A rare double bill at Dick’s Den brings two improvisation-focused groups to the stage on Thursday, August 27th, at 10pm. Detroit’s Michael Malis Trio will hold down the first half of the night. Pianist and composer Malis recently released his original debut album, Lifted from the No of All Nothing, available to sample and purchase here, and his trio, with Ben Rolston on bass and Stephen Boegehold on drums, will showcase this nuanced material. Starting at 12:15am, the Billy Wolfe Octet will hold sway for the remainder of the night. Saxophonist Wolfe, a Capital grad, recently moved from Utah to Washington, DC, where it’s obviously easier to roundup this sizable and geographically dispersed group of all-stars. While his slot on the recent Zakk Jones‘ Screeching Owl Tour has found Wolfe playing Columbus a fair amount this month, this is the first local show for the Octet since July 2014. The Octet will play some of their classics while also, according to Wolfe, “premiering two new works from myself and Ryan Erik Adamsons (Chicago), as well as a new one from Aaron Quinn (Brooklyn),” who is also visiting his former stomping grounds for the show. Keep reading for details on both acts:
Michael Malis is a pianist and composer based in Detroit, MI. He has shared the stage with a diverse array of musicians, including notables such as Marcus Belgrave, Jaribu Shahid, Ken Filiano, Andrew Bishop, Dennis Coffey, and Marion Hayden. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Detroit Jazz Festival, The Stone (NYC), and the Detroit Institute of Arts. As a composer, he has been lauded for his scores for film and theater, which have garnered awards, critical acclaim, and have reached international audiences. Earlier this summer, Malis released his debut recording of original music, “Lifted from the No of All Nothing”, and completed a tour of the Midwest with his trio. They are currently on tour to the East Coast, and will tour the Midwest again in November.
The Billy Wolfe Octet is an ensemble that exclusively performs original works by its members. The group combines a modern, improvisatory style with inspiration from a variety of genres. The instrumentation — two woodwinds, trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, guitar, bass and drums — gives the writers the flexibility and freedom to explore different timbral possibilities that are otherwise unavailable in many mid-sized groups.
Billy Wolfe — Tenor Sax, Clarinets, Compositions
Alex Burgoyne — Alto Sax, Flute, Clarinet
Ryan Erik Adamsons — Trumpet, Compositions
David Fletcher — Trombone
Patrick Overturf — Vibraphone, Compositions
Aaron Quinn — Guitar, Compositions
John Philip Allen — Bass
Seth Daily — Drums, Compositions