A source for news on music that is challenging, interesting, different, progressive, introspective, or just plain weird

Tag: Music

  • Concert Review And Download: High Zero Festival, Saturday Night

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    Tony Conrad via last.fm NPR’s A Blog Supreme is offering a download of part of the recent High Zero festival. Maybe it was the economy or maybe it was a curatorial decision, but the 11th annual High Zero Festival in Baltimore, Md. didn’t have the “star power” of previous years. There was no Tony Conrad…

  • Paul Hartsaw, Kristian Aspelin, Damon Smith, and Jerome Bryerton in Chicago

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    An upcoming show in Chicago, announced in the Reader: Paul Hartsaw, Kristian Aspelin, Damon Smith, and Jerome Bryerton When: Sat., Sept. 19, 10 p.m. Phone: heavengallery.com Price: donation requested For the 2007 release Ausfegen (Balance Point Acoustics), this transcontinental quartet—bassist Damon Smith and guitarist Kristian Aspelin from the Bay Area and saxophonist Paul Hartsaw and…

  • Bagatellen Reviews

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    Barry Guy via last.fm From Bagatellen: Jon Mueller – Physical Changes Percussionist and composer Jon Mueller’s discerning creativity does not rule out a willingness to put the listener’s ears through the ordeals. His music is often bewilderingly violent, yet retains a pumping nucleus connecting it with all that matters in life, good or bad: bodily…

  • Vaudeville and Avant-Garde Strings at Le Poisson Rouge

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    From NYTimes.com: The two shows at Le Poisson Rouge on Monday evening, though both rooted in classical music, could not have been more different. At the early show Polkastra, a virtuosic polka ensemble led by the violinist Lara St. John, with the composer Ronn Yedidia as its accordionist, played wildly idiosyncratic arrangements and original music…

  • Sonomu Reviews

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    From Sonomu: Various Artists, Before We Melt (IVDT) With the funny photo on the cover and the title chosen for this collection, it´s hard to know whether the idea around which this release revolves is to create flurries of “Arctic ambient”, to remind us about that Inconvenient Truth we´ve heard so much about, or to…

  • Moving Sounds Festival Review

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    NYTimes.com has words about this avant-garde fest. The Moving Sounds Festival means its title to be taken in every possible way. The works performed during this three-day event are meant to be moving, if not always emotionally then viscerally or intellectually. Some of the pieces make significant use of spatial elements: the sounds move around…

  • Upcoming Wayward Music Shows

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    From Seattle’s Wayward Music: SAT. 9/12, 8 PM – Danse Perdue, butoh performance based on Reinaldo Arenas‘ novel El Asalto (The Assault) FRI. 9/18 – David Haney & Julian Priester + friends, new jazz SAT. 9/19, 8 PM – Bill Horist, guitar improvisations and new pieces from his upcoming release, Covalent Lodge: one set acoustic,…

  • DMG Newsletter September 11th, 2009

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    From DMG: Anthony Braxton Creative Orchestra 1978! Ken Vandermark/Barry Guy/Mark Sanders! Laswell-Kondo Method of Defiance! Stephan Kerecki/Tony Malaby! Death Cube K! Jim O’Rourke! Dunmall/Park/Smith/Sanders! Weightless: Butcher/Braida/Edwards/Spera! Sylvian/Parker/Rowe/Fennesz! John Blum/William Parker/Sunny Murray! Borah Bergman & Stefano Pastor! Jennifer Choi Solo! Frank Gratkowski! Fay Victor! Earle Brown-Contemporary/Mainstream Box! Sainkho Namchylak! ..and so much more …as well as…

  • Chicago Jazz Festival Coverage

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    Below are a handful of links and articles on the avant goings-on at this past weekend’s Chicago Jazz Festival. Muhal Richard Abrams returns for Chicago Jazz Festival A review of the Abrams / Lewis / Mitchell performance Fred Anderson profile 10 moments from the Chicago Jazz Festival Related articles by Zemanta AAJ-NY: KLANG’s Tea Music…

  • Dusted Reviews

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    From Dusted: Artist: Trad Gras Och Stenar Album: Homeless Cats Label: Subliminal Sounds Review date: Sep. 11, 2009 Artist: Jim O’Rourke Album: The Visitor Label: Drag City Review date: Sep. 8, 2009

  • Led Bib And How The British Got Something Right

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    From NPR’s A Blog Supreme: The group is called Led Bib, and the song they played live, “Yes, Again,” is even more frenetic. (You can watch the performance itself on the BBC Web site — the video is for whatever reason not embeddable.) It was part of the ceremony for the Mercury Prize, an award…

  • Firehouse 12 To Present Mauger October 2nd

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    Rudresh Mahanthappa via last.fm From Improvised Communications: On Friday, October 2nd, New Haven’s Firehouse 12 will present the third event in its ongoing fifth anniversary Fall Jazz Series, a two-set performance by the all-star trio, Mauger. The group brings together acclaimed saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, a 2007 Guggenheim Fellow and winner of the “Rising Star Jazz…

  • Dave Holland Leads With Collectivist Spirit

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    From NYTimes.com: There are few musicians in jazz with a more untroubled sense of leadership than the bassist Dave Holland. Since the first recordings made under his name, in the early 1970s, Mr. Holland has expressed his point of view with gracious clarity, drawing out the best from his partners while keeping a firm hand…

  • Nu-Art Series to present concerts by Trio 3, Rasul Siddik

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    Oliver Lake via last.fm From St. Louis Jazz Notes: The Nu-Art Series, run by trumpeter, gallery owner and former arts administrator George Sams out of his Metropolitan Gallery downtown, is kicking off its fall 2009 season this month with two concerts featuring former St. Louisans who have earned international acclaim in the jazz world. The…

  • Upcoming Shows at Ars Nova

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    From Philly’s Ars Nova Workshop: Friday, September 11, 8pm MARY HALVORSON QUINTET with Mary Halvorson, el. guitar; Jonathan Finlayson, trumpet; Jon Irabagon, alto saxophone; Trevor Dunn, bass; and Tomas Fujiwara, drums International House Philadelphia, 3701 Chestnut Street $12 General Admission A veteran of esteemed composer Anthony Braxton’s ensembles and “probably the most original jazz guitarist…

  • The Electric Ascension Film Project is Looking for a Grant Writer

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    John Rogers is making a film about ROVA and is looking for some help. Contact him if you have experience and time to work on grants. The Electric Ascension film project is looking for a grant writer with experience in the avant-garde art and music world. A documentary is underway about the Rova Saxophone Quartet‘s…

  • Firehouse 12 To Present The Steve Lehman Trio October 9th

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    From Improvised Communications: On Friday, October 9th, New Haven’s Firehouse 12 will present innovative saxophonist / composer Steve Lehman’s only area performance this year as part its fifth annual Fall Jazz Series. Lehman, who grew up in Hartford before earning two degrees at Wesleyan University during studies with Anthony Braxton and Jackie McLean, will be…

  • Coming to the ISSUE Project Room

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    From the ISSUE Project Room: 09/11 @ 8pm – Kenneth Goldsmith sings Roland Barthes with live String Quartet A live String Quartet (Mari Kimura, Dana Lyn, violins; Jessica Pavone, viola; Egil Rostad, cello) will perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and improvisations in the style of Anton Webern while Kenneth Goldsmith sings text by Roland Barthes. Kenneth…

  • Adam Rudolph / Yusef Lateef at Interpretations

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    From New York’s Interpretations: Adam Rudolph / Yusef Lateef: 3 World Premieres Thursday, September 17, 2009 8PM at Roulette 20 Greene Street (between Canal and Grand) The 21st Season of Thomas Buckner’s innovative series of new music begins on September 17, 2009, with a presentation of the longstanding collaboration between saxophonist/composer Yusef Lateef and percussionist/composer…

  • Out on Bo’Weavil Recordings

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    Bo’Weavil Recordings has a new avant-jazz release: NEWtoons by N.E.W. (Noble/Edwards/Ward) N.E.W are the combined improvising talents of Steve Noble (Drums/Percussion), John Edwards (Bass), and Alex Ward (electric guitar). This, the third release for N.E.W, catches them in all their live ferocity, potency and inventive group improvisation, equal measures free improv as avant-rock, these 3…

  • All About Jazz Reviews

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    Cover of The Crucible From All About Jazz: 07-Sep-09 Gutbucket A Modest Proposal (Cuneiform Records) Reviewed by Glenn Astarita 07-Sep-09 John Zorn The Crucible (Tzadik) Reviewed by Mark Corroto 07-Sep-09 Klang Tea Music (AllosDocuments) Reviewed by Lyn Horton 07-Sep-09 Gunter Hampel Vibes Vibes (Vibrafon Solos 2008) (Birth Records) Reviewed by Marc Medwin 05-Sep-09 James Carney…

  • DMG Newsletter September 4th, 2009

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    Gary Burton via last.fm From DMG: Dennis Gonzalez – 2 CDs! Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya! NUTS with Rasul Siddik & Itaru Oki! Eugene Chadbourne & David Sait! Abercrombie/Feldman/Morgan/Baron! Trevor Dunn‘s MadLove! Sax- Ruins! John Tchicai‘s Five Points! NEW: Noble/Edwards/Ward! Ryan Blotnick! Acid Mothers Temple! Kawabata Hot RATllesnakes! Charles Tyler! Gary Burton & Chick Corea complete…

  • PDX Large Ensemble Concert

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    The PDX LARGE ENSEMBLE is a new collaborative effort from a community of Portland area improvising/jazz/avant/noise musicians (Mary Sutton, John Savage, Tim DuRoche, Andrew Oliver, Scott Brazieal, Mary-Sue Tobin, Jonathan Sielaff, Todd Dickerson, Kevin Van Geem, Gregg Skloff, Brandon Conway, J Morales, and many more). The group will feature avant compositions, free improvisation and work…

  • Sonomu Reviews

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    From Sonomu: Simon Whetham, Lightyears (Traceable Echoes) Simon Whetham is a Bristol-based sound artist and composer whose work has previously appeared on labels sensitive to the smallest sounds, like Entr´Acte, Trente Oiseaux and Gruenrekorder. Lightyear is a half-hour excerpt of the soundtrack he created for visual artist Kathryn Thomas´… [read] Posted by Stephen Fruitman at…