With a unique blend of adventurous improvisation, intricate compositions, spacious electro-acoustic soundscapes, and polyrhythmic flow, the Michael Dessen Trio charts a fresh path through the currents of contemporary music. Led by composer-improviser Michael Dessen on trombone and laptop, the trio also features two phenomenal young musicians, Tyshawn Sorey on drums and Christopher Tordini on bass. On “Between Shadow and Space”, their 2008 release on Clean Feed Records, the trio uses departure points from poetry, visual art, and politics to catalyze intense introspection alongside exuberant blowing. Dessen made his leader debut in 2007 with Lineal, an album of original compositions that featured veteran improvisers such as Mark Dresser, Susie Ibarra, and Vijay Iyer. Having studied with Yusef Lateef, George Lewis and Anthony Davis, and with sideman recording credits that include Yusef Lateef among many others, Dessen is also a member of the collective Cosmologic quartet, whose three releases and international tours have been been praised by critics for their unique sound.