Join us for a closing performance by Max Johnson & Yoni Kretzmer, marking the final days of Avital Burg’s solo exhibition "Cracks in the Pavement," on view through June 7, 2025 at Fridman Gallery.

Max Johnson:
Described as “an intrepid composer, architect of sound and beast of the bass...” (Brad Cohan, NYC Jazz Record) composer, bassist, and improviser Max Johnson creates complex worlds of sound, challenging his listeners to engage deeply and be rewarded with an experience always crafted with love, care, and clarity. With twenty albums to his name and over two thousand concerts internationally with artists like Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorson, Muhal Richard Abrams, Geri Allen, Ingrid Laubrock, David Grisman, Tyshawn Sorey, Henry Grimes, Sam Bush, Mark Dresser, John Zorn, Nels Cline, William Parker, and Mivos Quartet, Johnson brings a wild energy and excitement. He has been commissioned by the Jerome Foundation, Society of Composers Inc, Steven R. Gerber Trust, University of Glasgow; been featured on over seventy albums; and can be heard in Spike Lee's Academy Award winning film, "The BlacKkKlansman". Max Johnson currently teaches at Brooklyn College, is a PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, and runs the record label Unbroken Sounds.

Yoni Kretzmer:
Yoni Kretzmer is a tenor saxophonist and composer based in Brooklyn, originally from Jerusalem. Since relocating to New York City in 2010, he has become a vital force in the avant-garde and free jazz scene. With 14 albums to his name, Kretzmer leads a variety of projects, including trios, quartets, and a chamber sextet, and is also active as a curator of experimental music performances in Brooklyn. His work balances lyrical invention with structured chaos, earning praise such as: “In my humble opinion, Kretzmer is one of the finest contemporary saxophonists of the genre... \\\\[he\\\\] knows how to create wonderful melodies and licks that are surrounded by, what seems to be, a controlled chaos.” — Matthew Ditullo, This Shape of Jazz to Come