MICHAEL BELLAR

At its core, the music Michael Bellar & the AS-IS Ensemble makes is ecstatic. It’s wide-open improvisation with earthy, percussion-fueled grooves. It’s funky and weird. It’s expansive and arresting. It will always be in the moment and without apology. Beyond that we don’t know what to call it. The AS-IS Ensemble is the musical home of keyboardist/composer/producer Michael Bellar and for a group that you’ve never heard of, they have performed at a wide range of festivals and venues across the country including the Telluride Jazz Festival, NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Brooklyn Bowl, SXSW, the Kennedy Center, A Bear’s Picnic, the Blue Note Jazz Festival NYC, Avery Fischer Hall (for Habitat for Humanity), San Jose Jazz Festival, Evolve Fest, JVC Jazz Festival, Rockwood Music Hall and spent a summer as the house band at the world famous Blue Note jazz club in NYC. The group has also opened for artists diverse read more...