Contemporary Improvisation presents You Done Me Wrong: Billie Holiday and George Jones

Contemporary Improvisation students, faculty, and special guests explore the music of two of America's most iconic voices, jazz great Billie Holiday and country legend George Jones. This department-wide exploration features covers, recompositions, reinterpretations, and original works in many different genres.

Featuring Eden MacAdam-Somer’s American Roots Ensemble, Anthony Coleman’s Survivors Breakfast ensemble, and Lautaro Mantilla’s Contemporary Rock Ensemble, along with performances by Ran Blake, student groups, and guest artists. Hear music ranging from jazz and traditional country to spectrographic interpretations, and rock, all woven together through the voices of George and Billie themselves.

NEC’s Contemporary Improvisation program addresses the unique needs of musicians seeking to move beyond traditional boundaries. The department brings together an extremely diverse group of the world’s finest young artists in a setting where they can truly grow as a community of composers, performers, and improvisers. With an emphasis on ear training, technique, conceptual ideas, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a wide range of improvisational traditions, the CI program is uniquely positioned to produce the complete 21st century global musician. Founded in 1972 by Gunther Schuller and Ran Blake, the department is “a thriving hub of musical exploration,” (Jeremy Goodwin, Boston Globe).