Love Call

Love Call

$20 cover charge; byob. Call the shop for a reservation - 415-586-3733.   Love Call is a collaborative trio consisting of saxophonist Max Bessesen, bassist Ethan Philion, and drummer Devin Drobka.    The group formed during the height of the pandemic when Philion and Bessesen coped with their lack of performance opportunities by exploring adventurous new repertoire and free improvisation together. When restrictions were lifted the duo reunited with longtime-collaborator Devin Drobka and the unit began to collaborate on new music and to perform this material publicly.    Love Call performs several times a year ever since 2021 even though the group members live in different cities (New York, Chicago, Milwaukee). The trio has a distinctive musical approach marked by a congenial sense of trust and a unique, intuitive group language. Their performances feature free improvisation and compositions by each member of the group.    Love Call was selected for a 2024 residency at Avaloch Farms and have performed in NYC, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington DC, Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Madison, and more.   Philion is based in Chicago where he performs with Ernest Dawkins, Mark Feldman, Greg Ward, Jon Irabagon, and more. He is praised for his "astounding musicality" by the Washington Post. Bessesen, a NYC resident who has performed with Ron Miles, Darcy James Argue and more, is described by JAZZIZ as "pushing boundaries without being abstruse…stirringly emotive." Drobka lives in Milwaukee and has worked with a wide variety of artists including Joe Lovano, Mario Pavonne, Greg Osby, and Cecil McBee. Chicago Reader describes his music as "pithy ...There isn't much that sounds like this today."