Wednesday March 19th * 7PM * $20-$25 * TICKETS
Join Transparent Productions at Rhizome DC for a performance by this amazing trio led by bassist Max Johnson with Neta Raanan on tenor saxophone and Connor Parks on drums. They are touring in support of their new release “I'll See You Again” on Adhyâropa Records.
https://maxjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/ill-see-you-again
Described as “an intrepid composer, architect of sound and beast of the bass…” (Brad Cohan, NYC Jazz Record) composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson is one of the most prolific music makers in the jazz, bluegrass, improvised music, and contemporary classical worlds. Johnson has released nearly 20 albums and performed over three thousand concerts internationally with artists like Anthony Braxton, Geri Allen, Mary Halvorson, David Grisman, Tyshawn Sorey, Ingrid Laubrock, Henry Grimes, Candido Camero, Sam Bush, Nels Cline, and many more. He has composed commissions for the Jerome Foundation, Society of Composers Inc, University of Glasgow, has been featured on over seventy albums, and can be heard in Spike Lee’s Academy Award winning film, “The BlacKkKlansman”. For this concert, Max Johnson presents his incredible trio with Neta Raanan on tenor saxophone and Connor Parks on drumset, celebrating the trio's 2024 album, "I'll see you again" on Adhyropa Records. This trio explores Johnson’s more traditional jazz compositions inspired by innovators Charles Mingus, Mal Waldron, and Thelonious Monk, while always featuring Johnson's unique energetic and chaotic soundworld.
"Multi-faceted bassist Max Johnson helms a terrific trio... Here and elsewhere, evidence of Johnson's composer's ear surfaces in how cannily he extracts maximum impact from the three voices." - John Sharpe, The New York City Jazz Record.
Neta Raanan is a saxophonist and composer raised in New Jersey. In her youth, Neta was drawn to the mysterious black and white photos of Thelonious Monk and Lester Young perched on the walls of the record stores in New York. She began attending creative music workshops across the east coast, participating in youth ensembles, and frequenting local venues like the Village Vanguard where she was exposed to artists like Paul Motian, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and others.
Neta continued to nurture her musicianship during her education at Berklee College of Music, gathering influences and approaches from a diverse and profound community of teachers and peers. Since earning her Masters in Music degree, Neta has been pursuing a life in creative music. Her collaborations supporting other artists span across genres, ranging from jazz to avant garde, to folk music to accompanying hip-hop artists and singer/songwriters, and mixed medium productions.
Connor Parks is from Orlando, FL, where he began studying drums & percussion with Beth and Danny Gottlieb. He performed often in the Jazz and Improvised Music community, being mentored by local hero Benoit Glazer.
Connor received a BFA in Jazz studies from the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music in New York City, where he was instructed by Jane Ira Bloom, Reggie Workman, & Dave Douglas, and privately studied with Matt Wilson, Johnathan Blake, Aaron Parks, Matt Brewer, Harish Raghavan, Amir Ziv, Ben Street, Gilad Hekselman, and Dayna Stephens.
Connor has performed with Ali Sethi, Kandace Springs, Rodney Jones, Vic Juris, Darius Jones, Linda Briceño, Dave Glasser, JD Allen, Ingrid Jensen, Aaron Parks, Mcklopedia, among many others, and currently plays with the NYC band Cafuné. He has appeared at venues ranging from the Blue Note to Madison Square Garden, and often performs at Music Festivals both internationally and in the United States.
As a composer, Connor has written music for ensembles ranging from solo performers to nonets with strings, and has collaborated with Cameron McKinney (Kizuna Dance) & the Joffrey School of Ballet.
Parks is an endorsee of Innovative Percussion implements, and Paiste Cymbals.