Jonah Parzen-Johnson Solo Saxophone + Analog Synth // Steven Lugerner's SLUGish Ensemble
Jonah Parzen-Johnson is a saxophonist living in Brooklyn, NY. He writes music for solo saxophone and analog synthesizer. Imagine the raw energy of an Appalachian Folk choir, tempered by a lofi, minimal vocal aesthetic. His carefully assembled analog synthesizer breathes with his saxophone, building independent melodic layers to support his sound, or soaring above his extended technique driven saxophone playing. All performed live, without any looping or recorded samples. A Chicago native, Jonah’s circular breathing, multi-phonics and inclusively experimental style owe a debt to the Chicago saxophone legacy, but his devotion to a quirky almost vocal approach places him in new territory for the solo saxophone. He has meticulously constructed a world of warm memories remembered in a cold present, as he melds the evocative nature of folk music with the chilling power of experimentalism.
Multi-instrumentalist // Composer, Steven Lugerner maintains musical ties between multiple music scenes including his home of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago & New York City. His compositions have been described as “a textured, nearly seamless blend of composition and improvisation” by The Village Voice - while the New York Times calls him “an impeccably trained multi- reedist.” The San Francisco Examiner as praised “Lugerner’s approach to making music is very much his own; and he seems to be pursuing it to impressive advantage.” Raised in the sleepy suburb of Burlingame,CA, Steven Lugerner is the product of a multicultural, artistically nurturing family. In his youth, Lugerner performed on clarinet, oboe & saxophone with college orchestras & professional pit orchestras while simultaneously organizing and performing local jazz performances. In 2006, Lugerner moved to New York City to attend The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where he graduated with honors four years later. Lugerner spent the next three years after graduation freelancing and touring as a member of CHIVES, In One Wind, killerBOB and his own SLUGish Ensemble. It was during this period Lugerner established musical connections throughout the country, expanding his network to Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle and beyond. In 2013, Steven relocated to San Francisco where he took a position work at the Stanford Jazz Workshop as Director of Education.