Music Jazz Composers Colloquium: Carl Clements

The Jazz Composers Colloquium continues with a presentation by saxophonist, bansuri flutist and composer Carl Clements on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 4 p.m. in Room 3 of the Arms Music Center at Amherst College.

Organized by Assistant Professor of Music Jason Robinson, the Jazz Composers Colloquium is an ongoing series of presentations that features professional jazz composers discussing their music and artistic processes. For the 2014-2015 academic year, there are four events in total, two in each semester, all featuring members of the jazz instruction adjunct faculty of the Music Department. Each event is free and open to the public.

Carl Clements received a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the City University of New York Graduate Center, an M.F.A. in jazz performance from the California Institute of the Arts and a B.M. in jazz composition and arranging from the Berklee College of Music. He has played saxophone for over 40 years, and has been studying North Indian classical music on the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute) since 1989. He has performed extensively in a wide range of styles and is featured on numerous recordings, including a CD of his original compositions for jazz quartet entitled "Forth and Back," three CDs with guitarist Kevin Kastning, four CDs with the eclectic jazz group Crosscurrent, and many others. Clements has performed extensively at jazz clubs and festivals throughout the world, including performances with Luciana Souza, Ralph Alessi, Ravi Coltrane, Jason Robinson, Bob Weiner, Willard Dyson, George Schuller, John Lockwood, James Newton, Luques Curtis, Jean-Yves Jung, Kevin Kastning, Russ Spiegel, Ranjit Barot, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, Louiz Banks, Ed Byrne, Charlie Haden, Natraj and many others. He is currently teaching at Amherst College and remains active as a performer and composer in the international jazz and world music scenes.