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.

The composer and violist in conversation with examples from a variety of projects recorded at Roulette including string and orchestral ensembles. As a performer and composer, Pavone is interested in repetition, song form, sympathetic vibration, and the physicality of her instrument utilizing both traditional notation and improvisatory techniques. Her association with musical masters including Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorson and others has amplified her musical voice and vocabulary in recent years. Her newest piece, Lull, for string octet and soloists, will debut at Roulette on 19 November 2021.

Composer J.G. Thirlwell aka Foetus, Clint Ruin, Manorexia, Steroid Maximus, and Xordox, walks us thought his musical journey from experimental rocker to the concert stage and soundtrack work for animated TV shows (Venture Bros, Archer) and films. We’ll hear examples from these projects alongside excerpts from his 2017 solo concert at Roulette, entitled Cholera Nocebo. Thirlwell returns to Roulette with new material on Dec. 7, 2021.

The composer/guitarist and MacArthur “genius” awardee discusses everything from guitar tech to string quartets, illustrated with musical excerpts from Roulette Archive concerts including the projects Code Girl, Thumbscrew, a duo with Deerhhoof’s John Dietrich, and collaborators Ches Smith, Jonathan Finlayson, Amirtha Kidambi, John Hébert, Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara, Adam O’Farrill, and Jon Irabagon. Halvorson’s latest projects debut at Roulette Sept. 8-9, 2021.

Saxophonist Lenny Pickett discusses his career straddling popular culture and the avant-garde, from his work with David Bowie and Saturday Night Live to his own ensemble work for dance, film, and the concert hall, illustrated with examples from 1984-2018 including the Borneo Horns, his score for choreographer Bebe Miller, and plenty of gospel and R&B influenced pyrotechnics. With appearances by Jack Bashkow and Stan Harrison on saxes; a quartet with Michael Wolff, piano, James Genus, bass, John Hadfield, percussion; and a duo with Cheryl Hardwick, piano.