As part of a world-wide series of Braxton75 events, the duo B. Experimental Band celebrates the music, life and enduring influence of visionary composer, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist and musical thinker Anthony Braxton in an all-Braxton program led by Santa Fe saxophonist, community organizer and Braxton collaborator Chris Jonas.

The duo B. Experimental Band, co-led by bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and drummer Jason Levis, explores the rich terrain where composition and improvisation meet. The 13-to-15-piece ensemble, which has a core personnel that varies slightly from performance to performance, was founded in December 2018, and performs every-other-month at Temescal Arts Center in Oakland. Repertoire has included long-form compositions by Levis and Mezzacappa, conducted improvisations, graphic scores, and this fall, an evening-length version of the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s People in Sorrow, performed at the SF Music Day 2019 festival. This December the ensemble celebrated its first birthday with a continuous 4-hour concert installation.

The ensemble will be expanded to include upwards of 20 musicians for this Braxton75 concert:
Polly Moller Springhorn, flutes
Matt Ingalls, clarinets
Rachel Condry, clarinets
Cory Wright, woodwinds
Bruce Ackley, woodwinds
Randy McKean, woodwinds
Dan Plonsey, woodwinds
Tom Weeks, alto saxophone
Kasey Knudsen, alto saxophone
Michael Zelner, alto saxophone and Bb clarinet
Daniel Goldberg, tenor saxophone
Steve Adams, alto saxophone/electronics
Erika Oba, flute/keyboard
Ian Carey, trumpet
Ron Heglin, trombone/euphonium
Gabby Fluke-Mogul, violin
Kevin CK Lo, violin
Juan Hernandez, guitar
John Finkbeiner, guitar
Brett Carson, keyboard
Kjell Nordeson, vibraphone
Lisa Mezzacappa, acoustic bass
Andrew Harlan, acoustic bass
Safa Shokrai, acoustic bass
Dillon Vado, percussion
Suki O'Kane, percussion
Jordan Glenn, drums
Jason Levis, drums