Tony Barba's Blood Moon + The Jim Piela Quartet
$10 ADV / $15 DOS
Doors 7:00PM / Show 8:00PM
This is a seated show.
Tony Barba-tenor sax, bass clarinet & electronics
Matt Gold-guitar
John Christensen-bass
Devin Drobka-drums
Tony Barba is a saxophonist/educator/producer whose career has spanned the last twenty-five years. Originally hailing from Acton, Massachusetts and previously living in NYC and Chicago, Tony has resided in Madison, Wisconsin since 2013. He has performed, taught and toured professionally all over the world. A long standing member of the globe trotting Youngblood Brass Band, Tony has also performed and recorded with such notable and diverse artists as Makaya McCraven, Bon Iver, David Murray, Josh Ritter, the Mountain Goats, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the Temptations. He is currently a member of the improvising duo Outside the Sphere, the Kenny Reichert Quartet, Immigre, Michael Brenneis’s Plutonium, and the Paul Dietrich Jazz Orchestra. Barba’s recent releases include Blood Moon (Shifting Paradigm records, 2020) featuring Matt Gold on guitar, John Christensen on bass and Devin Drobka on drums, and Blue Plate Special (self-released, 2021) which was a collaboration with visual artist Michael Finnegan. In addition to performing, Barba maintains a private teaching studio and is the jazz band director at James Madison Memorial High School.
Jim Piela is a Brooklyn-based Saxophonist, band leader, composer, and educator. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Jim moved to New York to attend Graduate school at NYU after performing and teaching extensively in the Midwest. He has released several original albums, including 2016’s “Non-Fiction” on Momentous Records, and 2019’s “Out of Orbit” on Orenda Records. His compositions and recordings have been featured at several international film competitions through his work with “Boink!,” a NYC-based dance company. Jim’s prolific freelance and sideman career includes performances at New York Cabaret Convention at Lincoln Center (’19), Guinness Jazz Festival (’19), and Bric Jazz Festival (’18); Jazz Forum Summer Concert Series (’18,’19) along with regular dates in and around NYC. He is also a member of the funk/jazz collective the Planetary People.
Jim is bringing his “Chordless Quartet” to his home in the Midwest. Inspired by legendary musicians such as Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins, the band features no chordal instrument; focusing instead on deep grooves and high soaring melodies. While he may enjoy the cerebral elements of music, Jim always puts on an energetic, highly entertaining show; bringing the audience into the storytelling and spontaneity of the performance.