The remarkable aesthetic resonance of British vocalist Viv Corringham and German guitarist Nicola Hein was on display at the Outskirts series in East New York on Sunday night, May 6. The two quickly calibrated to each other in this freely improvised piece. They opened with percussive vocal clicks and low, faintly rumbling guitar. Corringham worked
On March 12, I had the opportunity to hear three great sets of music in the Late Breakfast series at Ham & Eggs in downtown Los Angeles. These culminated with alto saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi leading a nine-piece band that included voice, two flutes, tenor saxophone, guitar, bass, cello, and harmonium. The one extended piece they
I hadn’t planned to go to Mexico City. After my flight to Rome was delayed 30 hours, I abandoned my original plans and spontaneously bought same-day tickets to Mexico City on December 29. I had heard rumors about the vibrant improvised music scene there, but had never experienced it first hand, so I asked for
New Perspectives on Improvised Music Guest Writer: Sammi Qu-Kwok I thought the time would never come, but lo and behold, on the last Thursday night of October, I finally found time to attend a live concert. The band in question was “The Universal Melody Brass Band”. So dressed in many layers, I made the trek out to
The band While We Still Have Bodies (WWSHB) had an inspiring performance at underground Brooklyn venue 49 Shade on Thursday, August 10. On that humid evening, the place was packed with fans and musicians, a collection of people hungry for the cutting edge of the improvised music scene. The band is comprised of four forward-looking
Yoni Kretzmer has embraced a more lyrical voice on tenor saxophone over the past year. Evidence of his significant development in recent years as a musician, composer, and bandleader were on full display on Tuesday night at the Zürcher Gallery in Manhattan. The quartet played four pieces, many of which appear on their 2015 release
SHE premiered to a sold-out crowd at New York Live Arts on Monday, April 11. Conceived of by dancer and choreographer Jinah Parker, the performance included a sweeping array of art forms including video, poetry, storytelling, voice, instrumental music, a DJ, and of course dance. The suite was born out of a Parker’s desire to
Fay Victor’s monthly performance at 55Bar is one of the most happening things in New York City these days. Full of soulful energy and crisp with fresh ideas, Victorpicks the audience up and carries them along on a delectable journey. On July 28, the voice artist led her band on a special night that also
One of multi-instrumentalist and composer Taylor Ho Bynum‘s great talents is picking the right people to work together in an ensemble such as his long-standing sextet or his ambitious PlusTet. With Rank Sentimentalist, he has done it again–bringing cellist Marika Hughes, guitarist Evan Patrick (previously working under the name Evan O’Reilly, from Bynum’s first sextet
No matter how many times flutist, composer, and educator Nicole Mitchell plays in New York, it is never enough. As one of the foremost visionaries of creative music today, Prof. Mitchell has already crafted an incredible body of work and received considerable praise. Her work is at once deeply developed, interdisciplinary, and socially relevant, while
