Efw Presents: Mayan Space Station ( William Parker / Ava Mendoza / Kevin Murray )

About

William Parker: “The most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time” — The Village Voice “In the world of improvised music, William Parker is foundational. A key player in the ’70s loft scene, and a crucial collaborator in the ’80s and ’90s in bands led by Cecil Taylor and David S. Ware, he’s recorded over 50 albums as a leader.” — Alan Scherstuhl, NY Times “Brooklyn based guitarist and vocalist Ava Mendoza has forged a serious reputation over the last couple of decades. She’s garnered the respect of experimental music fans through co-leading noise-rock and free jazz trio Unnatural Ways, playing with the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet and as a solo artist.” — Andrew Taylor-Dawson, The Quietus “Over nearly five decades of service, bassist and composer William Parker has earned the title legend. From his work with free jazz piano master Cecil Taylor to his many band projects (Farmers By Nature, Other Dimensions in Music, et al) and long associations with peers Matthew Shipp, David S. Ware, Roy Campbell, Whit Dickey, Gerald Cleaver, Hamid Drake and Daniel Carter, Parker has walked many walks and talked many talks, creating a vast and deep catalog of adventurous music...the bassist eschews any signs of slowing down by issuing a new album, highlighting his expert trio work. Mayan Space Station features the fast-rising Ava Mendoza on guitar for a psychedelic rock take on jazz. As a composer, Parker sets up frameworks for he and his musicians to wander, barely sticking to the road but always heading in the right direction, and by keeping the tonal center as a beacon. Sounding at times like a classic rock player freed from the tyranny of blues-based hard rock, Mendoza (leader of the avant rock power trio Unnatural Ways) wields her distorted tone as the main aural signpost, soaring over her bandmates’ rumble with playing more modal than chordal...Parker himself evinces a remarkable ability to keep a strong groove going, while also taking side trips that keep the bottom end of the tracks elastic and flexible...Mayan Space Station is a brilliant record that may well introduce jazz to your rock snob friends.” — Michael Toland, The Big Takeover Elysium Furnace Works 2026 season continues with a rare Tuesday evening concert, presenting the first electric guitar trio led by the legendary bassist, composer, bandleader and creative music titan William Parker, Mayan Space Station. Mr. Parker is joined in MSS by the acclaimed, ferociously talented Ava Mendoza on guitar and up-and-coming multi-instrumentalist Kevin Murray on drums. Mayan Space Station will perform at the glorious, 19th c. VBI Theatre of Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, located at 12 Vassar St. in Poughkeepsie, NY, on Tuesday, November 17 at 8 PM. Advance tickets are on sale at https://mayanss.eventbrite.com.