Electric Ascension

But John Coltrane was nothing if not a relentless innovator. In the spirit of that search for knowledge and innovation, we employed the same form in 1995, but incorporated our own improvising sensibilities and language. And in the spirit of Coltrane’s search for the new, we propose to imagine a new instrumental line-up and a modified form, tailored to that new line-up, for this 21st century performance of Ascension. For tonight’s performance we have gathered together a group of daring improvisers whose own musics are created with the same spirit of exploration and innovation. It is not our intention to replicate the original Ascension recording, but rather to use it as a springboard to improvise in our moment of the creative continuum. We are indebted to Coltrane (and other great artists) for inspiring us to engage uncompromisingly in the risky business of creativity.