FEB. 11, 2024 6PM-8PM
Mo’ili’ili, Honolulu


IS IT JAZZZ?


An evening of deep listening solo work from two composers and performers whose work spans Ambient, Jazz, and beyond. Both artists take the stage to perform original work exploring a sonic landscape through melody, rhythm, and improvisation.


KALIA VANDEVER (SOLO)

NYC / TROMBONE + ELECTRONICS


JESSICA ACKERLEY (SOLO)

HNL / GUITAR + ELECTRONICS

DJ Sounds: Princess X


ALL AGES
Ka Waiwai 1110 University Ave, Honolulu





Photo: Bao Ngo
KALIA VANDEVER

Kalia Vandever is an American trombonist and composer living in Brooklyn, NY. Her approach to the trombone is distinctive and defined by her sonorous tone and lyrical improvisational voice. She leans into the challenges of the instrument and allows patience and melody guide her process.

In her compositional practice, Kalia draws from her love of songs and improvisation, creating a landscape of sounds that resonate in the body and hold the listener. She released her debut ensemble album, "In Bloom" in 2019 which has been described as "the rise of an exciting voice for the music" (Seton Hawkins, Hot House Jazz Magazine). Her sophomore album, Regrowth released in May, 2022 on New Amsterdam Records and "confirms her strengths as a composer and bandleader with a distinctly contemporary point of view." (Nate Chinen, WBGO Jazz) Her debut solo album, “We Fell In Turn” featuring her works for trombone, voice and electronics released on AKP Records in March, 2023. 

Kalia graduated from Juilliard in 2017 with a Jazz Studies degree. She has since toured globally with her quartet and collaborated with notable artists like Harry Styles, Lizzo, and Demi Lovato.




Photo: Anabelle Ellwein
JESSICA ACKERLEY

Jessica Ackerley is a Canadian guitarist, improviser and composer based in Honolulu and a current PhD candidate at University of Hawai’i after a decade of living in New York City. Ackerley continually develops a hybrid musical language drawing on the influences of Black American Music and avant-garde improvisers, as well as the culture of the thriving New York City rock and noise scenes.

Since 2017, Ackerley has released seventeen albums to much critical acclaim with features in Wire Magazine, Pitchfork, BBC Radio, and Bandcamp. They have been commissioned by Adult Swim, Mutual Mentorship, and New Music USA as well as received funding from Canada Council for the Arts and Foundation for Contemporary Arts. As an active performer, Ackerley has toured extensively throughout North America, performing at noteworthy venues like The Met Breuer, The Stone, Something Else! Festival, Coastal Jazz Festival, and countless underground venues ranging from the basements of houses to record shops.




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