Improvisational Jazz: Free Concerts at Harvard U April 7 & 8 2016 feat. Wadada Leo Smith & Others

From a media release:

Creative Music Convergences:
Improvisation, Creativity Highlight Fromm Players Concerts
April 7 & 8, 2016 at Harvard University

Two evenings of concerts by composer/performers including Wadada Leo Smith, Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman Octet, Tyshawn Sorey Double Trio, more

Buy the CD A cosmic rhythm with every stroke on Amazon

Wadada Leo Smith by Scott Groller
CAMBRIDGE, MA: On Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 8, the Fromm Concerts at Harvard assemble some of the finest musicians in creative music for a series of free concerts, "Creative Music Convergences," in John Knowles Paine Concert Hall on the Harvard University campus.

The Thursday lineup features 7:30 pm performances by Wadada Leo Smith and Vijay Iyer (whose album A cosmic rhythm with every stroke releases March 25) and Nicole Mitchell with Tomeka Reid and Mike Reed. At 9:00pm Okkyung Lee and the Steve Lehman Octet take the stage.

On Friday at 7:30 pm, hear Craig Taborn and Wadada Leo Smith with Ikue Mori. The 9:00 show features Courtney Bryan and the Tyshawn Sorey Double Trio.



"These are musicians who just go up there and create," says Franklin D. and Florence Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts Vijay Iyer, who curated the 2016 Fromm concerts. "Every night is different, every time is different, and each has its own integrity and power. Improvisation really builds something. It's not contra to composition; it's another way of putting music together."

The musicians in this year's Fromm concerts span generations, geography, and style. What they share is that they are part of the creative music community.

Vijay Iyer by Jimmy Katz
"What we call creative music, experimental music that involves improvisation, has an astonishingly diverse range of expression," says Iyer. "Tyshawn Sorey plays the Village Vanguard but studied with Stockhausen; Steve Lehman is one of the transforming figures of 21st century jazz; Ikue Mori plays solo cello with a rock band [the legendary DNA], Craig Taborn is the most admired keyboardist of my generation.

"They're all here," says Iyer, "because they're innovative and unique."

All four concerts are free and open to the public. No tickets are required; first come, first seated. Free parking is available at the Broadway Garage, corner of Felton and Broadway Streets in Cambridge (a five minute walk from Paine Hall). Paine Hall is located directly behind the Science Center at 3 Oxford Street; the Hall is wheelchair accessible.

http://music.fas.harvard.edu  | 617-495-2791  |  musicdpt@fas.harvard.edu

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