Three of Seattle’s most experienced free improvisers join forces to present an evening of “Heavy Chamber Jazz”. Saxman Wally Shoup, pianist Gust Burns, and drummer Mark Ostrowski combine intuitive interaction, harmonic exploration and rhythmic propulsion to push jazz deeper into the 21st Century.

Presented by the Improvised Music Project and Earshot Jazz.

Join Cuong Vu’s internationally acclaimed quartet (with Stomu Takeishi, Ted Poor and Luke Bergman) for a live recording of Vu’s originals along with the group’s interpretations of a set of standards from the American Songbook. Sharing the evening are Greg Sinibaldi and Goat, a unique trio that utilizes an arsenal of loops and electronic gadgetry combined with woodwinds, electric guitar, and drumset. In addition to Sinibaldi, the members of Goat are guitarist Zach Stewart and drummer Denali Williams.

Presented by the Improvised Music Project and Earshot Jazz.

Cuong Vu’s quartet teams up with Bad Luck and Operation ID. Bad Luck offers tightly-woven original compositions and is co-led by drummer Chris Icasiano and saxophonist Neil Welch (both UW Music grads). Operation ID plays original compositions influenced by rock, electronica, jazz and modern classical music and features free and group improvisation. Group members are Ivan Arteaga (sax), Jared Borkowski (guitar), David Balatero (bass), Rob Hanlon (keyboard/electronics), and Evan Woodle (drums). Arteaga and Woodle are current Jazz Studies students; Borkowski is a recent graduate.

Presented by the Improvised Music Project and Earshot Jazz.

Join Cuong Vu’s internationally acclaimed quartet (with Stomu Takeishi, Ted Poor and Luke Bergman) for a live recording of Vu’s originals along with the group’s interpretations of a set of standards from the American Songbook. Sharing the evening are Heatwarmer.

Composer Jay Hamilton and the Turtling Dithers (Maurice Colasurdo, guitars; Darryl Estes, winds; Gordon Frazier, other stuff) present Fred, a new work that is the sequel to Casserole.

Presented by Earshot Jazz & Nonsequitur, with support from the Berlin Senate Cultural Affairs Department and the Goethe Institute.

German multi-reed virtuoso Gebhard Ullmann is considered one of the leading personalities in today’s Berlin and international music scenes. His Clarinet Trio with Jurgen Kupke and Michael Thieke employs minimalistic techniques, overtones, and multiphonics to give the impression of more than three players. J.A. Deane (Dino) has performed with John Zorn, Jon Hassell, and Butch Morris, adapting Morris’ conduction technique to his own Out of Context ensemble in New Mexico. Long known as a trombonist, he now plays a custom-made dulcimer/guqin, layering melodic cells, prickly harmonics, and lush, bowed backgrounds through his assortment of electronics.

Presented by Danse Perdu. This performance is an initial foray into explorations based on original writing by Alex Ruhe and inspired by the nakedly empathetic witnessing of everyday violence by artists and writers such as our teacher Atsushi Takenouchi, founder of Jinen butoh; William T. Vollman, J.G. Ballard, Kathe Kollwitz and Francis Bacon (to name a few). With dancers Alex Ruhe, Vanessa Skantze, Kaoru Okumura, Angela Martinelli, Katrina Ellison, Lugh, Richard Woods, Katrina Wolfe, Ben. Original sound by celadon, cursed chimera, sataray.

Presented by Nonsequitur. Movable, long commutes between loved ones, music for motors and resonant strings is the elusive yet evocative title for the new composition by Bay Area composer Zachary James Watkins. This new evening length work, premiered by Seattle pianist Tiffany Lin, is scored for retuned piano and a new mechanical extension called the Piano Monster built by NYC artist Ranjit Bhatnagar that uses 16 MIDI triggered voltage controlled motors with attached objects that resonate piano strings. Zachary James Watkins received a Subito in California grant to assist in the production of this composition.

Presented by Earshot Jazz, with support from the CMA/FACE French-American Jazz Exchange. Featuring keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, tenor saxophonist Briggan Krauss, and percussionist Lê Quan Ninh, this is a diverse and crackling trio. The band, of course, promises far more than the sum of its parts.

Seattle’s newest ensemble dedicated to new music, Racketology, gives its first public performance with a program full of new works intended to reinvigorate excitement for experimental music. Ensemble members include Clifford Dunn (flute), Brianna Atwell (viola), Josiah Boothby (horn), Bonnie Whiting Smith (percussion), and Douglas Niemela (electric bass guitar). Included in the program are Mark Applebaum’s The Metaphysics of Notation; Brian Cobb’s D. & A.; Clifford Dunn’s Splinters; Evan Florey-Barnes’ The Nuances of Rachel; Doug Niemela’s Quintology (For Racketology); Jeremy Jolley’s Essai; and James Welsch’s Trio minus Mandy Patinkin.