band’s collective resumes include work with DJ Premier, Bilal, Joey Bada$$, Robert Glasper, Trey Songz, Lauryn Hill, Reggie Watts, Talib Kweli, Les Nubians, Lupe Fiasco, Kool & The Gang, Arturo O’Ferril, and Snarky Puppy to name a few. The Lesson sessions blend neo-soul, hip-hop, jazz, R&B, funk, and everything in between to create a unique and fully improvised event showcasing an eclectic mix of vocalists, instrumentalists, emcees, turntablist, and producers. The Lesson’s mantra is simple: “Check your ego at the door, stay in the moment, feel the love coming through, and everything should take care of itself.”