BASHER
new orleans’ premiere
FREE JAZZ PARTY BAND
new album MAY DAY out NOW on Sinking City Records
LISTEN HERE
"Unbearably beautiful." -- Pitchfork
"Stunning. It slaps." -- Downbeat Magazine
credit Noé Cugny, noecugny.org
credit Camille Lenain, camillelenain.com
ABOUT Basher:
Basher plays highly improvisational dance music with a punk-rock energy and a free jazz spirit propelled by two drumsets, analog and modular synthesizers, and two horns. Led by saxophonist and composer Byron Asher, Basher has garnered the adoration of the New Orleans creative music scene with its combination of danceable grooves, anthemic melodies, and wild clash of acoustic and electronic textures. They've been playing listening rooms, dive bars, train tunnels, and arenas across the US since 2017. In 2022, they released their new LP "Doubles" on Sinking City Records, which Downbeat gave 4 stars, claiming it "slaps," and Pitchfork called "unbearably beautiful."
On May 31, 2024, Basher released their new LP “May Day” with Sinking City Records. Visit the new album page here.
FOR ALL BOOKING AND INQUIRIES, CONTACT: byron.asher@gmail.com
PRAISE FOR Basher:
"Unbearably beautiful. Doubles pays tribute to New Orleans' abundant spirit." -- Pitchfork
"Stunning...It slaps. Is it free jazz? Is it a party? At times it's one; at times it's another. It's definitely worth checking out. 4 stars." -- Downbeat Magazine
“Perfect to put on when the only thing that is needed is a euphoric release.” - We Jazz Magazine
"Stick with them long enough, and Basher might be the kind of artist other artists are sampling decades down the line. Top 50 of 2022." -- Yardbarker
"Asher is a creative musician to look out for." -- Free Jazz Blog
FEATURING (variously):
Byron Asher, tenor saxophone, bandleader
Aurora Nealand (The Monocle, Tim Berne), alto saxophone
Emily Mikesell (Smiloh, Trumpet Mafia), trumpet
Tomas Majcherski (The Tropicales), tenor saxophone
Daniel Meinecke (Quiana Lynell, Glen Echo), analog and modular synthesizers
Zach Rhea (New Music Collective), drums
Trenton O’Neil (The Rumble), drums
Peter Varnado (Preservation Hall Band), drums
ABOUT Byron Asher:
Byron Asher is a saxophonist and clarinetist and composer based in New Orleans. Raised in Maryland, he has performed across Europe and the US at major festivals and art centers including the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as well as at dive bars and DIY spaces. He is a 2022 OneBeat Fellow, a program of the US State Department. As a composer, Byron’s work has been supported by MacDowell, South Arts, and A Studio In The Woods (New Orleans), among others. He leads Skrontch Music, an experimental large ensemble, and Basher, a “free jazz party band,” among many other projects. Byron is also adjunct faculty in the music department at the University of New Orleans.
NOTABLE Performances and Tours:
JUNE 29-JULY 7: NORTHEAST TOUR
6/29, LeMondo with Konjur Collective, Baltimore, MD
6/30, Bossa Bistro, Washington, DC
7/1, Rhizome with Sarah Marie Hughes, Washington, DC
7/2, Brooklyn Kura, Brooklyn, NY
7/3, Nublu, New York, NY
7/5, Red Ink Community Library, Providence, RI
7/6, Tubby’s with The Warblers (Bobby Previte, Ben Vida, etc.), Kingston, NY
7/7, Barbès, Brooklyn, NY
NOVEMBER 10, 2022: DOUBLES ALBUM RELEASE, Snug Harbor, New Orleans
JULY 7-9, 2022: NORTHEAST TOUR
July 7, Brooklyn Botanic Garden AND Barbès, Brooklyn, NY
July 8, Wild Birds, Brooklyn, NY
July 9, The Drake, Amherst, MA
JUNE 7, 2022: GENERATOR Show w/ Wavering and Colin Self, Train Tunnel under St. Claude Ave., New Orleans
JANUARY 11, 2022: HALFTIME SHOW for NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans v. Minnesota Timberwolves, Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
NOVEMBER 11-13 2021: TEXAS TOUR
November 11, Wild Child Wine Shop, Lafayette, LA
November 12, Monk’s Jazz Club, Austin, TX
November 13, The Brick, San Antonio, TX
MARCH 24, 2021: THE BROADSIDE, New Orleans
FEBRUARY 4, 2020: INSTIGATION FESTIVAL (NOLA edition), Hi-Ho Lounge, opening for Kidd Jordan/Tomeka Reid/Jason Adasiewicz/Joshua Abrams/Mike Reed