Help recover our instruments
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The Date: Sunday, August 9
The Time: Sometime around 11pm
The Incident: Two instruments stolen.
One Fender P-Bass Special, belonging to Luke Stewart
photo by Rebecca Hope
One 1941 Buescher "Big B" Alto Saxophone, serial number #295553, belonging to Aaron Martin
photo by LA Randall
Hi folks,
In the words of Mike West at the Washington City Paper, “This Blows .” Our instruments were stolen out of our studio, located at Union Arts DC. We are both seriously dedicated musicians with a regular regimen of practice, rehearsal, collaboration, and performance. Now that regimen has been halted abruptly due to this theft.
A little about us:
Aaron Martin and Luke Stewart are ⅔ of the DC-based Free Jazz outfit Trio OOO. We have performed at the DC Jazz Festival, the annual DC John Coltrane Celebration, and have collaborated with many great performers including vibraphonist Khan Jamal, trumpeter Lewis “Flip” Barnes, and Philly sax titan Elliott Levin. Aaron Martin used his prized “Big B” alto saxophone to record the trio’s soon-to-be-released album “Days to be Told” which will be released on New Atlantis Records.
photo by Darrow Montgomery
Despite being an “Overlooked DC Jazz Elder ,” Aaron Martin is no less than a true legend in DC music. Since the 1970s he has unabashedly and uncompromisingly stayed true to his personal artform and approach to the saxophone, focusing on jazz-based free improvisation.
Aaron was a member of Anthony Braxton’s improvising orchestra in the early 80s. He performed with Matana Roberts in her Coin Coin ensemble. He was a key participant in the presentation “Two Nights of New Music,” an important performance of avant garde jazz in DC at the historic DC Space. He has recorded critically acclaimed albums with his longtime musical partner Brian King Nelson, who wrote his signature tune “Muhammad’s Bumpin.” He also was a member of the New Atlantis Octet, which featured the late trumpet master Roy Campbell. The Octet also performed at the first and only Albert Ayler Festival in New York City, where Aaron Martin performed alongside his longtime musical colleague and hero Marshall Allen, band leader and alto saxophonist for Sun Ra’s Arkestra. In fact, during the heyday of Sun Ra’s Arkestra, Aaron Martin was asked personally by Sun Ra himself to join his band. Though he declined the invitation due to parental responsibilities, Aaron has remained in contact with various members of the Arkestra, including his friend Marshall Allen. In addition, Aaron was also a primary musician at the last festival for outside jazz in DC, the New Atlantis Festival in 2010, where he performed extensively with the deeply revered tenor saxophonist Sabir Mateen.
Speaking of “Muhammad,” Aaron Martin’s former name, he has also been a major activist and organizer through many important years of radical struggle in DC. The popular drum circle at Malcolm X (Meridian Hill) Park started in 1972 as a featured event for the first African Liberation Day. Aaron Martin was a key organizer and participant in the founding of this beloved regular DC happening.
For many years, before he had a studio, his practice room was outside. He could be heard for miles as he would practice on the steps of formerly abandoned buildings in DC, through all seasons weather conditions. This dedicated practice in such environments has resulted in an entirely personal and unique sound on the saxophone, with an explosiveness unmatched by many. His personal language and vocabulary is unique to Aaron Martin alone. After hearing one phrase from his horn, you can tell that it is Aaron.
Luke Stewart is
“One of the hardest working Creative Musicians in DC.” - Twins Jazz
and a
“Jazz Revolutionary” - Washington City Paper
Like Aaron Martin, Luke is a seminal figure in DC’s music community and a key organizer of important musical presentations. His regular ensembles include Trio OOO with drummer Sam Lohman, and legendary DC Free Jazz saxophonist Aaron Martin. He is also a member of experimental electronic group MOM^2 (Mind Over Matter, Music Over Mind), with whom he was invited to perform and lecture at the University of South Carolina, as well as being invited to perform at the Sonic Circuits Festival of Experimental Music. He also is a solo performer, having presented original material and improvisations throughout the East Coast.
Luke is a founder of Union Arts DC , a collective space for artists in Washington, DC, and regularly presents challenging performances of Jazz and Avant Garde music through CapitalBop , an organization he co-founded, which is devoted to presenting and promoting jazz in DC, and his own “Creative Music in DC ” series. He was called a “Jazz Revolutionary” when profiled in the “People Issue” of the Washington City Paper in 2014.
Luke has performed with the legendary saxophonists Marshall Allen and Danny Ray Thompson, both seminal members of Sun Ra’s Arkestra. He also performed with notable creative jazz musicians Ernest Dawkins, Lewis Barnes, Joseph Bowie, and Adam Rudolph. Other notable collaborations include performances and/or recordings with William Hooker, Khan Jamal, John Sinclair, Abiodun Oyewale of the Last Poets, Guggenhiem Fellow Thomas Sayers Ellis, William Parker, Daniel Carter, Tatsuya Nakatani, Jason Kao Hwang, Lafayette Gilchrist, Brian Settles, Kier Neuringer, James Brandon Lewis, Max Johnson, Anthony Pirog, Jon Irabagon, David Ornette Cherry, Ras Moshe, Tom Zlabinger, Ed Ricart, Elliott Levin, Susan Alcorn, Chuck Bettis, Janel Leppin, Federico Ughi, Bill Cole, and Moor Mother Goddess.
We are eternally grateful to the DC music community and to all of our friends and supporters around the world for the show of support we have received already. This support has been so very touching and has reaffirmed our dedication to the music community worldwide. It because of so many of your suggestions that we are using these means to procure the money to replace our instruments. To those who have donated money personally already, to those who have offered instruments, to those who have supported our music, thank you Thank You THANK YOU!!!!!
Please continue to support us as we replace our stolen tools for sonic creation.
It is because of you that we are able to do what we do.
The Time: Sometime around 11pm
The Incident: Two instruments stolen.
One Fender P-Bass Special, belonging to Luke Stewart
photo by Rebecca HopeOne 1941 Buescher "Big B" Alto Saxophone, serial number #295553, belonging to Aaron Martin
photo by LA RandallHi folks,
In the words of Mike West at the Washington City Paper, “This Blows .” Our instruments were stolen out of our studio, located at Union Arts DC. We are both seriously dedicated musicians with a regular regimen of practice, rehearsal, collaboration, and performance. Now that regimen has been halted abruptly due to this theft.
A little about us:
Aaron Martin and Luke Stewart are ⅔ of the DC-based Free Jazz outfit Trio OOO. We have performed at the DC Jazz Festival, the annual DC John Coltrane Celebration, and have collaborated with many great performers including vibraphonist Khan Jamal, trumpeter Lewis “Flip” Barnes, and Philly sax titan Elliott Levin. Aaron Martin used his prized “Big B” alto saxophone to record the trio’s soon-to-be-released album “Days to be Told” which will be released on New Atlantis Records.
photo by Darrow MontgomeryDespite being an “Overlooked DC Jazz Elder ,” Aaron Martin is no less than a true legend in DC music. Since the 1970s he has unabashedly and uncompromisingly stayed true to his personal artform and approach to the saxophone, focusing on jazz-based free improvisation.
Aaron was a member of Anthony Braxton’s improvising orchestra in the early 80s. He performed with Matana Roberts in her Coin Coin ensemble. He was a key participant in the presentation “Two Nights of New Music,” an important performance of avant garde jazz in DC at the historic DC Space. He has recorded critically acclaimed albums with his longtime musical partner Brian King Nelson, who wrote his signature tune “Muhammad’s Bumpin.” He also was a member of the New Atlantis Octet, which featured the late trumpet master Roy Campbell. The Octet also performed at the first and only Albert Ayler Festival in New York City, where Aaron Martin performed alongside his longtime musical colleague and hero Marshall Allen, band leader and alto saxophonist for Sun Ra’s Arkestra. In fact, during the heyday of Sun Ra’s Arkestra, Aaron Martin was asked personally by Sun Ra himself to join his band. Though he declined the invitation due to parental responsibilities, Aaron has remained in contact with various members of the Arkestra, including his friend Marshall Allen. In addition, Aaron was also a primary musician at the last festival for outside jazz in DC, the New Atlantis Festival in 2010, where he performed extensively with the deeply revered tenor saxophonist Sabir Mateen.
Speaking of “Muhammad,” Aaron Martin’s former name, he has also been a major activist and organizer through many important years of radical struggle in DC. The popular drum circle at Malcolm X (Meridian Hill) Park started in 1972 as a featured event for the first African Liberation Day. Aaron Martin was a key organizer and participant in the founding of this beloved regular DC happening.
For many years, before he had a studio, his practice room was outside. He could be heard for miles as he would practice on the steps of formerly abandoned buildings in DC, through all seasons weather conditions. This dedicated practice in such environments has resulted in an entirely personal and unique sound on the saxophone, with an explosiveness unmatched by many. His personal language and vocabulary is unique to Aaron Martin alone. After hearing one phrase from his horn, you can tell that it is Aaron.
Luke Stewart is
“One of the hardest working Creative Musicians in DC.” - Twins Jazz
and a
“Jazz Revolutionary” - Washington City Paper
Like Aaron Martin, Luke is a seminal figure in DC’s music community and a key organizer of important musical presentations. His regular ensembles include Trio OOO with drummer Sam Lohman, and legendary DC Free Jazz saxophonist Aaron Martin. He is also a member of experimental electronic group MOM^2 (Mind Over Matter, Music Over Mind), with whom he was invited to perform and lecture at the University of South Carolina, as well as being invited to perform at the Sonic Circuits Festival of Experimental Music. He also is a solo performer, having presented original material and improvisations throughout the East Coast.
Luke is a founder of Union Arts DC , a collective space for artists in Washington, DC, and regularly presents challenging performances of Jazz and Avant Garde music through CapitalBop , an organization he co-founded, which is devoted to presenting and promoting jazz in DC, and his own “Creative Music in DC ” series. He was called a “Jazz Revolutionary” when profiled in the “People Issue” of the Washington City Paper in 2014.
Luke has performed with the legendary saxophonists Marshall Allen and Danny Ray Thompson, both seminal members of Sun Ra’s Arkestra. He also performed with notable creative jazz musicians Ernest Dawkins, Lewis Barnes, Joseph Bowie, and Adam Rudolph. Other notable collaborations include performances and/or recordings with William Hooker, Khan Jamal, John Sinclair, Abiodun Oyewale of the Last Poets, Guggenhiem Fellow Thomas Sayers Ellis, William Parker, Daniel Carter, Tatsuya Nakatani, Jason Kao Hwang, Lafayette Gilchrist, Brian Settles, Kier Neuringer, James Brandon Lewis, Max Johnson, Anthony Pirog, Jon Irabagon, David Ornette Cherry, Ras Moshe, Tom Zlabinger, Ed Ricart, Elliott Levin, Susan Alcorn, Chuck Bettis, Janel Leppin, Federico Ughi, Bill Cole, and Moor Mother Goddess.
We are eternally grateful to the DC music community and to all of our friends and supporters around the world for the show of support we have received already. This support has been so very touching and has reaffirmed our dedication to the music community worldwide. It because of so many of your suggestions that we are using these means to procure the money to replace our instruments. To those who have donated money personally already, to those who have offered instruments, to those who have supported our music, thank you Thank You THANK YOU!!!!!
Please continue to support us as we replace our stolen tools for sonic creation.
It is because of you that we are able to do what we do.
Organizer
Luke Stewart
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC