Steve Lehman Saturday Night

In this week’s One Track Mind, I mentioned that the DC Improvisers Collective will be playing at the Velvet Lounge this Saturday night. I didn’t mention that they are playing in support of avant-garde tenor saxophonist Steve Lehman

You already know by the term “avant-garde” that Lehman’s a bit of a weird dude, musically speaking. His latest album is called On Meaning, although it’s more accurately described by one of its song titles: “Open Music.” The instruments (sax, trumpet, vibes, bass, drums) often seem to be bouncing off each other, rather than actually playing together. But the result of those collisions is profound and often playful music, the kind whose biggest surprise is that it can be listened to over and over again with considerable ease and pleasure.

His stop in D.C. is a solo performance—actually, Lehman’s website describes it as “music for solo saxophone and live electronics.” Lehman’s an unconventional enough musician that it’s hard to know what he’ll actually sound like at the Velvet Lounge…but an exciting enough musician that it’s worth finding out. The show starts at 10 pm with DCIC’s opening set. 18+ only.