Billy Childs’ Jazz Chamber Ensemble

The Broad Stage presents Billy Childs and his Jazz Chamber Ensemble on Sunday, November 11 at 7:30pm. One of the foremost American composers of his era, pianist Billy Childs embodies a unique blend of jazz and classical music. The multi-GRAMMY® Award winner’s groundbreaking project merges improvisation and jazz rhythms with the orchestration and instrumentation of a traditional chamber ensemble.
In an interview with NPR, Childs talks about the inspiration behind jazz chamber ensemble, “I did a composition for the Dorian Wind Quintet and saw that in chamber music, you rehearse every minute detail of the composition – we got a sense of breathing together with the music. So I wanted to apply that to a jazz ensemble, where I could write really intricate and detailed music for a jazz situation and have it breathe together.”
Billy Childs is “a seasoned session player, a veteran arranger and producer, a lifelong Los Angeleno” (Rolling Stone) who has pioneered a new genre with his chamber ensemble. All About Jazz says, “Billy Childs fuses elements of jazz and classical music into a convincing, seamless whole. Fusing diverse musical elements in a jazz setting is a risky business [and] Childs succeeds where others have failed.”
Billy Childs’ Jazz Chamber Ensemble has released two recordings: Lyric, Vol. 1 and Autumn: In Moving Pictures, Vol. 2. Combined, these recordings have garnered five GRAMMY® nominations and two wins. The orchestration consists of 10 instruments, 8 of which are string instruments, giving the group a unique and impressionistic sonic palette.
Tickets, starting at $35, are on sale at www.thebroadstage.org or by calling 310-434-3200. Jazz & Blues at The Broad Stage is made possible by a generous gift from Richard and Lisa Kendall.
Spotlight Talk: Following Billy Childs’ Jazz Chamber Ensemble, join Santa Monica College professor and performer, Lesa Terry, for a discussion about the performance.