Triism / Chord Four: Balkan Folk & Jazz Meets California Avant-Garde

Triism is a jazz trio from Northern California that plays creative arrangements of original compositions, Balkan folk music, pop songs, and jazz standards. Featuring saxophonist Levi Saelua, bassist Alex Reiff, and drummer Jim Frink, their collaborative arrangements often develop from conversations about politics, pop culture, science, and comedy.

Chord Four, a chord-less Los Angeles-based ensemble, then takes the stage to perform a wide repertoire heavily influenced by jazz, as well as the traditional music of Ghana, Indonesia, India, and the Balkans. This, along with their variable instrumentation, makes for a dependably intriguing collection of sounds and timbres.
 
FEATURING:
Triism
Levi Saelua – woodwinds
Alex Reiff – bass
Jim Frink – drums

Chord Four
Andrew Conrad – tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, melodica
Brandon Sherman – trumpet, flugelhorn, melodica
Emilio Terranova – double bass
Colin Woodford – drums, cymbals, melodica
 
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Triism
Saxophonist/composer Levi Saelua has worked as a professional musician since the age of 16. He has had the opportunity to perform with artists in a wide array of genres, from jazz to classical and hip-hop to bluegrass. He studied jazz composition and saxophone at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, with composers Bill Dobbins and Dave Rivello, as well as saxophonists Chien-Kwan Lin, Jose Encarnacion, and Charles Pillow. Saelua has performed and/or studied with artists such as Maria Schneider, Bob Brookmeyer, Jeff Beal, Fred Sturm, Bob Mintzer, Ryan Truesdell, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He has written, produced, and played on albums for groups in California, Chicago, and New York, and has traveled the world performing for audiences in the U.S., Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Alex Reiff studied jazz performance at Sacramento State University and has performed with world-class musicians such as Donny McCaslin, Steve Turre, Dave Pietro, Nancy King, and Wycliffe Gordon. He is featured on numerous Sac State Vocal Jazz and Big Band recordings, as well as Perseverance by the Alex Jenkins Sound Immersion. Some of his musical influences include Charlie Haden, Jimmy Garrison, Wilbur Ware, Tom Waits, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and Wayne Shorter.

Jim Frink started with music at an early age and has played drums professionally since high school. He studied music at UC Santa Cruz, has performed internationally, and has played and recorded in a wide variety of styles, including jazz, rock, funk, country, pop, Brazilian, and Slavic folk music. Along with maintaining a private drum teaching studio, he has given clinics at the high school and university level as a guest lecturer.
 
Chord Four
Chord Four is an award-winning avant-garde ensemble of improvisers and composers creating original music which balances intricate rhythms and harmonies. In 2017, Chord Four won first place in the first international CONAD Jazz Contest and has performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival, as well as many jazz venues throughout the West Coast.

Learn more: Facebook | YouTube | Bandcamp

 
Time: 7:00pm doors / 7:30pm show
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale. Ticket availability at the door is limited and contingent on online sales.
Purchase advance tickets for this event:

RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!