118 Elliot Presents Nu Mu 4: The Shade Tree
5 Weekends of Great Music to Beat the Heat
August 1 - August 30, 2025
Five Weekends of Experimental Music, Jazz, Collaboration & Community Vibes. 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.
Spanning five weekends from August 1 through August 31. 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, ranging from ambient quietude to fractious sonorities.
Nu Mu started as a collaboration between acclaimed saxophonist Jeff Lederer, a longtime 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, ‘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 lies in the collaboration of those willing to explore new ideas and take a 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.
Festival Highlights
Week 1: August 1–3
Friday, Aug 1 – “Not a Word” Jam + Art Creation (5 PM)Create message-based art to live music, reflecting on this moment in history. Supplies provided.
Sunday, Aug 3 – Sunday Sounds (11 AM–12:30 PM)A peaceful, non-verbal community space with contemplative music.
Week 2: August 8–10
Friday, Aug 8 – World Premiere: Eric Dolphy Wind Sextet (7 PM)Plus works by Oliver Nelson and the spiritual-inspired Cruxifixion.
Saturday, Aug 9 – “Guilty!!!” by Jeff Lederer + Friends (7 PM). Followed by NYC’s Married Knot live at Midnights, Brattleboro (9 PM).
Sunday, Aug 10 – Sunday Sounds
Week 3: August 16–17
Saturday, Aug 16 – Three Deep Listening Ensembles (7 PM)Featuring Ras Moshe, Vance Provey Quartet, and Brattleboro’s Lick the Earth crew.
Sunday, Aug 17 – Sunday Sounds
Week 4: August 22–24
Friday, Aug 22 – Aron’s Hat (7 PM)NYC-based improvisers including Ayumi Ishito, Bonnie Kane, and Paul Austerlitz.
Saturday, Aug 23 – The Turbulence Orchestra: The Storms of Jupiter (7 PM)Conducted by sonic visionary PEK and featuring up to 25 musicians!
Sunday, Aug 24 – Sunday Sounds
Week 5: August 29–31
Thursday, Aug 29 – Masters of Sonic Liberation livestream (7 PM)Live from Holyoke Media, with link on 118elliot.com.
Friday, Aug 30 – Sonic Liberation continues (7 PM)Featuring a rotating cast of sonic adventurers including Bonnie Kane, Sandy Ewen & more.
Saturday, Aug 30 – Jam Party! (7 PM)Open jam with live drummers, crunchy beats, and a sense of community joy.
Sunday, Aug 31 – Sunday Sounds
Learn More & Join the Vibe Location: 118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, VT
Website: 118elliot.com
Contact:
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Admission: By donation
From world premieres to meditative Sunday mornings to late-night improvisations, Nu Mu 4: The Shade Tree offers a soulful, summer-long exploration of sound, community, and connection. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind Brattleboro experience.
Also check out other Music events in Brattleboro, Entertainment events in Brattleboro.
