Roulette co-founder and former Artistic Director Jim Staley returns to the stage with some of his long-running collaborators for two special evenings of improvisation.
August 7: Jim Staley trombone Shelley Hirsch vocals Ikue Mori electronics Nava Dunkelman percussion
August 8: Jim Staley trombone Ned Rothenberg alto saxophone, clarinet Sylvie Courvoisier piano
A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing.
Jim Staley is a trombonist and composer who has resided in New York City since 1978, where he has shaped and forever changed the experimental music scene. His work has been primarily working with improvisation, crossing genres freely between post-modern classical music and avant-garde jazz. He has collaborated for many years with other highly experienced improvisers, both dancers and musicians, including Sally Silvers, Pooh Kaye, Simone Forti, Ikue Mori, Davey Williams, Shelley Hirsch, Phoebe Legere, John Zorn and many others. Staley’s recording projects include Blind Pursuits with Phoebe Legere and Borah Bergman; Mumbo Jumbo (different trio combinations with Wayne Horvitz, Elliott Sharp, Shelley Hirsch, Samm Bennett, Ikue Mori, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith and John Zorn); Jim Staley’s Don Giovanni, with Mori, Davey Williams, Zeena Parkins and Tenko, plus several more.
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Staley enlisted in the U.S Army, where he spent three years playing trombone in military bands. While stationed in Berlin from 1971 to 1973, he became inspired by the collectivist, envelope-pushing spirit of the German avant-garde music scene. After his service period, he returned to Champaign-Urbana, where he was tasked with caretaking for a family property. Staley immediately turned the property into a space where artists and students could live, create, and experiment at little to no cost—affectionately coined “Staley Manor”—and where he ultimately met Roulette’s co-founders before moving to New York in 1978 and establishing Roulette. In 1991, Staley founded Einstein Records. Staley received the 2005 Susan E. Kennedy Memorial Award, the 2012 ASCAP award, and was named a 2018 Champion of New Music by the American Composers’ Forum for his years in support of artists. He was the Artistic Director of Roulette for 45 years, where he is now a member of the Board.
Roulette co-founder and former Artistic Director Jim Staley returns to the stage with some of his long-running collaborators for two special evenings of improvisation.
August 7: Jim Staley trombone Shelley Hirsch vocals Ikue Mori electronics Nava Dunkelman percussion
August 8: Jim Staley trombone Ned Rothenberg alto saxophone, clarinet Sylvie Courvoisier piano
A livestream will be available free of charge at 8pm on the day of the performance and archived for future viewing.
Jim Staley is a trombonist and composer who has resided in New York City since 1978, where he has shaped and forever changed the experimental music scene. His work has been primarily working with improvisation, crossing genres freely between post-modern classical music and avant-garde jazz. He has collaborated for many years with other highly experienced improvisers, both dancers and musicians, including Sally Silvers, Pooh Kaye, Simone Forti, Ikue Mori, Davey Williams, Shelley Hirsch, Phoebe Legere, John Zorn and many others. Staley’s recording projects include Blind Pursuits with Phoebe Legere and Borah Bergman; Mumbo Jumbo (different trio combinations with Wayne Horvitz, Elliott Sharp, Shelley Hirsch, Samm Bennett, Ikue Mori, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith and John Zorn); Jim Staley’s Don Giovanni, with Mori, Davey Williams, Zeena Parkins and Tenko, plus several more.
After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Staley enlisted in the U.S Army, where he spent three years playing trombone in military bands. While stationed in Berlin from 1971 to 1973, he became inspired by the collectivist, envelope-pushing spirit of the German avant-garde music scene. After his service period, he returned to Champaign-Urbana, where he was tasked with caretaking for a family property. Staley immediately turned the property into a space where artists and students could live, create, and experiment at little to no cost—affectionately coined “Staley Manor”—and where he ultimately met Roulette’s co-founders before moving to New York in 1978 and establishing Roulette. In 1991, Staley founded Einstein Records. Staley received the 2005 Susan E. Kennedy Memorial Award, the 2012 ASCAP award, and was named a 2018 Champion of New Music by the American Composers’ Forum for his years in support of artists. He was the Artistic Director of Roulette for 45 years, where he is now a member of the Board.
Jim Staley Quartet (audio)
photo 1 by Peter Gannushkin
photo 2 by John D. and Catherine T
photo 3 by Dan Efram
