Some concerts are just shows, and then there are nights like December 5, when berlioz — known offstage as Jasper Attlee — turned the Brooklyn Paramount into his personal playground of sound and soul. From the moment the lights dimmed, it was clear: berlioz isn’t your run-of-the-mill jazz-house artist. No, he’s the kind of musician who takes advantage of live performances to turn tracks into living, breathing experiences.

At 7 p.m., the doors of the stunning 1928 Brooklyn Paramount Theatre — an iconic venue designed by architectural firm Rapp & Rapp and recently restored by Arcadis and Live Nation — swung open, and the crowd poured in, soaking up its galactic charm. By 9 p.m., when berlioz and his ensemble finally stepped into the spotlight, the crowd was full of energy: hands occupied with dirty martinis and e-cigarettes in the air, neat foot tapping, lovers kissing their loves. As soon as the opening notes of the 2023 single “jazz is for ordinary people” filtered in, the room came alive. What followed was an 80-minute odyssey of rhythms, notes, and beats that begged the audience to dance — to which, of course, they obliged.

Matt Carrillo on saxophone, RC Williams on keys, and Sharay Reed on bass joined the UK-based DJ and producer on stage, each contributing their own brand of magic to his jazz-house compositions. Carrillo wasn’t just good. He was absurdly good. By the time he finished his blistering riff on “deep in it,” you could be convinced his saxophone had a soul of its own. He brought the party as well as a reminder: jazz is alive and unapologetically evolving.

Berlioz himself was a storm of charisma, delivering a set of tracks from across his career. Fans were treated to the grooves of “nyc in 1940” and the TikTok-famous “miro,” which samples art historian Carolyn Lanchner’s 1993 interview with Spanish painter Joan Miró’s grandson.  The night also featured selections from his debut album, “open this wall.” Wearing a custom jacket inspired by the abstract visuals of French artist Henri Matisse, he seemed to embody his Spotify description: “If Matisse made house music.”

Visually, the show was as sublime as it was simple. The lighting mimicked the ebb and flow of the crew’s sound, and at moments, the stage was drenched in Matisse-like hues of cobalt and ochre — the perfect nod to the visual identity berlioz has cultivated. 

As for the crowd, this wasn’t your typical concert audience clasped to cameras. It felt more like a gathering of disciples whose devotion to this music pulsed through the air. For those still clinging to the idea that jazz is outdated, watch out for Wednesday night’s concert-goers — their enthusiasm when seeing berlioz live is the perfect rebuttal. 

The music, particularly live, feels like a conversation between the past and the future. You hear the tones of Louis-Hector Berlioz — the French Romantic composer from whom Jasper takes his alias — in the way he blends orchestral music with the electronic. Tracks like “wash my sins away” and “la danse” had the audience swaying as if collectively hypnotized. When the final notes reverberated through the Paramount at 10:20 p.m., the crowd erupted in applause to celebrate the unforgettable gift berlioz had just graced them with.

Here’s the truth: berlioz isn’t just breaking walls with his music; he’s opening doors. He is inviting us all to step through and see what’s on the other side. If there is a chance to see him live, don’t walk. Run! Because nights like this don’t happen often, and when they do, they remind you why music matters in the first place.