I arranged some concerts this past weekend in Chicago and Milwaukee for Cylinder, the quartet I've been working on in San Francisco with Darren Johnston, Lisa Mezzacappa, and Kjell Nordeson. Two were for the quartet and two involved musicians in Chicago.
The first night was at Elastic up in Logan Square. We invited Keefe Jackson, Josh Berman, Frank Rosaly and Hans-Peter Pfafmatter to join us in some free improvisations. (Hans-Peter is a Swiss pianist, who has been in Chicago for the past four months - a grant council in Switzerland, maintains an apartment in the Ukrainian Village and they provide artist residences year after year. This is how I met Marc Unternauer and Thomas Mejer.) We played two sets of improvisations: the first grouping was a trio of Keefe, Lisa and Kjell. The second was a quartet of myself, Hans-Peter, Frank and Darren. The third was a duet with Darren and Keefe, the highlight for me being some very strong difference tones produced by the blended high notes. And the final piece of that set was a quintet with myself, Lisa, Josh, Frank and Hans-Peter. A lot of strong playing during the set - you could tell that all the musicians were listening and really improvising with each other.
The second set had only two groupings: a duo between the percussionists, Frank & Kjell; and the final piece of the night involving all eight musicians. There was only one full drumset at the space that night, so during Kjell and Frank's duo, they constructed smaller percussion kits, the use of these highlighted their skill with using smaller sounds and the sense of space that both of them have. They set up facing straight at each other, and it had me imagining some kind of esoteric ceremony. Though the final piece of the night had all eight musicians, we arranged it so that no more than two musicians could play at a time, while allowing for everyone to truly develop material. It worked quite well, and though the entire night had a great sense of timing, patience and musicality, this "passing along the music" piece was very memorable. I was glad to be able to get these people together to play!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Quartet at Hideout 9-9-2009
Played last night at the Hideout over on Wabansia in Chicago. Played in a quartet with Keefe Jackson, Anton Hatwich and Marc Riordan. I played alto and clarinet, Keefe was on tenor, Anton on bass, Marc on drums. Back in June when I was in Chicago for a weekend, we played a show at Heaven. This time around I brought 4 new pieces, we played a new one of Keefe's and a (very slightly) older piece by Anton (we played it in June).
We had a rehearsal the day before and worked some things out. I always try to keep things clear in the parts, but making the pieces work all together has to happen through playing. This night was a good first step in that direction.
The first set was a duo between Brian Labycz and Jim Baker. Labycz on Doepfer modular synth, Baker on ARP 2600. A wide variety of sounds, Labycz stayed closer to buzzes and sounds, where Baker would rub up against tonality from time to time. Good pacing. would like to hear this in a different space - maybe in one where each sound source is very separate so that there would be more spatial aspects. It was somewhat of a short set, I could've listened to them play longer.
The quartet set went well and we were able to get some video and some audio recording of the set. (I'll be posting some of those as soon as I can.) The group has a cohesive sound already - probably due to all the playing Keefe and Anton and I have done in the past. Anton's playing was solid throughout - particularly during a solo near the end of the set. We'll be recording the music this weekend, with talk going around about a December week long tour - - - ---- -
Here's a video:
We had a rehearsal the day before and worked some things out. I always try to keep things clear in the parts, but making the pieces work all together has to happen through playing. This night was a good first step in that direction.
The first set was a duo between Brian Labycz and Jim Baker. Labycz on Doepfer modular synth, Baker on ARP 2600. A wide variety of sounds, Labycz stayed closer to buzzes and sounds, where Baker would rub up against tonality from time to time. Good pacing. would like to hear this in a different space - maybe in one where each sound source is very separate so that there would be more spatial aspects. It was somewhat of a short set, I could've listened to them play longer.
The quartet set went well and we were able to get some video and some audio recording of the set. (I'll be posting some of those as soon as I can.) The group has a cohesive sound already - probably due to all the playing Keefe and Anton and I have done in the past. Anton's playing was solid throughout - particularly during a solo near the end of the set. We'll be recording the music this weekend, with talk going around about a December week long tour - - - ---- -
Here's a video:
Friday, September 04, 2009
Rolldown at Charleston and the Chicago Jazz Fest
In Chicago for two weeks. I'll be playing a string of shows next week, but the impetus of the trip was today's concert at the Chicago Jazz Festival with Jason Adasiewicz' Quintet Rolldown. So I flew in on Tuesday - and we rehearsed on wednesday during the day and then played a warm up gig at the Charleston in Bucktown last night. It was definitely a good way to get ready for the show today, where we played on the Jackson Stage. I'm not sure the last time we played, I think it was all the way back in January when I was here playing and recording with the Fast Citizens. But, in the meantime, the album we recorded last fall has been picked up by Cuneiform and is being released this month. Great news!
Last night when at the Charleston I thought we did some very good playing - though I felt a little out of it during the first part of the set. Not sure why, I think I was tired or something. Could of also been getting used to playing with musicians' earplugs in. I've been trying to get used to wearing them while playing. It's tricky with a horn because you hear yourself so much more than everyone else (some would say this is regular for saxophonists). Josh played an exceptionally structured and executed solo on the ballad "I Hope She is Awake". Shevitz played some very clear and fast ideas. The great thing about playing with Frank Rosaly and Jason Roebke as a rhythm section is that they're willing to go with you at times and let you go from them at others. There was some really interesting free playing during Creep - I think I ended up playing an unaccompanied clarinet solo during that.
Today at the Jazz Fest things felt good. Getting used to the sound on stage took a bit, which caused a little miscommunication during Varmint. We got around that and played some great stuff - there was another great free section during Creep - playing in that style with those musicians makes alot of sense - all of us have developed alot of extended techniques on our instruments - while also being able to play in time. That's one of the reasons why we're able to push our music in different directions than alot of other jazz musicians playing today. It would be nice to hear the set, I think the Jazz Fest records the shows, not sure when we'll get to hear it though. Hopefully too we'll see some photos popping up pretty soon - there were definitely enough photographers there.
Here's one from the backstage:
Last night when at the Charleston I thought we did some very good playing - though I felt a little out of it during the first part of the set. Not sure why, I think I was tired or something. Could of also been getting used to playing with musicians' earplugs in. I've been trying to get used to wearing them while playing. It's tricky with a horn because you hear yourself so much more than everyone else (some would say this is regular for saxophonists). Josh played an exceptionally structured and executed solo on the ballad "I Hope She is Awake". Shevitz played some very clear and fast ideas. The great thing about playing with Frank Rosaly and Jason Roebke as a rhythm section is that they're willing to go with you at times and let you go from them at others. There was some really interesting free playing during Creep - I think I ended up playing an unaccompanied clarinet solo during that.
Today at the Jazz Fest things felt good. Getting used to the sound on stage took a bit, which caused a little miscommunication during Varmint. We got around that and played some great stuff - there was another great free section during Creep - playing in that style with those musicians makes alot of sense - all of us have developed alot of extended techniques on our instruments - while also being able to play in time. That's one of the reasons why we're able to push our music in different directions than alot of other jazz musicians playing today. It would be nice to hear the set, I think the Jazz Fest records the shows, not sure when we'll get to hear it though. Hopefully too we'll see some photos popping up pretty soon - there were definitely enough photographers there.
Here's one from the backstage:
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Marches Ivy Room 8-24-2009
Last night I played at the Ivy Room with Marches, it was our first show with the lineup of myself on alto & tenor, Cory Wright on tenor and baritone, Nate Brenner on bass and Jordan Glenn on drums. This was the original lineup I had in mind when getting the gorup together, but I'm glad that the group has a shifting lineup - it makes each show that much different.
This night was part of the Active Music Series, which is new, and is starting with concerts at the Ivy Room and Blue Six in the Mission. Marches was joined by two groups on this night: Telepathy, with Patrick Cress & Aaron Novik; and ACMD, a quartet of Alan Anzalone, Curtis Hollenbeck, Moe Staiano and Damon Smith.
Telepathy's music is written by both Patrick Cress and Aaron Novik. The instrumentation of alto & baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, upright bass and drums. The pieces have alot of composed parts, with grooves and a strong rock influence. Tim Bulkley has been back in town for a few weeks from New York - and sounded great on drums. My favorite part was late in the set when there was a baritone, bass and drum trio with alot of space and good textures.
ACMD's set was a stark contrast - fully improvised, it was a really good quartet. Alan Anzalone brought his soprano sax and bass clarinet, Curtis Hollenbeck played trumpets and typewriter, Damon Smith played bass and Moe Staiano had a drumkit with interesting unusual percussion objects and a large but shallow bass drum. Really strong improvising from everyone in the group, Curtis gravitated towards mainly muted trumpet playing, and interspersed typewriter at the right moments. Alan sounded good on both soprano and bc. The dynamic between Damon and Moe was interesting - Damon was really watching Moe at times and waiting for the right moment to interject ideas.
The Marches set was third, and like I said before, the first show with this lineup. We played some material that wasn't on the last show with Gene. Nate is a strong bassist, and having him and Jordan play together is a great foundation for playing. Most of the material we have right now is in time, with plenty of room for blowing by the horns. We started with the Walk, which is a ballad we play without improvising. It's based on a melody the sound of tenor, baritone, bass and drums created a fullness that was a good start to the set. We played the set with a controlled energy, saving the most freedom for Turning, a piece that is in a very loose three with a strong debt to Ayler in both melody and style. Right now my favorite songs in Marches all use tenor and bari! Such a full sound - I'm very into it. Here's a track:
This night was part of the Active Music Series, which is new, and is starting with concerts at the Ivy Room and Blue Six in the Mission. Marches was joined by two groups on this night: Telepathy, with Patrick Cress & Aaron Novik; and ACMD, a quartet of Alan Anzalone, Curtis Hollenbeck, Moe Staiano and Damon Smith.
Telepathy's music is written by both Patrick Cress and Aaron Novik. The instrumentation of alto & baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, upright bass and drums. The pieces have alot of composed parts, with grooves and a strong rock influence. Tim Bulkley has been back in town for a few weeks from New York - and sounded great on drums. My favorite part was late in the set when there was a baritone, bass and drum trio with alot of space and good textures.
ACMD's set was a stark contrast - fully improvised, it was a really good quartet. Alan Anzalone brought his soprano sax and bass clarinet, Curtis Hollenbeck played trumpets and typewriter, Damon Smith played bass and Moe Staiano had a drumkit with interesting unusual percussion objects and a large but shallow bass drum. Really strong improvising from everyone in the group, Curtis gravitated towards mainly muted trumpet playing, and interspersed typewriter at the right moments. Alan sounded good on both soprano and bc. The dynamic between Damon and Moe was interesting - Damon was really watching Moe at times and waiting for the right moment to interject ideas.
The Marches set was third, and like I said before, the first show with this lineup. We played some material that wasn't on the last show with Gene. Nate is a strong bassist, and having him and Jordan play together is a great foundation for playing. Most of the material we have right now is in time, with plenty of room for blowing by the horns. We started with the Walk, which is a ballad we play without improvising. It's based on a melody the sound of tenor, baritone, bass and drums created a fullness that was a good start to the set. We played the set with a controlled energy, saving the most freedom for Turning, a piece that is in a very loose three with a strong debt to Ayler in both melody and style. Right now my favorite songs in Marches all use tenor and bari! Such a full sound - I'm very into it. Here's a track:
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Shelton Perkis Smith Glenn Uptown 8-18-09
A really great show last night at the Uptown in Oakland. It's part of their "Avant-Garde" Tuesday series, one show a month with no cover charge, but with donations asked for inside the main room. It's really a good space - super high ceilings, dark and almost cavernous. This month the lineup was three sets, the first being the duo of Tom Rainey and Ingrid Laubrock - yes, Tom is very well known for his work with Tim Berne, and it was great to see him play here with Ingrid, who is a great saxophone player - I really liked her tenor playing which had a very interesting edge and total control of the instrument. They set up on the floor (which is the best place for an acoustic group to set up in that room), and played very well as a duo. The addition of the half filled wine glass as percussion worked too.....
The second set was a trio of music with Philip Greenleaf, Tim Perkis, and GE Stinson up from Los Angeles with video by Brenda Bynum. Very good - the music and film worked quite well together - the sounds had a strong sonic-texture orientation, the images are moving stream of related and changing images that had been reduced to simpler color schemes - it fit perfectly in the space of the Uptown.
The third set I played in with Perkis, Damon Smith and Jordan Glenn. The first time I think that Jordan played with Damon & Tim. A little over a month ago I played at 21 Grand with Tim, Damon and Josh Berman, who was visiting from Chicago. It was a good improvising group with lots of activity and possibilities. Adding Jordan's percussion style into the group worked well and balanced group with almost a traditional "jazz" lineup - saxophone, bass, drums with laptop. Tim is very good with his electronics - very flexible, able to play and change at a moment's notice. I asked him afterward if he has perfect pitch, because the two of us matched many times throughout the set - he told me that he doesn't, but he's definitely on top of it.
So, all in all a good night at the Uptown - until the next time....
The second set was a trio of music with Philip Greenleaf, Tim Perkis, and GE Stinson up from Los Angeles with video by Brenda Bynum. Very good - the music and film worked quite well together - the sounds had a strong sonic-texture orientation, the images are moving stream of related and changing images that had been reduced to simpler color schemes - it fit perfectly in the space of the Uptown.
The third set I played in with Perkis, Damon Smith and Jordan Glenn. The first time I think that Jordan played with Damon & Tim. A little over a month ago I played at 21 Grand with Tim, Damon and Josh Berman, who was visiting from Chicago. It was a good improvising group with lots of activity and possibilities. Adding Jordan's percussion style into the group worked well and balanced group with almost a traditional "jazz" lineup - saxophone, bass, drums with laptop. Tim is very good with his electronics - very flexible, able to play and change at a moment's notice. I asked him afterward if he has perfect pitch, because the two of us matched many times throughout the set - he told me that he doesn't, but he's definitely on top of it.
So, all in all a good night at the Uptown - until the next time....
Friday, August 14, 2009
Bennett Shelton Flux Theatre 8-14-2009
Tonight played in east Oakland with Aaron Bennett at the Flux Theater. It's a relatively new space in a tough stretch of Foothill Blvd out in the general Mills area. We got added to the show this week - Aaron asked me to play some duo music, I thought, yes. A few years back I was never into playing with multiple saxophonists, but these days I've been getting more into it. I really like Aaron's playing, so of course I'll play with him. So we played a bunch of his tunes - some of which we played with Gogo Fightmaster earlier this week but with different arrangements. Some other tunes that shared characteristics with the GGFM music. All of it high energy!
I played alto & tenor, Aaron did tenor and baritone. Not alot of space for breaths! We tore through a set, my favorite one was Cops and Robbers, not to be confused with this gem.
After we played a group from Louisville called Vampire Squid took the stage - a young band on a whirlwind US tour, they've got a lot going on and the music is ambitious. Strong players, a really good violinist - I liked what they did. Some kids from the neighborhood wandered in and out, some of them wanted to rhyme over beats, and the vampire squid decided to let them - it made for a good moment when am mc seemed a bit nervous was doing his thing and his friend danced well with a huge grin on his face. Hope the VS have a good trip back to the land of bourbon - - - ----
I played alto & tenor, Aaron did tenor and baritone. Not alot of space for breaths! We tore through a set, my favorite one was Cops and Robbers, not to be confused with this gem.
After we played a group from Louisville called Vampire Squid took the stage - a young band on a whirlwind US tour, they've got a lot going on and the music is ambitious. Strong players, a really good violinist - I liked what they did. Some kids from the neighborhood wandered in and out, some of them wanted to rhyme over beats, and the vampire squid decided to let them - it made for a good moment when am mc seemed a bit nervous was doing his thing and his friend danced well with a huge grin on his face. Hope the VS have a good trip back to the land of bourbon - - - ----
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Marches Blue Six 8-12-2009
My new group is called Marches. I'm thinking of it as a compartmentalized group where the music can be played as a trio, quartet, quintet or larger. The music has been on my mind for a bit now - I played some of it back in April with Bauder, Ajemian and Eisestadt when I was in New York; played some of it in June with Keefe Jackson, Anton Hatwich and Marc Riordan in Chicago. But now I've brought it back to the West Coast where I wrote it and am starting to get some dates with Jordan Glenn on drums, Cory Wright on tenor & baritone saxes, Gene Baker on organ and Nate Brenner on bass. Like I said, the lineup can change. A few weeks ago I played some of the music with Gene and Jordan - and it was alot of fun.
Tonight was the debut of quartet style: played with Cory, Gene and Jordan at Blue Six in the Mission. Last month, when I was up in Oregon with Jordan and Cory, we played a show with Reed Wallsmith and Sly Pig, the saxophonists in the band Blue Cranes. They're good fellows who play good music, and they were coming down for a California weekend. So, we shared the bill this night. They played the first set, and their music is very well written, with pop sensibilities and a full sound for a band. I had learned the secret code for "you're getting too loud" and got concerned when I heard it used during their set, because in practice Marches has been pretty full. The music is active and energetic with strong melodies that need to be played with some volume. Also, I'm playing tenor in the group and my tenor setup - a Buescher Aristocrat - is not shy.
well, we played and as the set went on, we never got the cue to tone it down - either we weren't that loud or Joe really liked it (I think the latter, after talking to him after the show). Again, playing the music was FUN - lots of energy - this band is a strong combination of players - Cory sounds especially great on tenor. We've got some work to tighten up the music, but from where we're starting, I feel this will go somewhere good. Here's a track called Pacheco. I wrote it with Ton Trio in mind, but it works very well with this group. I'm playing tenor, Cory's on baritone.
Tonight was the debut of quartet style: played with Cory, Gene and Jordan at Blue Six in the Mission. Last month, when I was up in Oregon with Jordan and Cory, we played a show with Reed Wallsmith and Sly Pig, the saxophonists in the band Blue Cranes. They're good fellows who play good music, and they were coming down for a California weekend. So, we shared the bill this night. They played the first set, and their music is very well written, with pop sensibilities and a full sound for a band. I had learned the secret code for "you're getting too loud" and got concerned when I heard it used during their set, because in practice Marches has been pretty full. The music is active and energetic with strong melodies that need to be played with some volume. Also, I'm playing tenor in the group and my tenor setup - a Buescher Aristocrat - is not shy.
well, we played and as the set went on, we never got the cue to tone it down - either we weren't that loud or Joe really liked it (I think the latter, after talking to him after the show). Again, playing the music was FUN - lots of energy - this band is a strong combination of players - Cory sounds especially great on tenor. We've got some work to tighten up the music, but from where we're starting, I feel this will go somewhere good. Here's a track called Pacheco. I wrote it with Ton Trio in mind, but it works very well with this group. I'm playing tenor, Cory's on baritone.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Gogo Fightmaster Ivy Room 8-10-2009
Played at the Ivy Room this past Monday with Aaron Bennett's Gogo Fightmaster. Aaron's a great tenor player and the first time I saw this group a few years ago I really liked what I heard. Aaron and I have done some playing together mainly with Weasel Walter, and our playing styles, though different go well together - lots of energy. Fighmaster has John Finkbeiner on guitar, Lisa Mezzacappa on bass and Vijay Anderson on drums. The music has lots of sixteenth notes and extreme registers. It was a good set.
We'll be playing a saxophone duo set this Friday at the Flux Theater in Oakland.
We'll be playing a saxophone duo set this Friday at the Flux Theater in Oakland.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Shelton Baker Glenn 7-29-2009
Last night played at the Climate Theater in SF with Jordan Glenn and Gene Baker. Michael Coleman had asked me to bring a group for the night, he was playing in his trio Beep with Nate Brenner on bass and Jordan on drums. Our original plan was to improvise, but last minute I thought of bringing some music along - a few pieces that Ton Trio played when we were over in Europe this spring, and some other things. Real glad I did. Plying with Gene and Jordan was great - we improvised and played the tunes, Gene held it down on the Hohner Organ - his bass concept fitting in perfectly on the pieces I brought. I played alto and tenor - the tenor has been fun to get back to (picked one up of the craigslist about a month ago). There was good energy the whole set, and really strong improvising. Basically I had alot of fun playing with those fellows and can't wait for the next time.
Beep! Trio played next - Michael & Nate are great players - and Jordan, subbing for Sam Ospovat, fit in real well with their style. Lots of influences on the music, definitely not a standard piano trio.
So, a good night of music, my first time at the Climate - it's a good space to play in, with good sound and a proper atmosphere. thanks to David for the show.
Beep! Trio played next - Michael & Nate are great players - and Jordan, subbing for Sam Ospovat, fit in real well with their style. Lots of influences on the music, definitely not a standard piano trio.
So, a good night of music, my first time at the Climate - it's a good space to play in, with good sound and a proper atmosphere. thanks to David for the show.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
It's been a while! Europe in May
Okay, it's been waaaay too long since I last posted. Seeing as it's July and the last post was in mid-April, that means somehow 3 months have passed without a post. This includes trips to France, Poland, Serbia, Chicago and Los Angeles and about 20 shows. So, I've alot to catch up for....
I'll start with the Ton Trio dates in Europe. This happened at the very end of April and the first week of May. Kurt Kotheimer and I flew over to Paris to meet up with Sam Ospovat, who's been living there since last October. He's been enrolled in school, teaching English, and getting acquainted with some players on the Parisian scene and having a good time of it. It was hard for us to book dates in Paris, and though we were there for 5 days, we were only able to arrange 1 concert. This with many months of lead time. However, this gave us some days to get back into the music from The Way, and to work on some new pieces that I brought for this trip. We had some rehearsals in a space that was somewhat of a catacomb - borrowed a bass from one of Sam's friends that lives up on the 6th floor (with no elevator) - and prepared for our concert at a space called Nouveau Cosmos. A bar and cafe, we had a decent crowd and made a good night of it. We also had Quentin Sirjac join us for a few songs on piano. It was my first time in Paris, and after being there and talking to musicians about the difficulties of doing concerts there, I felt better about only having one date there. Apparently it's pretty tough to get shows there, especially creative music.
So, Ton Trio headed over to Poland for concerts with stops in Krakow, Warsaw and Poznan. The concerts were good, and I felt like we played together better than we ever had. And as in my previous visits, the folks having the concerts for us were very helpful. But, the attendance at the shows was less than I had expected, which was kind of a downer. Our last show was in Poznan, and in talking to the promoter, it seems there is somewhat of an audience crisis happening there - somewhat due to the worldwide economic thing - a tough time to be trying to get your foot in the door of European festival promoters and audiences in general. Not that playing this music is ever easy, in terms of getting the music out there be it through recordings or live shows. But, we were made very welcome by our hosts; after staying in Poznan an extra day and recording the new material, we had a few extra days before Kurt & Sam needed to return to Paris, so we went down to Krakow, and had a good time at Alchemia one night - and got to go to a great spot up on a hill overlooking the southern parts of the city. A good visit.
Sam & Kurt went back to Paris and I went back to Warsaw, where I stayed for a few days before the next part of my trip. I stayed with my friend Wojciech Traczyk, the bassist from the Light, one day we recorded some music, the last night I was in Poland I went with him to a concert he was playing at the Hard Rock Cafe Warsaw - funny place. Ran into Waclaw Zimpel a few times - he was busy at the time playing in several groups. It felt good to see some more of the ongoings of the scene in Warsaw - the musicians I know there are staying real busy, with a big variety of projects. Inspiring.
So my next stop on the trip was a rendezvous with the Fast Citizens in Belgrade. Several Chicago groups were asked to be part of the annual Ring Ring Festival. There programming tends to be slanted towards more improvised and electroacoustic music. So, I'm not sure if they thought that our music would fit in. We got in a day early and had a full rehearsal the day of the concert in the space, which was quite boomy - it took us a long time to decide where to actually play, on the floor or on the stage. For playing it sounded better on the stage, as a listener it was better on the floor. We finally decided on the floor. Pretty much right on time (20:00) the audience showed up, and the concert went very well. The Necks played the first set that night, they really pulled in the audience with their minimalist aesthetic - Tony Buck sounded great on drums. As we took over for the second set, the crowd of a few hundred rearranged, with a chunk of people sitting on the stage behind us - this created a great feeling with people all around, and I think it worked well to tame the acoustics in the room. The response to the music was very positive, which was extra rewarding after the smaller events in Poland and France.
The organizers were completely helpful, arranging for our accommodations for several days and being ready and willing to talk about the festival, and Belgrade itself, a very interesting city that has seen it's share of troubles. The city is a real mix between old and new, with a sprawling ancient citadel close by the club where the festival took place - Rex. Lots of capitalist style commercialism in the fashion stores and sidewalk cafes with stray dogs taking naps at bus stops and homeless children (young) close by. (Why is it that the homeless know better English than store owners? Pure finances) Boyan was a great help to all of us, it was great to talk to him about the history of Serbia including Yugoslavia.
So, my next stop was Berlin. I've never been and have heard so many great things about Berlin that I decided when booking this trip that I had to make a side trip. I arranged a solo concert at the Electronic Church, which I happened to share with Liz Allbee and George Cremaschi, both of whom are now ex-Oaklanders. George moved to the Czech Republic full time a bit over a year ago, and Liz has decided to move to Berlin. Why is it that I know more musicians who move to Europe from the Bay Area than from Chicago? Is it because it is farther away and you may as well just move there if you want to have a presence on the continent? Is it because in Chicago there are more established series and contacts? Perhaps a combination? I was glad to share the bill with Liz & George and talk to them about their plans. It's inspiring to see people taking a chance by moving to new countries - I hope the best for them.
The Electronic Church is a smaller space, the show was on a Sunday and there were something like 5 other creative music shows that night including one with Tony Buck, one with Axl Dorner & Fred Lonberg-Holm, etc... but, we still had a nice little crowd and I was glad to meet a few people - thanks Shintaro for arranging it! I didn't have alot of time in Berlin - 2 nights - so spent one day wandering - mainly in the former East Berlin. Went by the Reichstag, and the Brandenburg Gate - touristy. Good to see though. I was really into the feel of Berlin as a city - the transit is great - goes everywhere, is affordable - I had the best falafel I think I've had in a looong time at Babel, enjoyed the streets and neighborhoods - kind of like Chicago with more trees - kind of like Portland with more city. Lots of cyclists - relaxed though, not speeding around like here in the states. Also, don't think I saw a single bike helmet. Really glad I went, and want to get back there sometime soon!
My trip was almost over and I had to fly out of Paris, and had to get back there. I had been in touch with Audrey Chen and she had a concert happening at Atelier Tampon that she invited me to take part in the night before my flight back to the states. Perfect. So, I flew from Berlin on Monday morning, had a 2 hour layover, got into Paris around 5, met Sam at his apartment on Q'uai d'Orsay around 6, dropped off my things and then took the Metro to the space. Thankfully I'd been in Paris the week before and knew how to get around, otherwise it wouldn't have worked out so well! The space is one of the few places in Paris that has creative music concerts and has hosted all sorts of people including Henry Grimes in it's small confines. There was an opening at the same time with lots of delicious organic wine - the red was almost effervescent! Very good. First Audrey played a duo with Id M Theftable, a fellow from Maine who does electronics and voice improv, then I joined them for some playing. A good concert, with food afterwards in the upstairs apartment. A great last night of music on the continent. We stayed late and eventually took a taxi all together, even though I was staying in a totally different part of town. I didn't get much sleep, but this was for the best, as I caught up for it on the plane headed back to California, getting a leg up on the jet lag.
I'll start with the Ton Trio dates in Europe. This happened at the very end of April and the first week of May. Kurt Kotheimer and I flew over to Paris to meet up with Sam Ospovat, who's been living there since last October. He's been enrolled in school, teaching English, and getting acquainted with some players on the Parisian scene and having a good time of it. It was hard for us to book dates in Paris, and though we were there for 5 days, we were only able to arrange 1 concert. This with many months of lead time. However, this gave us some days to get back into the music from The Way, and to work on some new pieces that I brought for this trip. We had some rehearsals in a space that was somewhat of a catacomb - borrowed a bass from one of Sam's friends that lives up on the 6th floor (with no elevator) - and prepared for our concert at a space called Nouveau Cosmos. A bar and cafe, we had a decent crowd and made a good night of it. We also had Quentin Sirjac join us for a few songs on piano. It was my first time in Paris, and after being there and talking to musicians about the difficulties of doing concerts there, I felt better about only having one date there. Apparently it's pretty tough to get shows there, especially creative music.
So, Ton Trio headed over to Poland for concerts with stops in Krakow, Warsaw and Poznan. The concerts were good, and I felt like we played together better than we ever had. And as in my previous visits, the folks having the concerts for us were very helpful. But, the attendance at the shows was less than I had expected, which was kind of a downer. Our last show was in Poznan, and in talking to the promoter, it seems there is somewhat of an audience crisis happening there - somewhat due to the worldwide economic thing - a tough time to be trying to get your foot in the door of European festival promoters and audiences in general. Not that playing this music is ever easy, in terms of getting the music out there be it through recordings or live shows. But, we were made very welcome by our hosts; after staying in Poznan an extra day and recording the new material, we had a few extra days before Kurt & Sam needed to return to Paris, so we went down to Krakow, and had a good time at Alchemia one night - and got to go to a great spot up on a hill overlooking the southern parts of the city. A good visit.
Sam & Kurt went back to Paris and I went back to Warsaw, where I stayed for a few days before the next part of my trip. I stayed with my friend Wojciech Traczyk, the bassist from the Light, one day we recorded some music, the last night I was in Poland I went with him to a concert he was playing at the Hard Rock Cafe Warsaw - funny place. Ran into Waclaw Zimpel a few times - he was busy at the time playing in several groups. It felt good to see some more of the ongoings of the scene in Warsaw - the musicians I know there are staying real busy, with a big variety of projects. Inspiring.
So my next stop on the trip was a rendezvous with the Fast Citizens in Belgrade. Several Chicago groups were asked to be part of the annual Ring Ring Festival. There programming tends to be slanted towards more improvised and electroacoustic music. So, I'm not sure if they thought that our music would fit in. We got in a day early and had a full rehearsal the day of the concert in the space, which was quite boomy - it took us a long time to decide where to actually play, on the floor or on the stage. For playing it sounded better on the stage, as a listener it was better on the floor. We finally decided on the floor. Pretty much right on time (20:00) the audience showed up, and the concert went very well. The Necks played the first set that night, they really pulled in the audience with their minimalist aesthetic - Tony Buck sounded great on drums. As we took over for the second set, the crowd of a few hundred rearranged, with a chunk of people sitting on the stage behind us - this created a great feeling with people all around, and I think it worked well to tame the acoustics in the room. The response to the music was very positive, which was extra rewarding after the smaller events in Poland and France.
The organizers were completely helpful, arranging for our accommodations for several days and being ready and willing to talk about the festival, and Belgrade itself, a very interesting city that has seen it's share of troubles. The city is a real mix between old and new, with a sprawling ancient citadel close by the club where the festival took place - Rex. Lots of capitalist style commercialism in the fashion stores and sidewalk cafes with stray dogs taking naps at bus stops and homeless children (young) close by. (Why is it that the homeless know better English than store owners? Pure finances) Boyan was a great help to all of us, it was great to talk to him about the history of Serbia including Yugoslavia.
So, my next stop was Berlin. I've never been and have heard so many great things about Berlin that I decided when booking this trip that I had to make a side trip. I arranged a solo concert at the Electronic Church, which I happened to share with Liz Allbee and George Cremaschi, both of whom are now ex-Oaklanders. George moved to the Czech Republic full time a bit over a year ago, and Liz has decided to move to Berlin. Why is it that I know more musicians who move to Europe from the Bay Area than from Chicago? Is it because it is farther away and you may as well just move there if you want to have a presence on the continent? Is it because in Chicago there are more established series and contacts? Perhaps a combination? I was glad to share the bill with Liz & George and talk to them about their plans. It's inspiring to see people taking a chance by moving to new countries - I hope the best for them.
The Electronic Church is a smaller space, the show was on a Sunday and there were something like 5 other creative music shows that night including one with Tony Buck, one with Axl Dorner & Fred Lonberg-Holm, etc... but, we still had a nice little crowd and I was glad to meet a few people - thanks Shintaro for arranging it! I didn't have alot of time in Berlin - 2 nights - so spent one day wandering - mainly in the former East Berlin. Went by the Reichstag, and the Brandenburg Gate - touristy. Good to see though. I was really into the feel of Berlin as a city - the transit is great - goes everywhere, is affordable - I had the best falafel I think I've had in a looong time at Babel, enjoyed the streets and neighborhoods - kind of like Chicago with more trees - kind of like Portland with more city. Lots of cyclists - relaxed though, not speeding around like here in the states. Also, don't think I saw a single bike helmet. Really glad I went, and want to get back there sometime soon!
My trip was almost over and I had to fly out of Paris, and had to get back there. I had been in touch with Audrey Chen and she had a concert happening at Atelier Tampon that she invited me to take part in the night before my flight back to the states. Perfect. So, I flew from Berlin on Monday morning, had a 2 hour layover, got into Paris around 5, met Sam at his apartment on Q'uai d'Orsay around 6, dropped off my things and then took the Metro to the space. Thankfully I'd been in Paris the week before and knew how to get around, otherwise it wouldn't have worked out so well! The space is one of the few places in Paris that has creative music concerts and has hosted all sorts of people including Henry Grimes in it's small confines. There was an opening at the same time with lots of delicious organic wine - the red was almost effervescent! Very good. First Audrey played a duo with Id M Theftable, a fellow from Maine who does electronics and voice improv, then I joined them for some playing. A good concert, with food afterwards in the upstairs apartment. A great last night of music on the continent. We stayed late and eventually took a taxi all together, even though I was staying in a totally different part of town. I didn't get much sleep, but this was for the best, as I caught up for it on the plane headed back to California, getting a leg up on the jet lag.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
March & April 2009
Quite a bite has been going on the last month or so and I just haven't been writing about it. It's spring in California, and though I'm sure to those of you in other parts of the country that can be a struggle, out here it's generally good. For me it's been good as I've been looking for "work", and have had extra time for practicing, writing music, and concerning myself with an upcoming trip to Europe.
March went by pretty well, had a trip down to Los Angeles with the Pink Canoes where we played a good show at the Pharoah's Den down in Riverside (and now I know why Orange County is considered a totally different thing than LA) and a fun if ill-attended show at the Echo Curio in Echo Park. Stayed in Bel Air - went to the Getty Museum, nice trip. We finished that trip in Santa Cruz, a long day of driving up from LA, to the show, then back to the Bay that night. All in all I think Pink Canoes played 5 shows in March, had a good one at the Hemlock where Gerrit Wittmer played a set, and then another one at Travis' house the Golden Trapperkeeper Lodge where it was Earth Hour, so we played a rare acoustic set.
Jordan Glenn's trip Weiner Kids played a couple of shows too - at the Hemlock and then one up at the Ivy Room in Albany. That music is getting more and more fun to play - two saxes and drums - Cory Wright playing baritone in the group, me on alto. We're getting to know the music better and having more fun with it. Going to record next week.
Weasel's Quintet has played a few shows too - last night we played over at Kimo's in SF - a good, short set, plenty of energy, but afterward Darren got the terrible news that his house had been set on fire by the crackhead who lives downstairs from him! I drove him to his place in the Castro, I couldn't see the building, but on the way he talked to his girlfriend and it seemed like the important things (people, cats) were okay. Here's hoping the rest is salvageable.....
Ton Trio played at the Ivy Room last month too. I asked Jordan Glenn to fill in for Sam Ospovat and he did a great job. It was good to play that music again, and now I'm writing more trio music to have when I head over with Kurt to Europe in a few weeks to meet up with Sam and play in Paris and Poland.
And finally, last weekend I took a trip over to New York with Jen. We found cheap flights a while back and decided to head over there. I put together a group with Matt Bauder, Jason Ajemian, and Harris Eisenstadt. I've been wanting a group with Matt for a while, and I think that this may be the start of that. Probably go back sometime in the fall to work more on it, but this was a good start. Played at a space in Long Island City called the Chocolate Factory. We only had one rehearsal and the set was on the short side, but the chemistry is good. We will see.
March went by pretty well, had a trip down to Los Angeles with the Pink Canoes where we played a good show at the Pharoah's Den down in Riverside (and now I know why Orange County is considered a totally different thing than LA) and a fun if ill-attended show at the Echo Curio in Echo Park. Stayed in Bel Air - went to the Getty Museum, nice trip. We finished that trip in Santa Cruz, a long day of driving up from LA, to the show, then back to the Bay that night. All in all I think Pink Canoes played 5 shows in March, had a good one at the Hemlock where Gerrit Wittmer played a set, and then another one at Travis' house the Golden Trapperkeeper Lodge where it was Earth Hour, so we played a rare acoustic set.
Jordan Glenn's trip Weiner Kids played a couple of shows too - at the Hemlock and then one up at the Ivy Room in Albany. That music is getting more and more fun to play - two saxes and drums - Cory Wright playing baritone in the group, me on alto. We're getting to know the music better and having more fun with it. Going to record next week.
Weasel's Quintet has played a few shows too - last night we played over at Kimo's in SF - a good, short set, plenty of energy, but afterward Darren got the terrible news that his house had been set on fire by the crackhead who lives downstairs from him! I drove him to his place in the Castro, I couldn't see the building, but on the way he talked to his girlfriend and it seemed like the important things (people, cats) were okay. Here's hoping the rest is salvageable.....
Ton Trio played at the Ivy Room last month too. I asked Jordan Glenn to fill in for Sam Ospovat and he did a great job. It was good to play that music again, and now I'm writing more trio music to have when I head over with Kurt to Europe in a few weeks to meet up with Sam and play in Paris and Poland.
And finally, last weekend I took a trip over to New York with Jen. We found cheap flights a while back and decided to head over there. I put together a group with Matt Bauder, Jason Ajemian, and Harris Eisenstadt. I've been wanting a group with Matt for a while, and I think that this may be the start of that. Probably go back sometime in the fall to work more on it, but this was a good start. Played at a space in Long Island City called the Chocolate Factory. We only had one rehearsal and the set was on the short side, but the chemistry is good. We will see.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Out Today: Ton Trio's The Way
Glad to announce the release of The Way, the debut album by Ton Trio:
The Oakland based Ton Trio is made up of Aram Shelton on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Kurt Kotheimer on bass, and Sam Ospovat on drums. All three found their way to the San Francisco area after time in the Midwest, and each became active playing creative music shortly after their arrival. Ton Trio formed in the summer of 2007.
The music of Ton Trio is written by Shelton. Some pieces use the melodic and rhythmic material in a more traditional head format while in others the parts are interchangeable and can be explored extensively by each player, with parts being rearranged simultaneously to create new harmonic relationships.
‘The Way’ is the debut album by Ton Trio and the first CD release by Singlespeed Music. Six compositions by Shelton cover a lot of ground from high-energy freedom to compositional rearrangement.
‘The Way’ is available directly from Singlespeed Music, and through CD Baby.
Downloads will be available through iTunes, Rhapsody, Last.fm and others.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Shelton / Healy 2-13-2009
Friday the 13th! Scary!
Not really. Freddy vs Jason? Alien vs Predator? Terrible movies definitely, but before this show started I had a pretty long talk with these flicks with Jordan Glenn, Chuck Johnson and Ben Bracken, all of whom also played this night at the Totally Intense Fractal MindGaze Hut in Oakland.
The first set was a piece by Chuck Johnson called Polystate. It's an audiovisual piece that he developed as an installation but is also able to perform with. The basics are the use of scales to control audio and visual processes. Ben Bracken performed it with him. The sound was very measured and steady - a full blanket of sound.
Trevor Healy and I played the second set. it was one of the most focused sets that I remember us playing and we made great transitions from place to place with only one thing agreed on before we played - the note to start on. I liked this. We created some very full sounding sections and really moved our dynamics throughout the set. I think Chuck recorded the set - so I'm looking forward to hearing that.
The third set was the duo of Jordan Glenn and Kanoko Nishi. Drums and Koto. They covered alot of ground, at first I thought the drums would be too dominant as the room has some reverberation which can lend itself to too much drum - but Jordan knows what he's doing and the balance worked well. They ended the set in a super solid way, completing the night. All three sets had similarities in terms of timing and patience, though the way that each duo achieved these qualities was very different.
Not really. Freddy vs Jason? Alien vs Predator? Terrible movies definitely, but before this show started I had a pretty long talk with these flicks with Jordan Glenn, Chuck Johnson and Ben Bracken, all of whom also played this night at the Totally Intense Fractal MindGaze Hut in Oakland.
The first set was a piece by Chuck Johnson called Polystate. It's an audiovisual piece that he developed as an installation but is also able to perform with. The basics are the use of scales to control audio and visual processes. Ben Bracken performed it with him. The sound was very measured and steady - a full blanket of sound.
Trevor Healy and I played the second set. it was one of the most focused sets that I remember us playing and we made great transitions from place to place with only one thing agreed on before we played - the note to start on. I liked this. We created some very full sounding sections and really moved our dynamics throughout the set. I think Chuck recorded the set - so I'm looking forward to hearing that.
The third set was the duo of Jordan Glenn and Kanoko Nishi. Drums and Koto. They covered alot of ground, at first I thought the drums would be too dominant as the room has some reverberation which can lend itself to too much drum - but Jordan knows what he's doing and the balance worked well. They ended the set in a super solid way, completing the night. All three sets had similarities in terms of timing and patience, though the way that each duo achieved these qualities was very different.
Weasel Walter Quintet 2-9-09
Last monday night played at the Ivy Room up in Albany with Weasel's quintet. Our last date was at the Uptown in Oakland. the big difference between that night and this one is that we've been rehearsing almost regularly, so we know the music better, and are able to take some more liberties with it. Easier for the horns to get away from the material and then back into it with smaller cues - which makes it flow better from composition to improvisation. Darren had a really great solo about midway through. We all played with alot of energy - you can see in this video:
Weasel Walter Quintet > Performance 2-9-2009 from weasel walter on Vimeo.
The first set of the night was the duo of Jacob Felix Heule and Tony Dryer - they did a very quiet set and had setup in a spot surrounded by the audience - a good way to counteract the muffled acoustics in the space while playing very quietly.
The last set was Bad Paradise, a group made up of Steve Dood, Cansafis of No Doctors and Andrew - electronic / experimental / weird / dance - a good set to cap off the night - the three sets were VERY different - which I like.
Weasel Walter Quintet > Performance 2-9-2009 from weasel walter on Vimeo.
The first set of the night was the duo of Jacob Felix Heule and Tony Dryer - they did a very quiet set and had setup in a spot surrounded by the audience - a good way to counteract the muffled acoustics in the space while playing very quietly.
The last set was Bad Paradise, a group made up of Steve Dood, Cansafis of No Doctors and Andrew - electronic / experimental / weird / dance - a good set to cap off the night - the three sets were VERY different - which I like.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Fast Citizens January 2009
I'm back in Oakland now, but I'll post what I wrote when I wrote it:
I'm sitting in Keefe Jackson's apartment in Pilsen, listening to the rough mixes of the Fast Citizens recording session from the last two days. It's tuesday January 27, a week after I arrived on a flight coming from Florida that happened at the same time that Barack Obama took the office of the President. It was a huge relief to know that by the time I would get into Chicago, he'd be in charge of the country.
I came to Chicago in the middle of the winter to put together music for a new Fast Citizens recording. The idea had come about back in the summer. I had talked to Keefe and Josh about the need to continue the Fast Citizens. I suggested that the next album have a new leader from within the group. Maybe because I brought it up I was picked to be the next leader. So, Aram Shelton's Fast Citizens were born. I wrote 5 new pieces during the last week of December and spent the following week developing them and creating the parts with the idea that the clearer the ideas and notation, the easier it would be to actually pull off making a new album in a small amount of time. Over the course of the last five days we had one long rehearsal, one short rehearsal, 3 gigs and two days in the studio. Productive!
We set up three dates: the first was on Friday up in Milwaukee at Bruno Johnson's bar called the Sugar Maple. A beautiful space on East Lincoln with a room specifically made for concerts. Fred wasn't able to make that gig, and we had two sets to fill, so we used a good amount of material from the first album. Not having Fred there changed the dynamic of the group in a big way - he adds a vital texture to the sound of the Citizens. I was glad to have him back for the next two shows. The second was on Saturday at the Heaven Gallery in Wicker Park. We shared the bill with two duos: Ben Boye on piano with Frank Rosaly and Charles Rumback on drums with Dave Rempis. The last was Sunday night at the Hungry Brain. That night we shared with Han Bennink solo (!) and Fred Lonberg-Holm's Valentine Trio.
Though there were many strong moments all three nights, the first two dates felt like live rehearsals, whereas the set at the Brain was a real performance, with the parts being much more internalized by everyone. The crowd that night was great too - even though we played last on the 3 set night, the room was full with plenty of listeners. Not to say that we didn't have good turn-outs the other nights, but Sunday was the best.
In all I'm very happy with what we were able to accomplish in a short amount of time and will do all I can to make sure this album comes out sometime this year.
I'm sitting in Keefe Jackson's apartment in Pilsen, listening to the rough mixes of the Fast Citizens recording session from the last two days. It's tuesday January 27, a week after I arrived on a flight coming from Florida that happened at the same time that Barack Obama took the office of the President. It was a huge relief to know that by the time I would get into Chicago, he'd be in charge of the country.
I came to Chicago in the middle of the winter to put together music for a new Fast Citizens recording. The idea had come about back in the summer. I had talked to Keefe and Josh about the need to continue the Fast Citizens. I suggested that the next album have a new leader from within the group. Maybe because I brought it up I was picked to be the next leader. So, Aram Shelton's Fast Citizens were born. I wrote 5 new pieces during the last week of December and spent the following week developing them and creating the parts with the idea that the clearer the ideas and notation, the easier it would be to actually pull off making a new album in a small amount of time. Over the course of the last five days we had one long rehearsal, one short rehearsal, 3 gigs and two days in the studio. Productive!
We set up three dates: the first was on Friday up in Milwaukee at Bruno Johnson's bar called the Sugar Maple. A beautiful space on East Lincoln with a room specifically made for concerts. Fred wasn't able to make that gig, and we had two sets to fill, so we used a good amount of material from the first album. Not having Fred there changed the dynamic of the group in a big way - he adds a vital texture to the sound of the Citizens. I was glad to have him back for the next two shows. The second was on Saturday at the Heaven Gallery in Wicker Park. We shared the bill with two duos: Ben Boye on piano with Frank Rosaly and Charles Rumback on drums with Dave Rempis. The last was Sunday night at the Hungry Brain. That night we shared with Han Bennink solo (!) and Fred Lonberg-Holm's Valentine Trio.
Though there were many strong moments all three nights, the first two dates felt like live rehearsals, whereas the set at the Brain was a real performance, with the parts being much more internalized by everyone. The crowd that night was great too - even though we played last on the 3 set night, the room was full with plenty of listeners. Not to say that we didn't have good turn-outs the other nights, but Sunday was the best.
In all I'm very happy with what we were able to accomplish in a short amount of time and will do all I can to make sure this album comes out sometime this year.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Weasel Walter Quintet Uptown 12-16-2008
Last night there was another free show at the Uptown in downtown Oakland. This one was put together by Sarah Lockhart. The first set was John Gruntfest's Ritual Resurrection Band, which is led by John on alto and words. It was pretty theatrical, and the line up of 2 drummers, 2 keyboards, and 4 saxophones made for a full sound and opportunities for small group pairings for improvising.
The second set was SL Morse - the duo of Sarah and Aurora Josephson. Now I think that Sarah was reading a composition the whole way through and it seemed that Aurora was free - had some good moments and the simple pairing of voice and percussion worked well.
Weasel put together a quintet with me on alto, Aaron Bennett on tenor, Darren Johnston on trumpet and Damon Smith on bass. He wrote a long-form piece for the group that we played for the first time at 21 Grand about a month ago. That time we didn't have a chance to actually rehearse it before hand, and this time we did - the piece has Weasel and Damon being free for the majority of the piece and alot of written material that is in time for the horns to play together - compositionally the opposite of the SL Morse set. The music is all high energy, with the piece opening up after about 10 minutes into long solo sections for each horn player to work with the rhythm section. Darren's trumpet solo sounded great and despite the mic set up for this purpose, Aaron went without in a real high energy section with Weasel and Damon. I started mine and didn't feel so strong for awhile - I don't know if it's the extra work I've been doing or that it's actually kind of cold around here, but I just didn't feel like my playing was working - maybe a bad reed. These things happen.
Good to work on that music again - I think we'll be recording it soon.
And here is the video!
Weasel Walter Quintet @ The Uptown 12-16-08 from mxxx palmer on Vimeo.
The second set was SL Morse - the duo of Sarah and Aurora Josephson. Now I think that Sarah was reading a composition the whole way through and it seemed that Aurora was free - had some good moments and the simple pairing of voice and percussion worked well.
Weasel put together a quintet with me on alto, Aaron Bennett on tenor, Darren Johnston on trumpet and Damon Smith on bass. He wrote a long-form piece for the group that we played for the first time at 21 Grand about a month ago. That time we didn't have a chance to actually rehearse it before hand, and this time we did - the piece has Weasel and Damon being free for the majority of the piece and alot of written material that is in time for the horns to play together - compositionally the opposite of the SL Morse set. The music is all high energy, with the piece opening up after about 10 minutes into long solo sections for each horn player to work with the rhythm section. Darren's trumpet solo sounded great and despite the mic set up for this purpose, Aaron went without in a real high energy section with Weasel and Damon. I started mine and didn't feel so strong for awhile - I don't know if it's the extra work I've been doing or that it's actually kind of cold around here, but I just didn't feel like my playing was working - maybe a bad reed. These things happen.
Good to work on that music again - I think we'll be recording it soon.
And here is the video!
Weasel Walter Quintet @ The Uptown 12-16-08 from mxxx palmer on Vimeo.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Quartet at Blue Six 12-11-2008
Last night played at Blue Six in the Mission. Small space at 24th street and Treat. Played with Darren Johnston, Lisa Mezzacappa, and Kjell Nordeson. We'd gotten together a few months ago at Lisa's place - the different instincts from the players in this group allows for some interesting playing - also, everyone is willing to really go for it so strong music happens.
We played two sets this night, I brought both alto and bass clarinet, Darren played mainly trumpet and some flugelhorn. Both sets were varied - I think in the first we stayed towards higher energy while in the second we took our time to develop ideas. Playing with a talented trumpeter is always great as a reed player, the combination of the sounds enhanced by the range that Darren plays with - we were trading lines that stretched throughout several octaves while I was on bass clarinet - with him matching the range of that instrument easily. Kjell is such a strong player in terms of instant composition - he builds parts that develop over time - the quartet interacted with smaller motifs that he would introduce throughout both sets, and the overall energy that he brings to the kit acted as a guide for much of the music.
In terms of improvised music, what I really like about this group is that while we all have many skills at our disposal, the result is strong music that is not dominated by special techniques. Instead, those techniques are used as parts to create music that is complex on many levels, while being about both the interaction of the individual players and the music created as a group.
Thanks to Joe for having the show at his place -
We played two sets this night, I brought both alto and bass clarinet, Darren played mainly trumpet and some flugelhorn. Both sets were varied - I think in the first we stayed towards higher energy while in the second we took our time to develop ideas. Playing with a talented trumpeter is always great as a reed player, the combination of the sounds enhanced by the range that Darren plays with - we were trading lines that stretched throughout several octaves while I was on bass clarinet - with him matching the range of that instrument easily. Kjell is such a strong player in terms of instant composition - he builds parts that develop over time - the quartet interacted with smaller motifs that he would introduce throughout both sets, and the overall energy that he brings to the kit acted as a guide for much of the music.
In terms of improvised music, what I really like about this group is that while we all have many skills at our disposal, the result is strong music that is not dominated by special techniques. Instead, those techniques are used as parts to create music that is complex on many levels, while being about both the interaction of the individual players and the music created as a group.
Thanks to Joe for having the show at his place -
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Paper Leg at Ivy Room 12-08-2008
Up in Albany at the Ivy Room they've been having shows on Monday nights. Eric Leppo tends bar there on Mondays and keeps this series going - thanks to him!
Played with Trevor Healy for the first time in a bit. I brought my alto and bass clarinet, used Max/MSP for processing, and was able to use his guitar sounds as well. Trevor makes big thick walls of sound with his guitar and electronics noise changing tools (pedals) including of course the electronic system for wind instruments. Our method of playing together has stayed consistent during our hiatus - we tend to take our time getting moving through different spaces in music, which makes a two hour rehearsal move by fast, and a 45 minute set that much faster.
Andrew Conklin's band Quinn played second, a rock band with a good variety of songs - and then Jordan Glenn's & Karl Evangelista's instrumental band Host Family - pretty complex arrangements with multiple meters and pieces finding unexpected ways into others.
Played with Trevor Healy for the first time in a bit. I brought my alto and bass clarinet, used Max/MSP for processing, and was able to use his guitar sounds as well. Trevor makes big thick walls of sound with his guitar and electronics noise changing tools (pedals) including of course the electronic system for wind instruments. Our method of playing together has stayed consistent during our hiatus - we tend to take our time getting moving through different spaces in music, which makes a two hour rehearsal move by fast, and a 45 minute set that much faster.
Andrew Conklin's band Quinn played second, a rock band with a good variety of songs - and then Jordan Glenn's & Karl Evangelista's instrumental band Host Family - pretty complex arrangements with multiple meters and pieces finding unexpected ways into others.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Flockterkit 9-16-2008
It's been a little while since Flockterkit had a show - since last December when I played the music in Chicago. Last November I recorded the music with the west coast lineup - Andy Strain, Jordan Glenn, Kurt Kotheimer, Caroline Penwarden and Anantha Krishnan. The recording turned out very good - but we hadn't had a chance to play the music out here until now. This was a free show at the Uptown in Oakland, I put together a bill with Painted Cakes (Eli Reitz, Shumit DasGupta and Andrew Kitchen), and Ben Bracken playing solo. It was a good night.
Painted Cakes played first - minimalist rock with long forms and interweaving patterns between the guitar, bass, and drums. Ben Bracken's set was one long piece, using feedback from his acoustic guitar to set up a bed for musical thoughts and sounds.
The Flockterkit set felt great - we took our time with improvising and solos - Jordan on drums and Anantha on tabla make a solid percussion section, and Kurt holds it down in between the two. Caroline used pump organ on the entire set, which is a great sound, long sustain, creaky, with dexterity as well.
The crowd that came was mixed, but mainly listeners - each group had a different sound and style which made for a balanced night of music. The good thing about the setup of the Uptown is that the bar is separate from the music room, so the people that don't want to listen can do their talking somewhere else. If only every place was built that way....
Painted Cakes played first - minimalist rock with long forms and interweaving patterns between the guitar, bass, and drums. Ben Bracken's set was one long piece, using feedback from his acoustic guitar to set up a bed for musical thoughts and sounds.
The Flockterkit set felt great - we took our time with improvising and solos - Jordan on drums and Anantha on tabla make a solid percussion section, and Kurt holds it down in between the two. Caroline used pump organ on the entire set, which is a great sound, long sustain, creaky, with dexterity as well.
The crowd that came was mixed, but mainly listeners - each group had a different sound and style which made for a balanced night of music. The good thing about the setup of the Uptown is that the bar is separate from the music room, so the people that don't want to listen can do their talking somewhere else. If only every place was built that way....
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pink Canoes at Knockout 9-4-2008
Last week the Pink Canoes played at the Knockout in San Francisco. It'd be a couple of months since we played, and this show was put together pretty quickly. Two sets by noise groups made the meat of this dance party / noise night. It was good - we went with all energy in the beginning, Zach doing more processed vocals these days, in the phot he's the blur - Noah and Travis acted in some ways as the rhythmic backbone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
