Photo: Michael Jackson

Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone and his working quartet KLANG will play hometown gigs tonight at Jerry’s Wicker Park and tomorrow night at The Hideout before heading into the studio on Thursday to record their fourth release, Brooklyn Lines, Chicago Spaces.

The band, which features Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), Jason Roebke (bass) and Tim Daisy (drums), will be presenting all new compositions by Falzone, including pieces commissioned through the 2010 Kickstarter campaign for its previous release, Other Doors (Allos Documents).

Critics have called KLANG’s music “thoughtful and stylish” (Ben Ratliff, New York Times), “so unmistakably right” (Brian Morton, Point of Departure), “adventurous yet accessible” (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com), “distinct, challenging and pleasurable” (Mark Holston, Jazziz) and “an impressive combination of practiced virtuosity and spontaneous creativity” (The New York City Jazz Record).

“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.”

Learn more about James Falzone and KLANG at http://allosmusica.org

Photo: Michael Jackson

Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone and his working quartet KLANG will play two local concerts before heading into the studio at Electrical Audio to record their fourth release, tentatively titled Brooklyn Lines, on February 9th. The band, which features Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), Jason Roebke (bass) and Tim Daisy (drums), will be presenting all new music composed by Falzone, including pieces commissioned through the 2010 Kickstarter campaign for its previous release, Other Doors (Allos Documents).

Tuesday, February 7th at 9:00 p.m.
KLANG
Jerry’s Wicker Park
1938 W. Division Street in Chicago, IL
http://jerryssandwiches.com

Wednesday, February 8th at 9:30 p.m.
KLANG
The Hideout
1354 W. Wabansia Avenue in Chicago, IL
http://www.hideoutchicago.com/event/86769/

Critics have called KLANG’s music “thoughtful and stylish” (Ben Ratliff, New York Times), “so unmistakably right” (Brian Morton, Point of Departure), “adventurous yet accessible” (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com), “distinct, challenging and pleasurable” (Mark Holston, Jazziz) and “an impressive combination of practiced virtuosity and spontaneous creativity” (The New York City Jazz Record). “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.”

Founded in January 2006 as a one-off ensemble for a now defunct local concert series, KLANG has since become one of Chicago’s most recognizable bands. Made up of four of the city’s busiest bandleader/composers, the group has performed music ranging from original compositions to its innovative tribute to fellow Chicagoan and jazz legend Benny Goodman at prominent venues, series and festivals across the Midwest. The success of its 2011 recording, Other Doors, helped earn Falzone a nomination for Clarinetist Of The Year at the Jazz Journalists Awards, as well as profiles in DownBeat and a half dozen other publications this year.

Learn more about James Falzone and KLANG at http://allosmusica.org

Congratulations to our clients on being recognized by the following 2011 polls and year-end lists!

Darcy James Argue

DownBeat Critics’ Poll: Rising Star Composer (#1)

DownBeat Critics’ Poll: Rising Star Big Band (#2)

DownBeat Readers’ Poll: Big Band (#2)

JazzTimes Readers’ Poll: Best Big Band (#3)

100 Composers Under 40
—NPR in conjunction with WQXR 

Top 10 concerts/gigs in Ottawa
—Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen 

Top 10 Concerts Of The Year (Brooklyn Babylon)
—David R. Adler, New York City Jazz Record

Noteworthy Live Shows This Year (Brooklyn Babylon)
—Ralph A. Miriello, Jazz Journalists Association

AUM Fidelity

Darius Jones

Musicians Of The Year
—The New York City Jazz Record

Darius Jones & Matthew Shipp, Cosmic Lieder (AUM066)

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Francis Davis, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Steve Dollar, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Ed Hazell, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Tim Niland, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top Albums For 2011
—S. Victor Aaron, Something Else!

Top 10 New Releases For 2011
—Tim Niland, Music and More 

Top 10 of 2011
—Stanley Zappa, Free Jazz 

Top 30 of 2011
—Andrew Forbes, THIS IS OUR MUSIC.

2011’s Ten Best New Releases
—Alain Drouot, Jazz Journalists Association

Albums of the Year: Honorable Mentions
—The New York City Jazz Record 

Top 10 Concerts of the Year
—Andrey Henkin, The New York City Jazz Record

Farmers By Nature, Out Of This World’s Distortions (AUM067)

Top 5 Albums of 2011
—Kevin Le Gendre, BBC 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—David Fricke, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—John Sharpe, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top Ten New Releases of 2011
—Kevin Le Gendre, Jazzwise 

Top Ten New Releases of 2011
—Daniel Spicer, Jazzwise 

Best New Jazz/Improvised Music Albums of 2011
—Steve Holtje, Culture Catch

Albums of the Year: Honorable Mentions
—The New York City Jazz Record 

Best Releases of 2011
—John Sharpe, AllAboutJazz.com 

David S. Ware/Cooper-Moore/WilliamParker/Muhammad Ali, Planetary Unknown (AUM068)

Jazz & Improv A-Z
—The Wire 

Record Of The Year (#34)
—Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Clifford Allen, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Larry Birnbaum, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Troy Collins, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Steve Dollar, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—David Fricke, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Aiden Levy, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Chris Monsen, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Bret Saunders, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top Ten New Releases of 2011
— Daniel Spicer, Jazzwise 

Top 10 Satisfying CDs of 2011
—Bret Saunders, Denver Post

Top 10 Albums of 2011
—Lawrence Joseph, Montreal Mirror

Best New Jazz/Improvised Music Albums of 2011
—Steve Holtje, Culture Catch

Top 10 of 2011
—Stanley Zappa, Free Jazz 

Best New Releases of 2011
—Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com 

Best New Releases of 2011
—Clifford Allen, Ni Kantu 

Top 10 New Releases For 2011
—Tim Niland, Music and More 

Best of 2011
—Antonio Terzo, Jazz Journalists Association 

Favorite 20 + 3 for 2011
—John Braithwaite, CKUT 90.3 FM

Albums of the Year: Honorable Mentions
—The New York City Jazz Record 

Darius Jones Trio, Big Gurl (AUM069)

Albums of the Year
—The New York City Jazz Record 

Record Of The Year (#19)
—Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Larry Birnbaum, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Troy Collins, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Steve Dollar, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Laurence Donohue-Greene, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Alain Drouot, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Tad Hendrickson, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Lyn Horton, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Chris Monsen, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—John Sharpe, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Jeff Stockton, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top Jazz Albums of 2011
—Shaun Brady, Philadelphia City Paper 

Best New Releases of 2011
—Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com 

Best Releases of 2011
—John Sharpe, AllAboutJazz.com 

Top 10 of 2011
—Guy Peters, Free Jazz 

Top 10 of 2011
—Tony Verstraete, Free Jazz 

Top 10 of 2011
—Lyn Horton, The Paradigm For Beauty

Top 10 New Releases
—Laurence Donohue-Greene, Jazz Journalists Association

Top 10 New Releases
—Shaun Brady, Jazz Journalists Association

Top 10 for 2011
—Tad Hendrickson, Jazz Journalists Association

Best of 2011: New Releases
—Luke Stewart, Jazz Journalists Association

Favorite 20 + 3 for 2011
—John Braithwaite, CKUT 90.3 FM

David S. Ware, Organica (AUM070)

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Larry Birnbaum, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top Jazz Albums of 2011
—Shaun Brady, Philadelphia City Paper 

Best of 2011: Jazz
—Bill Meyer, Dusted 

Best New Jazz/Improvised Music Albums of 2011
—Steve Holtje, Culture Catch

Top 30 of 2011
—Andrew Forbes, THIS IS OUR MUSIC.

Top 10 New Releases
—Shaun Brady, Jazz Journalists Association

James Falzone

DownBeat Critics’ Poll: Rising Star Clarinet (#4)

Great Arts Events I Was At 2011
—Janis Hashe, Chattanooga Pulse

KLANG, Other Doors (Allos Documents)

The year’s best jazz CDs
—Neil Tesser, Examiner.com 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Lyn Horton, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Derek Taylor, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Favorite 20 + 3 for 2011
—John Braithwaite, CKUT 90.3 FM

Albums of the Year: Honorable Mentions
—The New York City Jazz Record

Best of 2011
—Antonio Terzo, Jazz Journalists Association

Top 13 of 2011
—Neil Tesser, Jazz Journalists Association

Mary Halvorson

DownBeat Critics’ Poll: Rising Star Guitar (#1)

Best Guitarist 2011
—Village Voice, Best of New York

100 Composers Under 40
—NPR in conjunction with WQXR 

Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone, Departure Of Reason (Thirsty Ear)

My favorite albums of 2011
—Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader 

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Lyn Horton, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Top Albums for 2011
—Mark Saleski, Something Else!

Top 10 of 2011
—Lyn Horton, The Paradigm For Beauty

Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans, Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear)

Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Alain Drouot, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

2011’s Ten Best New Releases
—Alain Drouot, Jazz Journalists Association

Fay Victor

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

Vocal Releases of the Year
—The New York City Jazz Record 

Best Vocal Album (#6)
—Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Record Of The Year (#40)
—Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Vocal Release of the Year
—John Szwed, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Vocal Release of the Year + Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Laurence Donohue-Greene, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Vocal Release of the Year + Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Ed Hazell, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Vocal Release of the Year + Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Robert Iannapollo, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Vocal Release of the Year + Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Chris Monsen, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Vocal Release of the Year + Top 10 New Releases of 2011
—Derek Taylor, Rhapsody Jazz Critics’ Poll 

Albums of the Year
—Laurence Donohue-Greene, The New York City Jazz Record

Best of 2011
—Derek Taylor, Dusted

Vocal releases of 2011
—John Szwed, Jazz Journalists Association 

Top 10 New Releases + Vocal releases of 2011
—Laurence Donohue-Greene, Jazz Journalists Association 

Top 10 of 2011
—Guy Peters, Free Jazz

Top 10 of 2011
—Stanley Zappa, Free Jazz

Favourites for 2011
—CKUT 90.3 FM 

Favorite 20 + 3 for 2011
—John Braithwaite, CKUT 90.3 FM 

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

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

Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone and his five year-old quartet KLANG, featuring vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Tim Daisy, were featured yesterday on NPR’s All Things Considered.

Their latest record, Other Doors (Allos Documents), was part of a segment about five recent standout releases creatively paying tribute to jazz musicians of the past.

Host Guy Raz, and special guest contributor Patrick Jarenwattananon, blogger at NPR’s A Blog Supreme, point out that, unlike the other four records they discuss, KLANG brings a lot more of its own contemporary sound to the historic material.

“KLANG’s Goodman tribute album is called Other Doors,” Jarenwattananon explains, “it’s in part a nod to the segregation the Goodman quartet faced, and perhaps also a signal that this ain’t music the way Benny Goodman would have played it. (Hello, free improvisation and electrified cello.) It’s a sound of a band paying homage to the past by playing like the present.”

Falzone first paid tribute to fellow Chicago-born clarinetist Benny Goodman during the celebration of the King of Swing’s 100th birthday at the 2009 Chicago Jazz Festival.

Other Doors, released in April, documents the continuation of that original project, which resulted in a new book of music featuring both arrangements of signature Goodman material as well as Falzone originals based on the experience of researching the legendary clarinetist’s life.

“When he finally got around to recording the project for the superb new Other Doors,” writes the Chicago Reader‘s Peter Margasak, “he transformed that swing-era music into something much more personal and contemporary. In the album’s liner notes, he writes that one thing he likes about those small-group records is that ‘personality is as important as notes,’ and the members of KLANG demonstrate similar priorities, especially on Falzone’s new compositions for the project.”

“Simultaneously reverent and progressive,” adds The New York City Jazz Record‘s Jeff Stockton, “Other Doors is an impressive combination of practiced virtuosity and spontaneous creativity.”

Learn more about James Falzone, KLANG and Other Doors at http://allosmusica.org

Photo by Michael Jackson

On Monday, August 8th at 10:00 p.m., The Ratchet Series will present clarinetist/composer James Falzone and his five year-old quartet KLANG, featuring vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Tim Daisy, at Skylark in Chicago.

The group’s set will include the first-ever performances of Falzone’s latest compositions for the band, as well as selections from its two most recent recordings, Tea Music (Allos Documents, 2009) and Other Doors (Allos Documents, 2011).

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.”

This concert, KLANG’s only hometown show of the summer, follows a busy July for Falzone, who will play with four different groups in Chicago before heading to New York for a series of first-time collaborations and the debut of his newest band, James Falzone’s Ground Quartet, featuring New Yorkers Nate Wooley, Dominic Lash and Harris Eisenstadt.

Learn more about James Falzone and his many genre-spanning musical endeavors at http://allosmusica.org

Photo by David C. Sampson

Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone will follow-up a quiet month of composing with a diverse series of concerts in July.

Falzone will perform in Chicago with bassist Dominic Lash, his own Early Music Quartet and dancer JulieAnn Graham before heading to New York for concerts featuring solo and duo performances as well as the first-ever dates with the improvising collective Gowanus, Co. and his new ensemble of New York-based collaborators, James Falzone’s Ground Quartet.

Chicago dates:

Monday, July 11th at 7:00 p.m.
James Falzone & Dominic Lash
Experimental Music Mondays
Myopic Books
1564 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, IL

Wednesday, July 13th at 10:00 p.m.
James Falzone/Jeff Parker/Jeb Bishop/Dominic Lash/Tim Daisy
The Hideout
1354 West Wabansia in Chicago, IL

Tuesday, July 19th at 10:00 p.m.
James Falzone’s Early Music Quartet
feat. Jason Stein, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Frank Rosaly
Relax Attack Jazz Series
The Whistler
2421 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, IL

Wednesday, July 20th at 7:30 p.m.
James Falzone & JulieAnn Graham
Ayako Kato’s Dance Union Series
Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater
3035 N. Hoyne in Chicago, IL

New York dates:

Thursday, July 28th at 8:00 p.m.
Gowanus, Co.
feat. Josh Sinton, Owen Stewart-Robertson, Dominic Lash, James Ilgenfritz, Weasel Walter and others
Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass St. in Brooklyn, NY

Friday, July 29th at 9:00 p.m.
James Falzone & Okkyung Lee + James Falzone’s Ground Quartet
feat. Nate Wooley, Dominic Lash and Harris Eisenstadt
Ibeam
168 7th St. in Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, July 30th at 9:00 p.m.
James Falzone’s Ground Quartet
feat. Nate Wooley, Dominic Lash and Harris Eisenstadt
Cafe Orwell
247 Varet St. in Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, July 31st at 6:00 p.m.
James Falzone’s Sighs Too Deep For Words (solo)
Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe St. in New York, NY

Falzone, a nominee for Clarinetist of the Year at the 2011 Jazz Journalists Associations Jazz Awards, released his latest recording, Other Doors (Allos Documents), on April 26th.

The record, the third with his working quartet KLANG, features a book of original compositions and arrangements of Benny Goodman classics Falzone created following an invitation to perform at the 2009 Chicago Jazz Festival as part of the celebration of the King of Swing’s 100th birthday.

Critics have called it “superb” (Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader), “immensely impressive” (Brian Morton, Point of Departure), “simultaneously reverent and progressive” (Jeff Stockton, The New York City Jazz Record) and “mind expanding and definitely worth your time” (Chuck P, KCRW).

“Falzone brilliantly succeeds in giving his twist to this swing,” adds Monsieur Délire‘s François Couture. “The result is a delightful creative jazz record, with intelligent and thoughtful writing.”

Learn more about James Falzone and his many genre-spanning musical endeavors at http://allosmusica.org

Photo by Michael Jackson

Tonight, at 9:30 p.m., Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone and his acclaimed working quartet KLANG will celebrate the release of their third recording, Other Doors (Allos Documents), with a two-set hometown performance at The Hideout.

The group, which features vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist Jason Roebke (Nate McBride will sub while Roebke’s on tour) and drummer Tim Daisy, will be joined by special guests Josh Berman (cornet), Nick Broste (trombone), Keefe Jackson (tenor saxophone and bass clarinet) and Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello and electronics).

KLANG, sans the special guests, will also play at Sugar Maple in Milwaukee on Friday night at 9:00 p.m.

Other Doors, which officially hit the streets on April 26th, finds Falzone paying tribute to fellow Chicago-born clarinetist Benny Goodman. The record features a book of original compositions and arrangements of Goodman classics Falzone created following an invitation to perform at the 2009 Chicago Jazz Festival as part of the celebration of the King of Swing’s 100th birthday.

“When he finally got around to recording the project for the superb new Other Doors (Allos Documents),” writes the Chicago Reader‘s Peter Margasak, “he transformed that swing-era music into something much more personal and contemporary. In the album’s liner notes, he writes that one thing he likes about those small-group records is that ‘personality is as important as notes,’ and the members of KLANG demonstrate similar priorities, especially on Falzone’s new compositions for the project.”

In his review for Point of Departure, eminent music journalist Brian Morton describes Other Doors as “so unmistakably right,” “immensely impressive” and “music driven along by Falzone’s remarkable, capacious imagination and grasp of group dynamics.”

“The record provides a fresh look at the legacy of a respected icon,” adds AllAboutJazz.com’s Troy Collins. “Falzone’s originals exude a bracing balance between avant-garde invention and spirited traditionalism, with the abstruse angles, dynamic structural shifts and pithy rejoinders of ‘The 4:08′ and ‘Goodman’s Paradox’ serving as cogent examples. Supported by the lively contributions of his sideman, Other Doors easily sidesteps the nostalgic clichés that plague many similar homages by bringing a freewheeling and modernistic vitality to the enduring work of a celebrated innovator.”

Falzone, who was just nominated for a 2011 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award for Clarinetist of the Year, speaks in greater detail about the project in recent interviews with ALARM Magazine, DownBeat (PDF), The Columbia Chronicle and WNUR, as well as in his video for Kickstarter.com, which helped fund the project through individual donations.

Learn more about James Falzone and his many genre-spanning musical endeavors at http://allosmusica.org

Photo by Michael Jackson

Chicago-based clarinetist/composer James Falzone and his acclaimed working quartet KLANG will celebrate the release of their third recording, Other Doors (Allos Documents), with May performances in Chicago and Milwaukee.

Wednesday, May 25th at 9:30 p.m.
The Hideout
1354 West Wabansia in Chicago, IL
http://www.hideoutchicago.com/event/40135/

James Falzone, clarinet
Jason Adasiewicz, vibraphone
Nate McBride, bass
Tim Daisy, drums

with special guests:

Josh Berman, cornet
Nick Broste, trombone
Keefe Jackson, tenor saxophone and bass clarinet
Fred Lonberg-Holm, cello and electronics

Friday, May 27th at 9:00 p.m.
Sugar Maple
441 E. Lincoln Ave. in Milwaukee, WI
http://mysugarmaple.com/events.htm

James Falzone, clarinet
Jason Adasiewicz, vibraphone
Nate McBride, bass
Tim Daisy, drums

Other Doors, which officially hit the streets on April 26th, finds Falzone paying tribute to fellow Chicago-born clarinetist and jazz icon, Benny Goodman. The record features a book of original compositions and arrangements Falzone created following an invitation to perform at the 2009 Chicago Jazz Festival as part of the celebration of Goodman’s 100th birthday.

Critics described KLANG’s set that day as “an exquisite treat” (Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR.org) and “among my personal highlights of the last several festivals: it offered a unique perspective, both respectful and progressive, on a musician whose contributions are often taken for granted” (Neil Tesser, Examiner.com).

Falzone has since added additional music to the project’s repertoire, including reimaginings of Swing Era music closely associated with Goodman such as “AC/DC Current” and “Stompin’ At The Savoy”, and the record’s Falzone-penned title track inspired by an incident at a Southern ballroom in the late 1930s when Goodman bravely defied segregation-era rules.

“While Falzone respected Goodman, his legacy, this particular celebration and the festival itself, he initially thought he was the wrong man for the job,” writes DownBeat‘s Associate Editor Aaron Cohen in the liner notes. “But the more he listened to Goodman’s music and thought about his life, the more fascinated he became. Falzone’s links to Goodman shine throughout the disc: primarily an unquestionable virtuosity on the clarinet, along with a sense of fun to make octave leaps sound not just easy, but joyful.”

“Still,” Cohen continues, “while Goodman led most of his groups through hard driving swing, and others through his commissioning of modern classical compositions, Falzone makes these turns through one group—KLANG— and often during a single tune. What winds up being created from throwing all of this together is Falzone and KLANG’s vision of their current environment.”

“This is neither a swing record nor any attempt to play in the style of Goodman and his cohorts,” Falzone explains. “Rather, Other Doors is an attempt to pay homage to a jazz master by doing what jazz musicians have always done: be open-minded, spontaneous and creative, even while looking back a few generations. I set up the arrangements and created new compositions to allow everyone space to be themselves so that listeners would hear some of the same spirit as in those classic Goodman small-group recordings I love so much where personality is as important as notes.”

In his review for Point of Departure, eminent music journalist Brian Morton describes Other Doors as “so unmistakably right,” “immensely impressive” and “music driven along by Falzone’s remarkable, capacious imagination and grasp of group dynamics.”

“The record provides a fresh look at the legacy of a respected icon,” adds AllAboutJazz.com’s Troy Collins. “Falzone’s originals exude a bracing balance between avant-garde invention and spirited traditionalism, with the abstruse angles, dynamic structural shifts and pithy rejoinders of ‘The 4:08′ and ‘Goodman’s Paradox’ serving as cogent examples. Supported by the lively contributions of his sideman, Other Doors easily sidesteps the nostalgic clichés that plague many similar homage’s by bringing a freewheeling and modernistic vitality to the enduring work of a celebrated innovator.”

Falzone, who was just nominated for a 2011 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award for Clarinetist of the Year, speaks in greater detail about the project in recent interviews with ALARM Magazine, DownBeat (PDF) and The Columbia Chronicle, and an early version of the music can be heard in this September 2009 live performance on Chicago Public Radio’s Eight Forty-Eight.

Learn more about James Falzone and his many genre-spanning musical endeavors at http://allosmusica.org