Cross Modulations Series: Ra Bishop + Mai Sugimoto/Erik Sowa Duo
March 18 @ 8:00 pm
$15 at the door
no one gets turned away
Ra Bishop
Jeb Bishop
A truly multi-generational group, the ensemble Ra Bishop embodies an extraordinary breadth of combined experience. Master percussionist Avreeayl Ra (Professor Longhair, Sun Ra Arkestra) and the singular trombonist Jeb Bishop (Jeb Bishop Trio/Quartet, Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet) first worked together in bands led by guitarist Dan Phillips. Since Bishop’s move back to Chicago in 2022, the two have sought ways to deepen their collaboration in new settings. For this trio and quartet performance at Chicago’s Hungry Brain in March 2024, they were joined by veteran composer/bandleader/improviser Edward Wilkerson Jr (8 Bold Souls, Shadow Vignettes) on woodwinds, and on piano the remarkable and intrepid newcomer Erez Dessel, a more recent arrival in Chicago who has quickly made himself heard there. The first set recorded that night in March was the trio of Wilkerson, Ra, and Bishop, while Dessel, coming from a recording session that day, joined them for the second set. Both sets find the musicians immediately and fearlessly exploring a wide range of territory, the bassless lineup promoting agility and a move to unconventional textures. The distinctive and fascinating results are heard on the group’s debut CD Of the Essence, which contains the quartet set from that evening, while the trio set is available as a download, also from Amalgam.
Mai Sugimoto/Erik Sowa Duo
Mai Sugimoto
Mai Sugimoto is a Japanese-born saxophonist, composer, and improviser based in Chicago. Her most recent release, Sunlight Filtering Through Leaves (Asian Improv Records, 2024), was reviewed by Peter Margasak, who noted: “[the album] conveys that singular joy of good improvised music, when it’s not about ripping solos but group unity. Naturally,Im advising you all to pay close attention to Sugimoto from here on out.”
Erik Sowa
Erik Sowa is a Chicago based drummer/multi-instrumentalist whose musical directions are informed by post-rock, free jazz, ambient/noise, and afro-beat traditions. In recent years, Erik has collaborated with a wide range of performers of varied musical genres including Peter Maunu, Jeb Bishop, Norman Long, Ben Schmidt-Swartz, Mai Sugimoto, Thomas Comerford, and Snek Trio. In 2022, Erik released a self-titled solo album of instrumental compositions titled “Cedar Lake Recordings Vol. 1” which was reviewed in Dusted Magazine.