Gallery 1412
1412 18th Ave. E (& Union)

(Alan Lechusza will also be discussing his compositions for MAD Trio during the Composer Spotlight at Jack Straw Productions on Wednesday, March 8 at 7:30 PM; FREE admission.)

Based in California and New Mexico, MAD Trio is an electro-acoustic ensemble featuring Mark Weaver (tuba), Alan Lechusza (woodwinds), and Carolyn Lechusza (amplified cello). Lechusza’s compositions combine subtle and heavy textures onto a sonic canvas which is both enlightening and challenging for the listener and performer alike.

Alan Lechusza’s versatility on woodwinds (western and non-western), both as an improviser and as a studio musician, has led him to work within many different genres (including hip-hop, heavy metal, new age, baroque period-style performances, orchestral work, film scores, etc.) and premiering numerous works including those by Wadadda Leo Smith, Will Ogden, Christopher Adler, Vinny Golia and more. He has performed and toured in Europe, Canada, Japan and all around the United States with the Ark Ensemble, Arcanum, The Aulos Saxophone Quartet and The Charles Owens Saxophone Quartet. He performs regularly with Quartetto Nuevo, The Christopher Adler Trio, Radius, AMH Trio, The Michael Vlatkovich Ensembles, The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, Forward Funk, Jagratti, The World Reform Orchestra, Trio Consensus, and numerous others. He has performed with: Benny Maupin, Vinny Golia, George Harper, Anthony Davis, George Lewis, Hamiet Bluiett, Bertram Turetsky, JD Parron, Alex and Niles Cline, Ken Rosser, Leo Potts, Jack Riedling, Randy Gloss, James Newton, Kai Akagi, Charles Owens, Peter Kowald, Hamid Drake, Adam Rudolph, Sherman Ferguson, Paul Smoker, and many others. A member of the Luiseno and Maidu tribes, he also performs with the Native American trio Sau-ii’.

Carolyn Lechusza studied with Luis Garcia-Renart, a Spanish cellist that studied with both Pablo Casals and Mstislav Rostropovich, two of the greatest cellists of the 20th century. He was also the cello teacher of the great improvisor Tom Cora. Her forays in the classical music world include summers spent at Tanglewood, working with orchestral conductors such as Robert Spano and Leon Botstein, performing concerts with the American Symphony Orchestra as cello soloist in her own composition, and composition studies with Joan Tower and Daron Hagen. Her chamber music experience spans from basso continuo performance to contemporary classical music. As an improvisor Carolyn has worked with Vinny Golia, Fred Frith, Joelle Leandre, Janet Feder, Alvin Curran, Cecil Taylor, Han Bennink, Wadada Leo Smith, Michael Vlatkovich, Bert Turetzky, Chris Garcia and Mark Dresser. She performs with the groups Quarteto, MAD Trio, Iguana, and I2.

Tuba player Mark Weaver is the go-to guy for adventurous low brass in northern New Mexico. Based in Albuquerque, he plays with numerous ensembles including Bing, Cosmic ReBop, the Bubbadinos, Out of Context Ensemble, the Selsuns, Protuberance, ARC Ensemble, Rumble Trio, Bonefied, and all manner of ad hoc improvising groups. He also makes frequent trips to the west coast to work with Brassum, his quartet featuring Dan Clucas (cornet, flute), Michael Vlatkovich (trombone) and Harris Eisenstadt (drums), and to play with the many great musicians in the LA/San Diego communities affiliated with Vinny Golia’s Nine Winds label. He has also performed with Butch Morris, Anthony Braxton, Jeff Kaiser, Malcolm Goldstein, Biggi Vinkeloe, J.A. Deane, Alan Lechusza, Chris Jonas, and Rob Blakeslee. He somehow finds time to organize concerts, host a radio program on KUNM, and work as an architect.