The Archer Spade Performance Series Presents a night of compositions and improvisations from New Haven and Philadelphia.
Carl Testa
Broadcloth
Travis Woodson's Music for Three Guitars
Carl Testa is a composer and multi-instrumentalist, most notably as the bassist in composer Anthony Braxton's groups with whom he's performed throughout the US and internationally. Testa's own compositions have been described as "engaging and unique" (Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery) and "human music, with varied emotions and sublime moments" (Richard Kamins, The Hartford Courant). Testa released his debut album Uncertainty in 2008 and is currently working on his second release. In addition to his own trio with clarinetist Mike McGinnis and percussionist Bill Carbone, he regularly performs with Anthony Braxton's Septet, 12+1tet, and Trillium Orchestra. He also collaborates with vocalist Anne Rhodes, choreographer Rachel Bernsen, and composers Lou Guarino, Brian Parks, Adam Matlock, Nathan Bontrager, and Christopher Riggs. Every month he runs the Uncertainty Music Series as an organizer in New Haven, CT. http://carltesta.net/
Broadcloth performs improvised music with a nod to various compositional outlets. Using a unique instrumentation of voice, cello and accordion/recorders, the trio plays from notated, graphic, embroidered, and textual scores in addition to completely spontaneous pieces. Without shying away from virtuosity, Broadcloth creates music that reflects the order of composition and the risk of unpredictable musical interactions. Emphasis lies on establishing a holistic sound that favors cooperation over hierarchy.
Music for Three Guitars: Arrangements and Compositions by Travis Woodson - "The music that you'll be hearing is essentially a preview of some material I have worked on for the past year. I basically wanted to come up with a series of compositions and/or arrangements I thought would translate easily for this type of instrumentation, as well as be inquisitive of the sound possibilities. With the aid of Alban Bailey and Nick Millevoi, you will hear music from some of my favorite composers like Ornette Coleman, Morton Feldman, György Ligeti, and in addition, a special piece originally written for solo guitar by Philadelphia's own Eric Slick of Dr. Dog. I will also be sharing a few of my own compositions, including a song I originally wrote for Make a Rising that didn't make the cut. I'm quite fond of how these turned out and would love to share these ideas with everyone as I'm going through this process. Together, we will finally solve the age-old question: How many guitarist does it take to screw in a light bulb?"
Admission is FREE