New: “Floating Ballerinas” from Michael Sarian’s Esquina
“Floating Ballerinas” is the third and final single from Michael Sarian’s upcoming album Esquina, out today on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms. This version is an edited excerpt from the extended track featured on the full album.
Michael shared some great insight into how the piece came together:
Floating Ballerinas is the second piece I composed for Esquina, once again drawing inspiration from Miles Davis’s On the Corner and the innovative use of graphic scores. Like its predecessor, the piece is structured in four movements, each with a distinct mood and direction, but this time I pushed the boundaries even further. The score provides open-ended instructions, leaving ample space for the musicians to interpret and shape the music as they see fit.
The title comes from a collage of dancer cutouts I used in the graphic score—images that seemed to capture the fluid, graceful movement I wanted to infuse into the piece. The final movement introduces a shift where the bass line moves to the upbeats, creating a floating effect that ties the entire composition together with a sense of weightlessness. As the piece evolves, the bass gradually takes on a more prominent role, guiding the ensemble while the rest of the group responds with spontaneous improvisation. The radio edit is an excerpt from the second movement, offering a glimpse into the piece’s ethereal, dynamic energy.
“Floating Ballerinas” follows the release of the earlier singles “Straight Trash” and “Glory Box” – a reimagined take on Portishead’s iconic 1994 trip-hop classic.
MICHAEL SARIAN ON TOUR
23 April – Black Squirrel Club // Philadelphia, PA
24 April – Soft Machine Gallery // Allentown, PA
25 April – Nublu Classic // New York, NY [Album Release Show]
30 April – Casa Del Popolo // Montreal, QC
01 May – The Perkolator // Perth, ON
02 May – The Jazz Room // Waterloo, ON
03 May – Silence Sounds // Guelph, ON
04 May – The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar // Toronto, ON
05 May – The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar // Toronto, ON
07 May – Moondog Café // Detroit, MI
08 May – Elastic Arts // Chicago, IL
09 May – Public Space One // Iowa City, IA
10 May – Berlin // Minneapolis, MN
15 May – The Gem // Spring City, PA
