JAZZ ROAD CREATIVE RESIDENCIES GRANT
In October, 2021 Andrew Drury and Continuum received a $40,000 Jazz Road Creative Residencies grant from South Arts. The funds supported the formation of a new percussion quintet, The Forest–featuring Gustavo Aguilar, Leah Bowden, Andrew Drury, Lesley Mok, and Michael Wimberly–and activities in five geographic regions including rehearsals, performances, workshops, and a recording.
The Forest spent four days in Conway, Massachusetts at Tuckaway Farm workshopping Andrew Drury’s arrangement of music from the Ed Blackwell/Don Cherry records Mu First Part and Mu Second Part (1969), and Warren Smith’s composition composed for M’Boom, “Elements of a Storm,” from the same period.
The group then gave performances, community workshops, and masterclasses from March to July, 2022 at a variety of universities (Bennington, U. of Washington, Cornish, CalArts, and UC San Diego) in Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Guest artists on the West coast performances included Vinnie Golia, James Falzone, and Bonnie Whiting.
The project culminated with performances in New York City at Roulette and Lincoln Center, and a studio recording with special guests Warren Smith and J. D. Parran. It also laid the groundwork for Continuum’s new FLY! program.
