Jess Rowland
San Francisco-based artist-at-large

Lives and works in San Francisco, California USA
A self-taught musician and composer, Jess has performed in in a wide range of venues such as Cafe Du Nord (with her improv group Soundchaser), The Big Sur Experimental Music Festival (playing a baloney sandwich), and indie movie theaters (with her multimedia video pieces). Her collaborations with The Werepad and Dreamland Theater have produced her award-winning puppet-shows, live movie soundtracks, and musical plays. Her most-recent focus on multi-media projects, such as The Barbie Explosion, earned her a grant from The American Composers Forum for "John Ashcroft vs. The Space Librarians", and ultimately lead to the completion of Scenes From the Silent Revolution, her most recent release on Pax Recordings. She has also recently completed a new play for Dreamland Theater, and a score for modern dance troupe Shift's Summerfest Dance performance at Cowell Theater. Jess is currently putting together another band for new live experimental projects. For more info check out her website or email: AntiDada@gmail.com

mp3 clips:
track 1 (from 29.water)
track 2 (from 29.water)
track 4 (from 29.water)
Ashscroft vs. The Space Librarians (excerpt) (from Voices In the Wilderness)

  
Jess Rowland - Scenes from the Silent Revolution - PR90280CD/DVD
What if video was just another musical instrument to play with? In Jess Rowland's new release, Scenes from the Silent Revolution, we get an answer to that question. Jess takes found video of McDonald's children's video propaganda, Ashcroft "singing" his song "Let The Eagle Soar", Barbie promotional videos, and so much more pop culture tripe, then puts them through the improvisational blender to produce this DVD of "found video sound sculptures". Representing new approaches to the symbiosis of moving pictures and sound waves, these pieces have been performed live at arts spaces, new music venues, and movie theaters around San Francisco, and are now available for consumption in the comfort of your own home. This one-of-a-kind 2-disc set also features a CD of Jess' art-damage electronic music, and cover art by Chris Woods. more info. press/airplay:

  
Jess Rowland - 29.water - PR90277
This collection of piano improvisation represents taoist practice in sound. Jess Rowland turns off all her electronic devices for a change, and goes back to basics: free-form explosions like a Sun Ra organ blast, unexpected tonalities like Schoenberg, and crisp edges like Cecil Taylor, it's crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Jess plays her unique form of "stream-of-consciousness composition" inspired by the I Ching symbol for Water (number 29), action through inaction, as the symbol represents "staying true to oneself under all conditions." press/airplay: Jazz e Arredores, Improvijazzation Nation, Touching Extremes

  
VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS:
Dissenting Soundscapes and Songs of G.W.'s America - PR90276
Voices In The Wilderness was created out of the anxiety and disillusionment of Bush's reelection on November 3, 2004. This composition of twenty-six artists transcends music genres and ideologies with the common purpose of dissent towards the havoc and bloodshed cause by Bush and the U.S. military's dominance. This collection of political protest music spans experimental, rock, free-improv, electronic, folk, field recordings, and spoken word. This CD is ultimately a reminder and wake-up call that we can not be silent during these times more info. press/airplay: Centre for Political Song, Jazz e Arredores, The Belly of the Beast with Stefan on WFMU, The No Show on KDHX, 2, Improvijazzation Nation #71, The Brian Turner Show on WFMU, The New Edge on WMBR, Drool Trough (show #29) on Aural Innovations Radio

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