2009: Sacred Unit

Alicia Mangan: tenor saxophone
Spirit: percussion

Sacred Unit is Alicia Mangan on Tenor Saxophone and Percussionist Spirit. These two musicians have played together for over twelve years. Their backgrounds are diverse and cover blues and R&B, Latin, African, Classical, as well as a concentrated commitment to the study of traditional and avant-garde jazz. Both musicians share a dedication to the art of avant-garde jazz and share a commitment to the study of it and the traditional jazz roots from which it comes. Together they seek surrender to the power that moves music. They approach their instruments with the intention of tapping into universal consciousness, breaking down walls, and transcending this plain of existence.

Spirit is a poly-rhythm and sound percussionist who has perfected a mulit-layered style using gongs, bells, rain stick, singing bowl, West African talking drums, sheet metal, rachet, cymbals, & rototom, as well as his modified trap kit. In addition to working with Alicia Mangan he has performed and recorded with the group Positive Knowledge for over twenty years as well as shared moments with John Tchicai, Glenn Spearman, Alan Silva, Cecil Taylor, and Wadada Leo Smith to name a few.

Tenor saxophonist and L.A. native Alicia Mangan honed her chops in bebop, classical, and Latin based music, but opted for total dedication to the calling of avant-garde jazz. Her music is influenced by the exploratory methods used in the tradition forged by Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, and Charles Gayle. Much of her early straight-ahead experience was gained in southern California with the popular L.A. salsa group Son Mayor where she played baritone saxophone and in the music program at San Diego State where she studied jazz with pianist Rick Helzer. She spent ten years in the San Francisco bay area where she performed with Eddie Gale’s Orchestra for World Peace, Jim Ryan’s Forward Energy, and Marco Eneidi’s American Jungle Orchestra. Alicia has also worked with the late Peter Kowald, Karen Borca, Donald Robinson, Lisle Ellis, Sabu Toyozumi, Ijeoma Thomas, Bonnie Barnett, Wadada Leo Smith, and Spirit.

Recent projects include a tours with Jim Ryan’s Forward Energy to Minneapolis Chicago Long Beach, L.A., San Diego, and Santa Barbara, participation as a soloist in a Santa Barbara avant-garde music series, performances Dana Reason-Meyers Parallel 66 series in Claremont CA, performing at Disney Hall’s Red Cat Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles as a duo with Lisle Ellis for EarJam, and performing as one of the six soloists at the Schindler House in a SASSAS presentation of Exquisite Corpse II. Recordings include releases with Jim Ryan’s Forward Energy and L.A. Reeds, a C.D. of solos from Los Angeles reed players that is of yet unreleased.

Artist (photo by Photographer)