Thomson Kneeland

Acoustic bassist and composer Thomson Kneeland performs as a leader and a sideman throughout the US and internationally. Though most often found performing in an improvisational jazz context, Kneeland has a variety of musical interests from traditional swing, classical counterpoint, and 20th century chamber music, to Hindustani and Karnatic Indian classical music, Indonesian gamelan, Balkan folk music, electronica, heavy metal, and more. He leads Kakalla, an ensemble devoted to the fusion of improvisation with composition, utilizing influences such as Balkan folk music, rock, chamber music, and free jazz. Another ongoing compositional project, Ensemble Aletheia, is a four horn wind ensemble with acoustic bass that melds chamber music and improvisation. In early 2001, Kneeland formed the record label Weltschmerz Records as a forum for Kakalla and these other projects, releasing three albums to date, most recently The Seeds of Analog Rebellion in November 2004. A recently completed project of two albums of material awaits release in late 2007. In 2005 Kneeland collaborated with recording engineer Warren Amerman on a techno/electronica studio project, Grid-X, as well as for the electronica movie soundtrack of Magdalena’s Brain. Besides composing for various jazz and improvisational idioms, Kneeland also composes chamber music, some completed works including a string quartet and a string trio; he was also commissioned to write three pieces for the Longy School of Music Jazz Ensemble. As a leader, sideman, and composer, Kneeland has appeared on over 35 recordings to date and performed with such luminaries as Jerry Bergonzi, Mark Turner, George Garzone, Chris Potter, Ted Rosenthal, Lynne Arriale, Rick Margitza, Joe Maneri, Gunther Schuller, poet Lawson Inada, and many others. He has performed internationally at such venues as The Kennedy Center, Medellin University in Colombia, the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Perth Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, and more.