Katy Did It!
Folklore has it that Katy murdered a couple on their honeymoon, and the late summer and early autumn katydids (insects of the Tettigoniidae family) are forever an eponymous witness. Together with cellist rocío sánchez, saxophonist Stevie Manning explores feelings of horror and vengeance through improvisation, surrounded by multichannel surrealist sound art Manning created with field recordings of Massachusetts katydids and other creatures. Immerse yourselves in righteous rage and sorrow at humanity’s dark deeds and you might believe that “of course Katy did it — and it was justified.” But then who really is Katy, and could Katy be you?
About the artists:
Saxophonist and composer Stevie Manning draws inspiration from surrealist painter Remedios Varo and works to transmute music theory and history from jazz, experimental, and orchestral music into a surreal landscape that activates the subconscious mind to envision alternate worlds.
Manning began exploring rage with Transmuting Anger (2018), which premiered at NYC’s Winter Jazzfest and the Earshot Jazz Festival. They received a NYSCA Composer Commission and MAP Fund awards for We Will Not Be Composed, a multimedia performance and collaboration with author Soraya Chemaly and projection artist Xuan to challenge gendered perceptions of anger in America, premiered at EMPAC in 2025.
In addition to being a MacDowell Fellow in composition (2012, 2021), they have released four critically acclaimed albums as a performer. Harmonious Creature (Posi-Tone 2014) received 4 stars in DownBeat, and was on multiple jazz top ten lists including the Los Angeles Times.
As a bandleader they have performed at venues including Dizzy’s Club Cola, Roulette, Yoshi’s, and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival as well as The Hundred Years Gallery (London). Most recently, Manning can be heard on William Hooker’s albums Big Moon (Org Music 2021) and Jubilation (Org Music 2025).
rocío sánchez is a mexican composer, performer, and educator whose work bridges improvisation, field recordings, virtual animation, and collage. Their music explores the rich sonority of the cello, aiming to expand the instrument’s color by preparing it with recycled materials. sánchez’s sound world spans from the manipulation of the prepared cello, adapting it into a unique instrument that morphs throughout the performance—from soft kalimba-like tones to static, roaring wails created through the manipulation of VHS tape. Their work has been presented at Klangspuren Festival (AT), the Darmstadt Summer Courses (DE), Red de Ecología Acústica de México (MX), Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC RPI), Carnegie Hall, Roulette Intermedium, The Jazz Gallery, Americas Society/Council of the Americas, and The P.I.T. (Property Is Theft), among others. They have also been a visiting artist at the California Institute of the Arts and the University of California San Diego where they have premiered solo and ensemble programs. sánchez is based in Lenapehoking (New York City), upcoming recording projects include a collaborative trio with Laura Cocks and Kenneth Jiménez “Ghost Orchid” and a cello solo album.