Elysium Furnace Works

Three weeks from tonight!

"Brandon Ross is a one-man atmosphere factory, availing himself of all the sounds—cries, squeaks, cracks, fuzz, whispers, organ-like echoes—that an electric guitar, in the hands of a master, can produce."
— Adam Shatz, The Paris Review

"Brandon Ross is the epitome of the postmodern guitar hero, a fretboard virtuoso who adheres to no particular sound or genre, moving freely from the feedback-laden assault of the adventurous jazz-rock trio Harriet Tubman and the electronics-heavy jumble of Phantom Station to the delicate beauty of the acoustic chamber duo For Living Lovers (in which he also plays banjo). Since the mid-1970s, the longtime Brooklynite has amassed an extraordinarily diverse catalog as a bandleader, cooperative group member and sideman to a plethora of avant-garde stars, among them Smith, Henry Threadgill, Oliver Lake, Archie Shepp, Leroy Jenkins and Butch Morris. Like those players, Ross likes to think outside the box."
— Brad Cohan, JazzTimes

"Stomu Takeishi has played acoustic and electric fretless bass in a variety of jazz settings throughout the '90s and 2000s. A member of For Living Lovers (with Brandon Ross), Myra Melford's Crush Trio (with drummer Kenny Wollesen), and Erik Friedlander's Topaz (with brother Satoshi Takeishi on percussion), Stomu Takeishi has also played in trumpeter Cuong Vu's group Vu-Tet, and in the North Indian-influenced Alankar. Takeishi performs on Satoko Fujii's album, South Wind, and has played with such musicians as Henry Threadgill, Don Cherry, Randy Brecker, and Wynton Marsalis."
— Allmusic.com

"For Living Lovers is a duo project from guitarist Brandon Ross (of Harriet Tubman, multiple Henry Threadgill projects) and bassist Stomu Takeishi. They’ve been playing together for close to 30 years, since Ross invited Takeishi to audition (successfully) for Threadgill’s Make A Move band. Ross plays acoustic guitar, soprano guitar, and banjo, and Takeishi plays acoustic bass guitar. The music is beautifully recorded, miked closely enough that you can hear them breathe, and shift in their seats...just beautiful music, so focused it’ll make you hold your breath."
— Phil Freeman, Burning Ambulance

Elysium Furnace Works' historic 2026 season continues in June with EFW Presents: For Living Lovers ( Brandon Ross / Stomu Takeishi ) , a celebrated, multi-decade, unplugged project featuring acoustic guitarist/banjoist/vocalist Brandon Ross and acoustic fretless bass guitarist Stomu Takeishi, building on their past work in the ensembles of Henry Threadgill to craft an innovative, distinctively chamber-like approach to modern string music.

For Living Lovers will perform at the gorgeous, 19th c. VBI Theatre of Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center (where Ross performed with the extremely electric trio Harriet Tubman for an EFW performance in 2024), located at 12 Vassar St. in Poughkeepsie, NY, on Saturday, June 27 at 8 PM. Advance tickets are on sale at https://4living.eventbrite.com until midnight Friday 6/26.

"Brandon Ross is a one-man atmosphere factory, availing himself of all the sounds—cries, squeaks, cracks, fuzz, whispers, organ-like echoes—that an electric guitar, in the hands of a master, can produce."

— Adam Shatz, Paris Review

"Brandon Ross is the epitome of the postmodern guitar hero, a fretboard virtuoso who adheres to no particular sound or genre, moving freely from the feedback-laden assault of the adventurous jazz-rock trio Harriet Tubman and the electronics-heavy jumble of Phantom Station to the delicate beauty of the acoustic chamber duo For Living Lovers (in which he also plays banjo). Since the mid-1970s, the longtime Brooklynite has amassed an extraordinarily diverse catalog as a bandleader, cooperative group member and sideman to a plethora of avant-garde stars, among them Smith, Henry Threadgill, Oliver Lake, Archie Shepp, Leroy Jenkins and Butch Morris. Like those players, Ross likes to think outside the box."

— Brad Cohen, JazzTimes

"Stomu Takeishi has played acoustic and electric fretless bass in a variety of jazz settings throughout the '90s and 2000s. A member of For Living Lovers (with Brandon Ross), Myra Melford's Crush Trio (with drummer Kenny Wollesen), and Erik Friedlander's Topaz (with brother Satoshi Takeishi on percussion), Stomu Takeishi has also played in trumpeter Cuong Vu's group Vu-Tet, and in the North Indian-influenced Alankar. Takeishi performs on Satoko Fujii's album, South Wind, and has played with such musicians as Henry Threadgill, Don Cherry, Randy Brecker, and Wynton Marsalis. Takeishi has toured internationally with these various groups, from N.Y.C. to Finland's Tampere Festival."

— Allmusic.com

"For Living Lovers is a duo project from guitarist Brandon Ross (of Harriet Tubman, multiple Henry Threadgill projects) and bassist Stomu Takeishi. They’ve been playing together for close to 30 years, since Ross invited Takeishi to audition (successfully) for Threadgill’s Make A Move band. Ross plays acoustic guitar, soprano guitar, and banjo, and Takeishi plays acoustic bass guitar. The music is beautifully recorded, miked closely enough that you can hear them breathe, and shift in their seats...just beautiful music, so focused it’ll make you hold your breath."

— Phil Freeman, Burning Ambulance

Elysium Furnace Works' historic 2026 season continues in June with For Living Lovers, a celebrated, multi-decade, unplugged project featuring acoustic guitarist/banjoist/vocalist Brandon Ross and acoustic fretless bass guitarist Stomu Takeishi, building on their past work in the ensembles of Henry Threadgill to craft an innovative, distinctively chamber-like approach to modern string music.

For Living Lovers will perform at the gorgeous, 19th c. VBI Theatre of Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center (where Ross performed with the extremely electric trio H A R R I E T T U B M A N: t h e b a n d for an unforgettable EFW performance in 2024), located at 12 Vassar St. in Poughkeepsie, NY, on Saturday, June 27 at 8 PM. Advance tickets are on sale at https://4living.eventbrite.com until midnight Friday 6/26.

EFW Presents: For Living Lovers ( Brandon Ross / Stomu Takeishi ) This celebrated, long-running, unplugged project features acoustic guitarist/banjoist/vocalist Ross and acoustic bass guitarist Takeishi.