News and updates

posted on Monday, December 3, 2018

Ken Field Alto Sax 4tet + Drums: Animated Films of Karen Aqua

Field brought a unique program of live music and animated film to the ICA/Boston for a single special performance on Friday March 22nd, 2019 for a sold-out performance.  The performing ensemble consisted of Field, Stan Strickland, Lihi Haruvi, & Neil Leonard on alto saxes, with Savannah Marshall on drums.

Field teamed with his wife, award-winning independent animator Karen Aqua, to create soundtracks for her animated films for several decades until her untimely passing in 2011. In 2017 Field was invited by the Animator Festival (Poland) to perform live for a program of Aqua's films and assembled an unusual instrumentation of four alto saxophones and a drummer. The resultant performance was celebrated as the highlight of the festival. 

posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Field completes Ucross Residency

Field completed a new body of music for Revolutionary Snake Ensemble and for the HONK!Oz Hoot Band during a productive Composer in Residence fellowship at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming during October 2018.

posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Celebrity Series selects Field to curate "Jazz Along the Charles"

The Celebrity Series of Boston selected Ken Field to curate music for their successful "Jazz Along the Charles" project.  Field's process as curator is highlighted here.  Established by Aaron Richmond in 1938, the Celebrity Series has evolved into New England's major presenting organization with over 200 performance and outreach activities annually.  Jazz Along the Charles took place on the afternoon of Sunday September 23rd, 2018.  25 jazz ensembles gathered at a series of connected, walkable locations along the Charles River Esplanade, interpreting a list of Boston-related songs curated by Field in one collective concert that celebrated the great jazz community of Boston.  Audience was estimated at 10,000.

posted on Friday, March 2, 2018

Field's "The Pearly Eyed March" featured in dance performance

Field's composition "The Pearly Eyed March", as recorded by Birdsongs of the Mesozoic on their 1995 release Dancing on A'A, was featured in "In Transit", two evenings of dances by Margot Parsons as part of the "Living Legacy" series at The Dance Complex, Cambridge, MA, April 6 & 7, 2018.

posted on Friday, February 16, 2018

Field leads Hoot Band at Australian music festivals

For the fourth year, Ken Field led his New Orleans-influenced Hoot Band at the HONK!Oz and Illawarra Folk Festivals in Wollongong (NSW), Australia, south of Sydney.  This year's iteration of the Hoot Band featured over 100 musicians performing with the group.  The repertoire included original material by Field, as well as arrangements of New Orleans & Australian traditional and popular works.