| The Twin Cities Jazz Society Brings Insurgent to Studio Z in ‘J to Z’ Concert Nov. 12 |
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 Insurgent composite©Andrea Canter by Andrea Canter For many years, the Ellen Lease/Pat Moriarty Quintet was one of the leading practitioners of the jazz avant garde in the Twin Cities. With the departure of trumpeter Kelly Rossum, Lease and Moriarty have been testing out new combinations, the most potent of which has been the trio they call Insurgent. On Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m., the Twin Cities Jazz Society brings Insurgent (Lease, Moriarty and Phil Hey) to Studio Z in St. Paul’s Lowertown district, as part of the “Jazz from J to Z” concert series. This evening of musical havoc is co-sponsored by the Studio Z organization and will provide the setting for a live recording. A graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Music, pianist Ellen Lease has received both McKnight and Bush Fellowships. Performing across classical and jazz idioms, she co-led the Ellen Lease/Pat Moriarty Quintet for more than a decade, as well as appearing throughout the Twin Cities with many jazz and new music groups, and had the honor of accompanying Jean Pierre Rampal at his Twin Cities master class. When not busy composing and performing, Lease teaches piano. Saxophonist Pat Moriarty has been on the freer end of the Twin Cities jazz scene for the past three decades, recording in the late ‘70s with drummer Phil Hey and since with a long list of the edgier musicians and ensembles in the metro area. In addition to composing and performing, Moriarty leads the jazz bands at Roseville Area High School. A former student of Ed Blackwell, native Philadelphian Phil Hey is one of the most versatile drummers in the region and beyond. He has performed with Kenny Barron, Benny Carter, and Benny Golson; toured for many years with the late Dewey Redman; and has been on tour recently with Stacey Kent. He is often on the bandstand at the Dakota Jazz Club and the Artists’ Quarter backing touring artists, local vocalists (Connie Evingson, Lucia Newell) and small ensembles (Chris Lomheim Trio, Laura Caviani Trio), and fronting his own Phil Hey Quartet. He also manages percussion duties for the Pete Whitman X-Tet, and has taught at the University of Minnesota and St. Olaf and Macalester Colleges. His quartet release, Subduction, ranked high on “best of the year” lists for 2006, and his duo release with Kelly Rossum, Conflict, received similar accolades for 2009. The music of Ellen Lease and Pat Moriarty has received frequent raves from critics. Noted Avant Music News, “Through the consistency of personnel and a stable but expanding repertoire, the quintet has developed a high level of group interplay and risk-taking within the structures of the tunes. Although comparisons to the musics of Steve Lacy, Charles Mingus, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago are well taken, this band definitely has its own sound and conception.” The Quintet, with Lease, Morarity, Kelly Rossum, Chris Bates and Dave Stanoch, released its acclaimed debut album, Chance, Love and Logic, in March 2008. Insurgent first performed in spring 2010 as a quartet with bassist Adam Linz, intended at the time as a one-time-only event. In early 2011, the core trio returned to Studio Z for a performance with acclaimed saxophonist (and former student of Pat) Michael Attias. On Nov. 12, Insurgent will present an evening of free improvisation that is thoroughly drenched in the jazz tradition. Influenced by the music of Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Alexander von Schlippenbach, Insurgent will move through a variety of textures while spinning out extended spontaneous compositions. Everything from delicate lyricism to explosive intensity should be expected in this no-holds-barred sound world. Tickets for Insurgent can be purchased online at the Studio Z website, <studiozstpaul.com>, or at the door for $10; and $8, TCJS members, seniors, and $5, students with a school ID. Studio Z is located on the second floor of the Northwestern Building, 275 E. 4th Street (at Broadway) in St. Paul’s Lowertown district. |
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