Famed Bay Area renegades, the Rova Saxophone Quartet, and the Nels Cline Singers, an imaginative guitar/bass/drums trio, join forces for an evening of inspired musical ecstasy as the Celestial Septet. In the ultimate free jazz mash-up, this fantastic cutting-edge septet performs original works by band members, some inspired by Lee Konitz, Cesar Chavez, and by Albert Ayler—perhaps the most overlooked yet influential visionary of the 1960s jazz scene—plus a rearrangement of John Coltrane's "Living Space."

Rova Saxophone Quartet, the adventurous all-saxophone ensemble, has fundamentally extended the horizons of music since forming in 1977. Exploring the synthesis of composition and collective improvisation, Rova has become an important leader in the movement of genre-bending music that has its roots in post-bop free jazz, avant-rock, and 20th century new music as well as traditional and popular styles of Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States.  Rova features sax masters Bruce Ackley, Larry Ochs, Jon Raskin, and Steve Adams.

Guitar wizard Nels Cline, known for breathing new life into the alt-rock band Wilco, consistently ignites the stage in collaborations with Rova members, most notably during his many performances with Orkestrova's Electric Ascension and the "Yo Miles!" Fillmore shows. Backed by the Singers, the brilliant rhythm team of Scott Amendola and Devin Hoff, the Celestial Septet brings a powerhouse ensemble to the Freight stage.