Bassist/Composer, Matt Ulery, has been developing a unique collaboration with Eighth Blackbird since featuring them on his critically acclaimed double album, “By a Little Light,” (Greenleaf Music 2012) in the context of a 13-piece chamber jazz orchestra. Since releasing the follow up double album, “In the Ivory,” (Greenleaf Music 2014) Ulery and Eighth Blackbird continue to develop new original music by Ulery for this singular nonet featuring his core rhythm section, Rob Clearfield on piano, and Jon Deitemyer on drums.

Matt Ulery – double bass

Rob Clearfield – piano and keyboard

Jon Deitemyer – drums

+Eighth Blackbird

Eighth Blackbird is excited to share the stage with Bryce Dessner and Bonnie “Prince” Billy, at this jam-packed festival. We’ll be at The Creek Stage, on Friday, 8/12 and Saturday, 8/13. Here’s our performance schedule:

Friday, 8/12/16 @ The Creek Stage

2pm-2:15pm     Coming Together,  by Frederic Rzewski, with Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy)

3pm-3:20pm     Down in the Willow Garden, with Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy)

5:05pm-5:25pm    Murder Ballades, by Bryce Dessner and Learn To Fly, by David Lang

7:40pm-8:10pm    Double Sextet, by Steve Reich with special guests

Saturday, 8/13/16 @ The Creek Stage

1:25pm-1:45pm    Murder Ballades, by Bryce Dessner and Learn To Fly, by David Lang

2:30pm-2:50pm    Coming Together,  by Frederic Rzewski, with Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy)

4:40pm-4:55pm    Down in the Willow Garden, with Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy)

5:45pm-6:15pm    Double Sextet, by Steve Reich with special guests

Festival line up is here:

Special guest opener: Peter Ferry, 8pm

Concert Program

Timo Andres, Checkered Shade

Alex Mills: Three Bocets for the Living

Lisa Kaplan: Whirligig

Robert Honstein: Conduit

Eighth Blackbird’s mission—to move music forward through innovative performance, advocacy for new music by living composers, and a legacy of guiding an emerging generation of musicians —extends beyond recording and touring to curation and education. The ensemble served as Music Director of the Ojai Music Festival (2009), enjoyed a three-year residency at the Curtis Institute of Music, and holds ongoing Ensemble-in-Residence positions at the University of Richmond and the University of Chicago. The 2015-16 season featured a lively residency at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, with open rehearsals, an interactive gallery installation, performances, and public talks.

In celebration of “the most original musical thinker of our time,” (The New Yorker) MTT pays tribute to composer Steve Reich alongside American masterworks including a selection of American songs with soprano Susanna Phillips. Grammy Award-winning ensemble eighth blackbird joins members of the SF Symphony for Reich’s Double Sextet and the program culminates with the full orchestra in Reich’s Three Movements.

Conductor/Performers:

In celebration of “the most original musical thinker of our time,” (The New Yorker) MTT pays tribute to composer Steve Reich alongside American masterworks including a selection of American songs with soprano Susanna Phillips. Grammy Award-winning ensemble eighth blackbird joins members of the SF Symphony for Reich’s Double Sextet and the program culminates with the full orchestra in Reich’s Three Movements.

Conductor/Performers

Invisible Bridge Concert, curated by Bryce Dessner. 

Passing nimbly between rock and contemporary music, Bryce Dessner cultivates the art of collaboration with shared compositions and performances. For this concert, he brings together guests from a variety of backgrounds: his brother and close collaborator Aaron Dessner (The National), singer Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), the Labèque sisters, and Eighth Blackbird. 

The Chicago-based, four-time Grammy Award-winning sextet celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016: two decades of performing around the world with impeccable precision and a signature style. The Mona Bismarck American Center is delighted to showcase their work in an intimate concert, following their weekend appearance at the Philharmonie de Paris curated by The National’s Bryce Dessner. 

PROGRAM

Nico Muhly: Doublespeak (2012) for sextet

Alex Mills: Three Bocets for the Living  (WORLD PREMIERE)

Bryce Dessner: Wave the Sea/Brushy Fork

David Lang: Wed

Ted Hearne: By-By Huey

Jacob Cooper: Cast

David Lang: Learn to Fly

Steve Reich, who has been called “our greatest living composer” (New York Times), celebrates his 80th birthday in 2016, and the year also marks the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Music for 18 Musicians, considered by many to be his greatest composition. Two of Chicago’s world-class ensembles, Eighth Blackbird and Third Coast Percussion, team up to perform this seminal composition.

PROGRAM

Music for Pieces of Wood

Intermission

Music for 18 Musicians

Hand Eye brings together a musical dream­ team. Multi-GRAMMY-winning ensemble eighth blackbird and Sleeping Giant, superstar composer sextet, unite for an evening-­length work fizzing with the alchemy of twelve strong personalities. Hand Eye transports us to a Soul-studded jam session (Ted Hearne), the buzzing contagion of an internet meme (Andrew Norman), a high-velocity adventure-ride (Robert Honstein), a shimmering yet blinding landscape (Christopher Cerrone), the flickering and pulsing of ink on paper (Timo Andres), and a warm but tattered beauty (Jacob Cooper).

The six pieces that comprise Hand Eye are Checkered Shade by Timo Andres, South Catalina by Chris Cerrone, Conduit by Robert Honstein, Mine, Mime, Meme by Andrew Norman By-By Huey by Ted Hearne, and Cast by Jacob Cooper. These pieces were inspired by works of art in the private collection of Maxine and Stuart Frankel.  Images of these works can be found here.

Hand Eye was commissioned by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and by Carnegie Hall.