Events

[JAZZ] ”I see music as an agent of psycho-acoustic chemical change,” said Elliott Sharp in a recent interview with Hyperreal. ”I have always had strong feelings about how I wanted music to be manifested: the sonic elements, the structural elements, the balance of order and chaos, use of improvisation.” Throughout the decades, whether it’s applying the Fibonacci sequence to the tuning of his guitar, or creating his own instruments—like the pantar and the violinoid—or directing a science-fiction opera, music for Sharp has always been an experimental venture in the finest sense. Applying fractal geometry, chaos theory, and genetic metaphors to his compositional method Sharp uses any and all sonic resources available to him to materialize his lofty musical vision in which sound and science combine to yield poignant expression. Upon earning his masters in composition at UB, Sharp went on to establish himself in New York City’s music scene during the late 1970s, where he played everything from hardcore to acid jazz, building the community that would help shape his prolific legacy. Since then he’s put out over 85 releases, composed scores for films and documentaries, curated monumental sound exhibitions, conducted his own orchestra (Orchestra Carbon), and bared prestigious titles from the Guggeinheim Fellowship alongside the New York Foundation for Arts. This Friday, October 9, he’ll be returning to Buffalo and performing original compositions alongside Buffalo Improviser’s Orchestra at Canisus College’s Montante Cultural Center as part of a three day residency under Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center. This is a rare opportunity for all those who seek to experience live boundary-pushing music.