MICHAEL DESSEN

Michael Dessen is a composer-improviser who performs on the slide trombone and computer. Active in a variety of ensembles as leader or collaborator, he creates music for improvisers and engages new technologies of telepresence and digital networking. His music has been praised by critics in numerous jazz and contemporary music publications, released on labels such as Clean Feed, Cuneiform, and Circumvention, and supported by commissions from organizations including Chamber Music America and the Fromm Foundation. Dessen is also a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine, where he co-founded an innovative MFA Music emphasis in Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology (ICIT). In the Michael Dessen Trio, he performs his own compositions on trombone and laptop along with an acoustic bassist and drummer. In 2011, Dessen released his second, critically-acclaimed trio album on Clean Feed Records, Forget the Pixel, featuring Christopher Tordini (bass) and Dan Weiss (drums). Dessen also received a read more...