Sun Ra Arkestra at Johnny Brendas | Photo by Josh Pelta-Heller for WXPN
Sun Ra Arkestra, Anthony Braxton and more to play inaugural October Revolution of Jazz & Contemporary Music
Inspired by jazz great Bill Dixon’s 1964 gathering of a similar name, Ars Nova Workshop and FringeArts have announced a new “deep listening festival” happening this fall called The October Revolution of Jazz & Contemporary Music. Scheduled for October 5th through the 8th and based at the riverfront HQ of FringeArts, OctRev revives a pivotal moment in jazz history with a new crop of boundary-pushing artists.
The organizers of OctRev have lined up a bill of musicians who are known for advancing experimental jazz music, honoring Dixon’s original intention for the festival while incorporating even more contemporary sounds. With many more artists still to be announced, the current roster features legendary sax player Anthony Braxton, buzzing flautist Claire Chase, a rare appearance by avant-garde jazz outfit Art Ensemble of Chicago, a duo featuring harpist / Bjork collaborator Zeena Parkins and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ drummer Brian Chase, and Brooklyn experimental group Tim Berne’s Snakeoil. Another highlight will be Sun Ra Arkestra‘s performance of their 1973 record Space Is the Place, a symbolic nod to Dixon’s original festival, which featured Sun Ra himself.
Mark Christmas, Executive and Artistic Director of Ars Nova Workshop, writes in a press release:
“In this kind of landscape, in which music of all kinds can play a central role, the participants do not listen for something…. They are focusing instead on the experience of listening itself—tuning in.”
Super Early Bird passes for the four day, multi-venue experience are on sale now and available here. Preview some of OctRev’s performers below.