ONLINE: Mantis

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Jolynne Roorda

The three members of MANTIS looking down from above.

Mantis (from left): Brad Townsend, Nick Zielinski and Anders Svanoe.

Madison-based Anders Svanoe is a modern master of the baritone saxophone, both as an improvisatory player and as a prolific composer of music anchored by the instrument. Mantis is a new project making its debut with a livestream concert, featuring Svanoe playing original compositions along with bassist Brad Townsend and drummer Nick Zielinski. A studio album by the trio is forthcoming. Find the livestream on the Arts + Literature Laboratory YouTube and Facebook pages.

press release: On Friday, May 21, 2021, 7:00-8:30pm, MANTIS will perform all original compositions written by Anders Svanoe during a special livestream event. The band features baritone saxophonist Anders Svanoe, bassist Brad Townsend, and drummer Nick Zielinski. The concert will be streamed from Audio for the Arts, and viewers can watch on  ALL's Facebook and YouTube channels. This free live stream concert and a new studio album are made possible by a grant from the Madison Arts Commission, with additional funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board, and Dane Arts, with additional funds from the Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.

Anders Svanoe is a baritone saxophonist, composer, and educator who has been at the forefront of progressive music throughout his career. Having appeared on Irabbagast Records, ECM Records and Pi Recordings, he is the leader of the Anders Svanoe Trio, Latin Jazz Quintet, and Double Trio. He has also been a member of the Transatlantic Art Ensemble (which features Roscoe Mitchell, Evan Parker), The Cab Calloway Orchestra, and the Tony Casteñada Latin Jazz Band.  In 2019, his album 747: Queen of the Skies, State of the Baritone Volume 3, received a 4 1/2 star rating by All About Jazz. In 2020, his solo work, Solo Flight, was chosen as a “Best of 2020 Album” in Downbeat Magazine with a 4 star rating.