Relentlessly creative, and challenging the boundaries of saxophonic extended techniques, Jamison Williams' role in defining the pursuit of expressive freedom through the use of the instrument cannot be understated; from founding the Experimental Arts Union of Florida, +SoLo Sound Gallery, and Vantage Bulletin publishing, to designing the educational curriculum currently taught at [neu]Sonics Music Initiative, his energy is contagious and an inspiration.
"Florida-based saxophone player Jamison Williams says that he "specializes in experimental deconstructionism," a great descriptor for his exploratory improvisations and his jagged, joyous interpretations of familiar material. He sticks with the classics—"When You Wish Upon A Star," "It's A Small World," and so on—and turns them into terrifying thrill rides of agitated chords and familiar yet warped melodies. If Banksy were as smart as he thinks he is, Williams' work would be playing on a loud loop through the artist's dark Dismaland in....
Alto saxophonist Aaron Martin has for decades been a fixture of D.C.’s free jazz community. Raised and steeped in the tradition of bebop, Aaron also had the experience of performing with Anthony Braxton and studying with Jimmy Lyons, two icons of avant-garde saxophone. An activist and organizer, Martin is determined to instill his music with the radical and revolutionary message that he developed through his experiences in the movements of the 1960s and ’70s.
Nik Francis & Jim Ryan have worked closely together for the past two years on developing a fluid and dynamic language for free improvisation. Nik Francis is a DC based drummer and composer of electro-acoustic music. For the last half century, Jim Ryan has performed spoken word and improvised music in Europe and throughout the United States, playing saxophone, flute, and trumpet. Jim recently returned to DC from San Francisco, where he was active in the experimental music scene for many years. During the 1980s he lived in DC and worked with the Art Performance Group. His music and poetry have been issued on Edgetone Records.
