Randy Porter, guitar
Dan Plonsey, saxophone
Irene Sazer, violin
Jessica Ivry, cello
Ward Spangler, percussion
This virtuosic ensemble presents original compositions and spontaneous improvisations by master composer-improvisers. A reunion nearly four decades in the making, Plonsey, Sazer, Spangler, and Porter reunite after nearly 40 years of performing together in various ensembles.
Joined by Jessie Ivry, the group blends traditional, extended, and prepared techniques to create adventurous, expressive, and unpredictable music.
Inspired by Frank Zappa, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Olivier Messiaen, the music is rooted in East Bay life and shaped by an era marked by rising authoritarianism and threats to democracy in the United States, turning those tensions into a powerful, deeply personal experience.