Wednesday October 19 * 7pm * TICKETS
Michael Foster & Ben Bennett have been an active duo for the last 4 years, toying with and queering the the sax-drums free jazz tradition, approaching it with equal parts reverence and harsh scrutiny. In 2017, the duo paired with Mexico City-based trumpeter, Jacob Wick, for a trio recording and performance that further probed these relationships. Wick’s approach to the trumpet and improvisation as a whole is deeply informed by his studies in social practice, community organizing, and queer theory (particularly Judith Butler’s concepts of “undoing” in relation to the social practice of music and performance). Like Jacob, Michael’s approach to the saxophone and improvisation is also informed by queer identity and his engagement with gender and sexuality studies; unpacking the saxophone’s loaded cultural signifiers through extensive instrumental preparation, and a constant, nervous re-positioning of the instrument’s traditional roles within an ensemble. Ben has been taking the drums apart for years, initially beginning as a traditional trap set player and eventually deconstructing the drum set to its bare essentials by moving it to the floor where he can turn it into a percussive and woodwind-like instrument through his own extensive preparations. He is also known online for his YouTube series “Sitting and Smiling”.
https://michaelfoster.bandcamp.com/album/glove-issues
One of the world’s premiere exponents of her instrument, Susan Alcorn has taken the pedal steel guitar far beyond its traditional role in country music. Having first paid her dues in Texas country & western bands, she began to expand the vocabulary of her instrument through her study of 20th century classical music, visionary jazz, and world musics.
Though known for her solo work, she has collaborated with numerous artists including Pauline Oliveros, Eugene Chadbourne, Chris Cutler, the London Improvisors Orchestra, the Glasgow Improvisors Orchestra, Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark, Nate Wooley, Ingrid Laubrock and Leila Bourdreuil, George Burt, Evan Parker, Michael Formanek, Zane Campbell, and Mary Halvorson among others. In 2017 she received the Baker Artist Award and in 2018, along with saxophonist Joe McPhee, the Instant Award in Improvised Music.