Mr. Chair + Filament | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

Mr. Chair + Filament

Don't miss this double bill by two Madison innovators on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 8pm. Mr. Chair (Ben Ferris, Mark Hetzler, Mike Koszewski, Jason Kutz) is a multi-genre group that plays a mix of rock, jazz, modern classical and contemporary improv-based styles. Their musical explorations over the last 3 years include a diversity of original compositions, re-imaginings of iconic classical works such as Stravisky's Pulcinella, and collaborations with dancers, visual artists, and hip hop / spoken word artists. In their performance at ALL, Mr. Chair will perform selections from their upcoming album debut, with special guests: Dequadray, Buzz Kemper, and Marie Moulin-Salles.

Filament (DeLane Doyle and Aaron Gochberg) is a new-music percussion duo seeking to widen the reach of contemporary concert music by exploring the interactions of audience and performer, of sound and space, and of technology and innovation. Filament seeks to create memorable experiences by challenging listener’s expectations without pretension. In their performance, Filament will debut original music and perform selections from contemporary percussion duo repertoire.

Tickets are $10 in advance at https://mrchair.bpt.me and $15 at the door. Student tickets $5 off with valid school ID. Advance tickets are available online until 1 hour before the show. Doors open at 7:30pm.

The ALL Jazz Series is sponsored in part by Alchemy, Dobhan, and Tex Tubbs Restaurants, WORT 89.9FM, Heid Music, and HotelRED. Student ticket discount made possible by Grant Samuelsen Real Estate.

Ben Ferris

Ben Ferris is a bassist and educator from Madison, WI. A student of NEA Jazz Master Richard Davis, he graduated with a music-education degree from UW-Madison in 2013. Ben performs regularly in the midwest, especially with the Ben Ferris Trio, a creative music ensemble that focuses on new compositions by musicians in the band. His group the Ben Ferris Quintet released their debut album, “Home” in 2016 featuring  original compositions by Ben and other members of the ensemble. A self-release, it is available exclusively on CD and Bandcamp. He also leads the Ben Ferris Octet, a group that plays a diverse selection of jazz repertoire. Ben also competed as a finalist in the 2017 International Society of Bassists Jazz Performance competition. Ben plays and writes music for “Mr Chair,” a contemporary ensemble of electronic trombone (Mark Hetzler), keyboard (Jason Kutz), percussion (Mike Koszewski) and electronic upright bass. As a sideman Ben performs with Nuggernaut (jazz-funk), The Jon... Read More

Mark Hetzler

Born in Sarasota, Florida in 1968, Mark Hetzler began playing his father's trombone at the age of twelve. He went on to receive degrees in Music from Boston University and the New England Conservatory of Music. Trained as a classical musician, Mark spent 16 seasons as the trombonist of the Empire Brass Quintet, a world renown brass chamber ensemble. He was also the Principal Trombone of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops and the Florida Orchestra. Mark has concertized as a soloist and chamber player on five continents, including appearances in 15 countries and throughout the United States. He has released eleven solo recordings on the Summit record label, featuring classical works, avante-garde, modern and electro-acoustic music, and his own original compositions. His solo recordings feature collaborations with a variety of instrumental combinations, including piano, strings, percussion and... Read More

Mike Koszewski

Mike Koszewski is an experienced musician from Madison with a diverse background in percussive arts. As a chamber musician he has performed and held masterclasses throughout the midwest and east coast and was recently a featured guest percussionist with Oakwood Chamber Players for their 2016/17 season. He is an versatile drum kit player and pit orchestra musician, regularly performing with Four Seasons Theater and Capital City Theater, as well as experimental jazz/rock combo Lovely Socialite and the Ben Ferris Jazz Octet.

Jason Kutz is a musician based in Madison, WI, playing, performing, teaching, and composing all styles of music. He is rooted in contemporary music and improvisation, often combining acoustic and classical piano styles with electronic synthesis. He studied recording technology and music business at UW-Oshkosh and completed his Master's in Piano Performance at UW-Madison.

He is a founding member of Mr. Chair, an innovative and inimitable ensemble that plays music in its own style. Mr. Chair was the WAMI Jazz Artist of the Year 2021; has released two acclaimed albums of original music; has reimagined Stravinsky's Pulcinella; worked with Filipino singer/artist Leslie Damaso to create an opera-like stage work featuring Filipino art songs and contemporary myth; and is working on an orchestral hip-hop album with First Wave Scholar, activist, poet, and Atlanta-based singer Dequadray White.

In 2018 and 2019 Kutz was commissioned by Dr. Stephen Meyers, Vilas Distinguished... Read More

DeLane Doyle

DeLane Doyle is a percussionist, composer and dance accompanist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he teaches at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. DeLane’s compositions have been performed in collaboration with Interlochen Center for the Arts, Traverse City Dance Project, in a revival of Anna Halprin’s C ircle of the Earth, set by Jamie Mchugh, Li- Chiao Ping Dance Company, and Dance NOW Miami! DeLane’s electro-acoustic compositions feature field recordings of natural objects and voices of the performers. As a performer, DeLane has given concerts in Carnegie Hall, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Beijing, and Shenyang. He has performed with Clocks in Motion new music ensemble, Sound Out Loud, Fifth House Ensemble, and the Atlantic Music Festival Contemporary Ensemble. As a soloist, DeLane has performed in numerous Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion events, won runner up in the 2015 Wyoming Symphony Young Artists Competition, and was a Finalist in the 2014 UW-Madison Concerto... Read More

Aaron Gochberg

Aaron Gochberg is a percussionist and educator based in Madison, WI. He is currently completing a degree in Music Performance at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, which has given him opportunities to perform in Carnegie Hall, the Overture Center, as well as tour Beijing and Shenyang, China. He has collaborated with artists and ensembles such as Sō Percussion, Clocks in Motion, Sound out Loud, Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, Kurtis Blow, and the Wisconsin Collegiate All Star Percussion Ensemble. His interest in Afro-Cuban music has led him to travel to Cuba multiple times to study with some of the most influential rumberos and bataleros on the island. His research into Cuban music has been partially funded by a Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship. He is currently the Wisconsin Union Theater's World Music Coordinator on the Performing Arts Committee.

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Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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