WED 8 & 9:30 Ralph Alessi and Escalation w/Matt Mitchell, John Hebert, Ches Smith
About This Event
Trumpeter-composer Ralph Alessi brings his group Escalation to Bar Bayeux, joined by pianist Matt Mitchell, John Hebert, and drummer-percussionist Ches Smith. Alessi’s pieces favor focused ensemble conversation and real-time structure; Mitchell’s practice moves between through-composed material and open forms, while Smith’s extensive collaborations attest to his facility across jazz and free-improvised settings.
About the Artists
Escalation
Escalation is a jazz group led by trumpeter and composer Ralph Alessi, heard in New York City at Smalls Jazz Club. The band sits within Alessi’s long-running work as a composer-bandleader, alongside projects such as the Baida Quartet and This Against That.
Matt Mitchell
Matt Mitchell is a pianist and composer working across classical, jazz, and free-improvised music in New York City. He appears at venues such as Roulette and Bar Bayeux, leading ensembles and moving easily between through-composed material and open forms.
John Hebert
John Hebert is a jazz bassist whose work sits close to free and avant-garde traditions, with a focus on collective improvisation and quick shifts in form. In New York City he appears in small-room settings such as Bar Bayeux, where he joins trumpeter-composer Ralph Alessi’s group Escalation alongside pianist Matt Mitchell and drummer-percussionist Ches Smith.
Ches Smith
Ches Smith is a drummer, percussionist, and composer based in New York. He has collaborated with a host of artists including Marc Ribot, Tim Berne, John Zorn, Darius Jones, David Torn, John Tchicai, Nels Cline, Mary Halvorson, Trevor Dunn, Terry Riley, Kris Davis, Dave Holland, Secret Chiefs 3, Xiu Xiu, Good for Cows, Theory of Ruin, and Mr.