Left Field Series w/ “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series
We are once again excited to announce “The Left Field Series” - a programming adventure presented in partnership with the Jazz Series. Together, Dismal Niche and the Jazz Series will present 4 concerts celebrating the avant-garde tradition of expression outside the confines of convention with some of the world’s most vital, forward thinking and
expressive artists and musicians.
Saturday, October 18th
Natural Information Society
Whitmore Recital Hall (135 Fine Arts Building, University of Missouri, Hitt Street)
Left Field Series w/ We Always Swing
7 Doors / 7:15 Opener TBA
Joshua Abrams - Guimbri
Lisa Alvarado - Harmonium
Mikel Patrick Avery - Drums
Jason Stein - Bass Clarinet
Natural Information Society is led by acclaimed composer & multi-instrumentalist Joshua Abrams alongside artist Lisa Alvarado. Grounded in Abrams’ polyrhythmic writing and performing with Alvarado’s free hanging paintings as mobile sets, NIS creates environments that are meditative & propulsive, navigating forms that emphasize simultaneous differences, rhythm & collective listening. The group has released seven full length records with Eremite Records as well as two collaborative albums with Chicago’s Bitchin’ Bajas.
Outside of NIS Abrams has played & recorded with a broad range of artists including Fred Anderson, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Nicole Mitchell & The Roots. He has composed scores to ten feature films including the Oscar nominated Abacus: Small Enough to Jail. Abrams was a recipient of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts 2018 Grants to Artists award.
Wednesday, January 21st
The Bad Plus
The Blue Note (17 N 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201)
Left Field Series w/ We Always Swing
7:00 doors / 8pm Show
Dave King - Drums
Reid Anderson - Bass
Ben Monder - Guitar
Chris Speed - Tenor Saxophone
The Bad Plus are the ultimate originals. A democratic unit with a clear vision and a refusal to conform to convention. For the past two decades they have played with spirit and adventure, made their own rules and done so with a bold sense of creativity and intent. Avoiding easy categorization, The Bad Plus has won critical acclaim and a legion of fans worldwide with their unique sound and flair for live performance.
Now in their 21st year, The Bad Plus continues to push boundaries as founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) embark on a new piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone) – instigating a new wave of excitement and anticipation within the band that is re-energizing their sound and inspiration. The Bad Plus have constantly searched to bridge genres and techniques while exploring the infinite possibilities of exceptional musicians working in perfect sync.
Kelly Moran
Friday, March 6th
Whitmore Hall
Kelly Moran is a New York-based composer and pianist who has spent her career excavating the sonic possibilities of the piano. In the past decade, Moran has released numerous acclaimed albums that have challenged the piano’s traditional, classically-imposed school of thought with a more contemporary approach. Her unique strand of experimental piano compositions, which conjure hypnotizing textures and dramatic compositional arcs, have been included on year-end lists across classical, avant-garde, and metal genres.
Moran’s most recent album, Moves in the Field, was praised by the New York Times for being “a softhearted but steel-skinned set of 10 piano pieces that are as rapturous as a waterfall or as delicate as vapor. Her first album in six years, it is the redemptive conclusion in an extended span of personal tragedy and professional doubt, all ingrained in its sweeping songs.”
An accomplished and highly sought-after composer, Moran has collaborated with visionary contemporaries including FKA Twigs, Yves Tumor, The Avalanches, Kelsey Lu, Oneohtrix Point Never, and classical musician Margaret Leng Tan.
Saturday, April 4th
Caroline Davis
Firestone Baars Chapel at Stephens College
Left Field Series w/ We Always Swing
7:00 doors / 7:15 Opener TBA
Mobile since her birth in Singapore, composer, saxophonist, and vocalist Caroline Davis’s expression covers a wide range of styles, owed to her shifting environment as a child. From angular, melody-present instrumental outfits to soulful, quirky song writing, Caroline’s persona is recognizably present. As an improviser and saxophonist, she has released six albums under her name and has won Downbeat’s Critic’s Poll Rising Star. Through the years, her work continues to garner praise in domestic and international publications.
Davis has shared musical moments with Lee Konitz, John Zorn, Angelica Sanchez, The Femme Jam, Matt Mitchell, Terry Riley, Miles Okazaki, Geoffrey Keezer, and Billy Kaye, among many others. Her composition work has led to resident fellowships at MacDowell, The Jazz Gallery, The Rockefeller Estate, and ICE Ensemble Evolution; and she has been awarded Jerome Hill, CMA, and NYFA fellowships. Her compositions often integrate science and music, influenced by her Ph.D in Music Cognition. Caroline is an advocate for gender equity (This Is A Movement, The New School) and abolition (Justice for Keith Lamar).
