"James Falzone is a tremendously likable, alert, no-nonsense improvising clarinetist from Chicago. Mr. Falzone’s music is thoughtful and often quiescent, but he can play hard to the breaking point. He likes history, but he’s not only repping for one tradition." ~ Ben Ratliff, The New York Times

"The finest improvising clarinetist in Chicago, who is also one of the top genre-crossing reedmen in the country...his expertise and curiosity allow him to stretch from traditional to modern in both classical music and jazz, with forays into folk and liturgical music as well. Some artists like to blast through the walls that separate genres. Falzone turns them into putty and lets each side seep through to the other."
~Neil Tesser, Examiner.com

"Falzone pursues a musical vision rooted in the middle ground between the fully notated world of conservatory-trained musicians and the improvisation-based energy of jazz and creative music.  It is a territory he explores with an omnivorous appetite for musical influences and aesthetic directions.
~ Devin Hurd, New Music Box

<< NEWS >>

LATEST PROJECTS
James' jazz quartet KLANG will be on tour March13-17 on the East coast with stops in Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo and Fredonia, New York. See Events for details. KLANG enjoyed a month-long residency in January at Bar Deville in Chicago which generated this wonderful posting from curator Scottie McNiece.

New Project: James Falzone's Renga Ensemble featuring Ken Vandermark (Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone), Keefe Jackson (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, contra bass clarinet), Jason Stein, (bass clarinet), Ben Goldberg (Bb clarinet, contra alto clarinet)
Ned Rothenberg (Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone) and James Falzone (Bb clarinet, Eb clarinet). James will compose a set of new pieces for these fantastic players, present the group in 3 gigs in Chicago in April and then record the music for future release. The project is supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and Columbia College Chicago. See Events for details.

World Premiere of James' new piece How Can Barren Be So Beautiful, a new work for 3 female voice soloists, SATB choir, clarinet and vibraphone, was performed on January 28, 2013 at Cornell College in Iowa. This work was commissioned by the Tapestry vocal ensemble and sets 8 beautiful tanka poems from Margaret Chula.

Sighs Too Deep For Words, an hour long film documenting James' solo performance at Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago is now available for free streaming or purchase. Details HERE

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS/RADIO
James was the subject of a December 2012 feature in Point of Departure, a great online publication on jazz, improvised, and new music. Read the interview with Troy Collins here.

DOWNBEAT'S 60th ANNUAL CRITICS' POLL
James was selected in both the Clarinet category and the Rising Star Clarinetist category in the 2012 poll. You can read Downbeat's 2011 profile of James here.

Many other recent feature articles, interviews and radio appearances with James posted to the Media section.

RECORDINGS section of this site has been updated with reviews, purchasing information, full liner notes and additional media for all of James's Allos Documents releases. Visit Recordings

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