Semantics

Avantgarde-jazz supergroup formed in New York in 1985.

Nate Rotherberg was invited to play at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in April 1985 and asked Elliot Sharp and Samm Bennett to join. They knew each other since the late '70s/early '80s. The show went pretty well and they decided to form Semantics (naming themselves after the title of their debut).

They played in NY and toured the West Coast (including Vancouver) and Europe several times (Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland) in the mid to late '80s. At Frankfurt Jazz Festival 1986 they opened for Chet Baker.

They released two albums but soon became involved in other projects. Around 2004/2005 they played reunion shows in New York and Wales. Over the years, individual members played together in various constellations. The band also appears on [m883729].