For Immediate Release
Contact: Mark Christman, Executive Director, 215-805-3376,
markc@op.net
http://www.arsnovaworkshop.com
Ars Nova Workshop presents:
Thursday, April 20 | 8pm
TIM BERNE'S BIG SATAN
with Tim Berne, alto saxophone; Marc Ducret, el. guitar; Tom Rainey, drums
+ ESKELIN/PARKINS/BLACK
with Ellery Eskelin, tenor saxophone; Andrea Parkins, keyboards/electronics; Jim Black, drums
The Cinema (formeraly CineMagic), 3925 Walnut Street
$15 General Admission
On Big Satan's "Souls Saved Hear" (Thirsty Ear):
As Big Satan, Berne, Ducret and Rainey entered the studio assuming a different shape- Souls Saved Hear is a purely collaborative band with no set leader, but with a unified focus that easily shifts gears from fiery to placid, turning complex composed passages into inspired improvisations with a unified and fully-realized sound all their own. Berne's idiosyncratic presence is obvious throughout; Tom Rainey's drums are propulsive and unrelenting. But it's Marc Ducret's guitar which is a truly commanding presence, whether picking out perfectly articulated acoustic melodies in unison with Berne or shredding his guitar into oblivion with impossibly fast, fascinatingly discordant runs smothered in distortion. David Torn, who serves in essence as the fourth member of the band, applies his subtle, perfectionist production touch to transform a brilliant studio performance into a recording of unparalleled magnificence and dimension. Souls Saved Hear does not waste a single note from st
art to finish, compressing a riotous improvising ensemble into a potent but strangely accessible final package.
On Eskelin/Parkins/Black:
Having searched out Andrea Parkins (accordion & keyboards) and Jim Black (drums & percussion) in order to satisfy a "sound he heard in his head" saxophonist and composer Ellery Eskelin debuted this ensemble on March of 1994 in New York City and the band quickly become Eskelin's main working group described as "one of the finest units in progressive jazz" by Downbeat Magazine.
Over twelve years of obsessing over the composition/improvisation paradigm has resulted in over fifty compositions by Eskelin that exploit the band's egalitarian approach to playing and each musician's ability to change musical roles fluidly and with great agility. In a effort to continually open new interactive pathways between the musicians and give each piece a unique form the group has produced a substantial body of music that has been described as "enjoyably organized madness which needs to be heard to be believed." (Signal to Noise magazine).
The group has been recording regularly for the legendary Swiss label hatHUT which itself has been in existence for thirty years having released many classics of jazz and new music. The group's recorded output consists of "Jazz Trash" (1995), "One Great Day..." (1996), "Kulak 29 & 30" (1997), "Five Other Pieces (+2)" (1998), "Ramifications" (1999), "The Secret Museum" (1999), "12 (+1) Imaginary Views" (2001), "Arcanum Moderne" (2002) and "Ten" (2004). The band tours regularly in the US, Canada and Europe having performed hundreds of concerts in all manner of venues from bars to concert halls from major cities to small towns. This work has resulted in critical acclaim from the international music press, a growing fanbase and an increasing influence on younger musicians.
Eskelin has occasionally invited guest artists to participate in special projects including Erik Friedlander (cello), Joe Daley (tuba), Marc Ribot (guitar), Melvin Gibbs (electric bass) and Jessica Constable (voice). Constable, who resides in France, has become a frequent addition to the group on European tours since 2004. In addition to it's recorded output the band has also released a tour diary on DVD titled "On the Road with Ellery Eskelin w/Andrea Parkins & Jim Black" containing music and behind the scenes footage described by citizenjazz.com (France) as "original and daring, full of charm" which further documents the creative process of a group that shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
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Friday, April 14 | 8pm
STEVE LEHMAN QUARTET
with Steve Lehman, alto saxophone; Jonathan Finlayson, trumpet; Tyshawn Sorey, drums; Drew Gress, bass
Community Education Center (CEC), 3500 Lancaster Avenue
$12 General Admission
The Steve Lehman Quartet is a cutting-edge, New York-based ensemble that performs music unlike anything else in the city. Drawing from underground hip-hop, contemporary chamber music and the work of the AACM, Lehman's compositions define a meticulously crafted sound world that is both cerebral and highly spiritual. This performance will feature music from the critically acclaimed Demian as Posthuman (Pi Recordings), which the New York Times describes as "bracing and fiercely imagined." With Steve Lehman, saxophones; Jonathan Finlayson, trumpet; Drew Gress, bass; Tyshawn Sorey, drums.
Biography:
A saxophonist and composer on the cutting-edge of contemporary music, Steve Lehman has been recognized as one of today's truly original creative voices by publications such as The Wire, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and Downbeat Magazine, as well as by National Public Radio. A former student of both Jackie McLean and Anthony Braxton, he has performed and recorded throughout the United States and Europe with his own ensembles, and with those led by Anthony Braxton, Dave Burrell, Mark Dresser, Vijay Iyer, Oliver Lake, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Michelle Rosewoman. An award-winning composer, Lehman's pieces for large orchestra and chamber ensembles have been performed by the Janacek Philharmonic, members of Ensemble 21 and Ensemble Sospeso, and by the pianist Marilyn Nonken. As a Fulbright scholar in France during the 2002-2003 academic year, Lehman was invited to teach a weekly undergraduate course on current trends in improvised music at the Conservatoire National Supér
ieur de Musique de Paris. His recent article in the academic journal Critical Studies in Improvisation, "I Love You with an Asterisk: African-American Experimental Music and the French Jazz Press, 1970-1980" is based on his Fulbright Research. Beginning in the Fall of 2006, Lehman will begin doctoral studies at Columbia University as a departmental fellow in music composition.
Lehman's most recent recordings as a leader include Demian as Posthuman (Pi 2005), featuring Tyshawn Sorey and 9-time Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello, Simulated Progress (Pi 2005) with the collective trio Fieldwork, and Interface (Clean Feed 2004), featuring Mark Dresser and Pheeroan akLaff.
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Thursday, April 6 | 8pm
GOOD FOR COWS
with Devin Hoff, acoustic bass; Ches Smith, drumkit
+ DIJKSTRA/HOLLENBECK DUO
with Jorrit Dijkstra, alto sax/lyricon/analog electronics; John Hollenbeck, drums/percussion/toys
+ KURU KURU PA (formerly Wolf Vs.)
with Dan Scofield, saxophone; Jesse Moynihan, el. guitar/violin; Evan Lipson, el. bass; Julius Masri, drums
Avant Gentlemen's Club, 4028 Filbert Street
$10 General Admission
Linear Mode
