Event Details

Brought to you by: Fugitive Productions

Event Details

PURE IMPROVISATION

Musical improvisation is at the core of many musical traditions, from popular (rap battles) to folk (African griot songs), to even classical forms of music (Hinduthani raag, Turkish taksim). Improvisation isn’t random. On the contrary — musical improvisation requires a deep practice of being “in the moment” with music, with an instrument, with one’s voice, with a group or community. Many forms of musical improvisational practice are accompanied by some pedagogy, and although that may sound like a contradiction from the outset, great art flourishes within limitations and pedagogy around improvisation brings what could be a random act into an artistic and profoundly moving practice.

Possum Hall Music and Fugitive Productions are co-hosting the Singularity series at Sanctuary, each quite unique. Tonight, our featured performers are: Todd Brunel, Jerome Deupree, Burcu Gulec , Carl Nickerson, Todd Roach, Mac Ritchey, Sumner Thompson, and Duncan Watt.

Todd Brunel
Todd is a critically acclaimed clarinetist and sax player. He performs extensively as a classical and jazz musician, working with The Irish Tenors, GBH Television, The Greater Boston Stage Company, The Central Square Theater, The Reagle Music Theater of Greater Boston, and The Wheelock Family Theater. His current original music projects include: Know Orchestra, Peter Cassino and Friends, The David Haas Group: Coalition of the Willing, Tom Casale's No Bad Parts, The Roaring Foxes and Jerome Deupree's Listen to This. He was an original founding member of Musaner (Music of Armenia re-imagined), and The Lilli Lewis Project. He is the director of the Vortex Series for New and Improvised Music and has been awarded grants by the Somerville, Cambridge and Massachusetts Cultural Councils.

Jerome Deupree
Jerome is best known for his work with the band Morphine. He subsequently played with Orchestra Morphine and Vapors of Morphine after the death of Mark Sandman. While a member of Vapors of Morphine, he toured Europe, Russia and South America. Jerome is known for his funky approach and keen ear when playing with other musicians. Deupree was a founding member of the jazz big band the Either Orchestra. He continues to play with Joe Morris in various ensembles, as well as past work with Patty Griffin, Catie Curtis, Jen Trynin, Merrie Amsterburg, James McMurtry and more.

Burcu Gulec
Burcu is a Boston based vocalist, composer, improviser and educator from Ankara, Turkey. She performed as a Turkish National Radio/Television soloist for 3 years before graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, later completing her Master’s degree at New England Conservatory as a recipient of Gunther Schuller Medal. In 2021, she received the ‘Emerging Artist Award’ from St. Botolph Club in Boston, MA. 

Carl Nickerson
Carl has taught and performed in the NH West African drum and dance community for more than 20 years. He has shared the stage with Moussa Traore and Namory Kieta, as well as performing in his own band, Foté. This performance is the debut of his next phase — an exploration of 20th century classical music, the freedom of pure improvisation, and the unavoidable influence of 20 years behind the djembe.

Todd Roach
Todd has studied the world of Middle Eastern, North African and South Indian percussion since 1989. As a multi-percussionist, Todd has had the opportunity to perform many styles of music with a diverse group of artists. In recent years, he has been appearing with the Paul Winter Consort. He has also performed with Lebanese violinist Georges Lammam, Gospel singer Theresa Thomason, Flamenco musicians Carlos Denia and Tino van der Sman, Jazz pianist Eugene Uman, South Indian vocalist K.S. Resmi, cellist Eugene Friesen, and violinist Beth Bahia Cohen. Recently, he collaborated with percussionist Shane Shanahan on a program of original compositions that they presented at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention and at The Center for Advanced Musical Studies at Chosen Vale. Todd has also composed and performed for numerous theater productions with the Vermont Theatre Company, the New England Youth Theater and the Sandglass Theater.

Mac Ritchey
Once described as “musical Swiss army knife”, Mac Ritchey is a multi-instrumentalist performer/composer/producer - and a person who brings people together. In his role as a recording engineer, he has produced over 300 albums and projects for clients in more genres and global traditions than most people can name. Ritchey’s first live improvisational performance was reportedly in 1976: a violin recital at age 5, whereupon he informed his teacher that he would like to play “his own composition”. Since then, his “later work” has been heard on The Discovery Channel, MTV The Real World, The Holocaust Museum D.C., NPR, and his fourth collaboration/mentorship with youth-phenom Evren Ozan “Alluvia” was named Best Instrumental Album of The Year 2007 (NAMA).

Sumner Thompson
Sumner has maintained an international career as a singer, appearing with every major period orchestra in North America, as well as many in Europe and Asia. This has brought him to many of the great performance halls of the world, including Boston’s Symphony Hall, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, Carnegie Hall, and the Festspielhaus in Salzburg, Austria. He has been a core member of the Cambridge-based Blue Heron Renaissance Ensemble for more than 20 years. In addition to his work in the classical realm, he has collaborated on recordings with Mac Ritchey and Evren Ozan, and with avant-garde bassist Andrew Dow.

Duncan Watt
Duncan's career includes work in television, film, broadcasting, digital games and recording/live performance. His work appears in a wide variety of projects, including videogames Bioshock Infinite, League Of Legends, and Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach, films Now You See Me (Lionsgate) and others, as well as television, toys and apps. He's also the original voice of League Of Legends’ fan-favorites Rammus and Blitzcrank. In addition, Duncan plays keyboards for various artists both in the studio and on stage. Recently, he played on internationally-recognized rock act The Pretty Reckless’ newest album, Death By Rock And Roll, which debuted at #1 in ten countries, and has so far yielded three #1 hits on Active Rock Radio in the US and around the world.

• Doors open at 7pm • Performance starts at 7:30pm

• Full bar • Order dinner in one of Maynard’s many fine restaurants and bring it with you

• Tickets: $12/advance, $15/door