Matt Mitchell Quartet

Pianist, composer, and electronic musician Matt Mitchell brings his adventurous quartet to Mr. Tipple's for an evening of cutting-edge contemporary jazz. Known for his "brainy avant-jazz (de)constructions" and intricate compositional approach, Mitchell explores the intersections of acoustic, electric, composed, and improvised new music with polyrhythmic complexity and unpredictable flows.

A core member of ensembles led by Tim Berne, Dave Douglas, and John Hollenbeck, Mitchell is acclaimed for his ability to create music that "moves vigorously through strangely disruptive cycles" while maintaining moments of haunting beauty. His recent album Zealous Angles on Pi Recordings showcases his talent for contrasting "zealous angles" with more contemplative passages, earning five-star reviews for its "unbridled creativity."

Joining Mitchell is an all-star rhythm section: bassist John Hébert, praised for his "big, round sound, robust imagination, and thorough knowledge of jazz history," who became one of jazz's most in-demand bassists through his work with Andrew Hill, Lee Konitz, and Paul Bley. Genre-bending percussionist Ches Smith adds his distinctive blend of avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, and noise rock, drawing from his scholarly interest in Haitian Vodou drumming and collaborations with John Zorn, Tim Berne, and Mary Halvorson.

Completing the quartet is trumpeter and ECM recording artist Ralph Alessi, whose "crisp and articulate attack" and "fresh ideas" have made him a standout voice in creative jazz. Recent concert reviews describe the quartet's music as "transcendent," with compositions ranging "from high tempo bebop, to fractured funk, to melancholic ballads" that feel "lived in and as comfortable as a pair of broken in jeans."

Expect an evening of sophisticated musical dialogue where virtuosic technique meets bold compositional vision, as four masters of contemporary jazz navigate Mitchell's intricate musical puzzles with both rigor and playfulness.