Max Johnson Sextet at Firehouse 12

Composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson presents his brand new sextet in the premiere of “Without Fear,” a new concert-length work performed alongside Anna Webber (tenor saxophone, flute), Yuma Uesaka (soprano saxophone, clarinet), Nate Wooley (trumpet), Lester St. Louis (cello), Max Johnson (double bass), and Jeff Davis (drumset, vibraphone). The piece is a sprawling, style-blurring composition that explores the many musical worlds Johnson has inhabited over the past fifteen years, weaving together elements of jazz, chamber music, folk music, free improvisation, and progressive rock....

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Composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson presents his brand new sextet in the premiere of “Without Fear,” a new concert-length work performed alongside Anna Webber (tenor saxophone, flute), Yuma Uesaka (soprano saxophone, clarinet), Nate Wooley (trumpet), Lester St. Louis (cello), Max Johnson (double bass), and Jeff Davis (drumset, vibraphone). The piece is a sprawling, style-blurring composition that explores the many musical worlds Johnson has inhabited over the past fifteen years, weaving together elements of jazz, chamber music, folk music, free improvisation, and progressive rock.

The work draws from Johnson’s experience as an in-demand performer and prolific composer, having performed internationally and recorded with artists such as Anthony Braxton, Geri Allen, the Daedalus Quartet, David Grisman, Tyshawn Sorey, Mary Halvorson, Mivos Quartet, and several alumni of Frank Zappa’s bands. Conceived as a musical ecosystem where diverse influences coexist and interact, “Without Fear” highlights the individual voices and abilities of the ensemble while bringing Johnson’s expansive musical vision into a single personal work.

As a lover of comic books, the piece is inspired by the Green Lantern, whose power ring can create anything imaginable through sheer force of will, so long as its bearer remains without fear. Like the ring itself, the work imagines a creative space where the many musical languages Johnson inhabits can live together within a single composition.

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