Day: December 4, 2015

Jazz Listings From The New York Times

~ Mike

Source: The New York Times.

Tim Berne’s Snakeoil (Friday) Mr. Berne, an alto saxophonist and composer of granite conviction, has had a superb recent outlet in Snakeoil, a chamber-improv quartet with the clarinetist Oscar Noriega, the pianist Matt Mitchell and the drummer and vibraphonist Ches Smith. The band seems likely to draw here from its three fine albums on the ECM label — but Mr. Berne likes to spring new music on his audiences, which means all bets are off. At 8:30 p.m., I-Beam, 168 Seventh Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, ibeambrooklyn.com. (Nate Chinen)

Jon Irabagon Trio (Friday) A smart young saxophonist who has successfully ducked in and out of the mainstream jazz tradition, Jon Irabagon leads a trio with Peter Brendler on bass and Vinnie Sperazza on drums. At 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 p.m., Bar Next Door, 129 Macdougal Street, near West Third Street, Greenwich Village, 212-529-5945, lalanternacaffe.com. (Chinen)

Wadada Leo Smith/Douglas R. Ewart & Quasar (Thursday) Mr. Smith, a trumpeter and composer of penetrating insight, presents two new chamber-esque compositions in this concert: “String Quartet No. 6 Taif: Prayer in the Garden of the Hijaz,” and “Henry David Thoreau Civil Disobedience: 1849, Six Ideas.” Sharing the bill on the Interpretations concert series — part of the 50th-anniversary festivities for the Association for Advancement of Creative Musicians — is the intrepid multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart with his group Quasar, performing a piece titled “AACM the Sonic Progenitor.” At 8 p.m., Roulette, 509 Atlantic Avenue, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, 917-267-0363, roulette.org. (Chinen)

Classical Music Listings From The New York Times

~ Mike

Source: The New York Times.

Bargemusic (Friday) As part of this floating concert hall’s important Here and Now series, the pianist Jeffrey Swann celebrates the work of David Del Tredici and Charles Wuorinen, including the latter’s Second Sonata. At 8 p.m., Fulton Ferry Landing, next to the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, 800-838-3006, bargemusic.org. (Allen)

Jay Campbell (Sunday) This gifted young cellist, currently in Juilliard’s Artist Diploma program, offers a program dedicated to contemporary music. The lineup includes Elliott Carter’s “Figment I” for solo cello, David Fulmer’s “Original Wood,” Matthias Pintscher’s “Janusgesicht,” the premiere of Jason Eckardt’s “Practical Alchemy” and Charles Wuorinen’s “An Orbicle of Jasp.” Mr. Campbell will be joined by Conor Hanick, the pianist, and Mr. Fulmer, the violinist and violist. (Free tickets available at the box office at 6:30 p.m. on day of concert.) At 7:30 p.m., Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, 212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org. (Schweitzer)

Pacifica Quartet (Wednesday) The dynamic Pacifica Quartet calls this intriguing program “Last Words.” The ensemble plays late works like Elliott Carter’s fifth (and final) quartet, along with his Fragments for String Quartet; Janacek’s “Intimate Letters” Quartet; and Beethoven’s final work in the genre, Quartet No. 16 in F (Op. 135). At 7:30 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, 212-415-5500, 92y.org. (Tommasini)

‘Steel Hammer’ (through Sunday) Julia Wolfe’s “Steel Hammer,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer’s meditation on the John Henry folk myth, receives a staged reimagination from the director Anne Bogart and SITI Company, with new texts by four playwrights. The Bang on a Can All-Stars are joined by three singers and a battery of Appalachian instruments. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., BAM Harvey Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 651 Fulton Street, near Rockwell Place, Fort Greene, 718-636-4100, bam.org. (Allen)

Talea Ensemble (Saturday) In Steven Kazuo Takasugi’s theatrical “Sideshow” for amplified octet and electronic playback, the members of the Talea Ensemble are characters in a freak show. This imaginative five-movement work, inspired by texts by the Viennese satirist Karl Kraus, is billed as a “meditation on virtuosity, freak shows, entertainment, spectacle, business and the sacrifices one makes to survive in the world.” At 9 p.m. (preconcert reception with free beer starts at 8 p.m.), DiMenna Center for Classical Music, 450 West 37th Street, Manhattan, taleaensemble.org. (Schweitzer)

AMN Reviews: Jacob Garchik – Ye Olde (2015; Yestereve Records)

~ Mike ~ 1 Comment

61P+q8Pm2UL._SS280New York creative-jazz veteran trombonist Jacob Garchik, who has worked with Henry Threadgill, Laurie Anderson, Natalie Merchant, John Hollenbeck, and Lee Konitz among others, telegraphed his intent by calling his fourth album Ye Olde. Not that this release rehashes bygone material – instead it reflects the medieval, folkloric feel to some of the compositions.  In these, Garchik playfully includes known tropes, such as a royal fanfare.

But in contrast to any notion that the music herein is staid or conventional, the lineup includes three guitarists and a drummer in addition to its leader.  Joined by Mary Halvorson, Brandon Seabrook, Jonathan Goldberger, and Vinnie Sperrazza, Garchik takes on all horn duties, making liberal use of overdubs. Between this unique instrumentation, and the lighthearted bombast of some of the pieces, the result is reminiscent of prog rock, perhaps King Crimson in particular.

unnamedYes, Ye Olde features compositions.  Despite Garchik’s chops as an improviser, what we have here is a heavily composed set of tuneful arrangements.  Often, the three guitarists lay down walls of riffing, not unlike some post-rock outfits.  Sperrazza fleshes out this base, while Garchik provides the melodies on top. On other tracks, Halvorson, Seabrook and Goldberger offer an amalgam of acoustic and electric themes, with restrained soloing at times, which dovetails nicely with the horns.

Even though Halvorson and Seabrook, in particular, have well-known signature styles, it is remarkable how smoothly their playing integrates on this release. Garchik’s compositions brings them together in an understated, yet ready-to-boil fashion.  The result is a catchy and compelling album, far from the mainstream, but with broad appeal. Highly recommended.

 

Jimmy Bennington Chicago Shows in December

~ Mike

Source: Jimmy Bennington.

Sat, Dec 5, 2015
7-11pm, Rhythm Room Bar and Bistro, 1715 Maple Ave., Evanston, Il, 60201, 847 491 9723
Jimmy Bennington Colour and Sound Trio

Fri, Dec 11, 2015
7-11pm, Rhythm Room Bar and Bistro, 1715 Maple Ave., Evanston, Il, 60201, 847 491 9723
Jimmy Bennington Colour and Sound Trio

Sat, Dec 19, 2015
7-11pm, Rhythm Room Bar and Bistro, 1715 Maple Ave., Evanston, Il, 60201, 847 491 9723
Jimmy Bennington Colour and Sound Trio

Sat, Dec 26, 2015
7-11pm, Rhythm Room Bar and Bistro, 1715 Maple Ave., Evanston, Il, 60201, 847 491 9723
Jimmy Bennington Colour and Sound Trio

Sunn O)))’s Kannon Reviewed in Detail

~ Mike
Logotype of the Drone Metal Band Sunn O))) and...

Source: burning ambulance.

The new Sunn O))) album, Kannon, comes on the heels of two major collaborations—Soused, with vocalist and sonic explorer Scott Walker, and Terrestrials, with the impossible-to-pigeonhole Norwegian group Ulver. Each of these projects allowed Sunn O)))‘s main creative partners, Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley, to reveal additional facets of the sonic edifice they’ve been constructing together for over 15 years. But it would be difficult to point to anything on either of those CDs that directly influenced, or anticipated, the music on Kannon, which is simultaneously an evolution of the Sunn O))) sound and a return to older forms.

San Francisco Scene: December 4-11, 2015

~ Mike
USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay ...

From the Bay Improviser:

Friday, December 4
Fri 12/04 7:30 PM Artists’ Television Access [992 Valencia St San Francisco CA 94110]
SOLO ORGAN Record Release with Black Spirituals and Ettrick

Fri 12/04 8:00 PM Center for New Music [55 Taylor St SF]
Van-Anh Nguyen & Julian Toha: 1 PIANO, 4 HANDS

You’ve seen both artists execute solo piano repertoire. In the lead up to the festive season, concert pianists Van-Anh Nguyen (Australia) and Julian Toha (USA) collaborate in a vibrant, exciting and passionate concert of repertoire for 4 hands. Come see their electric playing light up the stage in Brahms Hungarian Dances and the complete Nutcracker Suite. Support act is Ryan Hickey, an extremely talented multi-genred pianist.

Fri 12/04 8:00 PM East Side Arts Alliance [2277 International Blvd, Oakland, California 94606]
Music of Color Presents: An Avant-Garde Portrait of Repression
Broun Fellinis with the Color Ensemble
From prejudice to police violence, these two bands will take you on a passionate journey exploring personal struggles around racial equity while pushing the boundaries of their sound. You must not miss this premier Music of Color event!

Saturday, December 5

Sat 12/05 8:00 PM Mills College Littlefield Concert Hall [5000 MacArthur Blvd Oakland]
Celebrating the music of the late Lindsay Cooper—feminist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist—with a large ensemble directed by her former bandmates Fred Frith and Zeena Parkins.
The concert also features Rova Saxophone Quartet performing Lindsay’s riveting “Face in the Crowd,” written for the quartet in the early 1990s.

Sat 12/05 8:00 PM San Francisco Conservatory of Music [50 Oak Street San Francisco]
Join Del Sol String Quartet and Gyan Riley at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for a world premiere of Terry Riley’s newest work for string quartet and guitar!

Sat 12/05 8:00 PM Center for New Music [55 Taylor St SF]
Friction Quartet + Religious Girls [don’t be a stranger series #5]
Local chamber music heavyweights and C4NM Ensemble-In-Residence Friction Quartet will perform new works by Akiho, Stoffregen and Verotta, followed by a set from local experimental pop heroes Religious Girls.

Sat 12/05 8:00 PM CCRMA [660 Lomita Dr. Stanford, CA 94305]
Bay Area’s hk&tcs bring to CCRMA Stage a lot of objects, texts, images, words, and things, in a somewhat bizarre program exploring power relationships within oddly constructed behavioral situations, incidental(ly musical) text and extreme semiotic confusion.

Sat 12/05 9:00 PM Salt Lick [411 2nd Street (Upstairs), Oakland]
Music from Oakland and Los Angeles, with Gold Age (Aram Shelton, Mark Clifford, Safa Shokrai, Britt Ciampa), TFPP (Bob LaDue and Matt Hennich), and Evil Genius (Max Kuntner, Stefan Kac and Michael Lockwood).

Sunday, December 6

Sun 12/06 2:00 PM Berkeley Arts [2133 University Avenue Berkeley]
Miguel Frasconi and Nina Hart
North Carolina based author Nina Hart and NYC based composer Miguel Frasconi continue their ongoing collaboration of text/sound/music work. Nina will be reading from her award winning book “Somewhere In a Town You Never Knew Existed Somewhere,” and Miguel will perform on his unique instrumentarium of glass and electronic instruments. They will also be joined by special guests.

Sun 12/06 7:30 PM SIMM Series @ The Musicians Union Hall [Outsound Presents @ Musicians Union Hall 116 Ninth St @ Mission SF 94103]
7:30PM C.O.M.A. The California Outside Music Associates
John Vaughn – saxophones, Dax Compise – drums
8:30 K Band
Julie Herndon – piano, Josh Marshall – tenor saxophone, and Stephanie Neumann – saxophone
“…intense and incisive…C.O.M.A. at times evoke the Revolutionary Ensemble, of Leroy Jenkins, Sirone and Jerome Cooper.”
– Edoardo Chagas, Jazz e Arredores

Sun 12/06 7:30 PM Temescal Art Center [511 48th Street Oakland]
Doors That Only Open in Silence #12 (open participation improv workshop) featuring Kyle Bruckmann

Monday, December 7

Mon 12/07 9:00 PM Studio Grand [3234 Grand Ave, Oakland]
Oakland Freedom Jazz Society
WILD THINGS
We are wild
And free
Jordan Glenn, Jon Leidecker, Matt Ingalls, Tania Chen, Jake Rodriguez

Tuesday, December 8

Tue 12/08 7:30 PM Omni Oakland Commons [4799 Shattuck Ave Oakland]
Active Music Series presents:
Nathan Clevenger Group
James Fei
Giacomo Fiore & Larry Polansky

Wednesday, December 9

Wed 12/09 8:00 PM Canessa Gallery [708 Montgomery St SF]
Meridian Music’s Composers in Performance Presents:
Trails and Space featuring Aram Shelton, Cory Wright, Kristina Dutton, Teddy Rankin-Parker.

Thursday, December 10

Thu 12/10 8:00 PM Luggage Store Creative Music Series [1007 Market Street SF]
8pm Scare the Neighbors
David Michalak/Philip Everett
9pm Klondike & York – sax/drum duo

Friday, December 11

Fri 12/11 7:30 PM Center for New Music [55 Taylor St SF]
Switchboard Presents: Music for Shuffle and Rob Reich
Every second Friday of the month, Switchboard Presents a split bill of eclectic artists from the Bay Area and beyond. December’s installment features Music for Shuffle, a project developed by Matt Brown, for four instrumentalists playing music displayed on iPad screens, randomly rotating independently of one another, creating a shifting ambient musical landscape. Second on the bill is Rob Reich and his trio performing live film scores.

Fri 12/11 8:00 PM Berkeley Arts [2133 University Avenue Berkeley]
PLAY THAT THING OR THROW IT AWAY aka Ochs-Johnston-Robair Trio

December REDCAT Shows

~ Mike

Source: LA’s REDCAT.

Dec 09
Charles Gaines: Manifestos 2
Charles Gaines fills the stage with a nine-piece orchestra and large-scale video projection to create Manifestos 2, with a musical arrangement by director and composer Sean Griffin of Opera Povera.

Dec 11 to Dec 12
Liminar Sonido #13: The Music and Legacy of Julián Carrillo
The ensemble Liminar, one of the most accomplished groups in Mexico’s roaring creative music scene, presents a special two-night showcase centered on the visionary microtonal oeuvre of Mexican modernist composer Julián Carrillo.