Coming Up at Open Ears Music

New Orleans’ Open Ears Music celebrates one year of music and previews some upcoming shows.

Another goal of the series has been to provide a place for visiting creative music artists to perform, and the November 11 show has an over load of great out of town musicians. German pianist Georg Gräwe has played with many of the greats in improvised music, including Anthony Braxton, and Frank Gratkowski (who has also appeared on the Open Ears Series in our first year). Gräwe will be performing with New Orleans trombonist and Open Ears co-curator Jeff Albert, as well as Chicago saxophonist Greg Ward, and former New Orleanian, drummer Quin Kirchner. Greg and Quin will also perform the second set on the 11th with the Chicago band Blink, which also includes bassist Jeff Greene, and guitarist Dave Miller. Georg Gräwe’s appearance is made possible by Scatterjazz.

The first out of town artist to play the Open Ears Series was world traveling pianist Thollem McDonas, and he will return almost exactly one year later to perform on November 18th. He will perform a duo set with Nick Sanzenbach, and in a quartet with Jonathan Freilich, Helen Gillet, and Rex Gregory. Between sets, we will hear David Kunian’s radio documentary called “Jonathan Freilich’s Freedom Double-O Naked Klezmer Jazz Latin Boogaloo.”

November 25th brings another new project featuring some of New Orleans craziest young musicians making crazy music in a band with a mysterious name. Jesse Morrow is the organizer of VH2:Rise of the Machines.