Founded in June 2010 the Undead Jazzfest is new kind of festival, bringing together an incredible array of artists from the new jazz and improvised music community currently exploding in New York City. With no headliners, affordable tickets, unorthodox venues and no drink minimums, the Undead Jazzfest aims to shake the public perception of what jazz can be today, celebrating the incredible music being made in a setting that is inviting to both the veterans and curious new fans.

Encompassing eleven venues over its four days (6/23 - 6/26), the Undead Jazzfest will feature appearances from more than 50 bands including names like Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Mountains and many others. The full list of participating bands is below. Four day passes are on sale for $45 until 4/28. The price increases to $50 after.

Undead Jazzfest is also responsible for curating another show outside of said festival, this one going down at Central Park Summerstage on June 11th with Medeski Martin & Wood, Josh Roseman's King Froopy All Stars and Jim Black's AlasNoAxis. It's one of many free 2011 Summerstage shows that have been announced.

AND, Undead Jazz presents a show at Le Poisson Rouge tonight (4/25) with Orchestre National de Jazz with Daniel Yvinec and John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble with special guests Theo Bleckmann , Kate McGarry and Uri Caine. Undead Jazz also presents Todd Sickafoose's Tiny Resistors and Mary Halvorson Trio at the same venue on May 18th.

Full Undead Jazzfest 2011 lineup below.

Continue reading "Undead Jazzfest 2011 lineup announced, tix on sale now, and other related shows too"

DOWNLOAD: William Basinski - Vivian & Ondine (excerpt) (MP3)

photos by Lori Baily, words by Andrew Frisicano

William Basinski @ 110 Livingston

Issue Project Room hosted reel-to-reel tape composer William Basinski at their new, currently being remodeled theater at 110 Livingston on June 11th. Basinski played two hypnotic sets in the former Elks Lodge, in what was only the second time they'd previewed the space.

The piece he played, Vivian & Ondine, was written, he explained, to coax his baby neice out of the womb. It's excerpted above and available on CD from Basinski's site. Joshua Light Show worked the visuals and bounced patterns around the ornate arches and ceiling. Clearly, the theater is an awesome space to hear vision-inducing loops, and will be a fun permanent home for Issue once they complete its renovation (which they're still in need of funds to finish) and move in permanently. More pictures from the night are below.

Issue has been putting on shows this summer in the courtyard of the Old American Can Factory (like Omar Souleyman for instance). The next of those is Bobb Trimble's Flying Spiders (in just his second NYC peformance), guitarist-led Loren Connors' Haunted House, Gary War and Samara Lubelski on July 11th. Tickets are still on sale.

They did an outdoor show in honor of Walt Whitman under the Brooklyn Bridge the other day, and on July 10th they'll go under the Queensboro Bridge for the first-annual Albert Ayler Festival, co-presented by jazz label ESP Live on Roosevelt Island's RiverWalk Commons. The show (and record fair) starts at 2pm and features The New Atlantis Sextet with Marshall Allen, William Hooker, Charles Gayle, Gunter Hampel, Giuseppi Logan and more. It's free, and the full schedule and poster is below...

Continue reading "Albert Ayler Festival coming to Roosevelt Island, William Basinski pics & other Issue Project Room news"

The Blind Boys of Alabama will curate a three-night series at Lincoln Center on July 12, 14 & 16. The events start with an opening night concert featuring rock artists Yo La Tengo, Lambchop, Exene Cervenka of X and Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket [plus Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Horns]. On July 14 the focus shifts to country music, with performances by Yonder Mountain String Band, Ralph Stanley, Alison Moorer and Randy Travis, plus Ray Benson and Jason Roberts of Asleep at the Wheel. The final evening, The Blind Boys' Family Revival, will feature songs from all of the group's Grammy Award-winning albums and includes collaborations with Aaron Neville, Joan Osborne, Hot 8 Brass Band, Dan Zanes, John Hammond, and Charlie Musselwhite, among others.

Tickets for all three are on sale now.

More details on the gospel group's Lincoln Center shows, their full upcoming schedule, a video of their performance on Letterman earlier this year with Lou Reed (they also visited Daytrotter in March) and more are below...

Continue reading "Blind Boys of Alabama touring, curated 3 shows @ Lincoln Center w/ many guests (Yo La Tengo, Jim James, more)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Mode Records has etched its name in the annals of music history, producing the avant-garde and modern classical music of influential composers such as John Cage, Morton Feldman, Iannis Xenakis, and Harry Partch. In its twenty-fifth year, they are hosting a six-hour benefit concert featuring very special performances by Philip Glass and John Zorn and a rare performance of John Cage's "Concert for Piano and Orchestra" with "Aria." This marathon of experimental music luminaries in the intimate Abrons Playhouse helps Mode Records to continue producing the best of New Music into the 21st century.

The Mode Records "Marathon" will happen this Saturday, November 21st at the Abrons Arts Center with a 6pm early show and a 7:30pm late show. Glass, whose opera Kepler makes its US debut at BAM this week (Nov 18, 20 & 21 at 7:30pm) (tickets are still on sale), will be at the early show only, performing solo piano work. That'll also feature a John Zorn-directed performance of his piece "Cobra." The later show will run four hours (the marathon part) and includes Respect Sextet playing music by Sun Ra and Stockhausen, John Cage's Concert for Piano and Orchestra with Aria (performed simultaneously) and The Jack Quartet with a performance of Iannis Xenakis' Tetra. Tickets are still available.

Thanks to the recession (and the other more nuanced factors we can lump in with it), the Mode concert is neither the only benefit nor the only marathon happening this week. Another benefit marathon this week (also with John Zorn) is happening at the Clemente Soto Vélez (CSV) Cultural Center (dubbed "The Suffolk" for CMJ this year) on Friday, Nov. 20th and Saturday, Nov. 21st. The beneficiaries of the 28 hour marathon are non-profit Arts For Art and the annual Vision Festival, which is going into its 15th year. Night one acts include Sex Mob, John Zorn solo, pianist Connie Crothers and her quartet, Sam Hillmer's Regattas and $KELETON$ Big Band (who are also at the Stone in December). Night two includes Milford Graves & Marshall Allen Duo and a cast of rotating musicians and groups. A full schedule is here. Tickets are on sale.

Yet another (!) benefit marathon comes from WFMU, who is currently holding a 24-hour benefit that runs until Wednesday, November 18th (today) at 7pm. More details on the fundraiser and why it's needed are below. Donate here.

A poster, the full Mode Fest lineup and relevant videos and info are posted below...

Continue reading "Mode Records benefit w/ Philip Glass (whose opera is @ BAM tonight) & John Zorn (who plays the Vision Fest marathon)"

Billy Bang, Fred Anderson, William Parker, Kidd Jordan @ Vision Festival 2008 (one_dead_president)

The annual avant-jazz blowout known as Vision Festival started Tuesday, June 9th with a set by violinist Billy Bang as his "Brass Bang" band at the Abrons Arts Center. That'll be the fest's venue for six of its seven days, through Sunday, June 14th. The final Vision gig will happen at Angel Orensanz Foundation, and will feature a closing set by bassist William Parker and his "Quartet + 2."

Attendees at the fest's Wednesday, June 10th show will get two tastes of Sun Ra saxist Marshall Allen: first in a special quintet, then leading the Sun Ra Arkestra (with guests that include Bang).

Tickets for all nights are on sale, as are VIP passes. Full Vision Festival schedule below...

Continue reading "Vision Festival is underway (June 9-15) - full 2009 schedule"