Ears Open was a Jazz/Improvised/New Music live performance series curated by composer/saxophonist (and Citizen Arts co-founder) Rob Reddy. Steeped in originality and a palpable sense of urgency, the series responded to a real need in the city, a strong desire for an artistic home base for musicians and audiences alike. Presented at Public Records in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Ears Open ran from April through August 2019.

“I come from a jazz and creative-music background, and I’ve seen a lot of venues come and go really quickly,” Mr. Reddy said. He remembered that the Knitting Factory in particular had felt like “a home base where you could go any night of the week and hang,” and said that he senses “a real hunger” for something similar again today: something as reliable as it is eclectic.

— New York Times

Artists and ensembles featured included:

The Jaimie Branch Trio; James Brandon Lewis Quartet; Steph Richards Group; Brandon Ross Phantom Station; Heart of the Ghost with Luke Stewart, Jarrett Gilgore and Ian McColm; John Carlson’s Buzz; Stephen Haynes Song Cycle; Pheeroan Aklaff; Patricia Brennan; Rob Reddy’s Octet; and Adam O'Farrill's Stranger Days.