Featuring EK Duo: Rachael Elliott (bassoon, voice) and Thomas Kozumplik (vibes, percussion)
With guest artists:
Elliott Levin (saxophone, flute, spoken word)
Tom Burnett (keyboards, electronics, spoken word)
Range Enaself (spoken word)
Catherine Rutgers (projected artwork)
LIFE STORIES is an hour-long performance of new music, energized improvisation, acoustic-electronic melding, spoken-word counterpoints, and delectable visions.
Six eclectic artists presenting separately and in shifting combinations will unite for this unique explosion of expression. They are:
• Composers and performers Rachael Elliott (bassoonist) and Thomas Kozumplik (percussionist) – who have been touring across the country for the past year as “EK Duo.”
• Elliott Levin (reeds, flute, poetry) – this Philly sax legend and Cecil Taylor veteran will create soundscapes in tandem with longtime collaborators Kozumplik and Tom Burnett (New York musician-performer-spoken word artist).
• Brooklyn word-smith Range Enaself brings us stories through a Hip-Hop lense, and visual artist Catherine Rutgers colors the set with her vibrant images.
EK Duo
Rachael Elliott (bassoon) and Thomas Kozumplik (percussion) are longtime collaborators and founding members of the alt-classical quartet, Clogs. They have performed on stages ranging from the Sydney Festival to BAM, from Big Ears to the Knitting Factory, from London Jazz Festival to Amoeba Music, and points between. Their shared passion for chamber music, improvisation, groove, and sound exploration led them to form EK Duo in 2022.
Elliott Levin
Elliott Levin (sax, flute, words) has developed a distinctive voice in improvised music, highly alert and expressive. His creative work is influenced by pioneering pianist/composer Cecil Taylor, who was an early mentor and then collaborator. An icon of the Philadelphia music scene, Levin’s credits include a ten year stint as saxophonist in the Sound of Philadelphia band with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. He has published several books of his verse, which also appears in publications such as L.A. Weekly, Blue Beat Jacket, The Painted Word, Vital Pulse, and Poets and Prophets. Levin has received awards from New American Radio in New York, The City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, and the California Endowment for the Humanities.
