Jack Wright - Evan Lipson - Jonah Gelbart

These three will be making a Southeast tour in May and June 2026 that will involve collaborations with a variety of musicians in the South, All together, it's a kind of rolling festival involving ten musicians, not to mention sessions along the way.

Besides Jack, Evan, and Jonah, they are: electronicist Xylon Otterburn, guitarist Charles Chace of Carrboro NC, Cambria Storms, dancer, of Durham, guitarist Jake Smith of Knoxville, keyboardist Evan Gallagher and Bruce Golden percussion/electronics, both of Jackson MS, and guitarist Chris Alford of New Orleans. (info on most of them below).

The full schedule is here.

In a whirlwind tour in Jan. 2026 Jack and Jonah met up with Evan, Xylon, Walter Wright, Charles Chace, and David Menestres in Virginia and North Carolina. Some of a duo recording with David is here, and a Jonah-Evan duo is here.

In August 2025 Jack and Evan played a number of shows in the Southeast, five of them with Asheville vibraphonist Adam Lion. This video of Jack and Evan's duo in New Orleans captures their precision and close integration.

Jack and Evan have been musically connected ever since the mid-2000's when Evan lived in Jack's Spring Garden Music House in Philadelphia. They've toured frequently together throughout the Midwest and Southeast as Wrest with Ben Bennett, and with Zach Darrup as Roughhousing, through 2018

The two had a European Tour Nov. 3-19, 2018, which was a blazing success--Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Ghent, Hamburg, and Denmark: Soderburg, Toftlund, and Copenhagen

Jack Wright (b. 1942) is a musician described as playing "post-electronic saxophone, and dedicated to to free playing since 1979. Described thirty years ago as an "undergrounder by design," he is a veteran improviser based mainly in Philadelphia. He has played mostly on tour through the US and Europe since the early 80s in search of interesting partners and playing situations. Now at 83 he is still the "Johnny Appleseed of Free Improvisation," as guitarist Davey Williams called him in the 80s, on the road as much as ever. He continues to inspire players outside music-school careerdom, playing sessions with visiting and resident players old and new. His partners over the years are mostly unknown to the music press, and too numerous to mention. He's said to have the widest vocabulary of any saxophonist, including leaping pitches, punchy, precise timing, sharp and intrusive multiphonics, surprising gaps of silence, and obscene animalistic sounds. Apart from interviews, for a true assessment of his and his partners music and for links to his writings (including The Free Musics) go here: Spring Garden Music,

Evan Lipson Evan Lipson (b. 1981) has lived with the incurable disease of music since early adolescence, seeking the liminal realms in which intellect and instinct, history and myth, and creative and destructive force intersect. Drawn towards aberrant perspectives at an early age, his formative activities were primarily rooted in extreme and discordant forms stemming from various traditions of “underground” and ancient musics. He may or may not have some degree of affiliation with Rev. Fred Lane in addition to a social scientific think tank known as MEINSCHAFT.

Other currently active projects include RAWL, Wrest, Roughhousing, Virtual Balboa, and various ongoing collaborations with David Greenberger (Duplex Planet). Past units include Normal Love, Satanized, and Peckerwood Junction (feat. Jim Goad).

“It's Disaster Amnesiac's wish that in, say, one hundred years, musicians such as Evan Lipson and their contributions to a truly creative culture are discussed and valued.” -Mark Pino (Disaster Amnesiac)

For links to his music and more info on his partners over the years go to Evan Lipson

Jonah Gelbart is an improviser, composer, system-builder based in the greater Philadelphia area, playing trumpet and shofar. He plays everything from classical, straight-ahead jazz, new music, to free improvisation. He is currently a member of the Hansen-Protasi Group, the Kitchen Sink ensemble, the (Toshi) Makihara/Allen/Gelbart Trio, and various other temporary musical arrangements. Playing sessions regularly since June 2025 at the Spring Garden Music House in Philadelphia with Jack Wright, saxes, and Henry Allen, guitar.

Charles Chace is a guitarist and more broadly an artist/musician living in the NC triangle area. His bands include Speed Stick, The Paul Swest and Mom. CharlesChace

Cambria Storms is a performing artist and dancer specializing in movement improvisation, frequently collaborating with musicians in North Carolina. Based in Durham, she has performed in the Sanctuary Series and released sound-movement recordings, with work often featuring collaborations with artists like Kelly Reidy.

Chris Alford, a New Orleans based improviser/guitarist/composer, utilizes a spherical approach in his artistry. In one hemisphere is the deep tradition of jazz and blues languages of the past and in the other is avant-garde, unconventional, creative syntax. Warping the old with the new, Alford keeps his feet rooted in the ground all the while looking beyond the horizon. He is just as likely to galvanize an audience with peculiar, angular, sharp flourishes as he is to allure with luscious, atmospheric harmony and melodies. An openness to sound and collaboration allows Alford to shape and guide the music in an organic flow.

Alford earned music degrees from The Chicago College of Performing Arts and Belmont University. Alford has had the opportunity to study with Henry Johnson, Regi Wooten, John McLean, Joe Morris, Hank Mackie and Chester Thompson. Chris Alford has performed with legends of jazz and creative music including: Cassandra Wilson, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, 2Face Idibia, Jerry Jemmott, Rhonda Richmond, Leslie Hunt, Ezra Brown, James Singleton , Tim Berne, Albey Balgochian, John Sinclair, Reginald Veal, Algerbra Blessett, Jeb Bishop, Mino Cinelu, Dennis Warren, Mike Burton, Tim Green, Mike Dillon, London Branch,Luke Stewart, Aurora Nealand, Rob Cambre, Hellen Gillet, Gregoire Maret, Robert Walter, Grayhawk Perkins, Evan Gallagher, Matt Ulery, Reed Mathis, Michael Vatcher, Simon Berz, Dr.Jeff Albert, Evan Lipson, Jack Wright, and many more. Alford fulfills his passion for creative music education through his teaching, both in the community and at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he was on the Jazz department faculty from 2007- 2019. For more info and music links

East Tennessee-based guitarist/producer/writer/improviser Jake Smith has made it a point to perpetually absorb every influence he comes in contact with. From the folk music of his region, to jazz and experimental music, to searing fuzz-laden rock n’ roll, he has consistently defied being confined by the boundaries of “genre”. Jake has been a key collaborator with artists across a multitude of musical styles, whether as a guitarist or producer/recordist. He has played, recorded, and joined forces with artists such as Ansel Peak, Jubal, Sam Quinn, OMFU + The Scrapers, The Cartwright Brothers, MEGAWEED, Anne Malin, Matt Nelson, Nolan Nevels, Greg Saunier, Curt Sydnor, Mike Watt, Styrofoam Winos, Kevlar Woodvest, Cereus Bright, Forbus General, The Tennessee Stifflegs, Yer Flowers, Daniel Kimbro, Existential Dread, Kelsi Walker, Lazarus Lake, and many more.

Here's Jake’s 2022 solo endeavor Invented Release:

 

For bookings: jackwri555 at gmail dot com