Led by Dessen on trombone and live electronics along with drummer Dan Weiss and bassist Chris Tordini, the Michael Dessen Trio performs a uniquely accessible mix of adventurous improvisation, intricate compositions, electronic soundscapes and polyrhythmic flow. Dessen has released two trio albums on Clean Feed Records, most recently Forget the Pixel (2011), which was praised in Downbeat for its interpersonal "chemistry", with Bill Meyer commenting that "these guys don't just play together—they're playing. This playfulness, as much as their fluid negotiations of Dessen's jagged rhythms and elaborate melodies, is the spoonful of sugar that make these rigorous improvisations go down easy."