2022 Roulette Resident Artist
For the first of his two concerts in residence at Roulette, composer/bassist Max Johnson will be presenting an evening of new music for improvising octet featuring a slew of New York’s best performers. Combining his experience as a composer of chamber music and his work as a jazz bassist, Johnson has composed a series of pieces exploring different orchestrations, concepts, and ways of music making, while highlighting the individual voices of the fantastic ensemble of performers.
Nate Wooley: trumpet
Ken Thomson: alto saxophone, bass clarinet
Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flute
Joanna Mattrey: viola
Aliya Ultan: cello
Liberty Ellman: electric guitar
Max Johnson: bass
Mike Pride: drumset
Described as “an intrepid composer, architect of sound and beast of the bass…” (Brad Cohan, NYC Jazz Record) composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson creates complex worlds of sound, challenging his listeners to engage deeply and be rewarded with an experience always crafted with love, care, and clarity. With nine albums and over two thousand concerts internationally with artists like Ingrid Laubrock, Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorson, David Grisman, Tyshawn Sorey, Henry Grimes, Sam Bush, John Zorn, Nels Cline, and Mivos Quartet, Johnson brings a wild energy and excitement. He has been commissioned by the Jerome Foundation, Society of Composers Inc, Steven R. Gerber Trust, University of Glasgow; been featured on over fifty albums; and can be heard in Spike Lee’s Academy Award winning film, The BlacKkKlansman. Johnson currently teaches at Brooklyn College, and is the father to a beautiful chihuahua named Gabby.
