Soprano Saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom and Pianist Kazzrie Jaxen, who are also practitioners of Tai Chi and Qigong, perform together for the first time in an exciting, spontaneous exploration of the present moment. Embracing the energy of the March 15th Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse, they’ll venture into the infinite beauty of the Chi Field, creating music which celebrates the joy and freedom of improvisation.
***This event is made possible in part with generous support from Upper Delaware River Valley Fund.***
Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Kazzrie Jaxen has been a vital part of the improvising music scene for many years. Her musical expression ranges from free improvisation and jazz standards to original songs and vibrational journeys into the dreamtime. She has recorded for the Cadence, Jazz Records, and New Artists labels. Her most recent release is an homage to the Delaware River with guitarist Bud Tristano entitled “Lenapewiattuck: River of the Lenape.” Her performances have included concerts at NYC venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, Town Hall, The Blue Note, Birdland, The Stone, Soapboax Gallery, as well as concerts in the US and in Europe She has toured with her one-woman show combining original music, artwork, poetry and prose. She has also created music for several award-winning sort films, and was the subject of “Dear Director,” a hybrid fictional/documentary directed by Marcus Lindeen. Current projects include performing and recording “Bolts of Melody: The Startling Convergence of Emily Dickinson and Connie Crothers;” trio and duo recordings due to be released in 2025; an audio version of Frederick Leboyer’s “Birth Without Violence;” and a collaboration with poet/performance artist Eric Baylin. In 2023 she was interviewed by Danish writer Jakob Baekgaard for the online magazine “All About Jazz.” The interview is titled “Kazzrie Jaxen — The Impulse of Creation.” An extended version of that interview appears in his book, “At the Piano: Portraits and Pieces in the Key of Jazz.” Kazzrie has taught Qigong, Tai Chi, and Meditation at The Lodge at Woodloch in Hawley, PA since 2006.
Soprano saxophonist/composer Jane Ira Bloom has been developing her unique voice on the soprano saxophone for over 45 years. She is a pioneer in the use of live electronics and movement in jazz. Winner of the Guggenheim Fellowship for music composition, the Downbeat International Critics Poll & Jazz Journalists Association Award for soprano saxophone, the Mary Lou Williams Award for lifetime service to jazz and the Charlie Parker Fellowship for jazz innovation. She is the first musician ever commissioned by the NASA Art Program and has an asteroid named in her honor by the International Astronomical Union (asteroid: 6083janeirabloom). Her trio Cd “Early Americans” received a Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album and made numerous year end best lists. Her most recent duo recording “Picturing the Invisible” inspired by the B & W photography of NYC photographer Berenice Abbott received a Grammy nomination for Best Immersive Audio. She has recorded and produced 20 albums of her music dating from 1977 to the present and looks forward to the 2025 release of her latest immersive sound recording “Songs in Space” featuring drummer Bobby Previte, bassist Mark Helias, & pianist Dominic Fallacaro. Bloom is a professor at New School University’s College of the Performing Arts in NYC.
