The festival has grown every year since saxophonists Jackson Moore and Aaron Ali Shaikh produced the first New Languages festival at the Anthology Film Archives in 2005. It is becoming an annual moment of reckoning for the next generation of jazz musicians.
The jazz musicians who grew up in the wake of neo-classicism are now in their twenties and early thirties; they will define what becomes of jazz in the twenty-first century. Like their predecessors, they are largely out in the trenches, beyond the purview of established institutions, assembling groups from scratch and playing as much music as possible even as they struggle to survive.
read more
The festival has grown every year since saxophonists Jackson Moore and Aaron Ali Shaikh produced the first New Languages festival at the Anthology Film Archives in 2005. It is becoming an annual moment of reckoning for the next generation of jazz musicians.
The jazz musicians who grew up in the wake of neo-classicism are now in their twenties and early thirties; they will define what becomes of jazz in the twenty-first century. Like their predecessors, they are largely out in the trenches, beyond the purview of established institutions, assembling groups from scratch and playing as much music as possible even as they struggle to survive.
The New Languages festival attempts to provide a panoramic view of this activity. The focus is on what makes the next generation different than their predecessors, and what they will do to carry the art form into the future. To answer these questions, Jackson and Aaron have cast as wide a net as possible. The stylistic diversity within the festival program, and even within a single night of the program, is remarkable. Listeners are invited to decide for themselves if there is something deeper that ties all of this activity together - a common thread, a collective groundswell, an emerging sea change, or a nascent revolution.
Williamsburg is a home base with firm grassroots. It is a place where innovative young jazz musicians can perform for an edgy young audience ready to fall in love with music all over again. Away from the shadows of past masters that inhabit the venerable jazz clubs of Manhattan, the musicians take risks. At the same time, the neighborhood is easily accessible from other parts of the city.
Even as commercial jazz regresses and rock grows more redundant, improvisation continues to be a wellspring of ideas and techniques that musicians turn to for inspiration. New Languages aims to cultivate that wellspring and bring the creativity, talent and innovation of its custodians to a wider audience. It is our belief that the risks and payoffs of improvised music make it the most compelling and entertaining music out there today.
show less
