118 Elliot Presents
Nu Mu 4: The Shade Tree
5 Weekends of Great Music to Beat the Heat
August 1 – August 30 2025
Brattleboro VT July 11, 2025: Nu Mu 4 ‘The Shade Tree’ is here! Nu Mu is a community oriented music festival that brings together well known jazz musicians and sound artists with local talent creating singular opportunities for collaboration and experimentation.
Nu Mu began in 2022 as an effort to highlight experimental and conceptual music that evolves from the 20th century jazz, classical and rock avant garde. Nu Mu presents a wide range of expression that ranges from ambient quietude to fractious sonorities.
Nu Mu started as a collaboration between acclaimed saxophonist Jeff Lederer, a long time resident of both Guilford, VT and Brooklyn, NY and John Loggia, co director of 118 Elliot who has a long standing interest in jazz and plays the drums. Jeff, who is Director of Jazz Studies and a professor of saxophone at Long Island University, first came to 118 Elliot in 2021 for a weekend residency and performed music from his album the ‘Eight Fold Path,’ a Jazz interpretation of the Buddhist tradition. Jeff’s nurturing and eclectic approach to Jazz found resonance in John’s multidisciplinary interest in the arts (filmmaker, painter, musician) and the mission of 118 Elliot to create community through arts and education.
Nu Mu is a festival of friends. Special guests are featured but the heart of the festival is the collaboration of those willing to explore new ideas and abandon themselves to risk. Attending, or participating in a Nu Mu event is entering an evolving sonic landscape yearning to be explored and leading to unknown places.
Each weekend features a different community of improvisational musicians. For more information go to 118elliot.com. All Events by Donation.
See schedule below:
Week 1
Friday, Aug 1, 5pm: Not a Word: Live Music and Painted Word Jam!
Jeff Lederer and Friends will join Brattleboro’s Anarchoharmomia to play inspirational music while the public is invited to create word based art that expresses their thoughts and emotions about this difficult moment in history. The message based art will hang alongside the current group show at 118 Elliot ‘These Colors Kill Fascism.’ Art supplies will be provided.
Sunday Aug 3 11am – 12:30pm: Sunday Sounds, EVERY SUNDAY! Join us for a peaceful nonverbal community gathering with music for contemplation, meditation and quiet activities.
Week 2
Friday Aug 8, 7pm: WORLD PREMIERE of a just-discovered wind sextet composed by ERIC DOLPHY performed by the Wildebeest Wind Quintet from NYC. Works by jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelson and the premiere of “Cruxifixion” based on the spiritual “They Crucified My Lord” will round out an exceptional evening.
Saturday Aug 9, 7pm: Guilty!!! the acclaimed 2024 release by Jeff Lederer performed by a large ensemble including the band Married Knot joined by local musicians.
Saturday Aug 9, 9pm: NYC band Married Knot performs at Midnights, 2 High Street, Brattleboro
Sunday Aug 10 11am – 12:30pm: Sunday Sounds, EVERY SUNDAY! Join us for a peaceful nonverbal community gathering with music for contemplation, meditation and quiet activities.
Week 3
Saturday Aug 16, 7pm: Three Deep Listening Ensembles
Ras Moshe: Ras Moshe (Theodore Burnett III), Jazz musician, saxophonist, poet, activist, teacher from Brooklyn; Vance Provey Quartet: Vance Provey is a Connecticut-based trumpeter and improviser. Joining Vance will be Eric ZInman piano, Glynis Loman cello, and John Loggia drums; Lick the Earth: Scott Moore leads the Brattleboro Improvisers group that meets monthly at 118 Elliot. Steven Arnerich Johnny Gifford Nick Garder, Trevor Robertson, Joship Conrad, Patric Alvarez
Sunday Aug 17 11am – 12:30pm: Sunday Sounds, EVERY SUNDAY! Join us for a peaceful nonverbal community gathering with music for contemplation, meditation and quiet activities.
Week 4
Friday Aug 22, 7pm: Aron’s Hat: Featuring stellar artists based in New York City who have been playing together in compelling configurations for many years. Including Ayumi Ishito, Eric Plaks, Aron Namenwirth, Paul Austerlitz, Bonnie Kane, John Loggia
Saturday Aug 23 7pm: The Turbulence Orchestra plays “The Storms of Jupiter” an Extraplanetary Pastoral Symphony. Dave Peck (PEK) conducts a large ensemble improvisation of unrivaled sonorous intensity. PEK will be joined on stage by up to 25 musicians under his conduction.
Sunday Aug 24 11am – 12:30pm: Sunday Sounds, EVERY SUNDAY! Join us for a peaceful nonverbal community gathering with music for contemplation, meditation and quiet activities.
Week 5
Thursday Aug 29 7pm: Bonnie Kane’s Masters of Sonic Liberation (live streamed show from Holyoke Media, Holyoke MA ) with Sandy Ewen, Bonnie Kane, Crank Sturgeon, Ben James, Bob Kanne. See 118 Elliot site for link.
Friday August 30 7pm: Bonnie Kane’s Masters of Sonic Liberation series with
Sandy Ewen, Bonnie Kane, Crank Sturgeon, Julian Gersten, Ben James, Bob Kanan, Drew Kovach, Ian Behrstock, David Peck, Wendy Del Formaggio, Andy Loughney, Bob Kannen, Scott Moore, and synth and video artist Andrew Neuman
Saturday August 30 7pm: Jam Party! Everyone can join in the fun. Ben James, John Loggia and other drummers will keep the crunchy beats for free jams.
Sunday Aug 31 11am – 12:30pm: Sunday Sounds, EVERY SUNDAY! Join us for a peaceful nonverbal community gathering with music for contemplation, meditation and quiet activities.
