Photo: Ryan Nava

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ladyybirdd is an eponymous debut album featuring original music (by flutist Gina Izzo) for flute through washed-out reverbs, analog synthesizers, and FX. 

Lucid dreaming, mirrored reflections, and disrupted breathing connect intimately to the album narrative’s personal response to loss. In the studio, the flute streams through a series of analog guitar pedals that alter the sound of the flute through FX, creating a sense of urgency, calm, and resistance to moving forward.

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In collaboration with producer and engineer Joseph Branciforte, the album features artists including:

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•  Andy Akiho, steel-pan

•  Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet

•  Erika Dohi, keyboards

•  Nick Dunston, bass

•  Carol Féliz, spoken word

•  Ian David Rosenbaum, percussion

•  Immanuel Wilkins, saxophone  

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ladyybirdd's music video, "into what is wanted," a precursor to the debut album, was recently recorded at the Berklee Power Station in New York City and will release on October 20, 2021. 

The album is set to release in 2022.

QUOTES

"....rattles speakers and expectations with stop-time razzle, vocal (flute-talk) and electronic (phaser) effects"

-NYC Jazz Record

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"....jarring and innovative...dynamic energy" -CLASSICALITE

​"...outside of the realm of expectation...truly unique sound…" 
-ARE YOU HIP TO THIS?

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"The whole of gathering blue, featuring compositions by Vijay Iyer, Ambrose Akinmusire, and others, displays the same enthralling quick-change artistry."
-Brooklyn Rail

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"...one of the most adventurous new music debut albums in recent years."
-I Care If You Listen

Flute – Gina Izzo

Alto Saxophone – Adison Evans

Orchestrated By, Cello – Kristine Kruta

Producer – Gabriel Garzón-Montano

Trombone – Rebecca Patterson

Viola – Jocelin Pan, Monica Martin

Violin – Chiara Fasi, Maria Im, Molly Fletcher

Written – Gabriel Garzón-Montano

Matthew Tavares

Such an incredible experience to play a part in this massive work of art: Agüita.

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Listen on all platforms here.

Announcing
Fall 2021 Fellows

bespoken co-founders Gina Izzo & Eunbi Kim welcome 19 incredible artists from around the world who make up their Fall 2021 fellows cohort. Through this selective fellowship, bespoken is thrilled to continue developing fellows' artistic projects, ideas, and goals. Together, we can create more opportunities for women to take on leadership positions in the arts.

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Fall 2021 bespoken Fellows (left to right, top to bottom):

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Row 1- Shara Lunon, Erica Ball, KiMani Bridges, Aya Ishida, Melissa Coppola; Row 2- Jackie Traish, Erika Banks-Alvarez and Nnenna Ogwo, Kathryn Sloat; Row 3- Judette Elliston, Logan Lambert, Chelsea Czuchra; Row 4- Laura Nevitt, Weiwei Zhai; Row 5- Rose Hegele, Karen Gonzalez, Sohee Kwon, Kristen Sofia Janelle, Michelle Hromin

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bespoken provides motivation for fellows to become more active members of the community through connections and familiarity with an array of projects, organizations, and institutions while encouraging them to advocate for themselves and their art. 

The programs wide-range of creative career building skills have played a critical role in the development and outcome of bespoken fellows who have been recognized by presenters, organizations, publications, and institutions such as TEDx, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Kaufman Music Center, Spirit Music Group, Rockwood Music Hall, Smalls Jazz Club, I Care If You Listen, among others.