Ava Mendoza

Commision piece coming soon

This piece is inspired by the writing, playing and life of drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson, especially his work with Decoding Society. DS, to me, took Ornette’s harmolodic writing and improvising as a springboard and went somewhere new— tighter, more rock-inspired, more visceral and ecstatic. This piece uses that as a starting point. The idea is to apply some of RSD and DS’s work to modern territory— using atonality and polytonality, sonic improvising, more modern rhythmic concepts— while remaining inspired by its beautiful melodic and polyhythmic qualities.

"I: Inter-whining; II: Balm 2020" with
James Brandon Lewis - tenor sax,
Ava Mendoza - electric guitar,
Devin Hoff - electric bass,
Ches Smith - drums