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MARCH 27th @ 9:00P.M.
Pieces of Precious Improv: A Multi-media experience featuring Jarrod Whaley's PIECES and the Shaking Ray Levis with Phillip Johnston
@: the Chattanooga Regional History Museum’s (CRHM) Pavilion Space (401 Broad Street).

The Shaking Ray Levi Society, dedicated to presenting experimental film and music in Chattanooga, will present PIECES, the new film from local filmmaker Jarrod Whaley at 9:30. Immediately following the premiere, soprano saxophonist and composer Phillip Johnston, accompanied by Chattanooga’s improv gurus, the Shaking Ray Levis, will perform.

Phillip Johnston, a largely self-taught soprano saxophonist and composer, has self-described his musical style as stemming from the swing/big band jazz tradition. In addition to performing with numerous experimental musicians like John Zorn and Tom Cora, he has composed original music for several films (including Paul Mazursky’s Faithful and Phillip Haas’ Music of Chance), television (Bravo, MTV, VH1), advertisements (Ford, Blue Cross/Blue Shield), and Radio (incidental music for NPR’s Fresh Air). He will perform solo, as well as in duos and trios with the Shaking Ray Levis (Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner).

Local filmmaker Jarrod Whaley will present PIECES, his sixth short film. PIECES tells the story of a rather odd gathering of three friends who don't know why they're friends anymore. They spend their time playing a bizarre parlor game involving five dowel rods and a pair of dice. The musical score consists of some superb new music by Dennis Palmer and long-time Michigan collaborator, Frank Pahl. Running time is just under thirty minutes. See the film's trailer here. See some well-written and thoughtful criticism on some of Whaley's work from Alejandro Adams of BRAINTRUSTdv here.

What the press has to say about Phillip Johnston:

" Phillip Johnston could rightly be classified as the
H.G. Wells of the jazz world."
-Ashley Kahn, Rolling Stone Record Guide

"...perhaps the hippest of late, Phillip Johnston is
a modern jazzster with the smarts to shape daring
music in commercially palatable ways. Potent and
frolicsome, able to conjure an assortment of emotions
and references, FLOOD AT THE ANT FARM will surely
enhance the leader's rep as one of modern music's
more versatile writers.
-Jim Macnie, Billboard

"...swerves through territory where you can dimly
discern signposts erected by Charles Mingus, Carla
Bley, Gil Evans, the Willem Breuker Kollektief,
Sun Ra, Rova, and New Orleans brass bands. The
disciplined lunacy makes Big Trouble big fun."
-Derk Richardson, San Francisco Bay Guardian

"...playful irony, pastiche, nutty compositions with
hair-raising arrangements, and loving jabs at the jazz
canon... Jazz Passengers and Lounge Lizards take heed:
you'll be in Big Trouble when you try to match whack
for whack with Phillip Johnston's superior band."
- John Corbett, Downbeat