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Legendary Musician Roscoe Mitchell to perform at SLU

09/14/2023

Legendary saxophonist and composer Roscoe Mitchell will perform in the Xavier Hall Mainstage Theatre at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14. 

The Penguin Guide to Jazz describes Mitchell as one of the key figures in avant-garde jazz who has been at the forefront of modern music for over 50 years. Mitchell’s early career as a musician began in his hometown of Chicago, where he was a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and the Creative Arts Collective (CAC). From 2007 until his retirement in 2019, Mitchell was on the music faculty at Mills College in Oakland, CA.

Roscoe Mitchell

Roscoe Mitchell. Photo submitted.

Mitchell will perform in a quartet with electric guitarist Sandy Ewen (Brooklyn, NY), double bassist Damon Smith (St. Louis), and drummer Weasel Walter (Chicago). Damon Smith said working with Roscoe Mitchell “is a chance to work with someone who not only is an innovator of this music but [who has] never stopped working and thinking about music. Roscoe is someone who had more advanced ideas in the 1960s than most musicians have today.”

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts is partnering with New Music Circle (NMC) to bring Roscoe Mitchell to campus. NMC is a local non-profit music presenting organization currently in its 65th season. 

The musical focus of the organization is on avant-garde and experimental genres. Each year, NMC curates eight to ten concerts at various venues in St. Louis City and County. 

“Roscoe Mitchell is one of the most prolific and important composers of the American avant-garde. His work spans six decades and multiple genres and features collaborations with artists in jazz, electronic, and contemporary classical music,” said NMC board of directors vice-president Alex Cunningham. “For New Music Circle, Roscoe Mitchell could not be a more fitting selection to celebrate its 65th season, as Mitchell’s work in the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians helped define ‘new music’ in the U.S.”

Regular admission tickets are $20. Students and struggling music supporter tickets are $10. Students with a SLU ID are admitted free. 

Tickets will be available at the door or through the New Music Circle website. newmusiccircle.org/tickets

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