Composer and vocalist Theo Bleckmann was born in Germany but moved to New York City in 1989 to pursue a career in music. Although usually classified as a jazz musician, Bleckmann exhibits a distinctly experimental sensibility, collapsing genres while edging into the avant garde, theater, and performance art. He has been a member of Meredith Monk’s ensemble since 1994, and has collaborated with Laurie Anderson, Phillip Glass, John Zorn, and Anthony Braxton, among others. Among his albums are his 1992 debut THEO & KIRK, a duo project with pianist Kirk Nurock, LAS VEGAS RHAPSODY (2006), a collection of Vegas-style showtunes arranged by pianist Fumio Yasuda, and 12 SONGS BY CHARLES IVES (2009), a contemporary treatment of Ives’s songs.