New Music Series: John Christensen + Matt Blair | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

New Music Series: John Christensen + Matt Blair

New Music Series curated by Anders Svanoe: The last Sunday of every month features some of Madison’s finest jazz musicians and composers exploring and navigating their own original music. On May 27, 2018, the series presents the John Christensen/Matt Blair Duo.

Free admission, but a $5 donation is appreciated.

Thanks to our Spring Jazz Series sponsors: Dane Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation; HotelRED, Dobhan Restaurant; and Alchemy.

John Christensen

John Christensen began his bass studies with Chris Wood and continued his formal education by attending Berklee College of Music summer sessions and finally attending University of North Texas music program. After deciding on a more personalized education program John moved to San Francisco to begin gigging and study with renowned educator Dick Hindman. In the Bay Area John played and recorded with numerous bands including his own band Dam East, Mark Levine, Victoria Williams, Slide Five, Scott Amendola, Hal Stein, and The New Morty Show among others. Since Moving to Madison in 1999 John has played with numerous local groups including Alison Margaret, Jan Wheaton, Harmonious Wail, Patrick Breiner, Dave Stoler, Kyle Henderson, Paul Hastil, Anders Svanoe and Gerri DeMaggio. John continues learning and growing in 2018 through Recording and performing collaborations with Louka Patenaude, Anthony Deutsch, Jamie Breiwick, Devin Drobka, Tony Barba and has shared the stage with such... Read More

Matt Blair

Matt Blair is a pianist, composer, and educator who recently returned to Madison, WI. His work draws upon diverse musical traditions such as contemporary classical, electro-acoustic improvisation, free jazz, minimalism, and noise. In addition to his practice as a pianist, he incorporates extended electronic processing of the Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, and the computer in his music.

Since 2018, Matt has been releasing music on his label, Scribbled Fang Records. Recent releases have included Shadow Sets, a collection of compositions for solo piano that was produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus, Happy Apple), Post Rock Lately, the debut record of Collector, an improvising trio featuring Jakob Heinemann on bass and Devin Drobka on drums and electronics, and Flights and Poor Health Good Spirits, both releases by Big Thanks, a Minneapolis-based Trash House trio featuring Miles Allen on saxophone and clarinet and Jack Lussenden on drums. Other recent releases have included After... Read More

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

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