PRNCX is the large ensemble project of composer and pianist Steve Long. The group regularly appears as a small collection of 3-6 players, with larger iterations of 16+ players participating for special events. At its core, this group, and the compositions written for it, bring the members of disparate Queer American Experimental lineages, such as John Cage, Julius Eastman, Pauline Oliveros, and Cecil Taylor, into direct conversation with both the metaphysical and practical procedures of the Ellingtonian bigband. Blurring the lines between composition and improvisation is more than merely invoking a “liminal space”, since composition and improvisation do not necessarily exist as polarities on the same spectrum. Through juxtaposing, uniting, and/or accentuating the differences between several modes of improvisation, composition, and notation, PRNCX walks a thin line between coherence and chaos.

piano/composition - Steve Long
violin - Erica Dicker
tenor sax - Travis Bliss
percussion - Nick Neuburg