WeFree Strings
Donations appreciated
“…the idea of jazz strings takes on a new identity.”
– Mike Shanley, Jazz Times
“This is prayer-like spiritual jazz ..an outstanding effort…”
– Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
“This music has an undeniable beauty.”
– Mike Corroto, AllAboutJazz
“…free in spirit? Hell, yes! …the compositions evince a refusal to be boxed in.”
– Joseph Jeff, Graded on a Curve
“WeFree Strings combine free jazz the music of African American string bands and classical avant garde; it picks up where the likes of The Revolutionary Ensemble and James ‘Blood’ Ulmer’s Odyssey left off, adding sounds previously heard in Ornette Coleman’s writing for strings….This is surging, stabbing, thumping music.”
– Phil Freeman, The Wire
WeFreeStrings are violinists Charles Burnham and Gwen Laster, violist Melanie Dyer, cellist Alexander Waterman, bassist Ken Filiano and percussionist Michael Wimberly. The sextet primarily performs original, improvised music. WeFreeStrings has performed at Lincoln Center’s Hearst Plaza, Harlem Jazz Boxx, Andrew Drury’s Soup & Sound, Arts for Arts series (NYC), Jazz@ Atlas, Chicago Jazz String Summit,The Jazz Gallery, Bennington College, the Museum of Art & Origins, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nublu151 and other venues. The ensemble released two recordings — Love in The Form Of Sacred Outrage (ESP-disk, 2022) and Fulfillment (independently released in 2018). They are the recipients of major support from Jazz Road/South Arts, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Chamber Music America, New Music USA, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and Colorado Black Arts Movement.
This performance is made possible with the support of Jazz Road,a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.