- When
- Thursday, October 15, 2026 · 7:00 PM EDT – 11:00 PM EDT
- Where
- The Southside Beer Garden & Bottle Shop · 2108 S Broad St, Winston-Salem
- Organizer
- Winston-Salem Journal events
About this event
The Winston-Salem Improviser’s Guild is a weekly gathering dedicated to the art of spontaneous music-making. Each Thursday, a rotating group of adventurous musicians comes together to create original, unrehearsed music in real time—no setlists, no cover tunes, just deep listening and shared exploration. Rooted in jazz, but stretching into electronic, ambient, funk, and experimental territory, the Guild treats improvisation as both a musical practice and a way of moving through life: staying flexible, responding to the moment, and following the flow wherever it leads. Every session is different, shaped by the musicians in the room, the energy of the audience, and the atmosphere of the space. The house band is led by bassist and electronic musician John Daniel Ray, with frequent appearances by some of the region’s most creative players and special guests. All sessions are recorded live and become part of an ongoing archive documenting this evolving musical experiment. Free to attend with a suggested $10 donation. Come listen, hang out, and witness something being created for the very first time. John Daniel Ray is a progressive jazz bassist, composer, and innovative producer with over two decades of professional experience. Through his production company, Mr. Haircut, he has released more than 30 albums spanning progressive jazz, electronic, experimental, and genre-blurring music. His extensive session work includes collaborations with hundreds of artists and ensembles, with notable appearances alongside The Allman Brothers Band, The Roots, Common, Wu-Tang Clan, George Clinton, and many others. John began studying music at age five, learning piano and music notation before reading English. By eight, he was studying classical guitar and became Suzuki-method certified at thirteen. He attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, earning a Music Performance Certificate in 2000, and at seventeen became the youngest member of the Winston-Salem Symphony. He has toured nationally and internationally since 2001. As a composer, John has written music for feature films, documentaries, and dance productions, including the film 0530. A dedicated educator, he has taught private lessons for over 20 years and regularly leads improvisation workshops for students. John currently leads Vintage Astronaut, a progressive jazz/electronic project integrating computers as improvisational instruments, and Floraphonics, which transforms plant bioelectrical data into music using PlantWave technology. He also performs with Emerald Empire and Posture, and co-hosts the Mr. Haircut Podcast with drummer Jonathan Greene. John tours regularly in a trio with guitar phenomenon Isaac Hadden and legendary fusion drummer Jeff Sipe, continuing to expand the boundaries of modern improvised music.
Description from Winston-Salem Journal events.
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