The Wally Shoup Trio with Jessica Lurie
Seattle, Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave, 9 pm, $6, 21+.
"The first-ever meeting of altoists' Lurie and Shoup will set the stage for an evening of duos, trios and quartet that should burn - from warm glows to raging bonfires. Bob Rees and PK stoke the fires that rage in the saxophonics."
Friday, June 4th
Non Grata
Chehalis, Matrix Coffeehouse, 434 NW Prindle St, 8 pm, $5, all ages.
"Monktail¹s Big Band, Non Grata, hits the road for a quick whirlwind tour of the Pacific Northwest."
Saturday, June 5th
Concert in Memory of Matthew Sperry
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8 PM - 1 AM, $5, Doors 7:45, ARRIVE EARLY (and stay late ...)
"Join a special gathering of Seattle creative musicians to celebrate the life and artistry of Matthew Sperry, whose special and influential life was cut short last June 5 when he was hit by a truck as he rode his bicycle to work from his home in Oakland, California. An improvising and composing double bassist, concert organizer, and all-around vital presence in Seattle adventurous music for many years, Matt had moved to Oakland in 1999 with his partner Stacia Biltekoff. He is survived by Stacia and their daughter, Lila Simone, who was born after their move to Oakland.This memorial concert is organized by Seattle trombonist and UW Professor Emeritus Stuart Dempster. It features Stuart, Tom Baker, dancer Sheri Cohen, Christian Asplund (now teaching at BYU), Wally Shoup, Ian Rashkin, Lori Goldston, Susie Kozawa, Greg Campbell, David Knott, and many others with connections to Matt. At midnight we'll tune in KEXP 90.3 FM to listen to a Sonarchy broadcast (engineered by Doug Haire of Jack Straw Productions), which will feature David Knott conducting a large ensemble in works dedicated to Matt's memory. Your $5 at the door will help pay for the refreshments we'll provide for the evening."
Sunday June 6th
The Acoustic Reign Project
Seattle, St. Therese Parish, 3416 E Marion St, 7 pm, $10 Suggested Donation, all ages, all denominations.
"On Sunday June 6th the Acoustic Reign Project will be performing at a benefit concert for St. Therese Parish to help with their homelessness project, school, and other community based programs. Described by Cadence Magazine as ³brooding free-jazzŠabsorbing and engaging collective music making of the first order,² the musicians that will be performing are bassist Michael Bisio, trumpeter Jim Knodle, saxophonist Brian Kent, and drummer/percussionist Jack Gold. The show starts at 7:00 PM and there is a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds will be donated to St. Therese. The address to St. Therese Parish is 3416 E Marion Street. It is in Seattle¹s Madrona area two blocks southeast of the Hi-Spot Cafe off of East Union."E-cow
Bellingham, Old Main Theater, Western Washington University, 5 pm, free.
"Electroacoustic music and video by WWU composers. In addition to fixed media pieces the show includes works for dancer-controlled video,violin and tape, and electronic bicycle wheel and computer."Earshot Jazz presents
Erik Frielander
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at E Union) 8 pm, $12, all ages.
"Of Masada String Trio & Bar Kokhba fame, Erik Friedlander will perform wide-ranging solo cello improvisations inspired by Le Comte de Lautreamont's (aka Isidore Ducasse, 1846-1870) beautifully twisted poetry from Le Chants de Maldoror, the preeminent influence on the Surrealists of the 20th Century. This also describes Friedlander's latest recording, "Maldoror", released in 2003 by the Brassland label."
Monday, June 7th
Sound of the Underbrush presents
Bennington Special Quartet
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8:30 pm, donation, all ages. "Bennington's music is firmly rooted in the jazz tradition but takes the music out into unexpected realms. Haning and Bennington work together frequently in Portland. Haning has been a mainstay in Portland's jazz community for many years, having released 20 recordings, his most recent release, Prime Numbers, is a fantastic, energetic live set featuring Swiss bassist Jonas Tauber."
Jim Knodle (trumpet) Doug Haning (piano) Michael Bisio (contrabass) Jimmy Bennington (drums)
Wednesday, June 9th
MTKJ Quartet / Gust Burns & Friends
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8 pm, $7, all ages.
"The MTKJ Quartet {Jason Mears (saxophones/clarinet) Kris Tiner (trumpets/flugelhorn) Paul Kikuchi (drumset/percussion) Ivan Johnson (double bass)} has been blazing trails across the West Coast creative music scene, delivering their own highly intense musical aesthetic which has been critically described as "an example of well-stoked spontaneous combustion" (Tucson Weekly) and a "dynamic cauldron of creativity" (All About Jazz). Original compositions by members of the group explore a unique modular use of notated elements, utilizing a multi-layered musical atmosphere in which any member of the group can cue a composition form from points within the improvisational flow. Drawing inspiration from the early Ornette Coleman groups as well as from Anthony Braxton's 1970's quartets, the MTKJ Quartet has developed a music which has been praised as a substantial and original contribution to jazz on the left coast."Cognitive Dissidents presents
Tempered Steel
Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 7 pm, donation requested, all ages.
"Tempered Steel is an ensemble of amplified, processed thumb piano players featuring Ffej, Frank Junk and Dennis Rea. In 1995, Ffej bought a thumb piano (also called a kalimba or mbira) manufactured by Frank Junk and he has been pulling it out for random shows ever since. When he learned that seasoned local guitarist Dennis Rea was planing on doing occasional processed thumb piano performances, the idea for forming this group was impossible to resist."
Green Milk From the Planet Orange / Graves Brothers Deluxe / Bill Horist
Seattle, Seamonster Lounge, 2202 N 45th St, 9 pm, price unknown, 21+.
"On Friday June 11, Wallingford's own Seamonster Lounge will play host to an evening with Tokyo's neo-psychedelic enfant terrible Green Milk From the Planet Orange, San Francisco's Graves Brothers Deluxe and Seattle's own Bill Horist. Green Milk From the Planet Orange have been compared to bands like Gong and King Crimson but this trio has a flair that is decidedly their own. This will be their first tour of the US and will coincide well with a feature article due out in the June issue of new music bible, The Wire. The inimitable Graves Brothers Deluxe will bring their unique blend of Creole parlor music and noisy garage pop that has garnered comparisons to anything from Sonic Youth to CCR and Sun Ra. Guitarist Bill Horist will offer his highwire but decidedly low brow guitar antics minus all the sophistication, control and technique you've come to expect from the avant garde."Whispers, Hymns and a Murmur
Seattle, The Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 11 pm, $12, 21+.
"This is a special repeat performance of Whispers, Hymns and a Murmur for String Quartet, Electronic and Improvisor featuring Misha Schmidt (violin) Ami Campbell (violin) Heather Bentley (viola) Amos Yang (cello) Eyvind Kang (soloist) and Wayne Horvitz (electronics, composer). The first set will be followed by improvised duets by Wayne Horvitz and Eyvind Kang in the second set."
Saturday, June 12th
Bill Horist, Lesli Dalaba & Eyvind Kang
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8 pm, $6, all ages.
"This trio is an aggregate of past collaborations. Lesli Dalaba (trumpet) and Bill Horist (guitar) have worked together in the dark ambient trio Zahir. Lesli has appeared on a number of Eyvind Kang's (violin) recordings. Bill and Eyvind have collaborated infrequently and have appeared on a handful of recordings together. After a few years of transient encounters, these three are finally getting together for some dedicated collaboration. Dalaba, Horist and Kang all have roots in both unorthodoxy and convention, and seem to have an equal reverence for both. Inspired by Oneirine, the mythical drug in Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow", which elicits hallucinations that are "radical but plausible", Bill formed this trio to explore the inner reaches between unconventional instrumental approaches and a more traditional sense of lyricism."
Monday, June 14th
Sound of the Underbrush presents
The Concert Guerillas
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8:30 pm, donation, all ages.
"A duo comprised of David Ceccetto (guitar, found objects & electronics) and William Brent (piano, accordion, found objects & electronics) and hailing from Victoria and Seattle perform improvisations using acoustic instruments and live signal processing via SuperCollider. Sound sources include guitar, accordion, piano, voice, and various glass or metal objects. As always, audience participation is welcome for the second half of the show."
Friday, June 18th
Rik Wright's Zen Tornado
Seattle, Norm's, 460 N 36th St, 9 pm, free, 21+.
"By blending traditional rock and folk instrumentation with impressionistic modern jazz influences, Zen Tornado¹s innovative soundscapes are a case study in 21st century composition."Bert Wilson & Rebirth featuring James Zitro
Olympia, ArtHouse, 420-B Franklin St. SE, 8 pm, $10, all ages.
"This concert continues the "Northwest Tour" of Bert Wilson (saxophones) & James Zitro (drums & percussion), veterans of the "avant-garde jazz wars". This concert will feature spontaneous composition & compositions by Bert Wilson. Other musicians will include Craig Hoyer (piano) Nancy Curtis (flutes) and Chris Symer (bass)."
Saturday, June 19th
Volute / Murderous Copulation of Birds
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8 pm, $6, all ages.
"Nathan Levine (contrabass) and Tom Swafford (violin) make up the center of Volute, an improvising chamber musique ensemble interested in spinning fantastic musical yarns into amazing creations... sailmakers really, for those long aural voyages across time and space. The music of Volute tends to be beautiful, a bit zany, and always rather eerie. This group involves numerous artists, yet it focuses on unique, tightly knit small ensemble work. The varying lineups make each performance quite different, though the focus is always on creating the highest quality listening experience for both audience and performer alike.The core and departure point of the Murderous Copulation of Birds is the duet music of vocalist Cristin Miller and saxophonist Gregory Reynolds: highly physical and breath-oriented improvisations that are informed by the alchemical concept of annihilation (of the individual) through intercourse (the creation of a third identity from the loss of the two). The group is often augmented by a variety of amazing improvisors from around Puget Sound and has been known to perform some of Gregory's meditative chamber compositions in addition to the usual sublime negation of burning improvisation.
Volute and Murderous Copulation of Birds will each perform one set and then come together in solo, duet, trio and quartet forms for a very special third set."
Sunday June 20th
Earshot Jazz presents
Michael Moore's "Jewels & Binoculars"
Seattle, Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave, 8 pm, $12, 21+.
" The remarkable saxophonist and clarinetist Michael Moore is an integral part of Amsterdam's vibrant jazz scene. His work with the ICP, Clusone Trio and others, has given him a world-wide reputation. His new trio, Jewels & Binoculars, successfully brings the evocative melodies of Bob Dylan's songcrafting into the realm of jazz and improvised music.The trio unites Moore and fellow US expatriate Michael Vatcher on drumms, with jazz bassist Lindsay Horner, who is known for his work with Myra Melford through the early 90's. The group plays select west-coast dates on their way to Canadian jazz festival engagements."
Prospettiva Plural XV - Alto Sax
Seattle, CoCA, 410 Dexter Ave N, 4 pm, $8/$5CoCA members, all ages.
Featuring three 30-minute solo performances on the alto saxophone by: Michael Moore (Amsterdam) Phillip Greenlief (Oakland) Wally Shoup (Seattle) "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(center on contemporary art), Earshot Jazz and made possible by funding from the City of Seattle office of Arts & Cultural Affairs."
Sound of the Underbrush presents
Philip Greenlief & Gust Burns
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8:30 pm, donation, all ages.
"Phillip Greenlief is a reedman versatile enough to achieve anything except peace in Palestine" - Greg Burk, LA WEEKLY. As always, the second set will be open for spontaneous formations of improvising musicians in attendance."
Wednesday, June 23rd
PsychForm Records presents
I Love Alaska / Eric Ostrowski / Broken Human Machine
Seattle, The Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave, 10 pm, $5, 21+.
"With the recent performance at the Seattle Noise Fest and the release of their first CD, "my cat pissed here...", The Broken Human Machine are back in Seattle for a very special performance at The Rendezvous.
Thursday, June 24th
Andy Hayleck
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8 pm, $7, all ages.
"Multi-instrumentalist Andy Hayleck is part of the fertile Baltimore creative music scene centered around the Red Room space ( http://www.redroom.org ) and the annual High Zero Festival ( http://www.highzero.org ). For his solo performance, Andy will play a 29" gong by bowing an attached 6' wire. The resulting music is as lush, hauntingly beautiful, and sonically complex as most any music one will ever hear. In the second set, he'll add musical saw for an improvised music meeting with Seattle players TBA."10th Olympia Experimental Music Festival
Olympia, Traditions Cafe, 300 5th AVE.S.W., 7pm, $8, full festival pass is $23
"Opening night with Fifth Avenue, Scott Looney Trio with Bert Wilson, Phillip Greenleif, Paul Dutton Jacopo Andreini Big Band, and Super Unity Group."Monktail Creative Music Concern presents
Kamigakari / Scott Adams
Seattle, Coffee Messiah, 1554 E. Olive Way, 8 pm, free, all ages.
"In Kamigakari, Beth Fleenor and Mark Oi disconnect from the larger ensemble work they've been doing lately to further explore the sound of clarinet and electric guitar in a duo setting. Avant deconstructions of chamber noise. And Scott Adams will thrill you with song, dance and if you're nice, a legal massage."
Friday, June 25th
10th Olympia Experimental Music Festival
Olympia, Traditions Cafe, 300 5th AVE. S.W., 7pm, $7, full festival pass is $23
"Brassiosaurus, Emma Zunz, Thollem McDonnas, Scott Rosenberg and John Shiurba, and Xiao Gu Fang."Thruster
Seattle, lo fi performance gallery, 429B Eastlake Ave E, 10 pm, $8, 21+.
"Thruster! features guitarist Timothy Young (ex-Zony Mash), bassist Kaveh Rastegar (Dakah), and drummer Matt Chamberlain (Critters Buggin)..."
Saturday, June 26th
Scott R. Looney, Damon Smith & Tim DuRoche
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8 pm, $7, all ages.
"Don't miss this killer trio featuring some of our favorite improvising artists from the West Coast. Looney's inside-the-piano work is nothing short of astounding; Smith is among the strongest young voices in the world on the double bass; DuRoche is a technically masterful drummer with plenty of restraint. All these musicians have a strong openness and awareness of the historical implications of creative music from both sides of the Atlantic. Their wide range of experiences, along with their similarities, should open just enough common ground to reveal new secrets specific to this combination of players."10th Olympia Experimental Music Festival
Olympia, Midnight Sun, 116 N. Columbia,$7, full festival pass is $23
"Al Larsen, Marcos Fernandes and Bill Horist, Quietus Trio, Mecca Normal, Bridget Irish, Tripod, Andy Hayleck, Sugarbush, and Le Ton Mite."
Sunday June 27th
Olympia Experimental Music Festival "10th Anniversary Showcase"
Olympia, The Midnight Sun, 116 N. Columbia, 7pm, $7, full festival pass is $23
"Tenth Anniversary Showcase hosted by Festival Founder Jim McAdams and featuring: Malaise, Therefore, A: Frequency, Office Products, Dead Air Fresheners, Amy Denio, and Noggin."
Monday June 28th
Sound of the Underbrush presents
Marco Fernandes, Bill Horist, Jacopo Andreini, Arrington Di Dyonisus, Scott Rosenberg
Seattle, Polestar Music Gallery, 1412 18th Ave (at East Union), 8 pm, donation, all ages.
"Set one will be MF in solo mode. Set two will be MF and BH in duet. Set three will feature JA, ADD, SR in trio. Set four is open to all audience members able to sit through three sets of stellar improvised music."