Composer Joe Garrison to perform in Encinitas

Visionary composer Joe Garrison will perform “The Broken Jar” on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive.

As a more-than-25-year veteran of pushing the boundaries of modern composition, prolific musician Garrison ventures into a new realm of timbre - utilizing his unique extended harmonic vocabulary in a “drum-less” setting.

In this new work, Garrison continues his exploration of states of mind, specifically death and the process of dying.

Garrison comments on the work, “I was intrigued by a conversation with Chris Duvall where he put forth the idea of serious music being presented in the guise of a lighter, more accessible sound.”

The project was written without drums, which reveals the intricacies of the timbres and interplay between the instruments. The music moves back and forth between tightly composed and radically improvised. There is a tension between intense, dissonant sections and more familiar sounds, including Motown.

An ensemble called the Night People — with Lori Bell (flute), Robert Zelickman (clarinet), Jane Zwerneman (French horn), Brian O’Donnell (bass trombone), Melonie Grinnell (piano) and Mackenzie Leighton (bass) — will perform with Garrison.

Tickets for the concert are $15 in advance at www.squareup.com/store/ruthless-hippies or $20 at the door.