Victoriaville
Very much looking forward to performing this weekend with Battle Trance at The Festival International Musique Actuelle Victoriaville. Also on the festival is Terry Riley, Anthony Braxton, and many other greats. We perform Saturday, May 20th @ 1pm.
A Dance That Empties
Wednesday, March 1st will be the premiere of my newest long-form composition entitled A Dance That Empties at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY. The piece features Gerald Cleaver on drums and myself on tenor saxophone. Also on the evening is Battle Trance (TL, Patrick Breiner, Matt Nelson, Jeremy Viner- tenor saxophones) performing Blade of Love. If there was only one concert of my music that you can attend this year, I would recommend this one. Here is the facebook invite.
Travis Laplante (L) and Gerald Cleaver (R).
End of the Year
Some recent press/end of the year lists that include 'Blade of Love':
Rolling Stone: '20 Best Avant Albums of 2016'
Stereogum: '10 Best Jazz Albums of 2016'
Bandcamp Daily: 'New Directions in Sax'
Uncanned Music: 'Favorite albums of 2016'
'Blade of Love' is out today!
It is with joy and intense vulnerability that I announce that Battle Trance's Blade of Love is now available. As most of you know, Battle Trance is my tenor saxophone quartet with Patrick Breiner, Matt Nelson, and Jeremy Viner, and has been a primary musical focus of mine for the past few years. Blade of Love is the culmination of 2+ years of writing, rigorous rehearsals, many tears, and a little laughter.
CD/digital download/free stream available via New Amsterdam Records:http://battletrance.bandcamp.com/album/blade-of-love
Vinyl version available via NNA Tapes:http://nnatapes.com/available-releases/battle-trance-blade-of-love/
@ Roulette
The first 100 people who pre-order Battle Trance’s upcoming vinyl LP Blade of Love from NNA Tapes will receive a FREE limited edition cassette tape, @ Roulette, a beautifully recorded Battle Trance live performance.@ Roulette is strictly limited edition with no digital release. It contains full color artwork featuring the art of Daniel Seiders, housed in metallic gold cassette tapes. @ Roulette will not be sold separately, it is only available with the first 100 orders from nnatapes.com and will not be re-pressed.
Dusted List
I recently contributed to Dusted Magazine's "Listed" feature where I wrote about music, books, etc. that I love. Here it is.
Announcing 'Blade of Love'
Battle Trance's 2nd record, entitled Blade of Love will be released on August 26th via New Amsterdam Records/ NNA Tapes.Pre-order the CD/DigitalPre-order the Vinyl Watch the official trailer for the record:[embed]https://youtu.be/QIOrLn9YMjI[/embed]
I can't hear your breath loud enough- full video
The full version of I can't hear your breath loud enough, my collaboration with the great Montreal-based choreographer Susan Paulson is now up online. Thanks so much to Charlie Birns for doing such a beautiful job directing the video.
Release Day
My new duo record with trumpet great Peter Evans entitled Secret Meeting is now available via NNA Tapes! You can listen/purchase Here.
Upcoming release!
My upcoming duo CD with the great Peter Evans (trumpet) entitled Secret Meeting is off to the press. It's due out on February 5th, 2016 via NNA Tapes. I'm very much looking forward to sharing this music with everyone. Our NYC record release concert is on Feb. 6th. More details soon!
Guelph Jazz Festival
Battle Trance will open the 2015 Guelph Jazz Festival on September 15th. It looks like an amazing lineup this year. I will also be giving a talk as a part of the GJF colloquium on September 17th. My talk is entitled "Wisdom, Love, and Vitality: the aspects of the great improviser."More info HERE
Spring Update
Hello friends,Here is a quick update of what I have been working on:I recently recorded a duo with Peter Evans (trumpet).I am nearing the completion of my next set of solo saxophone music which will most likely be recorded this fall.The next piece of music for Battle Trance is in the process of being composed and rehearsed.Some other very exciting news to be announced soon!
early reactions
Here are some links to some early words on Palace of Wind:The Talkhouse (review by the great Roger C. Miller from Mission of Burma!)PopMatters (Live review of our recent concert in Chicago)The New York Times Classical PlaylistTiny Mix TapesChicago ReaderWing Walker Music (Audio Interview)The Whole NoteWondering Sound
Palace of Wind is out today!!!!
Hello friends,Today marks the official release of Battle Trance's Palace of Wind!!!You can stream, download, or purchase a CD via New Amsterdam Records HERE.Vinyl is available via NNA Tapes HEREOur record release concert is on September 24th @ Roulette and we were touring quite a lot this fall so I hope to see some of you out there!HERE is a review by the great Roger C. Miller (Mission of Burma) that came out yesterday via The Talkhouse: .
Listen to the first track off of 'Palace of Wind'
I'm happy to announce that the A.V. Club just premiered the first track off of Palace of Wind, my tenor saxophone quartet Battle Trance's debut record that comes out August 26th via New Amsterdam Records and NNA Tapes. Battle Trance features Patrick Breiner, Matt Nelson, Jeremy Viner, and myself. You can LISTEN HERE to "Palace of Wind I" which is the first movement from the album-length composition. .Pre-order the CD HERE.
Battle Trance trailer
Hello friends,It is with joy that I announce the upcoming debut release of Battle Trance, my quartet of four tenor saxophonists that also features Jeremy Viner, Matthew Nelson, and Patrick Breiner. The record, entitled Palace of Wind will be officially released on August 26th on New Amsterdam Records, with NNA Tapes pressing the vinyl version. In the meantime there is a one minute video teaser below:Battle Trance Promo Video from Travis Laplante on Vimeo.
'Ancestral Instrument' now available.
I am pleased to announce that today is the official release date of Ancestral Instrument, the brand new trio recording also featuring Trevor Dunn (double bass) Ches Smith (drums). It's now available in physical form (cassette w/download card) at the NNA Tapes Website as well as digitally at itunes and other digital retailers. I am very happy to have this music in the world and would love for you to hear it.Here is some info on the recording:Ancestral Instrument" documents the musical meeting of three friends: Travis Laplante (Little Women, Battle Trance), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, John Zorn), and Ches Smith (Marc Ribot, Secret Chiefs 3, Fred Frith). Existing in the cracks of avant-garde jazz, contemporary classical, indigenous world music, and soul, "Ancestral Instrument" captures an evening of improvisation that took place at IBEAM, a small loft space in Brooklyn, on December 14th, 2013. There was a fierce snowstorm that night, and only a handful of people trudged through the brutal weather to attend the concert. IBEAM served as an oasis, a respite from the cold, with people literally coming into the room to thaw out.*This was the first time the three musicians gathered together in a classic saxophone trio formation (tenor saxophone, double bass, drums), and also marks Laplante's recorded debut in a purely improvised setting. Before the concert began, the musicians established an unspoken agreement that the music would have no expectations, nothing to prove, and no style to fill - only that its sounds should be followed. "Ancestral Instrument" is a document of this sound, a talisman of the thawing that took place that evening.
a beautiful weekend
The residency this past weekend at IBeam was wonderful. Thanks so much to all those who joined us!
Thursday evening: Gerald Cleaver, Mat Maneri, TL 
Friday evening: Mary Halvorson, TL, Trevor Dunn, Ches Smith 
Saturday evening: Randy Peterson, Mat Maneri, Michael Formanek, TL And for anyone who missed my interview with Search and Restore surrounding this residency, you can read it here
Ibeam residency this month
I am excited that later this month I'll be in residence at ibeam in Brooklyn for three nights. Each night will feature a different band consisting of some of my favorite living improvisers. Here are the details:
New Trio next week
On Saturday, December 14th I'll be performing with my good friends Trevor Dunn (Double bass) and Ches Smith (Drums). We've been talking about playing in a trio formation for a long time now and it looks like the time has finally come. I'm very much looking forward to this:Saturday, December 14th@ IbeamTravis Laplante, Trevor Dunn (bass), Ches Smith (drums)8:30pm$10168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY