Monday, March 1st
Sound of the Brush presents
Bill Horist's "Lyric/Suite" CD release party
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave at E Union, 8:30 pm, donation requested.
"Guitarist Bill Horist will be celebrating the release of his latest solo effort, "Lyric/Suite", at Polestar Music Gallery. "Lyric/Suite", on San Diego label Accretions, is Bill's first solo release since "Songs from the Nerve Wheel"(Unit Circle Rekkids) in 2001. The music was developed at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta Canada as a live score to University of Calgary choreographer Davida Monk's "Lyric". The solo guitar score, conceived in the month-long residency in 2002, stands on its own as an example of development in Bill's unusual approach as well as an integral part of the live performance of the ensemble piece. "Horist's dynamic musical score showcases his virtuosity and sensitivity with thirteen pieces ranging from ambient soundscapes to frenetic loop-based constructions, lush chordal sweeps to percussive prepared guitar" In addition to a live performance, a short promotional video of the work will be presented so attendees can get a sense of the integration of music and movement."Quake: The Adams Family
Seattle, Recital Hall at Benaroya, 3rd & Union, 7:30 pm, $12-$22.
"New music ensemble performs William O. Smith's Five Portraits, Paul Dresher's Channels Passing, John Adams' Road Movies, John Luther Adams' Make Prayers to the Raven and a world premiere by Meade Crane."
Tuesday, March 2nd
Avram Fefer & Mike Bisio
Seattle, The Swingside Cafe, 4212 Fremont Ave North, 7pm, free.
"Organic Jazz meets Great Food!! Originals, Covers, Improvisations, & Groove with Avram Fefer (saxophones, clarinet) and Michael Bisio (acoustic bass, ecstatic dance)."
Wednesday, March 3rd
Cognitive Dissidents presents
Mold / Greg Sinibaldi
Seattle, Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 8 pm, donation requested, all ages.
"Mold is a young Seattle duo exploring the meeting of free jazz performance practices with the sound world of early electronic composition and tape music. It is performed on two Arp Odyssey analog synthesizers, and is freely improvised with a few minimal pre-determined guidelines. The results range from ambient soundscapes to all out noise assaults, slowly unfolding tonal melodies or the random clicks and bleeps of computer dialectic. Mold consists of long time collaborators Eric Yates and Cornish composition student Matthew Carlson. Saxaphonist, improviser and composer, Greg Sinibaldi, will perform a rare solo electonics set."
Friday, March 5th
Bruce Freedman Quartet
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue (at East Union), 8 pm, $7, all ages.
"Saxophonist Bruce Freedman has been playing in Vancouver and across Canada, the USA, and Europe since 1973. Influenced by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Lyons, and others of that era, his music is always intense, fresh, and from the heart. His trio features the solid foundations of Vancouver's modern jazz milieu, bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Stan Taylor. The trio's music is a mix of collective improvisation and written themes used as springboards, "running free through trackless terrain yet never sounding lost, aimless, or dispirited." (Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun). The group has a chemistry that really works, making the music uncontrived and full of feeling. This is a band that swings and takes it "out there" with the best of them, and we're pleased to present them for the first time at Polestar."
Saturday, March 6th
Open Music Workshop presents
OMW workshop #1
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue (at East Union), 2-4 pm, $25, all ages.
"First in a series of monthly workshops on small group improvisation and concepts - designed for musicians recently beginning their exploration of improvisation. These workshops will be led by two musicians drawn from a roster of active Seattle improvisors."Rich Halley Trio
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue (at East Union), 8 pm, $7, all ages.
"Modern jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist Rich Halley makes his Polestar debut with an excellent trio featuring Vancouver stalwart bassist Clyde Reed and dynamite drummer Dave Storrs . These accomplished players are very rarely heard in Seattle, so come on out to catch some of the best modern jazz going in the Pacific Northwest. Rich describes the show: "At Polestar we'll play original compositions combined with free improvisation. Every show we play is a bit different, but you can expect a combination of melodies, sounds, colors, textures, grooves from swing to African to funk/hip-hop, vocalizations, and whatever general craziness strikes us at the time."
Monday, March 8th
Open Music Workshop presents
Sound of the Brush Mark Ostrowski, John Ewing (percussion duo)
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave at E Union, 8:30 pm, donation requested.
"Mark Ostrowski and John Ewing from the Monktail Creative Music Concern will perform a set of percussion duos. Sparks will surely fly tonight! As usual, the last set of the evening will feature spontaneous music combining featured performers and interested audience members."
Tuesday March 9th
PK/Bill Horist/Kevin Sawka Trio + guest
Seattle, Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, 429b Eastlake Ave, 9 pm, 21+.
"Expect electronic infused bedlam at this unusual grouping of fine musicians. PK and Sawka should be no strangers to the city's vibrant groove scene. Tonight they team up with Bill and a special surprise guest! Come see mysteries revealed when worlds collide!"
Nonsequitur & Polestar present
Viv Corringham (solo) & with Steve Barsotti & Tari Nelson-Zagar
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue (at East Union), 8 pm, $8, all ages.
"London-based vocal improvisor Viv Corringham has been exploring the possibilities of her instrument for twenty years, and we're very pleased to present her in Polestar's excellent listening space for acoustic improvisation. After a solo set, she'll be joined by instrument inventor and sound artist Steve Bartsotti and violinist Tari Nelson-Zagar. Here's how Viv describes her work and this appearance: "I think of the voice as the most basic and flexible of instruments, always available to be used. I am interested in using the whole range of sounds that the voice can make, including some not necessarily considered 'musical'. Improvisation is my chosen musical form, described by guitarist Derek Bailey as a 'celebration of the moment.' "Central to my improvisation is listening - to my own and other musicians' sounds and to the sound of the environment. Much of my work occurs outdoors, on soundwalks in which I sing and engage with my surroundings, but even in a performance space I feel that I am still improvising with the soundscape. For this performance, Polestar's soundscape will be enhanced by bringing in sounds from the neighborhood via microphones on the rooftop and otheroutdoor locations. I enjoy collaborations and have worked with many other musicians as well as performance artists, dancers, painters and sound poets. I look forward to improvising with Seattle players Steve and Tari. There is an exciting creative edge to performances by musicians who are getting to know each other as they play."Transpacific w/ Kuma, Mercir, grafitti61
Seattle, Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave N, 8:30 pm, $5 / $3 members , all ages w/21+ bar.
"Transatlantic Iceflow started in 2001 as a meeting of Robert Henson (guitar) and Stuart McLeod (drums) who were playing in the experimental group SIL2K and Kevin Goldsmith (bass) who performs as Intonaromori. We wanted to take our ideas in the experimental scene and apply it to rock music, in particular the influence of the minimalists Part, Gorecki, Glass and Reich. What started as an ambient rock band began to get louder and heavier until we added fellow experimentalist Carl Farrow (guitar) of inBOIL infamy. To paraphrase the Rev. Stacey Lester: "Transpacific is like looking into the sky and you see this tiny twirling, flashing thing that's very shiny and pretty, and then you see that it's growing larger and larger, and you realize it's coming right for you, you jump out of the way, and it crashes into the ground, leaving a smoking crater in the earth, then you notice that the shiny twirly object is back in the sky, pretty and sparkly as ever."
Friday, March 12th
Sonority presents
Binareality: An Evening of Electroacoustic Music with Bret Battey, William "Pete" Moss, and Jeth Rollins Odom
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue (at East Union), 8 pm, $7, all ages.
"More than just bleeps and bloops, good electronic music can be a truly enlightening experience, right alongside a god-like guitar solo or a soprano's high note. Tonight's program will focus on works by accomplished Seattle composers Bret Battey, William "Pete" Moss, and Jeth Rollins Odom - all in their Polestar debuts. A variety of approaches to composition will be presented, from the composing of basic sound materials themselves using programming languages, to the hacking of unsuspecting programs to bring forth unintended musicality. Admission will include a copy of Jeth Rollins Odom's CD The Absence of Theory. A portion of tonight's proceeds will support Odom's upcoming appearance at an international festival of electroacoustic music."
Sunday, March 14th
Open Music Workshop presents
Prizefighter!
Seattle, Capitol Hill Arts Center, 1621 12th Ave, 8:30 pm "Three sets featuring: Andrew Lafkas - solo contrabass, May Mahala - presents "Diving" - a short, satiric, and postmodern play that investigates the legacy of colonization through the eyes of three explorers: El Capitan, The Flying Dutchman, and Racine. For the Seattle production, these characters will be portrayed through the use of found objects and puppetry techniques, Eveline Muller-Graf - solo assorted percussion! plus a late show beginning at 11pm: Thee Shoes."
Monday, March 15th
Open Music Workshop presents
Sound of the Brush Andrew Lafkas with Tom Swafford, Gust Burns, Jason Goessl, Cristin Miller
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave at E Union, 8:30 pm, donation requested.
"Celebrate the Ides with Minneapolis musician Andrew Lafkas, who explores the nearly infinite sonic possibilities of the contrabass. He will be joined by Seattle players Gust Burns (piano), Adam Diller (reeds), Jason Goessl (guitar), Cristin Miller (voice) and Tom Swafford (violin). As usual, the second set will be open to audience members to join with the featured performers in the creation of spontaneous duos, trios and quartets."
Wednesday, March 17th
Cognitive Dissidents presents
Wally Shoup / Bill Horist duo
Seattle, Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 8 pm, donation requested, all ages.
"Having performed together many times in larger ensembles such as the alnaughty Ghidra, Shoup and Horist take this rare opportunity to air a dialogue the two have been engaged in privately for years."
Thursday, March 18th
HUNG A Suspended Concerto for Audience
Seattle, Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave N, 8 pm,$5/$3 ConWorks members, all ages w/ 21+ bar.
"Consolidated Works is proud to present HUNG - A Suspended Concerto for Audience, composed by Seattle School. This work was written by Seattle School - composers Ben Houge, Mike Min and Korby Sears - specifically for Consolidated Works' current "Suspension" series. HUNG - A Suspended Concerto for Audience incorporates the skills and talents of its attendees to create the auditory information for the piece. This one movement, 45-minute work uses an additive framework to compose its sonic poitrait. Seattle School was established in 2002 as a performance group interested in exploring sound and music, primarily in terms of spatial relations, memory, deep time / wide incidence, calculus, communication / notation, failure, and inquiries into the definitions of tone, language, and audience. The roster of participants changes per performance, depending on the orchestration of individual pieces."Rik Wright's Zen Tornado
Seattle, Norm's Eatery & Alehouse, 460 N. 36th St, 8:30 pm, free
"Rik Wright has dedicated himself to blending and twisting jazz, rock and folk. Rik Wright's Zen Tornado is a modern jazz quintet with varied compositions that utilize alto and baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet, violin, guitar, double bass and drums."
Friday, March 19th
The Haters, John Wiese, Noggin, BPO
Seattle, Lo Fi, 429B Eastlake Ave E, 9pm, $ 8, 21+.
"(si-ke-del-ik) vol.1 release party! featuring The Haters - 25th Anniversary LIVE special performance! John Wiese - crazy LA laptop genius, Noggin - playing electric this night, and Broken Penis Orchestra - a montage of sounds."Jason Mears, Paul Kikuchi & Miyuki Kobayashi, Michael Bisio
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue (at East Union), 8 pm, $7, all ages.
"The collaboration between dancer Miyuki Kobayashi and improvisor, composer,saxophonist, and clarinetist Jason Mears serves as a platform to explore the dynamics of improvisation within predetermined structures. Drawing from a variety of inspirations including Butoh dance, Gagaku music, various African dances and musics, and modern dance and new music, they have synthesized a diverse and extraordinary language. This series of performances is designed to include a different performer on a different instrument in each of the cities that they are traveling, creating a unique setting for both the performers and the audience. The structure of these performances will be formulated from each performer's deep reflection on written text that vividly describes various images. The guest performer for the duo's Seattle appearance is Los Angeles percussionist Paul Kikuchi, who hails from the Puget Sound region. For the second set, Jason and Paul will be joined by world-class Seattle bassist Michael Bisio for further exploration of the fertile reed-bass-drums improvising territory."Composer/Choreographer 7
Seattle, Velocity MainSpace Theater, 915 E Pine, 8pm, $15 general admission / at the door, $12 w/ reservation, $10 students & seniors.
"Composer/Choreographer is a forum designed to serve as a catalyst in the emergence of new dialogues between dance and music. Within this forum the composer and the choreographer explore strategies, possibilities and relationships in an exciting and balanced collaborative process that creates opportunities for making fresh and vital new work. An outstanding and diverse group of Seattle artists combine forces to create new collaborative works in Composer/Choreographer 7. We will present five new works created by the following collaborative teams (alphabetical by composer): Gust Burns (composer) with Maureen Whiting (choreographer), Zeke Keeble/locust (composer) with Amy OıNeal/locust (choreographer), Bill Moyer (composer) with Laura Curry (choreographer), Jovino Santos Neto (composer) with Pablo Cornejo/Locate (choreographer), and John Silverman (composer) with Allison Van Dyck (choreographer)."intimate stage presents
Tadashi Endo with Tom Swafford & Nathan Levine
Seattle, intimate stage, 2353 N 64th St, 8 pm, $10 general / $7 students and seniors.
"Tadashi Endo developed his very special dance-style, which appears like a walk on the tightrope between eastern and western culture and between the arts Theatre, Performance and Dance. He calls it Butoh-MA. His repertory includes Noh theatre, Kabuki and Butoh, as well as the traditional forms of Occidental theatre. Tonights show will be in collaboration with local improv chamber music group Volute, which for this special performance will feature Tom Swafford (violin) & Nathan Levine (double bass). Dinner will be served after the performance. Reservations recommended. 206-526-5756."
Saturday, March 20th
Greg Campbell
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Avenue (at East Union), 8 pm, $6, all ages.
"Polestar is honored to present a special solo evening with the inventive, versatile Seattle percussionist Greg Campbell. This reserved, soft-spoken musician's musician has been for many years the first call for both local and traveling players, which is why he has appeared on our stage more than any other performing artist - yet never solo until now. Here's how Greg describes his plans for the evening: "Inspired by solo improvisors from James P. Johnson to Jonathan Winters, this show will lean in the direction of unaccompanied performances by the venerable Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), in which all sounds and rhythms are created equal, and preplanned structure and spontaneous composition operate cooperatively. Instruments will include drums, percussion, mallet and radio keyboards, and--if the French don't object too strenuously--French horn. This presentation is dedicated to longtime Art Ensemble of Chicago / AACM bassist Malachi Favors Maghoustut, recently reassigned to another sphere."Composer/Choreographer 7
Seattle, Velocity MainSpace Theater, 915 E Pine, 8pm, $15 ga/at the door, $12 w/ reservation, $10 students & seniors.
(see description 3/19 above)Special Ops
Seattle, 2nd Avenue Pizza, 2015 2nd Ave, 8 pm, $3, all ages.
"Special Ops heads back down to its favorite venue, 2nd Ave Pizza for our friend and Monster Defiance pioneer Jody and his birthday party."intimate stage presents
Tadashi Endo with Nathan Levine
Seattle, intimate stage, 2353 N 64th St, 8 pm, $10 general / $7 students and seniors.
"Tadashi Endo developed his very special dance-style, which appears like a walk on the tightrope between eastern and western culture and between the arts Theatre, Performance and Dance. He calls it Butoh-MA. His repertory includes Noh theatre, Kabuki and Butoh, as well as the traditional forms of Occidental theatre. Tonights show will be in collaboration with double bassist Nathan Levine. Dinner will be served after the performance. Reservations recommended. 206-526-5756."
Composer/Choreographer 7
Seattle, Velocity MainSpace Theater, 915 E Pine, 8pm, $15 ga/at the door, $12 w/ reservation, $10 students & seniors.
(see description 3/19 above)Open Music Workshop presents
Prospettiva Plural XII - 88 keys x 3
Seattle, CoCA, 408 Dexter Ave N, 4 pm, $8/$5CoCA members, all ages.
"Featuring 3 30-minute solo piano performances by: Paul Plimley, Robin Holcomb, and Marc Seales. Prospettiva Plural is a monthly series of music that presents diverse perspectives and approaches to performing on a single given instrument at each concert. Practitioners of improvised and composed music working from jazz, new music, and improvised music backgrounds are billed alongside each other, encouraging a dialogue between these areas of music-making. Prospettiva Plural takes place every third Sunday at CoCA and is sponsored by CoCA, Earshot Jazz and is made possible by funding from the City of Seattle office of Arts & Cultural Affairs."
Monday, March 22nd
Open Music Workshop presents
Sound of the Brush Leif Erik-Sundstrom
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave at E Union, 8:30 pm, donation requested.
"We are thrilled to be hosted by Polestar Music Gallery this month as we search for a new location for our Monday night series. This week features the sublime Leif Erik-Sundstrom (percussion) hailing from the fair city of Portland. As usual, the final set of the evening will feature spontaneous groupings of musicians, mixing audience members with featured performers."
Friday, March 26th
Open Music Workshop presents
BNSF / The Wally Shoup Trio
Seattle, CoCA, 410 Dexter Ave N, 8 pm, $7/$6 CoCA members, all ages.
"This March, Open Music Workshop will present it's first annual 'OMW presents' festival, a festival primarily focused on showcasing groups that have formed partly due to the efforts of Open Music Workshop. A full festival pass may be purchased for $15. OMW Presents is made possible by The City of Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, CoCA, and OMW."Wally Shoup Trio "Wally moved to Seattle in 1985 and became a central figure in the improvisational world. He performed with the New Art Orchestra, Catabatics and took part in the 1st Seattle Improvised Music Festival. Since that time, he has helped guide that festival to its present-day status as the longest running improvisation festival in America."
BNSF Adam Diller (saxophone, drums) Jason E Anderson (guitar/electronics) Matt Crane (percussion) "Inspired by natural cycles of texture and repetition, BNSF creates music with an organic momentum. Building music from the melodic noise and poly rhythms of industrial activity, BNSF exists between aleatory structure and song form, music and noise."
The Seattle Composers' Salon
Seattle, Soundbridge Seattle Symphony Music Discovery Center, Located in Benaroya Hall, corner of Union Street and 2nd Avenue, 8 pm, $5 suggested donation.
"The Seattle Composers' Salon is a semi-monthly, informal presentation of new music by Seattle composers. The salon features finished works, previews and works-in-progress, and brings together composers, performers and audience members in a casual setting that allows for discussion and experimentation. March Composers will include Tom Baker, Colt Valenti, Doug Palmer, Keith Eisenbrey, and Rick Bidlack."
Saturday, March 27th
Open Music Workshop presents
Switch / Humph
Seattle, CoCA, 410 Dexter Ave N, 8 pm, $7/$6 CoCA members, all ages.
"This March, Open Music Workshop will present it's first annual 'OMW presents' festival, a festival primarily focused on showcasing groups that have formed partly due to the efforts of Open Music Workshop. A full festival pass may be purchased for $15. OMW Presents is made possible by The City of Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, CoCA, and OMW."switch - Gregory Reynolds (saxophone) Gust Burns (piano) Cristin Miller (vocals) Annie Lewandowski (accordion) Angelina Baldoz (trumpet) Jason Anderson (guitar/electronics) "Switch builds experimental musical spaces from electronic and acoustic sound. Consisting of six members, three women and three men, Switch uses loosely structured compositions that provide the group's musical direction, while drawing on each individual's own musical creativity. This approach allows for the development stimulating sound worlds that are ever-changing, always shifting, yet adhere to a common focus. The outcome is often dynamic, repetitive and minimal musics that vary in mood, length, and density."
Humph - Doug Haning (piano) Adam Diller (saxophone) Tim DuRoche (drums) "For Humph the music of Thelonious Monk is the source for endless musical puns. Assembling medleys from a selection of more than forty of Monkıs compositions, letıs call this ugly beauty coming on the hudson round about midnight. "
Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble
Seattle, St. James Cathedral, 804 9th Ave, 8 pm, $18 in advance, $20 at the door, students and seniors pay as able.
"Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble presents: ³Miserere.² This concert for the Lenten season highlights four rarely-performed choral masterworks: Josef Rheinbergerıs lyrical and moving ³Passionsgesang² for choir and organ; Ralph Vaughan-Williamsı mystical setting of ³O vos omnes;" Ildebrando Pizzattiıs ecstatic ³De Profundis;" and an encore performance of Rudi Tası ³Miserere." Also featured in this concert, Mendelssohnıs ³Mittenwir im Leben sind,² George Schumannıs ³Herr, erhore meine Worte,² Herbert Howellsı ³O salutaris hostia,² as well as music from Latvia and Sweden. Loren Ponten conducts. Featured along with Opus 7 will be Cathedral Organist Joseph Adam,Cathedral Mezzo-Soprano Soloist Kathryn Weld, and cellist Page Smith."Baby / Bill Horist
Bellingham, Stuart's Coffee House, address unknown, 7pm, all ages.
"Baby, featuring folks from the mighty fine Degenerate Art Ensemble, offer their latest post-pre rock addled amalgams to fair Bellingham. Bill, who opens with a solo set, hasn't played in Bellingham in years and hopes the Humdinger House is still happening. Well, is it?"
Sunday, March 28th
Open Music Workshop presents
Ficus Trio / Eveline's Klang Quintet
Seattle, CoCA, 410 Dexter Ave N, 8 pm, $7/$6 CoCA members, all ages.
"This March, Open Music Workshop will present it's first annual 'OMW presents' festival, a festival primarily focused on showcasing groups that have formed partly due to the efforts of Open Music Workshop. A full festival pass may be purchased for $15. OMW Presents is made possible by The City of Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, CoCA, and OMW."Ficus Trio Gust Burns (piano) Gregory Reynolds (alto saxophone) Greg Campbell (drum set) "Intoxicating, sublime.... Ficus."
Eveline's Klang Quintet Eveline Mueller-Graf (metal percussion) Bob Rees (vibraphone) Stuart McLeod (vibraphone, electronics) James Drage (electronics) "Fantastic metallic poetry... Klang."
Monday, March 29th
Sound of the Brush presented by Open Music Workshop Dalton Davis, Gust Burns, Wally Shoup
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at E Union), 8:30 pm, donation, all ages.
"Gust Burns (piano), Wally Shoup (sax) & Dalton Davis (drums) join forces to paint pointillistic, Miro-laced sound pictures. As always, we'll open up the last set of the evening for audience members to join the featured performers in small group improvisations."
Wednesday, March 31st
Eric Ostrowski and Mike Marlin
Seattle, Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 8 pm, donation requested, all ages
Mike Marlin and Noggin's Eric Ostrowski perform deranged and strange duets for banjo and violin.
Every Thursday
Monktail Creative Music Concern
Seattle, Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 8 pm, free, all ages.
"The Monktail Creative Music Concern is collective of composers, musicians and artists who thrive on the atypical and exigent; the real weirdo stuff. The folks involved get together under different aliases contingent on their predilection within any situation that permits them to exist. Groups range from 2 to 10 players generally, and have free improvisation/spontaneous composition as their underlying principle. Curating these specialized ensembles presents the group members with the unique opportunity to improvise in many different contexts as a performance of one particular unit organically mutates into another, offering the listener the unparalleled, or at least amusing, experience of live, acoustic, sonic gymnastic hallucinations."Through April 4th
Suspension: Sonic Absorption
Seattle, ConWorks, 500 Boren Ave N, Thurs-Fri 4 pm-8 pm Sat-Sun 1 pm-8 pm, $5 suggested donation.
"Sound installations by Perri Lynch, Steven Vitiello, and 10 others. The works transport the viewer into unexpected aural landscapes from familiar observed surroundings."Through Apr 25th
Christian Marclay
Seattle, Seattle Art Museum Special Exhibition Gallery, 100 University St, hours: TuesdaySunday: 10 am5 pm and Thursday: 10 am9 pm, $7 suggested admission, free on March 4 and April 1.
"The relationship of sound, vision, music, art, and performance is the focus of Christian Marclay. This exhibition, an in-depth retrospective of the innovative artist and musician, follows Marclay's work from 1980 to the present and will be on view in SAM's Gates Gallery on the Second Floor. Organized by the UCLA Hammer Museum, the exhibition comprises over sixty works including Tape Fall (1989), the glass piece Drumsticks (2000), The Beatles (1989), and Recycled Records (1980-1986).Born in 1955 in California and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, Marclay studied sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and at Cooper Union in New York. The range of Marclay's work encompasses musical compositions, sculpture, collage, multimedia installations and photography. As a musician, he was one of the first to use records and turntables as a medium for performance and improvisation [notwithstanding the proto-disco DJs of the early 1970s, the work of Pierre Henry and Pierre Shaeffer in the late 1940s, or the regrettably undocumented vinyl explorations of Paul Hindemith and Ernest Toch in the late 1920s - Ed.]. Marclay has also recorded extensively with musicians including the Kronos Quartet, Sonic Youth, Butch Morris, Arto Lindsay, John Zorn, and Fred Frith.
A central part of the exhibition is the critically acclaimed Video Quartet (2002). This large, four-screen DVD projection joins hundreds of old Hollywood film excerpts that feature actors and musicians making sound or playing instruments. The result is both a moving visual collage and a musical composition evoking hip-hop riffs, John Cage, and appropriation art."