Giant Ledge Presents: Band of Pulses

Saturday, March 18, 2023 - Catch Band of Pulses at 17 Frost Gallery

Doors 7:30PM, Show 8:00PM

Location: 17 Frost Street, Williamsburg

Tix - $20

Many species use sound to communicate. Flutist Elsa Nilsson, Pianist Santiago Leibson, Bassist Marty Kenney and drummer Rodrigo Recabarren asked themselves; what is the line that makes sound music? As they listened to words around them they became enchanted with the subtleties in the sounds of voices. It began with Rodrigo playing rhythms along with speeches where he wanted to accentuate the meanings of what was being said. He sent Elsa a video of Maya Angelou reading her poem “On the Pulse Of Morning” full of rocks, rivers and trees. Elsa fell in love with the deep musicality present in every sound. She listened and heard echoes of Ornette Coleman in how Maya Angelou ended her phrases. She heard thematic development and musical build in the pitch materials. She created a suite of music based around the rhythmic and melodic materials in Dr Maya Angelou's voice titled "Pulses" that will be performed in its entirety for Giant Ledge Productions on March 18th by this band who call themselves the Band Of Pulses. The suite explores the intersection between jazz and communication by highlighting the subtle melodic development and deep groove in Dr Angelou’s reading. Dr. Angelou’s voice acts as one of the instruments and frames the composed and improvised sections that are based on her pitch materials and phrasing. The band has attained the legal rights to use her voice as part of our performances from Caged Bird Legacy aka Dr Maya Angelou’s estate. "Pulses" by Elsa Nilsson and the Band Of Pulses has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works program funded through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, flutist Elsa Nilsson is now based in New York City where she performs regularly at various established venues and teaches Rhythmic Analysis and Socially Engaged Artistry at The New School. Nilsson is a founding member of Esthesis Quartet and has worked extensively as a band leader and collaborator in the New York Jazz scene since 2010. Paul Rauch of All About Jazz has said about her: “She is the logical choice to provide a next step for her instrument in the world of jazz and improvised music.”

Santiago Leibson is a Brooklyn based, Argentinian born jazz pianist and composer. His music is situated in the frontier of jazz, improvised music, classical and contemporary music. As an active member of the NY music scene, he has worked with artists such as Tony Malaby, Guillermo Klein, Michael Attias, Francisco Mela, Sean Conly, Gerald Cleaver and many more. In 2019 Santiago made his Carnegie Hall debut playing a solo concert of original and classical compositions at the prestigious series “Sophia Rossoff Presents” organized by the Abby Whiteside Foundation with a repeated concert in 2022.

Marty Kenney has performed with musicians such as Art Lande, Billy Drummond, Rich Perry, Steve Slagle, Allan Harris, Rez Abbasi, Brandon Seabrook, Brian Krock's Big Heart Machine, David Berkman, and the New York Standards Quartet featuring Tim Armacost and Gene Jackson.

Born in Santiago de Chile, Rodrigo Recabarren has been in NYC since 2009. He has worked with artists as Guillermo Klein, Brad Shepik, Melissa Aldana, Camila Meza, Claudia Acuña, Rafal Sarnecki and Andre Carvallo among many others. Has performed in Europe, the United States, Asia and Latin-America in prestigious venues like the Blue Note, 55 bar, Smalls and Jazz at Lincoln Center, among many others. He is the founder of Tresillo music School in Santiago de Chile and has produced dozens of albums and tours around the world with his projects.