Tag: Jim Black

From NYTimes.com:

JIM BLACK’S ALASNOAXIS (Thursday) The drummer Jim Black can usually be counted on for fast-tumbling or convulsive momentum, but with AlasNoAxis — his band with the tenor saxophonist Chris Speed, the guitarist Hilmar Jensson and the bassist Skuli Sverrisson — he pulls back to panorama mode. This relatively rare appearance ushers in the release of “Houseplant” (Winter & Winter), the group’s strong new album. At 7 p.m., Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, near Bleecker Street, East Village , (212)614-0505, bowerypoetry.com; $14; $10 for students. (Chinen)20090611

MICHAEL BLAKE/MICHAEL BATES (Tuesday) Mr. Blake, a saxophonist and clarinetist, and Mr. Bates, a bassist, appear in two separate sets here, with groups that share a smartly rugged sensibility. At 8 p.m. Mr. Blake leads a trio with the bassist Ben Allison and the drummer Hamid Drake; at 10 Mr. Bates leads a quartet that includes a solid trumpeter, Russ Johnson. The Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; $10 per set. (Chinen)20090611

?THE BLOOM FESTIVAL (Friday and Thursday) This monthlong series, running Thursday and Friday nights, turns the spotlight on female artists, and specifically those upholding against-the-grain ideals. On Friday one of the event’s organizers, the violist and violinist Tanya Kalmanovitch, leads a group called Balaclava; Thursday’s program will feature a trio led by the keyboardist Kris Davis, with Mary Halvorson on guitar and Ches Smith on drums. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Tea Lounge, 837 Union Street, near Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn , (718)789-2762, tealoungeny.com; suggested donation, $5. (Chinen)20090611

?DAVE DOUGLAS AND BRASS ECSTASY (Thursday) Mr. Douglas, the indefatigable trumpeter, cornetist and composer, has a strong new album, “Spirit Moves” (Greenleaf), featuring this likably blustery ensemble. Along with four horn players, Mr. Douglas included, its lineup features a supple and dynamic drummer, Nasheet Waits. (Through June 21.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan , (212)576-2232, http://www.jazzstandard.net; $25. (Chinen)20090611

?ERIK FRIEDLANDER (Sunday) Mr. Friedlander’s technique as a cellist extends to pizzicato fingerpicking and well beyond it. He draws here from his album “Block Ice & Propane” (Skipstone), a solo cello odyssey that advances his personal synthesis of American roots music; his only accompaniment will be a film directed by Bill Morrison, with photographs taken by Mr. Friedlander’s father, Lee Friedlander. At 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)20090611

?NILS PETTER MOLVAER/ARVE HENRICKSEN (Tuesday) Mr. Molvaer and Mr. Henriksen are both Norwegian jazz trumpeters, and each has demonstrated a superior command of electronics. But their styles are distinct: Mr. Molvaer is a shrewd fusioneer drawn to quick, dramatic shifts, while Mr. Henriksen often goes for a kind of folkloric bliss. At 10:30 p.m.; doors open at 10. Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, near Thompson Street, Greenwich Village, (212)505-3474, lepoissonrouge.com; $15. 20090611

MOSTLY OTHER PEOPLE DO THE KILLING (Wednesday) Led by the bassist Moppa Elliott, this prankishly named free-bop quartet has a fairly serious recent record called “This Is Our Moosic” (Hot Cup), featuring impressive contributions from the trumpeter Peter Evans and the alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon. At 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; $10. (Chinen)20090611

OPSVIK & JENNINGS (Monday) The bassist Eivind Opsvik and the guitarist Aaron Jennings have maintained this intelligent electro-acoustic collaboration for a handful of years, releasing several albums; their most recent is “A Dream I Used to Remember” (Loyal), which they celebrate here, in quintet formation. At 9 and 10:30 p.m., Nublu, 62 Avenue C, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, East Village, nublu.net; $5. (Chinen)20090611

?SEARCH AND RESTORE (Sunday) This jazz showcase, part of the Northside Festival, features experimental music of brainy design and visceral effect. The headliner is Five Elements, an influential band led by the alto saxophonist and composer Steve Coleman. Also on board: Andrew D’Angelo’s Gay Disco Trio, led by Mr. D’Angelo, a puckish multireedist; Kneebody, a youthful jazz-rock confab; and Slow/Fast, a chamberlike group led by the saxophonist Ken Thomson. From 2 to 7 p.m. Public Assembly, 70 North Sixth Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn , (718)384-4586, publicassemblynyc.com; $16; $13 for students. (Chinen)20090611

?VISION FESTIVAL (Friday though Monday) This annual avant-garde summit rolls on, with energies both celebratory and subversive. Among the likely highlights: Ayler Project, an Albert Ayler tribute ensemble featuring the trumpeter Roy Campbell (Friday at 10 p.m.); a quartet led by the drummer Milford Graves (Saturday at 9); just about everything scheduled for Sunday evening, start to finish; and Spontaneous River, a string-heavy orchestra led by the violinist Jason Kao Hwang (Monday at 7 p.m. at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, 172 Norfolk Street, near Houston Street, Lower East Side). Start times vary; a full schedule is at visionfestival.org. Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, at Pitt Street, Lower East Side , (866)811-4111, henrystreet.org; $30; $25 in advance; $20 for students. (Chinen)