Monday, December 28, 2009

Open Gate Theatre presents: Cosmologic and Pask/McAuley Duo


Open Gate Theatre Presents:

Sunday Evening Concert Series
Sunday January 3, 2010

Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center
2225 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041

7:00 – 10:00pm

$10 General // Students, Seniors, and Series Performers $5

Featuring:

Cosmologic
Jason Robinson - tenor Saxophone
Michael Dessen - trombone
Scott Walton - bass
Nathan Hubbard - drums

Jim McAuley - guitars, various bowed and plucked instruments
Andrew Pask - clarinets, audio processing



About:

Open Gate Theatre was founded in 1982 by Artistic Director Will Salmon. They are dedicated to opening the gates between music, dance, and drama; between cultures; between the unconscious and the conscious; between emotion, mind and spirit. Open Gate is both an ensemble and a creative collective, combining image with sound, voice with movement, and poetics with light; Open Gate strives for a theatre that is both passionate and numinous. Open Gate is a unique approach to theatre; unified in its expression and impulse, diverse in its sources and disciplines. For more information, contact Artistic Director Will Salmon at ogtwills@hotmail.com or 626.795.4989.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Two New Releases From The Empty Cage Quartet


Looks like the Empty Cage Quartet, Saxophonist Jason Mears, trumpeter Kris Tiner, bassist Ivan Johnson and percussionist Paul Kikuchi, (The Wire magazine has called “one of the best things in jazz to emerge in the new millennium.” ) has been extremely busy and they have two new releases out. The first, is a collaboration with the French duo of Aurélien Besnard (clarinets) and Patrice Soletti (guitar) called Take Care of Floating, recently released in Europe on the Rude Awakening label. This was sponosored in part from a Chamber Music America French-American Cultural Exchange grant. Interestingly, the CD has two mixes, one a standard mix and the other optimized for MP3. Take Care of Floating is available now on the Rude Awakening website, and you can listen to an exclusive preview at Last.fm. The album is scheduled for US release shortly.

Next up is Gravity No. 1: Section 4 on Lisbon-based Clean Feed Records. This recording features Kris Tiners first series of Gravity compositions and was recorded in two days at Park West Studio in Brooklyn. The music is comprised of two extended compositions that incorporate improvisational systems based on harmonic palindromes and melodic sequences derived from the cycles of the Mayan calendar.

Both CD's are worth checking out and feature great playing by the quartet.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Frank Macchia CD Release Party at Vitello's Jazz Club

Multi-Grammy nominated musician/composer Frank Macchia has a special one-time event, concert planned for his new CD release "Folk Songs for Jazzers"on Monday, January 11, 2010 from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm

The large ensemble includes a stellar line-up of LA musicians:
Wayne Bergeron, Peter Erskine, Ray Frisby, Grant Geissman, Trey Henry, Alex Iles, Sal Lozano, Valarie King, Jay Mason, Kevin Porter, Tom Ranier, Bill Reichenbach, and Bob Seppard

This is not to be missed!

Vitello's
4349 Tujunga Avenue
Studio City, CA 91604

Mike Watt B-Day concert 12/20/2009 08:00 PM


The Prospector at Long Beach:Birthday Concert for Legendary Mike Watt !

This looks like a great line-up for Watt's B-day show tomorrow night. Not to be missed!

"DOS"-Mike Watt, Kira Rosselor
"Studio Kitchen"-Yuka Honda, Nels Cline
"l.h.o.o.q." -Motoko Honda, Kio Griffith and Joe Berardi


The Prospector
2400 E 7th St
Long Beach, California 90804
http://www.myspace.com/theprospectorlongbeach


Photo by eiko kobayashi

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Brad Dutz Quartet Live@ CYCLEWAY COFFEE


B.Dutz/J.Findley/R.Shaw/J.Dutz (perc/guit/bass/windz)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009
6:30pm - 9:00pm

Cycleway Coffee
5526 monterey rd, 90042 hermon (LOS ANGLES) right off the 110 exit ave 60, near Highland Park/South Pasadena/El Sereno/Montery hills/Montecito Heights

CAFEMODE presents EARTHWORKS 06 : 50 / 50 SHOW w/ music by GE Stinson & Steuart Liebig


This final Earthworks show for 2009 will feature 50 artists with work priced across the board at $50. This is a CASH & CARRY show and the pieces will go home with the buyer. Great opportunity for original holiday gifts !

LIVE PERFORMANCE BY
G.E. STINSON [ guitar + electronics ] + STEUART LIEBIG [ electric bass + electronics ]

curated by
Kio Griffith

opening @ SHOJIN. December 15 @ 8-11pm. 333 S. Alameda St. Suite 310 (3rd Floor) Los Angeles, CA 90013
show runs from December 15 to February 15, 2010 www.cafemode.com

424-785-0303


WORKS BY 50 ARTISTS* + LIVE PERFORMANCE
BY L.A.'S CUTTING EDGE MUSICIANS

EARTHWORKS started as a bi-monthly showcase of original art created by Los Angeles' leading designers / painters / musicians / photographers / fashion designer / illustrators / performers / dancers / actors + professionals from diverse backgrounds. *Current shows include artists from Japan and Europe. The shows' themes are freely interpreted by each artist. The collective experience of fine foods, art and music is open to the public at SHOJIN organic + natural foods restaurant.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Ain Soph Aur 2nd Anniversary Performance Monday Jan 4th


Ain Soph Aur will be celebrating its 2nd anniversary with a performance, hosted by the Long Beach Musicians’ League, at The Puka Bar on Monday, January 4th, 2010. The performance will start at 8 PM and run for two hours. We will be joined on stage by a number of artists, some who have performed with us in the past, and some who will be performing with us for the first time.

Guest artists include David Witham, David Bunoan, Christie Scott, Kirk Pickler, Jeremy Morelock, and Mike Weber.

The Puka Bar
710 West Willow Street
Long Beach, CA
90808
There is no cover, and this is a 21+ venue.

David Witham performed with ASA at the Slow Sound Festival. David Bunoan performed with ASA at their 1 year anniversary show, also held at the Puka. Christie Scott performed with ASA at Jawbone Canyon. Jeremy Morelock performed with ASA at the Threads of a Tonal Dream Tapestry show, held at Koos Art Center. Kirk Pickler and Mike Weber will be performing with ASA for the first time.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Daniel Rosenboom Quartet and Slumgum @ ASTO Museum of Art


This Friday night it looks like another great performance at the ASTO Museum of Art

Daniel Rosenboom Quartet featuring:

Daniel Rosenboom, trumpet and flugelhorn
Brian Walsh, clarinet and bass clarinet
David Tranchina, bass
Trevor Anderies, drums

...and of course one of LA's most compelling jazz groups, Slumgum, featuring:

Jon Armstrong, saxophone
Rory Cowal, piano
David Tranchina, bass
Trevor Anderies, drums

Friday, December 4, 2009
7:30pm - 11:00pm
ASTO Museum of Art
4505 Huntington Dr. South
Los Angeles, CA


Jazz and Improvisational Music Series @ 2nd Street Jazz


This looks like an interesting show @ 2nd Street Jazz
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 8:00pm

HATT/RAZ/GLENNOTHY:
Matty Harris - Tenor Sax
Nathan Phelps - Bass
Tim Carr - Drums

*****************************

The David/Dan Rosenboom Duo:
David Rosenboom - Piano
Dan Rosenboom - Trumpet/Flug
***This is a special one...
Check out some of David's press at:
http://music.calarts.edu/~david/press/press.html
For Dan:
http://www.danielrosenboom.com/press.php

*****************************

What's A Chord Fo(u)r?:
Brandon Sherman - Trumpet
Andrew Conrad - Tenor Sax/Clarinet
Brandon Schmidt - Bass
Colin Woodford - Drums

*****************************

Richard Sears Organ/Guitar Trio:
Richard Sears - Organ
Bravey Cohen - Guitar
Dan Schnelle - Drums


366 E. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA
8pm-12am
$5 Cover, $5 Minimum collected at the door

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Crepuscule Trio @ Museum of Neon Art, Dec. 4th


Crepuscule Trio is: Alan Cook (drums/percussion), Ken Kawamura (saxophone), Anthony Shadduck (contrabass

This amazing trio made up of top notch improvisers and will be performing @ Cryptonights, MONA series on December 4th. They will be supporting their new release on Circumvention Records, not to be missed.

Museum of Neon Art
136 4th Street
Los Angeles CA 90013
Tel: (213) 626-0775
Web: www.neonmona.org
Cover: $10 at the door

From Circumvention site:

Unveil is the result of a three year collaboration by the members of the Crepuscule Trio, saxophonist Ken Kawamura, contrabassist Anthony Shadduck, and drummer/percussionist Alan Cook. This recording marks the group's first full-length recording, as well as their debut on Circumvention Music. Inspired by a wide range of music including, but not limited to, jazz, avantgarde, modern classical music, experimental rock, indigenous world music, and creative spontaneous improvisation, Crepuscule Trio presents ten original pieces with compositional elements as varied as their influences. Each composition features both group and individual improvisational approaches which the trio has developed over their long association. Music made in the moment, but informed by years of study and experience, lies at the heart of the Crepuscule Trio’s first major release.

"...the Crepuscule Trio represents the most fundamental and vital aspects and values of what came to be termed “free jazz” music-making.... Loose, intense, subtle, and swinging, the Crepuscule Trio reminds one that free improvisation stemming from the jazz tradition is a fully relevant form of musical expression." -Alex Cline

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Dead Air Trio @ the Arroyo Arts Collective

Reposted from http://jeremykeller.posterous.com:

Dead Air Trio , with Jeremy Keller-Guitar, Dan Clucas-Trumpet, and Brian Christopherson-Drums, will be performing at the space of artist J Michael Walker as part of the Arroyo Arts Collective's annual self-guided tour, the "Recovery Discovery Tour". Tickets for the whole tour must be purchased, the address of the artist's space will be provided at that time. The Dead Air Trio will perform at approximately 2 PM.

The Arroyo Arts Collective/“The Recovery Discovery Tour”
Starts at the Lummis Home
200 E. Avenue 43
Highland Park CA 90031
9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (length of whole event)
$10 provides access to all artist spaces

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Mike Dubin w/ Michael Fortunato & Friends!


This sounds like a great concert coming up on Saturday w/ a great line-up.

Jazz Concert w/Michael Fortunato & Friends!
Mike Dubin drums, Shea Welsh guitar, Evan Calbi bass, DJ Bonebrake (X) vibes, & Michael Fortunato trumpet! W/special guest vocalist Michelle Coltrane!!!


Saturday, Nov. 21st6:30-9:30pm $10.00 donation.

True Yoga in Thousand Oaks!!!
Wine & Refreshments w/a boutique!

3625 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, #322
Westlake Village, CA 91362


Interviews to come.....

I am going to start holding interviews with musicians based in the Southern California area. I need to start constructing questions and I have a list of people I would like to start with:

Wadada Leo Smith, Vinny Golia, Shin Kawasaki, Ulrich Krieger, Hans Fjellstad, Steuart Liebig, Wayne Peet, GE Stinson, Nels Cline, Mike Watt, Rocco Somazzi, Titus Levi, Jeff Kaiser, Mark Trayle, Jeff Gauthier, David Witham, Bobby Bradford, Michael Sessions, and many, many, more. I would like to interview a lot of the not so well known composers/players as well, but ones who are playing out often and keeping the music fresh. The previous list is just off the top of my head. I would like to dig deeper.

Will start soon maybe have the first up by next month, will have to see how it goes. Need to figure out how to do....I'm a musician not an interviewer. Would like them to be kind of like Anil Prasad's highly successful interviews on his Innerviews site.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Midtones in Chinatown

Link
Midtones is an open event hosted by the great guitarist Shin Kawasaki on the 1st and 3rd wednesdays of the month and is, well...eclectic to say the least. Revolving musicians sit in, as well as rappers, DJ's, poets, dancers, and whatever walks through the door that night. Shin has been hosting this event at the Grand Star in Chinatown for well over a year now and you really never know what is going to happen. I have seen them actually pull the party from the upstairs room because it was way more happening in the Midtones domain.

Also be sure to check out the blue haired funkiness of the alluring and equally creepy, Madeleines

From Midtones site:

"MidTones is an eclectic/experimental open jam that takes place @ Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month. if you play any musical instrument, use devices and machines that make noise, sing, rap, beatbox, write poems, dance, do stand-up, or like to hang out and meet people, have conversation with people, AND you're looking for something that is different, experimental, in the moment, no expectation, no categorization, no limitation (except for the midnight cut-out time) - this is the venue for you.


Shin Kawasaki website


1st and 3rd Wednesdays
9:30PM-12:30AM

Grand Star Jazz Club
943 N. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA

Sarah Ann, Emily Hay, Kat Knockels @ Cafe Muse


Fantastic LA musicians: Sarah Phillips - piano, Emily Hay - flute, & Kat Knockels - bassoon will be performing at Cafe Muse in Hollywood tonight in a improvised set. These three women play at the top of their game and are not to be missed!

Friday, November 13, 2009
10:30pm - 11:45pm
Cafe Muse
6547 Santa Monica Blvd
Hollywood, CA

Thursday, November 12, 2009

OC Creative Music Collective Concert Series: Steuart Liebig/Seconda Parttica Quintet


Seconda Prattica

This exciting, but rarely seen quintet, features bassist Steuart Liebig’s wonderful compositions and is formed by some of the Los Angeles areas greatest players. Seconda Prattica is comprised of LA’s Michael Vlatkovich (trombone), Bill Plake (Tenor Sax), Dan Clucas (Trumpet) and Alex Cline (drums)

and, the crazy part. . . it's FREE!!!

OC Creative Music Collective

Episcopal Church of the Messiah:
614 N. Bush St.
Santa Ana, California 92701

6:30PM

Misuzu Kitazumi @ Max & Co. Nov. 20th

Los Angeles kotoist/pianist, Misuzu Kitazumi will be playing traditional and popular koto music along with improvisation at Max & Co. on Melrose.

Misuzu mixes some traditional koto with contemporary electronica beats and rhythms as well as free improvisation and more. Misuzu has performed with the Improvising Composers United, Motoko Honda, Daren Burns, Famoudou Don Moye, Susie Allen, and many more.

Friday, November 20th
5-8PM

Max & Co.
8422 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323) 297-0165

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Monte Carlo 76 playing the new Gold line opening

Los Angeles based guitarist/composer/improviser, Jeremy Keller is a member of the fantastic band Monte Carlo 76 and they will be playing a free show on Sunday 11/15 for the opening of the brand new Gold Line in East LA.

BIO: Monte Carlo 76 was born in 2003 from the remains of keyboardist Gomez Comes Alive and guitarist Jeremy Keller’s former group Slowrider. Rooted in Chicano soul but inspired by the mellow electronica of Air and Stereolab, their debut album, The Monte Carlo Fantasy (TMCF), was critically acclaimed and garnered them an L.A. Weekly Music Awards nomination as Best Latin Alternative Band.

Much of the material for TMCF came from stories of people and experiences in Gardena, CA. Likewise, Marisela was influenced in part by the time the band spent rehearsing in an East L.A. neighborhood called City Terrace – a barrio so full of characters that stories just wafted in through the alleyway beyond the open doors of their studio. With the combined talents of co-producer Martha Gonzalez and luminous vocalist Marisa Ronstadt (second cousin of Linda), Marisela has a definitive feminine perspective, providing a subtle yet distinct departure from the previous album.

Marisa is a South Phoenix native trained as a mariachi singer with a love for R&B, while Martha is a veteran of the East Los scene as a founding member of seminal band Quetzal. The addition of seasoned producer Quetzal Flores, also of Quetzal, lends the new album a fresh sound. Harmonica player Tex Nakamura (formerly of funk band, WAR) further solidifies the slow and low sound of Monte Carlo 76 without typecasting the band into the oldie but goodie set.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Resbox 2009 Season Finale

ResBox season finale is happening this month on Thurs Nov 19 at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood featuring solo sets by sound artists Steve Roden and Yann Novak, plus synth & blues harp duo Ice Cream debuts with live visuals by Vj Fader... Hope you can join us!

STEVE RODEN
http://inbetweennoise.com

YANN NOVAK
http://yannnovak.com

ICE CREAM (Hans Fjellestad + Amit Itelman) w/ VJ FADER


Thursday, November 19, 8PM
ResBox @ Steve Allen Theater
The Center for Inquiry
4773 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027

$10 at the door or reservations at: (800) 595-4849
more info: (323) 666-4268

all ages + free parking in lot

http://www.steveallentheater.com/resbox
http://www.myspace.com/resboxmusic
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50827566387

ResBox presents an eclectic roster of experimental music luminaries and emerging artists on stage every third Thursday of the month at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood.

Nearing its second year mark, series alumni include Lukas Ligeti, Carl Stone, Z'EV, Soriah, Laetitia Sonami, Tatsuya Nakatani, Vinny Golia, Motoko Honda, Ezra Buchla, Lisle Ellis, Steamboat Switzerland, Leticia Castaneda, David Scott Stone, G.E. Stinson, Jim McAuley, Daedeuls, Baseck, Urban Electronic Music, Kadet Kuhne, Becca Mhalek, among many others.

"The only place in town to tap the really freaky brew." - MetalJazz.com

Video Archive Playlist:
http://youtube.com/view_play_list?p=08919219DEF98018

SCOTT HEUSTIS TRIO @ CYCLEWAY COFFEE

Guitarist, Scott Heustis' trio will bring their exciting sounds to Cycleway Coffee every third Monday night of the month
  • Scott Heustis -guitar
  • Breeze Smith -drums
  • Paul Spence -bass

Next Show is November 16th. Be sure to catch it!

Cycleway Coffee
6:30pm - 9:00pm
5526 MONTEREY RD. HERMON (LA) 90042
(right off the 110 near Highland park/South pasadena/Montecito Heights)

Pasadena Creative Music Series Dance Event

A night of dance and music including fantastic LA artists: Sarah Philips, Rory Cowal, Vinny Golia, Kathy Carbone, Maya Dalinsky, Carmina Escobar, and David Tranchina put on by the Pasadena Creative Music group.

Wednesday November 18th at 7pm
Donald R. Wright Auditorium, Pasadena Central Library
285 E. Walnut St. Pasadena, CA 91101

Improvisers explore different intersections of movement and sound. In duos and as a full ensemble, dancers Kathy Carbone and Maya Dalinsky will collaborate with Vinny Golia (winds), Rory Cowal (piano), and David Tranchina (bass).

Next, Sarah Phillips and Carmina Escobar will present "Yambalaya", a new piece featuring movement, voice, electronics, piano, and sound objects.

For more information visit:
http://pasadenacreativemusic.com

This performance is free.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Stephen Lockwood's 'New Orleans Lowdown' Performance/CD release party

On November 30th, composer Stephen Lockwood has a performance and CD release party of his new jazz suite entitled "New Orleans Lowdown". The piece is a 40 minute jazz suite for 8 piece band and includes top-flight musicians such as: Kim Richmond, Nick Rosen, Harry Scorzo, Ken Rosser, Chris Wabich, Michael Merritt and more. The ensemble will also play new material, and other material from Steve's previous 2 CD's.

November 30th-No Cover - Casual dress/atmosphere
Two Shows: 8PM & 9:30PM
Typhoon
3221 Donald Douglas Loop South • 2nd Floor
Santa Monica, CA - 90405
Tel: 310.390.6565


More info on Steve Lockwood:




New Orleans Lowdown
A Brief Summary
by
Steve Lockwood

New Orleans Lowdown is a six part dance suite intended as a
jazz homage to New Orleans as an American culutral icon. This piece is a
fervent wish that New Orleans find the strength to maintain it’s status as
an international city reflecting the multi-cultural diaspora that is America
and in turn maintain its heritage as a center for all the arts including that
most American of all art forms: jazz. There is another aspect though: the
piece is a study of disaster and the human drama that accompanies it. In
recent years we have seen them; 9/11, the Indonesian tsunami of
December 2004, the Madrid train bombings, and the list goes on. What
happens to us? How do we react? By creating this piece I hope to bring
disaster to the audience on a very human level. I wish to express its terror,
but also, the need for us to respond together to overcome whatever
obstacles lie in our path to our well-being and prosperity as a nation and a
civilization. This includes governments that are for whatever reason unable
to take care of their people. I believe that jazz has the power to convey this
message, especially to these people in New Orleans.

Jazz music best expresses the nature of these people (their “soul”) as
well as their “drama” as survivors and victims of a terrible hurricane. The
songs of the suite open us to the drama itself which centers on the
individual lives and problems of its 3 main characters, their friends, and
their relationship to the city they love. Then something happens that
totally transforms their lives and they discover what is really far more
important then their own problems. The transformation that occurs is
something in all of us; an all consuming desire to survive that is part of the
human story itself. In that way, this piece makes it’s statement for anyone
who has ever suffered any tragedy of this magnitude. That is it’s relevance
and it’s necessity.

I have not written a traditional New Orleans score. Because this
drama takes place during the week of Hurricane Katrina it is
contemporary, and I felt that it should reflect a more contemporary
approach to jazz music. So, the listener/viewer will hear my personal
approach to jazz that will express my love of the music, the city, and the
situation that it’s people face now.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Alan Cook and the Crepuscule Trio CD release/performance in San Diego

Crepuscule Trio, just released "Unveil", their first major release on the Circumvention Music label.

The Crepuscule Trio is:
Alan Cook (drums/percussion), Ken Kawamura (saxophone), Anthony Shadduck (contrabass)

From the circumvention site:

Unveil is the result of a three year collaboration by the members of the Crepuscule Trio, saxophonist Ken Kawamura, contrabassist Anthony Shadduck, and drummer/percussionist Alan Cook. This recording marks the group's first full-length recording, as well as their debut on Circumvention Music. Inspired by a wide range of music including, but not limited to, jazz, avantgarde, modern classical music, experimental rock, indigenous world music, and creative spontaneous improvisation, Crepuscule Trio presents ten original pieces with compositional elements as varied as their influences. Each composition features both group and individual improvisational approaches which the trio has developed over their long association. Music made in the moment, but informed by years of study and experience, lies at the heart of the Crepuscule Trio’s first major release.


They will also be playing at the Kava Lounge in San Diego on Sunday, Nov. 8th, show starts at 7pm and the trio takes the stage around 8pm.

Kava Lounge
2812 Kettner Blvd
San Diego, CA 92101-1223
(619) 543-0933

Alan Cook, Steuart Liebig, and Dan Clucas @ Cycleway Coffee Nov. 4th


@ Cycleway Coffee, the new improv hotspot, the trio: Alan Cook, Steuart Leibig and Dan Clucas will perform in a no-holds barred go for broke improvisational free for all this coming Wednesday, Nov. 4th, at 6:30pm.

Not to be missed!

Cycleway Coffee
5526 Monterey Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90042-4920
(323) 256-0200

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

STEVE LEHMAN WEST COAST TOUR --- MUSIC FOR SOLO SAXOPHONE & LIVE ELECTRONICS


NY saxophonist, Steve Lehman will be presenting his most recent music for solo saxophone and live electronics along the West Coast next week -- SoCal dates include UC Irvine and The Mandrake in Los Angeles.


Wednesday, November 4 at 8PM --- IRVINE
UC Irvine --- Music & Media Building
WEB: http://tinyurl.com/yjvdv8t

Thursday, November 5 at 8PM --- LOS ANGELES
The Mandrake Bar - Los Angeles, CA
2692 South La Cienega Boulevard
WEB: http://www.mandrakebar.com

Other Recent News...

NPR Review of The New Steve Lehman Octet CD:
WEB: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113119890

New Music Box Profile of Steve Lehman:
http://newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=6154

Monday, October 26, 2009

Performance: Motoko Honda @ Asian American Jazz Festival

From Motoko: "I have an exciting performance coming this Saturday, Oct. 31st. 3:30-4:30pm at Cafe Metropol in downtown LA. This is the part of the three day long Asian American Jazz Festival. And I have a jazz trio collaborating with Japanese Koto and Japanese-Flamenco Dance. Drummer Bert Karl also incorporate his rhythm section with Latin beats. I will start out from a little solo piece improvisation based on the old Japanese Music (Minyoh) from where I am from-then the pieces continue to mix the ideas of East-West. What's this sounds gonna be ??? How Japanese-Flamenco Dance looks like what does it mean !? (Dancer Midori Makino is professionally trained both in Japanese traditional dance and Flamenco)."

Motoko Honda-Piano and Prepared piano
Bert Karl-Drums
Anthony Shadduck-Bass
Misuzu Kitazumi-Koto
Midori Makino-Japanese/Flamenco dance

Oct. 31st, 3:30-4:30PM
Cafe Metropol
923 E. 3rd st. Los Angelese, CA 90013

Ticket is $22 for all day entry into festival

BUY TICKET ONLINE and FOR MORE INFORMATION
http://www.asianamericanjazzfestival.com/ticketing.html

Performance: Cryptonight @ MONA Presents: Daren Burns' Onibaba

Daren Burns' ONIBABA performs post Jazz/Rock explorations featuring:

Ulrich Krieger (Lou Reed, Lee Ranaldo, Andrew W.K., Merzbow) - Woodwinds
Daren Burns (Vinny Golia, John Drumbo French, Wadada Leo Smith)- Fretless Bass
George McMullen (Tom Waits, Vinny Golia, Stevie Wonder)- Trombone
Eric Klerks
(The Magic Band, John Drumbo French)- Guitar
Craig Bunch
(John Drumbo French, Vinny Golia, The Magic Band)- Drumset
Kio Griffith - Live Video

INFO:

Daren Burns, fretted and fretless electric bass player, composer, and improviser has been playing and composing music for over twenty years. Much of his musical interest lies in the area of improvisation and how to make new systems for developing improvisation in new ways. In the last few years he has also become interested in Indian rhythmic and melodic systems.

His ensemble, Onibaba exists between composition and improvisation and is described as being somewhere between the light and the dark, the ethereal and the earthly - Creative Music. Created by Daren Burns in 2006, the band synthesizes its sound by using elements of the Chicago avant-garde, jazz, rock, world, techno, noise, and classical, to create a new type of fusion that is definitely not the smooth, funky jazz of the 80's and 90's, but a new living music.

In live performance, the band is also committed to the use of live video images to expand the ensemble from sound to sight. The video doesn't act as a narrative or as a background, but as a sixth element and contributor to the performance.

Museum of Neon Art
136 4th Street
Los Angeles CA 90013
Tel: (213) 626-0775
Web: www.neonmona.org
Cover: $10 at the door

Onibaba website

Urban Nerds Website

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Performance: Michael Vlatkovich All Stars w/ Mark Weber

Great performance happening tomorrow night:

Date:
Monday, October 26, 2009
Time:
8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:
South Pasadena Music Center (Blue Monday series)
Street:
1509 Mission St.

Description

You really don't want to miss this. Vlatkovich performances with groups of this size are rare these days, but the music and ensemble are superb.

The cast of characters includes:
Mark Weber- Main Man
M. Vlatkovich-trombone
W. Roper-tuba
V. Golia-woodwinds
A. Pask-clarinet
B. Plake-tenor sax
H. Scorzo-violin
A.Mautner-cello
T. McNalley-guitar
A. Swanson- bass
C.Garcia-drums

Michael and Bill Roper are going to open the event with a brief duo performance (also Michaels music) and then the big group hits.. See you there!

New Release: Wadada Leo Smith - Spiritual Dimensions


Wadada Leo Smith
- Spiritual Dimensions on Cuneiform Records

This is a new 2-CD release featuring Wadada's Golden Quintet on disc one (w/ Vijay Ayer-Piano/Synth, John Lindberg-Bass, Pheeroan Aklaff & Don Moye-Drums) and his group Organic on disc two (Michael Gregory-guitar, Brandon Ross-guitar, Nels Cline-guitar, Okyung Lee-cello, Skuli Sverrisson-Bass, John Lindberg-Bass, and Peeroan Aklaff-drums. Organic also has a guest appearance by Lamar Smith, Wadada's grandson, on two tracks.

Both CD's are taken from live shows, Golden Quintet @ Vision XIII in NYC and Organic @ Firehouse in New Haven, CT

This is a must have release. Both groups show unique facets of Wadada's music and the varied ensembles highlight the depth of his compositions. The track that I am thinking of specifically is "South Central L.A. Kulture". The track is played by both ensembles back to back (last track on 1st CD and 1st track on 2nd CD) and it is striking hear the similarities and uniqueness of each version, being thet came from the same material.

While contemporary trumpeters are spouting the merits of "really" getting inside Broadway musicals to understand standards better (seriously?) and hosting marginal events at Lincoln Center, Wadada is busy paving fresh, new ground for the trumpet, the ensemble, improvisation, and music.

Buy it.

Performance: ISFAR SARABSKI TRIO : OCTOBER 30, 2009 @ 8PM

Angel City Jazz Festival +
Cafemode.com +
Adrienne Tripp present

ISFAR SARABSKI TRIO
FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2009 @ 8PM

ISFAR SARABSKI - piano
GREG SWILLER - bass
ERIC KLASS - drums

BARNSDALL ART PARK
4800 HOLLYWOOD BLVD. LOS ANGELES, CA 90027

GENERAL ADMISSION: $20 $15 w/Student ID

ONLINE TICKET PURCHASE:

B U Y T I C K E T S


Young jazz pianist Isfar Sarabski, this years winner of the piano competition at the 43rd Montreux International Jazz Festival, is giving his first public concert in the U.S. on October 30th at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Los Angeles with a jazz trio.

Not yet 20, the young pianist from Azerbaijan won the Public Prize (audience award), and also won first place from the judges at Montreux (shared with Georgian Beka Gochiashvili), for a piece of his own composition, Novruz (New Year). Beyond mere talent, Isfar displays a musical and emotional depth which belies his youth. "The lively and emotional performance of Isfar was impossible to ignore; he played with great technique and revealed his deep understanding of the music." Jazz World Magazine, on Sarabskis performance at the Baku Jazz Festival 2006, which also featured jazz legends Al Jarreau and Herbie Hancock. Sarabskis favorite performers who have inspired him to compose are Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Vagif Mustafazadeh, the mythical Azerbaijani jazz pioneer who fused jazz with the highly-evolved, emotion-based, traditional yet improvisational Azeri musical forms and modes called mugam, a complex, spiritual form of conscious art which developed and survived in the Caucasus for over 3,000 years. Given Sarabskis rich cultural influences, solid training and early love of jazz... the musical depth of his choices - initially a pleasant surprise - awakens, sobers, then delights as it ultimately connects us in a shared truth.

The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the biggest and most prestigious jazz events in Europe. It is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva and attracts an audience of more than 200,000 people. Founded in 1967, some highlights of the festivals early days were Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Evans, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald. This year about 1,000 musicians took part in the renowned competition, which lasted 2 weeks.
In addition to winning at Montreux, Isfar Sarabski, born November 2, 1989, has also performed at the Baku Caspian Jazz and Blues Festival several times, the Silda Jazz International Jazz Festival in Norway as well as the International Jazz Festival in Russia, all before reaching the ripe old age of 20.

ISFAR SARABSKI on YOUTUBE

ANGEL CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL

CAFEMODE

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Welcome to the Creative Music in Southern California Blog

There are so many talented and creative musicians in Southern CA that get little to no recognition locally, not to mention nationally. I wish to shed some light on a geographic, musical area where artists are turning out a huge body of quality work and in turn, they are not getting the same kind of attention that their counterparts in other parts of the country and world seem to enjoy.

I hope this blog will start to change that and that it will become a valuable resource to the fans and artists of the much neglected SoCal Creative Music scene by promoting individual artists, their upcoming performances, and new CD releases.

If you are an artist, please send me your gig info, CD release info, and what have you, so that we can try and build a more coherent scene and get some much needed recognition for the SoCal Creative Music.