The October Revolution in Jazz 60th Anniversary (ORJ 60) is a five-day event that celebrates the interdisciplinary and transformative power of free improvisation and collectivity. Running from Tuesday, Oct. 1 to Saturday, Oct. 5 at both CalArts and 2220 Art + Archives in Los Angeles, the collective happenings are inspired by the original festival in New York City, organized by the late musician-composer, artist, and professor Bill Dixon.
The 1964 October Revolution featured jazz music and panel discussions at the Cellar Café, near Columbia University in Manhattan, New York. The Café—and festival—welcomed musicians, poets, and artists who weren’t able to perform elsewhere for economic or societal reasons. The October Revolution featured a jam-packed jazz lineup of both emerging artists and veteran players, followed by panel discussions on the genre during each of the festival’s four nights.
Stanley Zappa (Critical Studies MFA 25) and partner Sarah Beadle have organized ORJ 60 using Dixon’s model as a touchstone, offering a diverse lineup of presentations, films, panels, and music performances throughout the week. The festival includes guest artists from the Dixon orbit as well as artists and educators from the schools of Music, Dance, Critical Studies, and Art.
Zappa, who studied under Dixon at Bennington College in Vermont, says that the 2024 edition is the “30th anniversary of the 30th anniversary of the October Revolution,” which was held at Bennington in 1994. He adds that Dixon’s life and work focused on interdisciplinarity and improvisation, which is reflected throughout the programming.
From the October Revolution in Jazz organizers:
ORJ 60 is simultaneously a celebration, a call to action, and an imagining of new futures which explores the profound impact of improvisation on culture from the 1960s onward, as well as its influence on various artistic modes beyond music, including (though not limited to) art, dance, theater, and writing.
The events at CalArts include audio and film from Dixon’s archives; cross-disciplinary conversation (part of the Paul Brach Lecture Series) on improvisation and making space in art and pedagogy with Art faculty Michael Ned Holte; Katy Dammers, deputy director and chief curator, Performing Arts at REDCAT; Dance faculty Ariel Osterweis; Music faculty Eyvind Kang and Def Sound; and a presentation on social networks in jazz with Zappa.
Jazz historian Ben Young moderates talks on the historical trajectory of the jazz continuum and will also broadcast both Dixon-related content as well as the aforementioned Paul Brach lecture on Thursday, Oct. 3 on his popular weekly Zoom call.
A public conversation on the profound impact of the original October Revolution in Jazz with musician and trumpeter and professor Bobby Bradford, Young, and The Brick director Hamza Walker takes place at 2220 Art + Archives on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Music events throughout the week feature more than 40 improvisors in open rehearsals and faculty performances with multiple crossovers between groups, styles, and traditions. On-campus performances include CalArts faculty Tim Feeney with Intangible; Vinny Golia with special guests T.J. Borden and Kyle Motl; Catherine Sikora trio with Nick Skrowaczewski and Zappa; and many CalArts students and alumni in You, Me, + The Whales Arkestra led by CalArts grad Zac Burgenbauch (Music MFA 24).
All CalArts events are free and open to the public. The culminating celebration event takes place on Oct. 5 at 2220 Arts + Archives. Discount tickets are available to students. This is an 18+ event.
View the CalArts calendar for the full schedule of events and the October Revolution in Jazz 60th Anniversary site for more detailed information.
