The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis Bring Hardcore Jazz Punk Fusion to Jazz Fest (June 23)

Music Track of the Day: The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis – “Emergence“

The Messthetics (featuring two former members of Fugazi, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty, and guitarist Anthony Pirog) have joined forces with tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis in a new project that combines improvised jazz with post-hardcore punk sensibilities. Even before meeting up with The Messthetics, Lewis commented that he viewed the collaborative process as a musical conversation: “What I’m interested in is the dance … That’s a fundamental dynamic – I take some, you give some, we interact, now we have something, now we can go someplace.” The band plays Performance Works on Sunday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. “Emergence” comes from their new album, The Messthetics with James Brandon Lewis, released in March on Impulse Records. After the Vancouver show, the quartet heads to Europe to play several jazz festivals this summer.