Barking Legs Theater will host two world-renowned saxophonists over the course of one week in what is being called a "Sax Summit" at the venue.
First, Larry Ochs of San Francisco returns to Barking Legs with a new project for a performance Thursday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m.
Inspired by a classic 1960s jazz band, the New York Contemporary Five, Ochs has joined forces with four New York City-based musicians to form the Fictive Five. Thursday's show is one of just three gigs in the U.S. that the Fictive Five are playing before a European tour.
"We're very excited to be one of the few U.S. venues to host Fictive Five this spring," says Bruce Kaplan, music director of Barking Legs.
"Larry Ochs is an amazingly creative spirit, as anyone who heard him with Nels Cline and Gerald Cleaver can attest. Being a founder of Rova Saxophone quartet would be enough for most musicians, but Larry has always supplemented the Rova career with some extraordinary projects. All the reviewers agree that Fictive Five is of that standard," Kaplan says.
Tickets for this show are $15. Purchase them here.
* The action on Wednesday, March 11, will shift to Jazz in the Lounge when the Greg Tardy Quartet will play at 7:30 p.m.
Tardy was a star of the New York City jazz scene before moving to Knoxville to take a UTK faculty position in the late 1990s. He has been a member of bands with Elvin Jones and Andrew Hill, and remained actively touring even after joining the UTK faculty.
Kaplan says he received a call from Tardy asking if there was any way to get him on the schedule because young pianist Tabor Gable would be in the area and Tardy wanted to perform with him.
"These are the kind of opportunities I try to jump on," says Kaplan. "If Greg Tardy tells me someone is an exceptional talent, I know our audience will be in for a treat."
Tickets are $12. They can be purchased online here.