1/29/11: CMG Presents Trevor Dunn, Travis LaPlante, U Sco, Thicket

January 29th, 2011: 
Trevor Dunn
Travis Laplante
 Laughing Horse Books & Video Collective. 12 N.E. 10th Ave, 97232 Portland, OR
8pm 
with 
Thicket
U Sco
Sliding Scale $5-$15

Trevor Dunn was born in 1968  behind the Redwood Curtain in The Emerald Triangle traversing a fine line between hippies and rednecks.  His first instrument was the clarinet and he began to focus on the electric bass at age 13.  Four years later he co-founded the avant-rock band Mr. Bungle.  In 1990 he received a BA in music from Humboldt State where he performed Koussevitsky's Concerto for Double Bass with the HSO.  In 2001 he was commissioned by the Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center to write a solo bass piece for Jon Deak.  Mr. Deak performed "Depaysemant" for prepared contrabass later that year at Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center.   Currently Dunn lives in Brooklyn, NY and can be heard on over 80 recordings including a disc of original film music entitled Four Films (Tzadik).  Recent projects include his rock band MadLove, the quartet PROOF Readers which plays the music of Ornette Coleman as well as  The Nels Cline Singers and a new, original quartet Endangered Blood.  He continues to perform with John Zorn's Electric Masada, Erik Friedlander's Broken Arm Trio, Curtis Hasslebring's New Mellow Edwards  and occasional appearances with Andrew D'Angelo and John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet.

Travis Laplante is a powerful new voice in New York City’s experimental music scene, and has toured extensively with his band Little Women, whose acclaimed full-length debut was recently released on AUM Fidelity Records; with his trio, which features bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Gerald Cleaver; and with under- ground experimental rock bands Extra Life and Skeletons. Laplante has also worked with Anthony Braxton, Mark Dresser, Mat Maneri, Trevor Dunn, and many other luminaries of improvised music.
Laplante’s debut album, 'Heart Protector', features original music for solo tenor saxophone.  'Heart Protector', the first vinyl release on Skirl Records was recorded by Laplante himself and Ryan Power at the Big Barn in Putney, Vermont.  The music itself was largely inspired by the heart protector, Laplante’s term for the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart."

Local improvising trio Thicket is Ben Kates, John Niekrasz (Why I Must Be Careful) and Brian Mumford (Grandfather Claws). Ben Kates is a saxophonist who moved to Portland in 2006 where he has played in the groups Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!, the Naked Future, Barges, and Thicket.  He has played with John Gruntfest, Gino Robair, Tatsuya Nakatani, Wally Shoup, Urs Leimgruber, John Weise and Smegma among others. John is a drummer and composer originally from Chicago.  He earned his MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and has studied drum set with Hamid Drake, James Dreier, Dean Radzik, and Tatsuya Nakatani.  John lived in Cuba and India where he studied Afro-Cuban percussion and classical Hindustani tabla, respectively.  He performs with and composes for ensembles such as Why I Must Be Careful, Sporting, and Poor School.You may have seen Brian Mumford in Jackie O Motherf**cker or Dragging an Ox Through Water..

Portland's U Sco consists of Ryan Miller (Guitar), Jon Scheid (Bass), and Phil Cleary (Drumset).  Equal parts experimental, avant-rock, kraut, and pysch influenced - the trio crafts a sound that is tragically complex, aggressive, and explosive. Members of With Eyes Abstract, Duck. Little Brother, Duck! and The Jezebel Spirit.

1/25/12: Portland Eye and Ear Improv night at Recess Gallery

"Join us at Recess for a night of free improvisations by musicians that
probably haven't played together before. The first of a monthly
series."

Featuring:
Zack Osterlund
Michael McManus
Matt Shandorf
Matt Doyle
Alieta Train
Madelyn Villano
Chris McKelway
Seth Thomas
Jonathan Russell
Alex Maguire



Recess Gallery: 1127 SE 10th Avenue
8pm


http://www.facebook.com/events/360674680625638/

http://vimeo.com/35083449



PS - This event and this blog are not actually related in case anyone cares. 

1/18/11: Outset Series #3 w/ Jewelry Rash & Ben Kates

1/18/11
8pm (over by 10)
$5
Revival Drum Shop (1465 NE Prescott)
Jewelry Rash (Brian Mumford)
Ben Kates

Jewelry Rash is Brian Mumford's (Dragging and Ox Through Water, Jackie-O-Motherfucker, Sunfoot) wildly divergent solo noise electronics set propelled primarily by his homemade oscillators. Ben Kates is a saxophonist originally from Massachusetts where he first started pla...ying saxophone in the 4th grade. Kates lived in New York City for ten years where he played in hardcore punk bands and the improvising duo Fire&Flux. He moved to Portland in 2006 where he has played in the groups Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!, the Naked Future, Barges, Always Assuming Homo Sapiens Avoid Destruction, as well as in a longstanding collaboration with John Niekrasz and Brian Mumford called Thicket. He has played with John Gruntfest, Gino Robair, Tatsuya Nakatani, Wally Shoup, Urs Leimgruber, John Weise and Smegma among others. In addition to being a musician, Kates works with students with emotional and behavioral disorders and sits on the boards of the Creative Music Guild and the Independent Publishing Resource Center.

The Outset Series (a project co-produced by Revival and the Creative Music Guild) is Portland's only recurring event for creative, improvised music. This series at Revival Drum Shop actively presents experimental, avant-garde, and creative improvised music in a unique setting. We aim to provide musicians of diverse approaches within the genres of electronic, improvised, free jazz, and experimental new music with a regular performance opportunity while fostering a community in Portland that supports this music. This is the place to come to see the best Portland has to offer, to network and meet fellow fans and musicians, and support a critical element of the Portland music scene. 1/18, $5 (100% goes to the musicians), 8PM, Revival Drum Shop.
(Music ends by 10 - don't be late.)

1/14/11: Rich Halley Quartet

The Rich Halley Quartet, with Rich on tenor sax, Los Angeles trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, Canadian bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Carson Halley will perform on Saturday, January 14 at 9:00 PM at The Camellia Lounge, 510 NW 11th Ave. Admission is $5.

11/20/11: Rich Halley Quartet

The Rich Halley Quartet will perform at The Blue Monk at 8:00 PM on Sunday, November 20. The Blue Monk is at
3341 SE Belmont.

The group will be performing material from their soon to released CD. The group includes Rich Halley on tenor sax, Los Angeles trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, Vancouver BC bassist Clyde Reed, and Oregon drummer Carson Halley.

11/16/11: Outset Series w/ Marisa Anderson & Doug Theriault

11/16/11
Marisa Anderson (guitar) and Doug Theriault (prepared guitar & electronics)
Revival Drum Shop
1465 NE Prescott, Portland
8PM
$5 suggestion donation (goes to the band)

The Creative Music Guild and Revival Drum Shop present

The Outset Series at Revival actively presents experimental, avant-garde, and creative improvised music in a unique setting.  We aim to provide musicians of diverse approaches within the genres of electronic, improvised, free jazz, and experimental new music with a regular performance opportunity while fostering a community in Portland that supports this music.

The performances are scheduled the first and third Wednesday night of each month at 8pm.  There is a suggested donation of 5 dollars requested, all of which goes to the performers.
The Outset Series is at Revival Drum Shop at 1465 NE Prescott, (503) 719-6533, at 8PM.  $5 suggested donation that goes straight into the pockets of the musicians who play the series.  These shows are not long so if you show up late you will miss miss it.

8/26/11: Friesen/Goebel/Gross Trio

Friday August 26th  9pm
Camellia Lounge

510 NW 11th Ave Portland, OR  503-221-2130

David Friesen-bass
Greg Goebel-piano   John Gross-tenor
sax

8/7/11: Thollem McDonas, Arrington de Dionyso, The Naked Future

8/7/11
Thollem McDonas & Arrington de Dionyso
The Naked Future (McDonas, Dionyso, Gregg Skloff, John Niekrasz, Ben Kates)

First Naked Future in two years and first as a quintet.

8/7/11
Alice Coltrane Memorial Coliseum
5135 NE 42nd
8PM

7/25/11: Terrence McManus & Better Homes and Gardens

Terrence McManus, solo and duets with Tim DuRoche
Better Homes and Gardens (DuRoche, Reed Wallsmith, Joe Cunningham)
7 p.m. Monday, July 25, Alice Coltrane Memorial Coliseum, 
5135 N.E. 42nd Ave., $7-$20 donation.
Info: 503-235-0049.

7/10/11: Wilcox/Sullivan/Marble

July 10
8pm
5135 NE 42nd
Alice Coltrane Memorial Coliseum

Tyler Wilcox - http://soundcloud.com/seattle-improvised-music
Ryan Sullivan - http://www.myspace.com/memphiskhan
Matt Marble - http://mattmarble.com/Site/Home.html

6/10/11: Theriault, Khoury, Burdon, Jenkins

Friday June 10th at  8PM
the Alice Coltrane Memorial Colliseum
5135 NE 42nd Ave

Doug Theriault: Tabletop guitar and electronics
Mike Khoury: Violin
Mark Burdon: Percussion

with

Jean Paul Jenkins: solo guitar and other guests TBA

5/17/11: Thicket, Bad Luck (Seattle), Chemical Clock (Seattle)

Wednesday 5/17/11:
Alice Coltrane Memorial Coliseum (5135 NE 42nd. Portland, OR 97218)
8PM (show ends by 10)
 
Thicket (members of Dragging an Ox Through Water, Why I Must Be Careful, Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!)
Bad Luck (sax and drums from Seattle)
Chemical Clock (trumpet, keys, bass, drums from Seattle)

5/8/11: Eubanks, Theriault, Jenkins, Krausbauer

May 8th, 2011 8pm
$8-$10 artist donation requested
All Ages
Disjecta (8371 N Interstate, Portland, Oregon)
Performances by:
Bryan Eubanks
Doug Theriault
JP Jenkins
John Krausbauer
Come join us for a night of experimental music at Disjecta. Amongst the performers will be Bryan Eubanks, returning back to the NW for a series of performances of his music. After numerous years working on and making music in NYC, he recently relocated to Florida, with his wife. This will be a rare opportunity to see him perform out on the west coast, sharing the bill with some of his old friends and collaborators.

5/1/11: Rich Halley Quartet

Rich Halley Quartet CD Release for “Requiem for a Pit Viper”
      
Saxophonist/Composer Rich Halley and his Quartet with standout Los Angeles trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, Canadian bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Carson Halley will perform at a release for their new CD “Requiem for a Pit Viper”, at 7:30 PM on Sunday, May 1 at The Blue Monk, 3341 SE Belmont.  Admission is sliding scale $3-7.

“Live at the Penofin Jazz Festival”, the recent release by the Rich Halley Freedom Tradition Quartet featuring legendary cornetist Bobby Bradford, was named as one of the top recordings of 2010 by Dusted Magazine and is reviewed in the May issue of DownBeat. 

4/10/11: CMG presents Ingalls, Coomes, Brown & the Tenses


From JP and The CMG:  
Announcing the grand opening of:
The Alice Coltrane Memorial Coliseum
hope to see you at our first show:

Matt Ingalls, Sam Coomes, Mitchell Brown, The Tenses
Sunday, April 10th, 2011
The Alice Coltrane Memorial Colosseum, 5135 ne 42nd
8pm
Sliding Scale $5-15

The Creative Music Guild, in conjunction with the grand opening of new arts venue The Alice Coltrance Memorial Coliseum, is proud to present a night of innovative music by Matt Ingalls, Sam Coomes, Mitchell Brown, and The Tenses.  These acclaimed musicians from divergent but complementary aesthetic backgrounds will traverse varied musical realms in this rare performance.  

Sam Coomes (Portland) is a talented multi-instrumentalist who plays in experimental bands Quasi and Pink Mountain and has performed and recorded with Elliot Smith, Sleater-Kinney, Built to Spill, and Heatmiser.  

Matt Ingalls (SF) is a master clarinetist and composer whose solo improvisations explore extended clarinet techniques that interact with the acoustic space.  Ingalls has worked with Anthony Braxton, John Butcher, Meredith Monk, Pauline Oliveros and many others.  The music press has responded,

"...shockingly talented..." -- Richard Warp, Oakland Music Examiner [12/15/2010]
"...awe-inspiring, reminding us that one does not need the full force of a symphony orchestra or all of the stops pulled out on a pipe organ to evoke the presence of something far greater than oneself. The overall experience was one of exhilaration." -- Stephen Smoliar, San Francisco Classical Examiner [8/21/2010]

Mitchell Brown is an experimental musician from LA. Brown doubles as Professor Cantaloupe while DJing on KXLU.  He runs the Melon Expander record label, supporting humble hermits working in the field of head music. He has performed and/or recorded analog electronic and/or electro-acoustic music with: Joseph Hammer, Rick Potts, Joe Potts, Damian Bisciglia, Trevor Wishart, Tom Recchion, Petra Haden, Leticia Castaneda, Jeremy Drake, John Weise, Ezra Buchla, Lionel Marchetti, Jerome Noetinger, Space Machine, Points of Friction, and Thomas Dimuzio among others.

For this performance, Matt Ingalls will perform a short solo, Ingalls and Coomes will perform in duo, followed by a trio of Mitchell Brown (LA, electronics) and The Tenses.   

Sunday, April 10th, 2011
The Alice Coltrane Memorial Coliseum (formerly the Wail), 5135 ne 42nd
8pm
Sliding Scale $5-15

3/15/11: CMG Present John Butcher & Gino Robair w/ locals

Tuesday, March 15, 2011:  John Butcher (London; saxophones) and Gino Robair (San Francisco; percussion) at WorkSound (sliding scale - $5-15)
The Creative Music Guild is proud to present an evening of new music by world-class improvising musicians John Butcher (London; saxophones) and Gino Robair (San Francisco; percussion).
The Butcher/Robair duo is an established partnership of master musicians.  These veteran improvisors play wildly creative music that runs the gamut from ecstatic to deadly serious, from contemplative to caustic.  Butcher and Robair are visionaries in the innovative techniques and sheer musicality they bring to their instruments.  
      "In the hands of London improvisor John Butcher, the saxophone can sound  like anything, from a peice of hollowed out brass baubled with pads and   valves to a hermetically sealed feedback system, a minature sound   enviroment teeming with ever-evolving note forms, or a huge echo chamber inflicting dub scale damage on every breath."  - Wire    
      "Robair is an enormously talented percussionist, with a thorough-going   musicality and an instinct for the unexpected." - The Penguin Guide to Jazz  
For this Portland performance, the audience will be treated to a stunning duo set by Butcher and Robair followed by a second set in which Butcher and Robair will lead an ensemble of notable Portland musicians including Matt Carlson & Jonathan Sielaff (Golden Retriever), Brian Mumford (Dragging an Ox Through Water), Mary Sutton, Dr. John C. Savage, John Niekrasz (Why I Must Be Careful), Catherine Lee and Ben Kates (Thicket).

Tuesday, March 15, 2011  John Butcher / Gino Robair Duo + Portland Ensemble
WorkSound 820 SE Alder, Portland, Oregon
8pm
Sliding scale $5-$15

2/13/11: Rich Halley, Dan Raphael, Carson Halley

Saxophonist/composer Rich Halley, poet Dan Raphael and drummer Carson Halley will perform at a CD Release for their new Pine Eagle recording "Children of the Blue Supermarket at 4:00 PM on Sunday, February 13 at Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.  This is a free event.

1/22/11: Rich Halley Quartet plus Dan Raphael


Rich Halley Quartet plus poet Dan Raphael Saturday January 22 at TaborSpace

Saxophonist/Composer Rich Halley and his quartet with trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Carson Halley will perform at 7:00 PM on Saturday, January 22 at TaborSpace, 5441 SE Belmont.  The group will be performing material from their new CD “Requiem for a Pit Viper” which will be released in April on Pine Eagle Records.  Poet Dan Raphael will also perform with Rich and Carson as a preview to their soon to be released CD “Children of the Blue Supermarket”.  Admission is sliding scale $10-15.

“Live at the Penofin Jazz Festival”, the recent release by the Rich Halley Quartet featuring Bobby Bradford, has been getting great reviews. 

For more information please call (503) 244-2070.

1/21/11: Blue Cranes, Gulls, Castelton, JP Jenkins, Doug Theriault

1/21/11:

9:00pm
The Secret Society (115 NE Russel)
$8


Portland jazz group Blue Cranes will release two new albums: Oversea Orbits: Observatories Remixed, and the Cantus Firmus EP at the Secret Society Ballroom in Portland. The band will be joined for this show by four of the remix artists involved in the making of Oversea Orbits: Gulls, Gavin Castleton, JP Jenkins, and Doug Theriault.

12/7/10: Endangered Blood w/ Paxselin Quartet

The Creative Music Guild Presents:
12/7/10
The Hop and Vine (1914 N. Killingsworth)
8PM
$5-15 sliding scale

Endangered Blood from NYC (Chris Speed - sax, Jim Black - drums, Trevor Dunn - bass, Oscar Noriega - sax)
Paxselin Quartet from PDX (Mary Sue Tobin - sax, Ken Ollis - Drums, Bill Athens- Bass, Chad Hensel - Clarinets)