Steven Perry’s Dual Identity from Philly
7pm Wednesday, June 14
Steven Perry is a Percussionist, Composer, Curator, and Educator from Osceola, Indiana and is now a staple in the Philadelphia jazz scene. Perry holds a Bachelors in Jazz Studies from Western Michigan University and a Masters in the same from Temple University. In his time at these universities he was given the opportunity to study with some of the most prestigious names in jazz including: Rodney Green, Byron Landham, Tony Miceli, David Friedman, and Billy Hart (among many others). At the age of 28, Perry is one of the top call sidemen in Philadelphia, and has performed with Philly Jazz greats such as: Lucas Brown, Norman David, John Swana, and Mike Boone as well as international touring artists Rex Richardson, Grant Stewart, and Onder Focan. Perry’s compositions are truly of another world, simultaneously all his own while still deriving inspiration from great jazz composers like Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea. Perry is an experienced educator, working with organizations such as The Kimmel Center, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Music Center of Southwest Michigan, and Music Factory Philly. One can find his project “Dual Identity” performing all over the Greater Philadelphia Area. Steven is also a Curator, specializing in putting music in unfamiliar territory. His most recent series “Noize Freak” in collaboration with Urban Movement Arts, aims to tear down the wall between Dancers and Musicians; having them improvising and creating art together in real time.
Barry Altschul Trio from NYC
7pm Thursday, June 15
Barry Altschul is a drummer who gained fame in the late 1960s with the pianists Paul Bley and Chick Corea, playing in the “outside” style of jazz that had been evolving steadily since the innovations of Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane. His first major gig in the late 1960s was with Paul Bley’s trio. In 1969 he joined with Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Anthony Braxton to form the group Circle. At the time, he made use of a high-pitched Gretsch kit with add-on drums and percussion instruments, which he integrated seamlessly in a whirlwind of sound. No one sounded quite like him at the time, and his nuclear energy served him well when he teamed up with Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton throughout the 1970s.
Altschul also made a few albums as a leader, but after the mid-1980s he was rarely seen in concert or on record. Recently, he has become a little more visible again, with two sideman appearances on the CIMP label with the FAB trio (with Billy Bang and Joe Fonda) and the bassist Adam Lane. Altschul has played or recorded with many musicians, including Roswell Rudd, Dave Liebman, Andrew Hill, Sonny Criss, Hampton Hawes, and Lee Konitz.
Joe Fonda is a composer, bassist, recording artist, interdisciplinary performer, producer and educator.
An accomplished international Jazz artist, Fonda has performed with his own ensembles throughout the United States ,Canada , Europe and Asia. He has collaborated and performed with such artists as Anthony Braxton ,Archie Shepp, Ken McIntyre, Lou Donaldson, Bill and Kenny Barron, Leo Smith, Perry Robinson, Dave Douglas, Curtis Fuller, , Bill Dixon, Han Bennink, Bobby Naughton, Xu Fengia, Randy Weston, Gebhard Ullmann, Carla Bley, Carlo Zingaro, Barry Altschul, Billy Bang.
Jon Irabagon is a Filipino-American saxophonist, composer, and founder of Irabbagast Records. He is named one of New York City’s 25 Jazz Icons by Time Out New York.
First-generation Filipino-American Jon Irabagon (b. 1978, Chicago) has been influenced by the self-empowering and individualistic philosophies and aesthetic of the great AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) ensembles as well as the historic world-class tenor saxophone lineage from his hometown. Equally adept at composing for rising stars in new music and the most intricate modern jazz ensemble, Irabagon builds on this foundation by adding modern classical and late-period John Coltrane to his compositional base, focusing primarily on mixed chamber ensembles to take advantage of hand-chosen musicians’ voices and attitudes.
The Pherotones from Ann Arbor
7pm Friday, June 16
The Pherotones have performed Thursday nights at the Last Word bar in Ann Arbor since 2013. Their evolving repertoire of fantasies on classic themes, pop, rock, jazz, and blues has earned acclaim from audiences and enjoyment seekers. Poet Arwulf Arwulf wrote of the band, “Rambunctious creativity… positive vibes.” For the performance at the Jazz Festival the lineup will be Giancarlo Aversa on piano, Ross Huff on Trumpet, Wesley Fritzemeier on Drums and Joe Fee playing Bass.
Josh Harlow Trio from Chicago
7pm Saturday, June 17
“BLUE LAKE PUBLIC RADIO WAS PROUD TO AMPLIFY SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF CREATIVITY FOR A MASS AUDIENCE” – LAZARO VEGA
“GOLD!!” – ANDREW BISHOP, CHAIR, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN JAZZ DEPARTMENT
Josh Harlow is a pianist, keyboardist, and composer based in Chicago. He plays a wide array of music, touring the country with several musical projects: the Jewish roots exploration Teiku, instrumental psychedelic band Submerser, his duo projects with Joe Suihkonen and Peter Formanek, and his piano trio. He has collaborated with a variety of likeminded peers and mentors, including Wadada Leo Smith, John Lindberg, Michael Formanek, Jaribu Shahid, Dana Jessen, and Joo Won Park. In addition to his work as a composer and performer, Josh is an experienced and committed teacher. He teaches private and group lessons and has an ongoing relationship with Make Music NOLA, a free music-for-social-justice afterschool and summer program for underserved children in New Orleans. As for his own formal education, he graduated Oberlin Conservatory in 2016, where he studied Jazz, composition, and improvisation.