A quarter century on, Pi marks its anniversary with a two-night multi-artist celebration that highlights some of the label’s longest-standing artistic relationships. The celebration brings into focus the throughline that has defined Pi’s catalog since its inception: rigorous compositional thinking bound to improvisational volatility. Night one features a solo set from Marc Ribot and Steve Coleman & Five Elements.

Alone with his instrument, Ribot – an artist whose career has threaded through downtown experimentalism, post-punk abrasion, and jazz subversion – distills that history into something stark and searching. Of his four releases on Pi, his solo recording “Silent Movies” remains one of the label’s most beloved recordings 15+ years after its release.

Marc Ribot guitar

Coleman’s music, with its complex rhythmic geometry and an unceasing engagement with tradition, has been central to Pi’s identity. With eight releases on the label, his undeniable influence on a whole generation of jazz artists can be felt through the dozen leaders on the label who have performed with him. His long-running band Five Elements – featuring Jonathan Finlayson, Anthony Tidd, and Sean Rickman – grooves relentlessly with a polyrhythmic elasticity.

Steve Coleman & Five Elements
Steve Coleman alto saxophone
Jonathan Finlayson trumpet
Anthony Tidd electric bass
Sean Rickman drums

Presented by Pi Recordings in partnership with Roulette.

A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing.

Founded in 2001, Pi Recordings is a New York-based independent record label dedicated to forward-thinking improvised and composed music. The New York Times has called Pi “Small but significant, with a track record that includes some of the most acclaimed releases in jazz…” and by the Wall Street Journal as “a source of bold influence.” Curated by Seth Rosner and Yulun Wang, the imprint was founded to document the works of the living masters of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, including Henry Threadill, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Muhal Richard Abrams. It has gone on to provide a home to maverick iconoclasts and a generation of artists who are intent on reshaping the vocabulary of jazz and improvised music while staying reverential to its roots, building a catalog defined by risk, rigor, and a refusal to stand still.