Dave Dove

A trombone player, composer, improviser, and educator, David Dove has given performances and workshops across North America and internationally. As Founding Director of Nameless Sound (a non-profit organization in Houston, Texas), he curates/presents a concert series of international contemporary creative music, and has developed an approach, philosophy and practice of creative music education based on creativity and improvisation.

 

Dove has written on music pedagogy, including a chapter titled “The Music is the Pedagogy” that has been published in the collection “Beyond the Classroom” (Routledge). Dove’s early musical background ranged from studies in jazz and symphonic music, to punk rock bands. As a creative artist, free improvisation has been his primary (but not exclusive) approach to performance and collaboration. In addition to collaborations with other musicians, Dove has made music for film, dance, theater, poetry and visual/installation work. He has focused on acoustic playing for most of his career, developing a style that draws influence from jazz, 20th century composed music, the electric guitar, electronic music and European improvisation.

 

He’s inspired by a wide range of influences from outside of his form, including hardcore punk rock, painting/visual arts, modern/contemporary dance, and Houston mixtape visionary DJ Screw. The influence of DJ Screw was the catalyst for more recent developments in Dove’s music. In an attempt assimilate the effect Screw’s extremely slow and low mixes (as a real time, improvisational music), Dove extends the trombone with the use of guitar pedals, pitch shifters, and (most importantly) sub-woofers. Non-musical performative activity has also been explored in recent projects. Dove has collaborated with a wide range of local, national and international creative musicians. He performs in both set groups and ad hoc ensembles, as well as solo. 

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Jawwaad Taylor

JAWWAAD is a trumpeter, composer, producer, educator, and hip hop artist. He is a founding member of the group, Shape of Broad Minds, whose critically acclaimed album, “Craft of the Lost Ark,” brought him international attention. The album featured MF Doom.

 

JAWWAAD has long been committed to being engaged and socially active, and infuses politics, history, and literature into his music. These things turn his work into an exploration of culture and humanity.

 

JAWWAAD has performed with jazz, free jazz and improvisors, as well as hip hop artists, from around the world.  His appetite for all things music is apparent. As co-founder and producer of the band, The Young Mothers, he merges modern jazz, improvisation, hip hop, indie rock and caterwauling afro-grooves.