Music “En Plein Air” with Jesse Lewis and Friends

Immerse yourself in music, art, and nature with an outdoor performance overlooking the Palisades. Guitarist Jesse Lewis and bassist-composer Ike Sturm create spontaneous compositions of ambient music in response to the seasonal landscape, inspired by Hudson River School paintings, as well as Impressionist Childe Hassam’s Summer Sea, Isles of Shoals. Participants are encouraged by the musicians to engage deeply by sketching, writing, and reflecting on this multisensory experience.

To maintain the intimacy of the immersive experience, capacity is strictly limited. In order to ensure participation, please arrive no later than 1:50pm. Recommended for ages 18+.

Jesse Lewis is a New York–based guitarist known for ambient music that blends instrumental textures with natural soundscapes, incorporating elements like birdsong and wind into his improvisations. Described by The New York Times as “an articulate ace” and by Stereophile Magazine as “a poet of the steel string,” he is a versatile collaborator across jazz, world music, pop, and electronica. Lewis has performed at premier venues including the Blue Note, Birdland, Carnegie Hall, and major international festivals.

Ike Sturm, raised in a musical family in Wisconsin, studied at the Eastman School of Music and has performed with artists including Bobby McFerrin, Maria Schneider, and Donny McCaslin. He has appeared on four DownBeat Award–winning recordings and on Steve Reich’s albums for Cantaloupe and Nonesuch. Commissioned by Saint Peter’s Church, his large-scale Jazz Mass premiered in Berlin in 2011 and was named among DownBeat’s Best of 2010.

Support provided by Art Bridges.