• Tracks

"A fiercely aggressive group, combining the power and punch of a rock band with the precision and clarity of a chamber ensemble." - The New York Times The Bang on a Can All-Stars are back with their first studio album in five years, and the first to include the current line-up of players: Ashley Bathgate, cello; Robert Black, bass; Vicky Chow, piano; David Cossin, percussion; Mark Stewart, electric guitar; and Evan Ziporyn, clarinets. With Big Beautiful Dark and Scary, the Bang on a Can All-Stars show off their blazing speed, polyrhythmic virtuosity and all-world versatility in a return to the core Bang on a Can sound - an uncategorizable supermix of classical and electric instruments that is part classical ensemble, part rock band, and part jazz sextet. The album is the first in a decade that features the All-Stars exclusively, rather than as part of a collaborative project. Each of the pieces on the double-CD calls upon a different kind of virtuosity, demonstrating the range of musical abilities and experiences arguably unique to this ensemble. Recorded in New York City, all of the music on Big Beautiful Dark and Scary were written for and premiered by the Bang on a Can All-Stars. The Bang on a Can All-Stars have gained an international reputation for extreme virtuosity and an utterly unique sound, powered by their unusual combination of clarinets and saxophones, electric guitar, cello, bass, keyboards, and percussion. Part classical ensemble, part rock band, part jazz band, the All-Stars' flexibility reflects the vision of Bang on a Can artistic directors Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe, who believe in the communicative power of a wide range of music from a new generation of composers and performers.