Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Zebulon, Los Angeles
**Jessica Williams 'Blue Abstraction' Listening Session** A celebration of pioneering trans jazz pianist Jessica Williams (1948-2022) and the 2025 release of Blue Abstraction – the critically acclaimed LP of previously unreleased music by Williams, produced by Kye Potter and released by PRE-ECHO. Jessica Williams (1948-2022) altered the piano by placing vibrating and/or muting elements on top of and between the strings at varying distances across the harp—some sounding like bells or gongs (screws, bolts), others like percussion instruments (clothespins, hairpins, washers, erasers). The effect radically expanded the instrument’s possibilities, sometimes making it sound metallic or ghostly, other times muted, tactile, almost broken. She forged a personal musical language grounded in improvisation, nuanced timbral control, and compositional precision. The resulting beauty and listenability of these works are a testament to Williams’ vision and mastery. In recognition of the musical colossus Jessica Williams and the release of Blue Abstraction, Prepared Piano Project 1985-87, we’ll gather to listen to the album in its entirety and have a conversation including Matt Connors of PRE-ECHO and producer Kye Potter.