High Zero Vet and amazing cellist/electronics/voice improvisor Ishmael Ali returns to Balt! Solo set + Special guest opener John Pablo Rojas. John Pablo is a recent transplant to MD and grad “cello Fellow” at UMD.
Don’t not miss this night of experimental cello mastery.
Ishmael is a staple of Chicago improvisation, free jazz, noise and new music scenes. He has performed or recorded with Kahil El Zabar and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Avreeayl Ra, Josh Berman, Jim Baker, Fred Jackson, Ed Wilkerson, Angel Bat Dawid, Jason Stein, and many more.
Ishmael Ali will play music from and adjacent to his upcoming record Burn The Plastic, Sell The Copper. The music will shift through different modes, incorporating acoustic improvisations, poetry, electronics, and singable tunes. Cello, electronics, and voice.
Ishmael Ali’s debut solo album, Burn the Plastic, Sell the Copper features a remarkable crew of distinguished Chicagoans in various configurations in addition to solo performances interspersed throughout. The record on the whole highlights a wide array of Ali’s unique language and propensity for collaboration, taking the listener through an eclectic but cohesive mix of music. Raw solo cello explorations, intimate duo improvisations, interactive electronics, rhythmic grooves, and singable (and sung!) melodies populate the record like characters whose voices interact, whose stories unfold over time. It is as though there is a palpable sense of community, not just among the players, but among the songs-as-characters.
John Pablo Rojas (they/he) is a performer and composer from Detroit, Michigan currently based in Maryland. Their practice as a musician draws from classical training in tandem with Detroit’s rich scene of electronic and improvised music. He founded the experimental duo project Iron Joy along with composer Indira Edwards, a project that seeks to move away from genre towards self determination and storytelling. Other collaborations in recent years have ranged from members of legendary techno collective Underground Resistance to prominent Detroit improvisers such as LuFuki, Ben Willis, Kirsten Carey, Dave Hurley, Jaribu Shahid, among others. John Pablo is currently a graduate chamber music fellow at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Ishmael pic by Ricardo Adame. John Pablo pic by Doug Coombe.
