Saxophonist | Composer SARAH MANNING

09.11.08 | Shatter the Glass Becomes Musical Window Display
For Immediate Release:

Shatter the Glass is back in Northampton! On September 26th and 27th Shatter the Glass will become the storefront window display at the A.P.E. Gallery’s new space at 126 Main Street in the heart of downtown. Led by saxophonist and composer Sarah Manning, the band has completed two tours and twice headlined the Jazz Gallery in New York City since their inaugural four-day residency at the Center for the Arts last summer. From noon until 2PM on each day the group will hold open rehearsals. On both Friday and Saturday night, band members will be found performing in different configurations on the sidewalk before coming together for a concert from 7PM-9PM. Featuring NYC based musicians Art Hirahara on piano, drummer Kyle Struve and bassist Linda Oh, the quartet is dedicated to living and breathing onstage as a musical unit through the lens of Manning’s original compositions.

According to Nat Hentoff, in the liner notes to her 2004 debut album House on Eddy Street, “Sarah Manning can swing as naturally as she breathes...an enlivening presence in the new generation of jazz makers. Manning plays – and writes – in what is unmistakably her own voice.” Manning is a Smith graduate who could often be found busking on the streets of Northampton in the early days of her development. After five years in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has returned to the Pioneer Valley as a resident, composing and honing material in woodland seclusion for performances on stages in New York City and beyond. In 2006, the saxophonist released Live at Yoshi’s: Two Rooms Same Door on ArtistShare, and in 2007 was profiled in the Players section of Down Beat Magazine.

A key objective of Shatter the Glass is to provide a role model for women and girls interested in the music. As a mixed gender group, they challenge the notion that women are somehow “the other” in jazz whose career opportunities are limited to “Women in Jazz” festivals and novelty “all-girl” bands that marginalize their contributions. The highly visible A.P.E. Gallery location provides a unique way for the audience to interact with the music, whether listeners are seated inside at the concert or peering into the window from the sidewalk outside.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council Inc. Rehearsals are free to attend and concert admission is a sliding scale donation of $5-$10. Seating is limited. Reservations may be obtained by calling the A.P.E. Gallery at (413) 586-5553. You can listen to Sarah Manning and the band at http://www.sarahmanningmusic.com and http://www.shattertheglass.org!

07.17.08 | Welcome to my new site!
Hello everyone,

i'm excited that my new website is now ready to share with you. Be sure to check out the video section, where you can watch two full-length cuts from my "Live at Yoshi's: Two Rooms Same Door" show. If you've already joined my email list from my old site or at a show, there is no need to re-join. If you have an address change, you can join this list with your new address, and in the comments box, let me know your old address and it will be removed.

To visit my band website, which is where photo galleries of performances can be found and individual band bios, choose the "Shatter the Glass" button and the site will open in a new window so you can go back and forth between them.

Thanks for your patience with the changes and hope to hear from you soon!

Sarah

06.12.08 | Shatter the Glass Receives Grant from Northampton Arts Council!
Today we received word that we have been awarded a grant for a residency in Northampton, MA to be held in the early fall. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, Inc. The Arts Council raised the funds for this particular round of grants through special events such as the "Four Sundays in February Series". Northampton is a town truly committed to supporting the arts in all its myriad forms, and it is an honor to be welcomed back.

Shatter the Glass was born in a residency in Northampton last August, and we'll be returning a little over a year later for more interactive performances. Details of the event will be posted as soon as they are available.

Thank you Northampton!