ZOH AMBA BHAKTI TRIO Echoraum, 13 Mar 25

Zoh Amba is a young composer, saxophonist, and flutist from Tennessee. Her music blends avant-garde, noise, and devotional hymns. Before studying music at the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music, New England Conservatory and studying with David Murray in New York, she spent most of her time writing and practicing saxophone in the forest near her home. Today, her powerfully unique avant-garde music is full of folk melodies, mesmerizing refrains, and repeated incantations. Amba released two records in 2022, her debut record O, Sun which was produced by John Zorn and released on the prestigious label Tzadik. Zoh Amba’s second record, Bhakti features Micah Thomas, Tyshawn Sorey, and Matt Hollenberg. She has collaborated with a variety of high profile musicians such as Jim White (Dirty Three), legendary bassist William Parker, Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Frank Rosaly, Thomas Morgan, etc. Amba has also performed at well respected festivals and venues such as Roulette (NY), Ars Nova Workshop (PA), Vision Festival (NY), ReWire Festival (NL), BRDCST Festival (BE), and Angel City Jazz Festival (LA), Big Ears Festival, etc. Bhakti has become the moniker for Amba’s ongoing live and recording ensemble project with ever changing members.

“For the Saxophonist Zoh Amba, Free Jazz Is Gospel” — New York Times

“Amba’s music is a chaotic spiritual exploration, a path to enlightenment strewn with skronking wails. “The music is God; God is the music,” she recently told the New York Times — a philosophy that, although old as time, has made her one of the brightest new stars in avant-garde jazz.” — STEREOGUM (Top 40 Band’s of 2022)