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Mario Pavone Orange Double Tenor On NPR’s JazzSet

(January 10, 2012)

Photo: Steven Laschever

The current episode of NPR’s JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater features veteran bassist Mario Pavone and his Orange Double Tenor ensemble performing live at the 2010 Litchfield Jazz Festival.

This performance showcases music from Pavone’s latest Playscape Recordings release, Arc Suite T/Pi T/Po, which documents a suite of original compositions made possible with support from Chamber Music America’s 2009 New Jazz Works: Commissioning and Ensemble Development program, funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Orange Double Tenor features saxophonists Jimmy Greene and Tony Malaby, trumpeter Dave Ballou, pianist Peter Madsen and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

Learn more about Mario Pavone at http://mariopavone.com

Trio M To Celebrate Its New Release With California Tour Dates

(December 29, 2011)

Photo: Cory Warner

This February, pianist Myra Melford, bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Matt Wilson will celebrate the release of The Guest House (Enja/Yellowbird), their second recording as Trio M, with California performances at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla (2/2), the Jazz Bakery Series at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles (2/3) and Yoshi’s in San Francisco (2/6).

The record, which officially hits the streets earlier that week, features compositions by all three musicians, including pieces inspired by such diverse muses as the poetry of Rumi and Al-Jawahiri, the prose of Yvonne Vera, the comedy of Don Knotts and the music of Albert Ayler. Also included are selections written for the band’s 2010 collaboration with chef Paul Canales and a benefit concert for The Relay For Life, which celebrates lives affected by cancer.

“This is not your average piano-trio by a long shot,” declares the San Diego Reader‘s Robert Bush in his review of The Guest House. “Together, the trio manages to nail the traditional expectations while shattering the boundaries of convention. Beginning with the Melford-penned title track, there is an instant surge of joy in this music. The Guest House is terrific stuff, and the production-values are top notch all the way, from the crystalline sound to the superior artwork and graphics.”

Founded in early 2006, Trio M brings together three of the most respected veteran musicians in jazz and improvised music. The New York City Jazz Record‘s Laurence Donohue-Greene writes, “The exploratory Trio M…continues to turn out one mesmerizing set after another, revealing their deep empathy while equally balancing composition with improvisation. Each member is readily equipped to do anything at any given moment, from soloing to laying out to changing tempo, the three moving as one, always.”

Critics have called the group “always exploratory and collaborative” (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen), “one of those rare units that can be both wildly creative and surprisingly user-friendly” (Alexander Varty, Georgia Straight) and “not only one of the most virtuosic playing today, but one of the most consistently engrossing” (Derk Richardson, The Absolute Sound). “Melford, Dresser and Wilson know no bounds on their instruments and don’t give a hang about boundaries,” adds JazzTimes reviewer Carlo Wolff, “theirs is improvisation so empathetic, they seem of one mind.”

Learn more about Trio M at http://myramarkmatt.tumblr.com

Tonight: Mary Halvorson’s Reverse Blue At Cornelia Street Café

(December 20, 2011)

Photo: Amani Willett

Tonight at 8:30 p.m., guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson will perform with her new quartet, Reverse Blue, at Cornelia Street Café in New York.

The group, which began its life back in February as a fully improvised one-off collaboration at Search And Restore’s Spontaneous Construction series at The Blue Note, features Chris Speed (saxophone and clarinet), Eivind Opsvik (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums).

“We had so much fun improvising,” she explains, “I thought I’d put together a band and actually write some music for it, just to try out something different.”

Ms. Halvorson, whose latest recording with violist Jessica Pavone, Departure Of Reason (Thirsty Ear), hit the streets in November, won the Rising Star Guitar category in the latest DownBeat Critics Poll and was recently named New York’s Best Guitarist 2011 by the Village Voice.

Critics have called her “the most future-seeking guitarist working right now” (Lars Gotrich, NPR.org), “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise” (Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal) and “a bandleader whose composition skills rival her brilliantly unorthodox instrumental technique” (Time Out New York).

Learn more about Mary Halvorson at http://maryhalvorson.com

Mary Halvorson Kicks Off December With The Ingrid Laubrock Octet

(December 8, 2011)

Photo: Amani Willett

Tonight, Mary Halvorson kicks off a busy December with the first of three European tour dates with the Ingrid Laubrock Octet.

The group, which also features Tom Arthurs (trumpet), Ted Reichman (accordion), Liam Noble (piano), Ben Davis (cello), Drew Gress (bass) and Tom Rainey (drums), will perform at Club w71 (Niederstetten, Germany) tonight, Tollhaus (Karlsruhe, Germany) tomorrow night, and Rote Fabrik (Zurich, Switzerland) on Saturday.

Sunday night, Ms. Halvorson will be back in New York to perform at The Stone with Matt Mitchell‘s Central Chain.

The rest of the month, which also includes the official debut of her new quartet, Reverse Blue, featuring Chris Speed (saxophone and clarinet), Eivind Opsvik (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums), is as follows.

12/14 :: Ingrid Laubrock’s Anti-House @ Barbès (Brooklyn, NY)
12/15 :: Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up @ Jazz Gallery (New York, NY)
12/17 :: Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet @ Jazz Gallery (New York, NY)
12/20 :: Mary Halvorson’s Reverse Blue @ Cornelia Street Café (New York, NY)
12/23 :: Jim Hobbs’ Aych + Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet @ Outpost 186 (Cambridge, MA)
12/30 :: Tom Rainey Trio @ Cornelia Street Café (New York, NY)

Learn more about Mary Halvorson at http://maryhalvorson.com

Michael Musillami Trio + 4 At The Hotchkiss School January 13th

(December 8, 2011)

On Friday, January 13th at 7:00 p.m., veteran jazz guitarist and composer Michael Musillami will celebrate the forthcoming release of his latest record, Mettle (Playscape Recordings), with a free concert at The Hotchkiss School‘s Esther Eastman Music Center in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Musillami, who directs the Hotchkiss Jazz Ensemble (aka Right Brain Logic), will perform with his new septet, the Michael Musillami Trio + 4, an augmented version of his longstanding trio with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller that’s celebrating its 10th anniversary as a working unit in 2012. They’ll be joined by special guests Russ Johnson (trumpet), Ned Rothenberg (alto saxophone and clarinet), Jeff Lederer (tenor saxophone and clarinet) and Peter Madsen (piano).

The group will play selections from Mettle, which officially hits the streets on February 7th, as well as other original material specially arranged for this combination of musicians. That includes a new piece called “Of The Brave”, which Right Brain Logic performed at their concert in early December under Musillami’s direction. Saxophonist Charles Tokarz, who also teaches at Hotchkiss, will join Musillami’s group for the composition’s official debut.

“Musillami creates music that ignores category and boundary and moves ahead fearlessly,” writes the Hartford Courant‘s Owen McNally. Critics have called him “exceptional” (Grego Applegate Edwards, Cadence), “engaging” (Jim Macnie, Village Voice), “a modern-day jazz master” (Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal) and “a fine composer of notable original music” (Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic.com).

DownBeat reviewer Lloyd Sachs adds, “Musillami is one of the most accessible thinking-man’s guitarists. Whether he’s waxing lyrical with his richly resonant sound and sculpted lines or charging into the open field with springing and vaulting rhythmic patterns, there is a soulful immediacy to his playing. His mind’s eye is as good as his ear.”

Musillami’s career spans more than 25 years and includes extensive work as a performer, bandleader/composer and educator. In addition to his trio, which has performed across Europe and North America since 2002, he has earned international acclaim as the leader of groups ranging from duo to octet. When not performing or teaching at The Hotchkiss School, he is the manager of Playscape Recordings, the highly regarded independent record label he founded in 1999.

Learn more at http://michaelmusillami.com and http://playscape-recordings.com

James Falzone’s KLANG To Play Two Chicago Gigs On Sunday

(December 2, 2011)

Photo by Michael Jackson

On Sunday, December 4th, Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone will perform two hometown gigs with his working quartet, KLANG, featuring vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Tim Daisy.

The group will premiere a new book of original music it plans to record next year for the follow-up to its latest release, Other Doors (Allos Documents).

At 4:00 p.m., the band will perform at the Old Town School of Folk Music before heading across town to Hungry Brain for a 10:00 p.m. double-bill with drummer Frank Rosaly’s sextet, Cicada Music, which also features Falzone, Adasiewicz and Roebke.

Critics have called KLANG’s music “immensely impressive” (Brian Morton, Point of Departure), “thoughtful and stylish” (Ben Ratliff, New York Times), “adventurous yet accessible” (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com) and “distinct, challenging and pleasurable” (Mark Holston, Jazziz).

“The level of rapport is extraordinary,” adds Cadence reviewer Stuart Kremsky, “and the malleability of each player’s role in the ensemble provides a broader range of instrumental color than you might expect. Great stuff, with more to discover in the music each time around.”

Falzone, who had a very fruitful year that included the release of two recordings, a Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards nomination for Clarinetist Of The Year and profiles in DownBeat among other publications, will close out 2011 with a December 14th performance at the 914 New Music Festival featuring his other working ensemble, James Falzone’s Allos Musica Trio.

Learn more about James Falzone and his many musical activities at http://allosmusica.org

Little Women’s East Coast Tour Begins Tonight

(December 1, 2011)

Foto Bauer SAALFELDEN

This week, the Brooklyn-based quartet Little Women hits the road for performances in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.

“Who knows why music smacks you upside the head and demands that you listen,” writes the Chicago Tribune‘s Kevin Williams, “but Little Women—saxophonists Travis Laplante and Darius Jones, guitarist Andrew Smiley and drummer Jason Nazary—make that kind of music. Genre? Little Women don’t really have one. You can take a punk friend, a jazz friend and a metal friend, and all will be thrilled that you took them to the show.”

Reviewers of the band’s latest release, Throat (AUM Fidelity), noted its “fearsome precision” (Hank Shteamer, Time Out New York), “aggressive and tremendously exciting sound” (Tim Niland, Music And More), and “stark juxtaposition of a range of genres, including free jazz, metal, folk, noise and prog” (John Sharpe, AllAboutJazz.com).

“Little Women don’t play fusion,” adds Exclaim!‘s David Dacks, “they make jazz and rock scream at each other. The collision infects the wandering but communicative spirit of the best free jazz with metal’s sonic range.”

It’s Year-End List Time

(November 17, 2011)

Another year is almost in the books, which means it’s time for critics and fans alike to start compiling their best-releases-of-the-year lists.

For your reference, here’s a list of our clients’ 2011 recordings.

AUM Fidelity

Darius Jones & Matthew Shipp, Cosmic Lieder
Farmers By Nature, Out Of This World’s Distortions
David S. Ware/Cooper-Moore/William Parker/Muhammad Ali, Planetary Unknown
Darius Jones Trio, Big Gurl (Smell My Dream)
David S. Ware, Organica (solo saxophones, volume 2)

James Falzone

KLANG, Other Doors (Allos Documents)

Mary Halvorson

Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans, Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear)
Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone, Departure of Reason (Thirsty Ear)
Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet, Apparent Distance (Firehouse 12 Records)
The Thirteenth Assembly, Station Direct (Important Records)

Eric Hofbauer

Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band, LEVEL (Creative Nation Music)

Playscape Recordings

Ted Rosenthal Trio, Out Of This World

Fay Victor

Other Dimensions In Music Featuring Fay Victor, Kaiso Stories (Silkheart)

More news about 2012 releases coming soon!

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Returns To Jazz Gallery January 6-7th

(November 17, 2011)

Photo: James Daniel

On Friday, January 6th and Saturday, January 7th, Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece big band Secret Society will perform at Jazz Gallery in New York.

This two-night stand, coinciding with the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference, will feature sets at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $10 for Jazz Gallery members and can be purchased online in advance or at the door (subject to availability). Free tickets are available to conference badge-holders who make reservations in advance at info@jazzgallery.org

Secret Society’s first club dates since May, these concerts directly follow its widely acclaimed November performances of the multimedia extravaganza Brooklyn Babylon in collaboration with graphic artist Danijel Zezelj at Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of the 2011 Next Wave Festival. Learn more in this video preview.

Reviewers called the innovative project “a true audio-visual treat” (Mia Drane-Maury, Beyond Race) and “a fully staged, fully integrated sight-and-sound performance” (Peter Matthews, Feast Of Music), and noted its “visual splendor and musical majesty of the type not often experienced” (Ralph A. Miriello, Huffington Post) and “originality, power, and beauty that left an audience slack-jawed” (David Krasnow, WNYC’s Studio 360).

“Expanding his sonic palette as never before,” added The Wall Street Journal‘s Tad Hendrickson in his preview feature, “Mr. Argue consciously integrated music from different cultures of Brooklyn for the multimedia piece by adding elements of Balkan brass, French café music and even marching-band music.”

At Jazz Gallery, Secret Society will perform selections from the Brooklyn Babylon score as well as other as-yet-unrecorded pieces in addition to selections from its GRAMMY® nominated debut, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records).

Learn more about Darcy James Argue and Secret Society at http://www.secretsocietymusic.org

Mary Halvorson’s Reverse Blue at Cornelia Street Café December 20th

(November 15, 2011)

Photo: Amani Willett

On Tuesday, December 20th at 8:30 p.m., guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson will perform with her new quartet, Reverse Blue, at Cornelia Street Café in New York.

The group, which began its life back in February as a fully improvised one-off collaboration at Search And Restore’s Spontaneous Construction series at The Blue Note, features Chris Speed (saxophone and clarinet), Eivind Opsvik (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums).

“We had so much fun improvising,” she explains, “I thought I’d put together a band and actually write some music for it, just to try out something different.”

Ms. Halvorson, whose fourth recording with violist Jessica Pavone, Departure Of Reason (Thirsty Ear), hits the streets today, won the Rising Star Guitar category in the latest DownBeat Critics Poll and was recently named New York’s Best Guitarist 2011 by the Village Voice.

Critics have called her “the most future-seeking guitarist working right now” (Lars Gotrich, NPR.org), “one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise” (Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal) and “a bandleader whose composition skills rival her brilliantly unorthodox instrumental technique” (Time Out New York).

Learn more about Mary Halvorson at http://maryhalvorson.com