In the fall of 2023, a group of Santa Fe jazz players began doing sessions at Patrick Lysaght’s Entropy Gallery that were inspired by the ‘70s loft scene in NYC, where players would come together to do free improvisation in order to search out new musical territory.

Over time the sessions acquired local players that have great experience performing avant garde jazz, and in fairly short order their experience at this genre turned these sessions in a performance ensemble that was creating compositions on the spot. Thus began the Avant Jazz Workshop, a group of players committed to continuing and expanding the avant garde tradition in jazz.

While free improvisation continues to be the basis of the group, large ensemble techniques like direction by hand gestures, graphic scores, and use of cycles in the manner of composers like George Russell and Butch Morris will be considered as available to them. And the group will delve into other avant garde techniques of the past to see what could be used by the group in the future, maybe even creating new techniques along the way.

While experimentation can be fascinating, the extensive experience of the players will bring forth compelling music that truly speaks to people rather than offering an empty intellectual exercise.