Ches Smith - Laugh Ash

In his new chamber noise ensemble Laugh Ash, Ches Smith debuts three new pieces that explore orchestrational commonalities and incongruences among acoustic instruments and electronic sounds. With an ensemble drawing from the worlds of contemporary concert music and new jazz, the writing draws on both traditions, with Smith’s electronics providing a beat, a noise factor, or an enhanced orchestration. To further this element, producer / engineer / musician Eli Crews will be providing live sound manipulation.

Laugh Ash is a new ensemble assembled by drummer, percussionist and composer Ches Smith in which the intricacies of chamber ensemble composition are morphed through a lens of low-fi hip hop, damaged electronics, and block structures. The group consists of a mix of players at the forefront of New York City’s new music and jazz scenes: Jennifer Choi, Anna Webber, Nate Wooley, Oscar Noriega, Michael Nicolas, and Eli Crews.