Friday March 9th          8pm          ~$10

Polyorchard (NC) was founded by bassist and composer David Menestres in 2012 as a collective with a bold commitment to the practice, not the genre, of improvisation. The distinction is a subtle but crucial one. Where many free improvisation performances can fall into a predictable dynamic pattern of peaks and valleys, Polyorchard crafts intricate forms with clear but idiosyncratic arcs. Each extempore arrangement is packed with surprise… new aspects emerge on every listen, the band’s ability to create spontaneous structure consistently fascinating, and more than a little befuddling. (Matt Wuethrich, Dusted)

Matt Nelson (TN) - is a Bassist/Improvisor/Composer based in Knoxville, TN. Since releasing his debut self titled album in April of 2017, Nelson has been an active part in the growing improvised music scene in Knoxville as well as opening for such artists as Peter Brotzmann, Julian Lage, Mike Baggetta, Rafael Toral and Richard Pinhas. Nelson's style and approach are heavily influenced by artists like Albert Ayler, Peter Kowald and Peter Brotzmann. His music attempts to access a very raw emotional space while still keeping a strong melodic sense.

Dan Blacksberg (Philly) - Spanning avant-garde jazz, modern classical music, improvised music, and klezmer, Dan Blacksberg brings a burly, rough-edged voice that pushes at the technical and textural extremes of his instrument, the trombone. A 2012 Pew Fellow in the Arts, the Philadelphia resident and native has made a name for himself as a leader with projects such as the Daniel Blacksberg Trio, Hasidic doom metal band Deveykus, and as a co-leader of new music duo Archer Spade. He is also in demand as a sideman, working with groups such as the Anthony Braxton Quartet, and with composer Gene Coleman. Dan is also one of the few musicians in the world who performs and teaches traditional klezmer on the trombone. Recognized as a master of the traditional trombone style, he can often be found performing with the field’s top artists.

Francis / Ryan Duo (DC, MD) - Nik Francis (drums) is a D.C. based drummer and composer of electro-acoustic music and visual art. Jim Ryan (sax & flute) recently returned to the DC area from the San Francisco experimental music scene where he was active for over fifteen years. They have been playing together since 2017.