Composer and trumpet player Adam O’Farrill, discusses his illustrious jazz and classical lineage, projects with Mary Halvorson and Jen Shyu, and many of the players who inspired and influenced his work, all illustrated with recent performances recorded at Roulette.

The atmospheric sounds of composer, drummer, electronic percussionist, and media artist Ikue Mori, an innovative and influential figure in the global experimental music scene, in solo and collaborative works, compositions based on fairy tales, and stories of an adventurous career from NoWave punk drummer with legendary band DNA, projects with John Zorn, puppetry and technology, and more. Featuring collaborators Zeena Parkins, Tania Caroline Chen, Okkyung Lee, Sylvie Courvoisier, Jim Black, Arto Lindsay, and Yoshimio. All recorded at Roulette between 1997-2019.

The composer/guitarist in several projects with commentary from the artist on guitar tech, collaboration, and tradition. Excerpts include the duo For Living Lovers with Stomu Takeishi, bass; duos with Zeena Parkins, electric harp and Terry Jenoure, voice; and two iterations of his band, Blazing Beauty with Stomu, JT Lewis, and alternately Steph Richards and Graham Haynes. Recorded at Roulette between 1989 and 2021.

Composer Matthew Ostrowski on his origin story and an analysis of the 2021 piece, Monograph, which is a not entirely dour, often humorous, reflection on the acceptance of death and misfortune, anchored by the song, Streets of Laredo (but is it?). A master of electronic processing, video manipulation, unconventional installation, and alternative technologies, Ostrowski’s passion for history and fertile correlations drives this piece to highs of both musical and narrative poetry. Peppered with excerpts from Monograph and earlier (2009) performance at Roulette.

Distinguished composer, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader Henry Threadgill discusses the making of a new orchestral multimedia work and all the history that played into it. With musical examples from his bands Zooid and Double Up including excerpts from a premiere at Roulette that earned him a 2016 Pulitzer Prize. The new piece unfolds at Roulette May 20-21, 2022.

Composer Lea Bertucci's collaborative works and solos for saxophone and bass clarinet are often layered and processed through unusual methods, including archaic tape recorders and multichannel configurations. Fascinated by acoustic phenomenon, Bertucci is as likely to perform in a club as in a cave or handball court. Solo and ensemble works are explored in this program, with comments from the artist on technique, technology, and adventurism. Bertucci’s 2022 album, Murmurations, is on Bandcamp.

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, visual artist, and bandleader Golia on the challenges and pleasures of mastering the entire woodwind family of instruments, navigating between written music and improvisation, illustrated with his many gigs at Roulette over the years with appearances by collaborators including Nels Cline, Rob Blakeslee, Ken Filiano, Billy Mintz, Tim Berne, Michael T.A. Thompson, Tom Rainey, his trio with Scott Fields and Toshi Makihara, and more.

The music, sounds, and stories of composer Miguel Frasconi, known for work with instruments made from glass and also a master of analog electronic sound. Here are solos for glass, mbira, and a piece for the Jack String Quartet, all recorded in concert at Roulette, plus a 1995 electronic trio with J.A. Deane and Bob Ostertag recorded at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco.

The saxophonist and composer in several settings: his quartet with Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums; his trio with pianist David Virelles and drummer Mike Mitchell; and in a quartet led by vibraphonist Joel Ross, plus observations on collaboration, community, justice, and memory. Wilkins is a 2021-22 Roulette Resident Artist.

Composer/keyboardist Anthony Coleman with stories and samples of his bands, solo work from improv to stride piano, projects for large and small ensembles, the Downtown and Radical Jewish Music movements, and an embrace of musical culture from Harlem to Herzegovina, Korea to Vienna, with appearances by Roy Nathanson, Charles K. Noyes, Jim Pugliese, Don Byron, and many more, all recorded at Roulette between 1986-2016.