is a composer-improviser who performs on the slide trombone and computer. Active in a variety of ensembles as leader or collaborator, he creates chamber music for improvisers and engages new technologies of telepresence and digital networking. His music has been acclaimed by critics in numerous jazz and contemporary music publications, and recorded on labels such as Clean Feed, Cuneiform, and Circumvention. Current projects include his own electro-acoustic trio, the collective quartet Cosmologic, solo performance on trombone and electronics, and telematic collaborations with Mark Dresser, Myra Melford and many others. Dessen's teachers include Yusef Lateef, George Lewis, and Anthony Davis, and he has also been schooled through extensive freelance experiences ranging from salsa bands to avant-garde new music ensembles. He has published writings on music and culture, and is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the University of California, San Diego, from which he received a Ph.D. in Critical Studies and Experimental Practices (Music). In 2006, he joined the music faculty of the University of California, Irvine, where he recently co-founded a new MFA emphasis in Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology (ICIT).