Two new releases: Architecture/Battery from Trio Various, with Tracy McMullen (soprano and tenor saxophones), Rich West (drumset), and myself. A live gig plus a studio track. There may be an album of studio stuff eventually. We did this band for a few months in 2012 while Tracy had a postdoc at USC, and we each wrote for it. This is a band camp pay-what-you-want release, because it’s a slightly scruffy Zoom recording. I did minimal editing and mastering; I’m no wizard. If the studio stuff resurfaces that might be a real release…
The other thing is the video of the last show I did before the lockdown: March 6 at ArtShare-LA with The Present Quartet (Ellen Burr, Anne LeBaron, Charles Sharp, and myself). This was our first outing playing compositions. It’s short, because we were part of a sort-of Downtown arts revue. Hope you dig it…
It’s probably also safe to order this new book I contributed to:
I may be able to prepare an online release or two during this hiatus, and I’m trying to do some meaningful practice, to finally apply some of what Mark Helias tried to teach me here:
This is also an opportunity to relax and slow down for a month or two. Hope to see you all soon.
Some of my friends have taken to claiming the entire month of their birth for festivities. I tend to load mine up with even more action than usual, because one source of creativity is resistance to our mortality. Good times. Anyway, here’s the schedule:
Feb. 23: playing Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane, Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, and Arthur Blythe with the Cal State Fullerton Improvisation Ensemble at SunSpace. 8PM. $TBD.
Feb. 27: co-presenting Thomas Kotcheff, who will play and discuss excerpts from Frederic Rzewski‘s “Songs of Insurrection” as a preview of his Pianospheres show. Soundwaves new music series. Santa Monica Public Library. 7:30PM. Free.
The “Thirdsday” third-Thursday residency I share with Ellen Burr at the Industry Cafe & Jazz is also ongoing. In January we will be joined by guitarist Cristian Amigo and drummer Brock Avery. In February we will have violinist Kathleen Kim, guitarist Jim McAuley, and drummer Alex Cline. Both of those shows will be free improvisation. Ellen will be away in March, so I am bringing in my power trio Disclaimer, with Charles Sharp added on reeds. We will probably do one set of tunes and one of free improvisation.
Charles and I have a bunch of other projects coming up. I’ll be joining the Cal State Fullerton Improvisation Ensemble he leads at SunSpace Feb. 23 and he and I will be joining Lisa Mezzacappa and the Yves Charuest/Lisle Ellis/Peter Valsamis trio for an evening of mix & match improvising at the Industry Cafe Feb. 25. I’m also going to join the Fullerton Improvisation Ensemble for their set at the Fullerton New Music Festival Feb. 29.
We’re also both in the Jack Curtis Dubowsky Ensemble, playing live scores to silent films. Feb. 22, at the unlikely time of 10AM, we are doing Nosferatu at the famous Vista Theater.
The Present Quartet, which is Ellen, Charles, Anne LeBaron, and myself, is also playing at that festival. We are also doing a short set at ArtShare-LA Mar. 6, which will be the first time we play any sort of composed or pre-structured music.
I am also very excited about two events I’m organizing as part of Braxton75, marking the 75th birthday of Anthony Braxton, one of my biggest musical heroes. On May 3 The Decisive Instant, a large ensemble Charles and I co-lead, will play selections from the classic Creative Orchestra Music 1976 album at the Open Gate concert series in Eagle Rock. Then, on June 4, Braxton’s actual 75th birthday, The Present Quartet will play a set of his music on the Soundwaves series I run at the Santa Monica Public Library.
That series is starting its fifth year tonight, and I continue to be very proud about the performers I am able to present. If you are in West LA you really ought to come.
So, lots of action, and there’s more in development, including some writing and talking gigs. Hope to see you there!
Here’s the breakdown by band:
1 Collaborations with Ellen Burr 7
2 The Red Cars 6
3 The Present Quartet 4
3 Vicente Chamber Orchestra 4
4 Santa Monica Symphony 3
5 Jack Curtis Dubowsky Ensemble 2
5 Jonathon Grasse 2
5 Lisa Mezzacappa Bass Choir 2
5 The Decisive Instant 2
6 Scott Heustis 1
6 Andrew Raffo Dewar 1
6 MESTO 1
6 Philip Foster 1
6 Nick Mazzoli 1
6 Sonic Open Orchestra 1
6 my own quintet 1
6 Elliott Levin 1
6 SASSAS 1
6 Karen Borca 1
6 Ken Field 1
By venue:
1 The Industry Cafe and Jazz 8
2 Battery Books & Music 4
3 First Presbyterian Church 3
3 SaMo High 3
4 The Wine Bar 2
4 private parties 2
4 Augsburg College 2
5 The Frida 1
5 The Art Theater 1
5 Downey Theater 1
5 CSUDH 1
5 Coaxial 1
5 KFJC 1
5 Indigo House 1
5 Art Share-LA 1
5 Eagle Rock Center for the Arts 1
5 Sun Space 1
5 Civic Center Studios 1
5 Cinema Bar 1
5 CALB 1
5 Cafe NELA 1
5 Broad Stage 1
5 Culver City ArtWalk 1
5 Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook 1
5 Brooklyn College 1
and by drummer:
1 Paul Pellegrin 5
1 Richard Hynd 5
2 Keith Larsen 2
2 Garth Powell 2
2 Devin Pruden 2
3 Brian Christopherson 1
3 Peter Valsamis 1
3 Andre Martinez 1
3 Eric Paull 1
That’s 36% free improvisation, 19% classical, 19% jazz, 14% rock, 10% structured improvisation, and 2% Arabic music, but good luck classifying most of this stuff…
I also gave three conference presentations, organized 24 concerts and a symposium, and worked full-time for The Man. There’s a book chapter and a book review in press, but I don’t think I should count them until I see copies.
I don’t know why, but October always seems to be packed. Orchestra season has resumed, school is back in session, and Halloween is good for a fun show or two. So, here’s what I have pending:
Oct. 13: SASSASExquisite Corpse at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Also outdoors in Culver City, but very different. This will be a large-scale structured improvisation involving artists from SASSAS’ 20 years of presenting experimental music. Word is this will be their final presentation as well.
Oct. 17: Thirdsday with Ellen Burr. Pre-Halloween Scareophonic Spooktacular. 8PM. Industry Cafe & Jazz. Culver City. Free. Ellen and I have the third Thursday at this low-key Ethiopian restaurant. For October we are spotlighting singer/violinist/guitarist Rebecca Lynn in two sets of Halloween-themed standards, movie & TV themes, rock, pop, etc. We will endeavor to give eclecticism a bad name.
So, that’s two shows in Santa Monica, three in Culver City, and one in New York. Two classical, two pop, two avant-garde. Everything is free admission except the Vicente Chamber Orchestra. Hope to see you there!
First, the 2019-2020 season of the Soundwaves New Music series I run at the Santa Monica Public Library is underway, and everything is just about set through next June. Here’s what’s coming up:
Aug. 21: Bobby Bradford Sextet (w/ Vinny Golia, William Roper, Don Preston, Dave Tranchina, & Tina Raymond)
Not a bad lineup. All shows are free admission and start at 7:30, except for the Oct. 1 show, which starts at 7.
I also have lots of gigs on the way. I’ll just tell you about August right now.
On the 9th the great Oakland bassist/composer Lisa Mezzacappa and I are organizing an improvising bass ensemble for a show at Sunspace. We expect nine players, who work in jazz, classical, rock, and country music and all share the language of free improvisation. 8pm. $10.
On the 10th I’m playing a set of contemporary composed music downtown with the Sonic Open Orchestra, including Gavin Bryars’ “The Sinking of the Titanic” and Michael Gordon’s “Weather One.”
The 15th is the third Thursday, which is Ellen Burr and my shared residency at the Industry Cafe & Jazz in Culver City. This month we will be joined by Jeff Gauthier & Maggie Parkins for two sets of free improvisation. Also free as in no cover, but please buy food & drinks. 8pm.
My rock band The Red Cars plays the Cinema Bar in Culver City on the 20th. 9pm. We’ll be followed by T.J. Troy’s Run Downhill and The Wrinkling Brothers (Joe Dean & George Hurley). No cover, so buy lots of drinks. The Red Cars is singer/songwriter Adam Snyder, formerly of Mercury Rev, backed by drummer Richard Hynd (from Scottish popstars Texas), and myself.
Finally, on the 25th, The Decisive Instant, an experimental big band I co-lead with Charles Sharp, will be at the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach at 6pm. 737 Pine St. $10. Come at 4 for two other great acts.
And here are some recent recordings.
Charles Sharp, Michael Intriere, and I contributed to a compilation of sonic interpretations of Dorit Cypis’ art installation “Close Your Eyes if You Want to See,” now free here.
and The Decisive Instant played July 7 at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts:
and The Decisive Instant played July 7 at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts: