Incarnate Jazz: Hidden Dimensions

Friday, June 7, 2024, 6 - 8 pm @ Church of the Incarnation, 209 Madison Avenue; For more information: treefer@churchoftheincarnation.org or call 212-689-6350, option 4

Incarnate Jazz: Hidden Dimensions is a musical exploration across centuries and beyond the five senses that describes influences we feel but cannot see, such as gravity, human connection, spirituality, pain, and music.

Featuring works from Guillaume de Machaut, Duke Ellington, Marc Wagnon and Chick Corea, among others.

Featuring Sarah Pillow, voice; John Mark Rozendaal, vielle; Christopher Preston Thompson, gothic harp and voice; Marc Wagnon, vibraphone; Dave Kikoski, piano; Alexandra Ridout, trumpet; Mike Clark, drums; and Hamish Smith, bass.

Bios of the Artists:

Vocalist Sarah Pillow enjoys a unique career, drawing on her equal expertise in her interpretation of jazz, classical, and early music repertoire. Beginning her career as a jazz singer, Sarah won best vocal solo in a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. She went on to study classical singing at Oberlin Conservatory, while ‘moonlighting’ with fellow jazz musicians in gigs at the Oberlin Inn. Sarah has toured the United States and Canada with her jazz quartet, her crossover project, Nuove Musiche, and her early music ensemble, Galileo's Daughters. She has performed as both chorister and soloist at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in NYC, and her performances in operatic works have resulted in critical praise, with “a genuinely genre-busting voice, full and vivid” by The Washington Post in modern operas by Gisle Kverndokk; and “splendid” and “radiating calm” by The New York Times for her portrayal of the Queen in the 12th-century “Play of Daniel” in NYC. Sarah spent the coronavirus pandemic making weekly ‘Quarantine Anthems’ on the Buckyball Music YouTube channel. More information and recordings can be found at buckyballmusic.com. (photo by Ashley Garrett Photography)

Composer and percussionist Marc Wagnon can be heard on over 20 recordings, playing both acoustic and electronic vibraphone and percussion. He has composed four albums of all original jazz compositions and six albums in collaboration with fretless bassist Percy Jones, in the bands Tunnels and Brand X. Marc has also collaborated with Mike Clark in their album ‘Conjunction’ with the late bassist Paul Jackson, and several albums with the metal jazz-rock band Dr. Nerve. Marc is composer-in-residence at Le Métathéâtre of Tamco, an arts collective in Geneva, Switzerland. He composed music for the play ‘11 septembre 2001’ by Michel Vinaver, which ran in both 2021 and 2022; as well as sound design for Vinaver’s ‘Les Troyennes d’après Euripide’. His most recent collaboration is song writing and drumming technique to support the group’s upcoming production in July 2023, ‘Poésie Ukrainienne’, a project that will be performed on the streets of Geneva, Switzerland. Marc is also an avid astronomy enthusiast, has built two telescopes and is a member of the Solar System Ambassadors for NASA and JPL. More information can be found at buckyballmusic.com and marcwagnon.com. (Photo by Ashley Garrett photography)

Christopher Preston Thompson is a New York City based tenor, historical harpist, and musicologist focused on early and new music. He has performed as soloist in venues throughout the United States, including NYC's Carnegie Hall. Christopher is the founding Artistic Director of Concordian Dawn, ensemble for medieval music, which was featured in Chamber Music America’s Spring 2022 publication (vol 39, no 2). The ensemble’s “mesmerizing” (Early Music America) debut album, Fortuna Antiqua et Ultra (MSR Classics), was released in 2021 to critical acclaim. In 2022, Cornell University Press published a collaborative book-recording project between Christopher, the ensemble, and medieval studies scholar, Sarah Kay, entitled Medieval Song from Aristotle to Opera. Christopher is also a regular member of Grammy-nominated ensemble for Renaissance polyphony, Pomerium, and has performed roles for such companies as Heartbeat Opera and Encompass New Opera Theater. For more information, visit: christopherprestonthompson.com

John Mark Rozendaal, early bowed strings, specializes in teaching and performing stringed-instrument music from the Medieval through Baroque eras. As founding Artistic Director of Chicago Baroque Ensemble, he performed and led seven seasons of subscription concerts, educational programs, radio broadcasts, and recordings for the Cedille and Centaur labels. John Mark served as principal violoncellist of The City Musick and Basically Bach and has performed both solo and continuo roles with many period instrument ensembles including the Newberry Consort, Orpheus Band, and the King's Noyse, Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, the Catacoustic Consort, Philomel, Parthenia, The New York Consort of Viols, Empire Viols and the Kansas City Chorale. He is a member of Brandywine Baroque as well as Trio Settecento with violinist Rachel Barton Pine and harpsichordist David Schrader, and the consort, LeStrange Viols.

Jazz trumpeter Alexandra Ridout is from the UK and is currently based in New York City. At the age of 17 Alexandra was crowned the winner of the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award 2016, which is the most prominent jazz competition in the UK, widely promoted by the BBC on National TV and Radio. She was catapulted into a very busy and high profile jazz career and has been wowing audiences ever since. She has been in great demand as a bandleader, composer, musical collaborator, educator and featured artist, performing in all of the UK’s top venues, including 2 appearances in the 2018 BBC Proms. Since her move to the USA in 2021, Alexandra’s exquisite playing has been sought out by many revered international musicians, including European touring with world renowned Renee Rosnes’ Blue Note signed band ‘Artemis'.

“Alexandra, she stood out because she connected with everybody. There’s a sense that she really really loves the music. She gets it and I think rhythmically she was just streets ahead, in terms of connecting with the groove of the music and trying to swing. It was beautiful.” - Julian Joseph on ‘Jazz Line Up’, BBC Radio 3.

A highly regarded jazz pianist, Dave Kikoski emerged in the New York jazz scene in the 1980s, and quickly established himself as a go-to performer working with top players like Roy Haynes, Bob Berg, Randy Brecker and many others. Kikoski is known for his adept post-bop style and spontaneous swinging play. Dave has recorded with Pat Metheny, Christian McBride, John Scofield, Ravi Coltrane,Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Mike Stern, Chick Corea, Bill Stewart,Toots Thielemans, Tom Harrell, Gary Thomas, Marcus Miller, Michael Brecker, Pat Martino, Jack Dejohnette and many others. Kikoski has been playing with the Mingus Big Band and Dynasty since early 1990s.

"...Alexander’s “Kik It” highlights Kikoski’s bluesy approach that also has a surprising tonal shift. With an aggressive feel for blues—as well as funk, the bandleader transforms “Love For Sale” and “Willow Weep For Me” from the typically lachrymose versions and lends each a fresh perspective."

- Downbeat Magazine

Mike Clark first gained worldwide recognition from his drumming on Herbie Hancock’s album ‘Thrust’. Mike’s incisive playing garnered him an international cult following and influenced generations of drummers throughout the world. Mike has also collaborated with such well-known jazz greats as Christian McBride, Chet Baker, John Scofield, Bobby Hutcherson, Woody Shaw, Bobby McFerrin and Nat Adderly, just to name a few. His album Blueprints in Jazz, Vol. 1 was named by DownBeat Magazine as one of the best albums of the decade. Mike can be heard on well over 60 recordings. More information can be found at drummermikeclark.com.

From Christchurch, New Zealand, bassist Hamish Smith grew up with a strong passion for music, falling in love with the bass at age 11. Smith was awarded a full scholarship to attend Manhattan School of Music, and has been highly recognized for his rhythmic inventiveness and unique groove-centric approach. Since his move to NYC, he has performed with The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Paquito D'Rivera and Benito Gonzalez, among others. www.smithbassist.com