A&E FYI: Josh Aerie’s AxialAge makes Duluth debut

Local cellist Josh Aerie’s Twin Cities-based AxialAge Ensemble will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Duluth Congregational Church, 3833 E. Superior St. There is a $15 suggested donation at the door. (Visit www.myspace.com/axialageensemble for complete details.)

It will be the group’s Duluth debut.

“For those who haven’t heard about this aspect of my musical life,” Aerie said in a release announcing the show, “AxialAge Ensemble is a trio made up of me on acoustic and electric cello, a marimba player and percussionist, and a santoor player and percussionist. Santoor is a Persian hammer-dulcimer, tuned in micro-tones — which makes for some interesting intonational challenges on the cello.

“We play an eclectic and engaging mixture of world/jazz/improvisational music, as well as arrangements of classical pieces. For instance, we play a wonderful — if I do say so myself — arrangement of Britten’s ‘Cello Sonata,’ arranged for cello, marimba and percussion. Our signature piece, ‘Music for the End of Time,’ is self-composed and includes a film element by Jila Nikpay, a renowned Iranian filmmaker from Minneapolis.”

This Twin Cities-based trio was conceived in 2006 by composer and instrumentalist Michael Terati as a live-performing ensemble, exploring both original film music and contemporary chamber works. The trio is anchored by the dynamic voices of Aerie on cello and Jonathan Hess on percussion, both Minnesota residents and accomplished instrumentalists in their own right.

There is a sense of adventure that is immediately evident in the music of AxialAge, in that much of the work is derived and developed from improvisation. Each of the members of the ensemble brings his own musical spirit, experience, and ideas that contribute a vital personal voice to the trio and to the compositions themselves. The music itself is challenging; aggressive yet soulful, drawing from a deep well of inspiration and a wealth of seminal material from notable composers.

In live performance, AxialAge expands upon the musical envelop by incorporating striking visual elements, including projections and film.

The ensemble creates very new music that brings the audience to places they have never been. This trio challenges the basic notion of what music is truly about and what its purpose is … for the musicians and audience alike.

~Information courtesy Josh Aerie