AMN Podcast: George Cartwright’s Gloryland Ponycat – Black Ants Crawling

January 4, 2009 — Mike

Black Ants CrawlingGeorge Cartwright’s Gloryland Ponycat
“God Has Smiled on Me” (mp3)
from “Black Ants Crawling”
(Innova Recordings)

Buy at eMusic
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Posted in Podcasts. Leave a Comment »

Monday in Portland: Daniel Higgs, The Naked Future, Power Nap

January 4, 2009 — Mike

From Portland Eye and Ear Control:

1/5: Daniel Higgs, The Naked Future, Power Nap
Daniel Higgs (ex-LUNGFISH)
The Naked Future
Power Nap

at 229 Shaver (Shaver & Vancouver)
Saturday January 3rd
8pm
please bring donation for Daniel

Posted in Performances. 1 Comment »

Xenakis in Chicago this June

January 4, 2009 — Mike
Iannis Xenakis
Image via Wikipedia

An early word on a rare upcoming Xenakis performance.

The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) pairs up with world-renowned percussionist/conductor Steven Schick, in the first performance ever in Chicago, of the large ensemble works of Iannis Xenakis, one of the most important, innovative composers of the 20th century.

The demanding works of Xenakis, beloved by philosophy scholars, architects, contemporary music aficionados, and indie rockers alike, are known to the public largely through recording. Live performances of these works are rare, and the performances by ICE of all five major works — Palimpsest, Exchange, L’ile de Goree, Akanthos, and Ikhoor — are almost unheard of in the US.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Posted in Performances. 1 Comment »

The Velvet Lounge is still a great place for jazz

January 4, 2009 — Mike
Fred Anderson
Image by Seth Tisue via Flickr

The legendary Velvet Lounge in Chicago is still kicking.

When the Velvet Lounge opened two-and-a-half years ago in a new location—on East Cermak Road—some listeners wondered whether the place would survive for very long.

Certainly the newly built, freshly painted room wouldn’t carry quite the mystique of the charmingly dilapidated old venue on South Indiana Avenue. Nor could Velvet owner and tenor saxophone master Fred Anderson be sure that audiences would follow him to the new spot, even if it was just a couple of blocks away from the old one.

Yet as 2009 begins, the rejuvenated Velvet Lounge remains integral to new music in Chicago, and not only when Anderson takes the stage to unfurl his characteristically magisterial lines. Several nights a week, jazz masters and emerging artists, Chicago icons and visiting virtuosos make the Velvet ground zero for avant-garde jazz in Chicago.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Posted in General. Tags: , . 1 Comment »

Classical Composers and Musicians Find New Opportunities in Video Games

January 4, 2009 — Mike

Yet another way for musicians to put food on the table.

In the video game BioShock turbulent Rachmaninoff-like music plays while an evil composer named Cohen shouts, “Presto, presto” before incinerating a hapless pianist and his instrument. In Battlefield: Bad Company gamers hear a string quintet playing earthy music redolent of Bartok. In Alone in the Dark: Inferno the evocative timbre of the female choral group the Mystery of Bulgarian Voices adds to the suspense as the hero fights for survival in Central Park.

These are just a few of the recent soundtracks written and performed by classically trained musicians who are finding new outlets for their talents in the booming video game industry.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Posted in General. Leave a Comment »