Battle Hymns & Gardens + James Powers & Dan Duval

Sunday, September 1st, 2024, 7:00PM – Strum

Battle Hymns & Gardens + James Powers & Dan Duval bridge a vibrant free-jazz sensibility with a landscape of moody, evocative compositions.

Tasting notes: cinematic, lyrical and dreamy, drop-kicked joy and fire

Battle Hymns & Gardens was originally formed in 2007 as a free-improvisation ensemble and has evolved over time into one of the more compelling units on the Portland scene. Their original compositions by Cunningham and Wallsmith are reminiscent of Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman and Loft Jazz-era giants like Sam Rivers with spacious, lyrical landscapes, a la Paul Motian and Roscoe Mitchell with a strong influence of folk-forms and a healthy dose of conversational interplay and humor. Battle Hymns & Gardens have shared bills and/or collaborated with Tim Young, Allison Miller, Lucian Ban, Mike Gamble, Elina Duni, The Tiptons, and Elliott Sharp among others. Their 2024 Montavilla Jazz Festival performance centers on the music of their recently recorded album, also featuring trombonist James Powers and guitarist Dan Duval and exploring new compositions by Cunningham and Wallsmith.

Lineup: Reed Wallsmith, alto saxophone and compositions; Joe Cunningham, tenor saxophone and compositions; James Powers, trombone; Dan Duval, guitar; Jon Shaw, bass; Tim DuRoche, drums

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