Teeth So Sharp artwork		04.09.07

Plotkin/Wyskida vs NVLST, round 2		03.24.07
the second event brought to you by Golden Dawn Events

Tzadik		03.22.07
Both of these new releases on Tzadik are absolutely essential. On Six Litanies... Zorn's latest working group comes into their own. The latest benefit record from The Stone is the duo of Fred Frith & Chris Cutler performing an astounding set. "All proceeds from the sale of this CD will go directly to support The Stone. Only with your help can we keep The Stone alive." more info at Tzadik.com

Rhys Chatham- "Guitar Trio"		03.17.07
http://www.rhyschatham.net/Buffalo.htm G3 at Soundlab in Buffalo Pictures for Music (1979) by Robert Longo 1 February 2007 Soundlab - Buffalo, NY - Thursday, 1 February 2007 Electric guitars: Rhys Chatham Tony Conrad David Daniell Chase Middaugh Bill Sack Tristan Trump Scott A Valkwitch Andrew Thomas - electric bass Jim Abramson- drums House engineer: Charles J. Quagliana Recording engineer: Eric Block Produced by Soundlab and Front Porch Productions Soundlab is an artist-run space associated with Big Orbit Gallery. When Regina of Front Porch Productions was first discussing the G3 project with Craig Reynolds, who is the director of Soundlab, composer/violinist Tony Conrad, who also plays electric guitar, was one of the first names that came up due to my long association with him. Unfortunately for us, Tony was scheduled to be on tour in Europe the day we were playing in Buffalo, but happily, he unexpectedly had got back earlier. We rolled in from Toronto at about 5pm and went to the bar just down the street from Soundlab in Buffalo to use their Wifi. None of us in the car had Internet access that past day and we were all itching to get on line. Regina called Tony Conrad as we were approaching Buffalo, and he came down to meet us a bit later at the bar. Almost as soon as Tony sat down with us, Regina and David were piping in with, "Hey Tony, why don't you play Guitar Trio with us?" The poor man, he was still on jet lag! It took a certain amount of arm-twisting, but at last Tony agreed. So he went back home to get his guitar and amp, which were vintage models from the 60s. We walked over to Soundlab and all the musicians were there, so we began setting up the stage. David and I both changed the strings on our guitars, we definitely needed to. Tony's strings had the appearance of also being vintage from the 60s, so we changed his as well, despite his reluctance to part with them! Thus equipped, the sound check went smoothly. Charles Quagliana the house engineer had already worked with my Essentialist band, so he had a general idea of what the music was going to be, i.e., loud! Charles really understands about loud music... Leah Rico, an associate of Soundlab who was working the bar that evening, offered us a delicious Spanish wine; she told us that people who like whisky tend to like this wine, as it complemented well the peatiness of single malt whiskey. I like a glass of whiskey of an evenin', so it followed that I would like this wine...and I did! The festivities started with a DJ set by Michael Baumann, a Soundlab associate director. Michael played music that one could dance to, but that was also interesting if one wanted to listen in addition to dancing. Michael's set was followed by a duo of guitar and drums called Novelist, consisting of guitarist Chase Middaugh and drummer Ryan McMullen. Novelist combines an unusual mix of drone metal and power chords, evolving into sparse complex structures involving an intricate interaction between the drummer and the guitarist. They formed in early 2005 as a new approach to heavy/ambient guitar, atmospheric droning electronics through both composition and improvisation working outside of a more "traditional" band setting. When it came our turn to play, we managed to fit all the guys on the stage, seven guitarists, bass and drums, which was a pretty amazing trick in that everyone was fairly tall. The musicians were already familiar with the parts. Indeed, when Craig and Regina were discussing who should play the piece, they thought of asking exclusively people who knew my work. After the obvious choice of Tony Conrad, they thought of Bill Sack, who is the technical director of Hallwalls. I talked with Bill over dinner before the concert, he turns out to be working on a PhD in music and has an extensive background in electronic music and programming. And Chase Middaugh of Novelist was already familiar with G3, so he seemed a natural choice for playing the piece as well as opening the show for us with his band Novelist, due to its unique combination of minimalism as well as heavy metal roots. The other guys had intriguing backgrounds also. Jim Abramson is an IT engineer, Scott Valkwitch a mechanical engineer. It's always interesting to find out what people do for money besides music, in any case we had an invigorating dinner table conversation before the concert. I told them amusing stories of how I was a marketing professor at the University of Paris V. Man, my students were marketing sharks, they scared me! They could sell anything. Then the conversation shifted to music, as it always does, of course. After the Novelist set at Soundalb, it was G3's turn to play. The set itself was glorious and sounded great in the room. Everything was perfect during the first set, except that at one point I evidently pulled my guitar jack out of my tuner, so I was absent from the mix for a few seconds until Tristan Trump saw what was going on and reconnected me. What a great bunch of guys they are. Then we moved to the second section with the full kit played superlatively by Jim Abramson. I must say at this point that the quality of the drummers on this tour has been quite high. G3 requires a strong drummer, and so far that's exactly what it has had every time so far on the G3 tour. The performance in Buffalo was no exception. Jim Abramson's playing managed to carry the entire band while only playing high hat during the first twenty minutes of the set. This set, as well as the one that followed with the entire drum kit playing, sounded more aggressive in terms of the guitar sound than any of the other performances, which was perhaps due to Tristan Trump's semi-muted HM style of of right hand picking technique. Bill Sack, Scott Valkwitch, Chase and Tony were COMPLETELY into the overtones as well as the right-hand rhythm: all of the guitars were filled with raw power. As I mentioned earlier, David and I put on new strings for the performance. Tony had new strings put on as well. Perhaps it was due to this that we heard an unusual 11th and 13th overtone throughout the first and second part of G3 (a tritone relationship to the E combined with an oddly tuned minor 6th sound). Another distinctive element was also without doubt the rhythmic interaction between all the guitarists. Due to our close physical proximity to each other, we were really able to listen to each other in addition to working with the rhythm section, with each of the guitarists playing the characteristic G3 rhythm, but in counterpoint to each other, with one guitarist riffing off the other. The tremolo sections, where we all play really fast, were absolutely magic during both parts. One actually heard choirs of voices singing... Except there were no voices present, of course. What we were hearing was the interaction of the overtones of the guitars meshing together in a way that simulated choir after choir of singing voices. Angels moving too fast to see, but we could hear their voices! Fortunately this performance has been recorded for prosperity and will soon be relased by the Table of the Elements Records for all to hear! Andrew Thomas' bass playing deserves special mention. His approach was to take the basic G3 guitar rhythm and slow it down by a factor of two or even four! The effect was to reinforce the overtones of the guitars as well as underlining G3's characteristic rhythm in a subtle way. It was truly exceptional playing, which accomplished in a masterful manner exactly what bass playing is supposed to do: to reinforce the rhythm of the drums with a melodic component, while at the same time supporting the guitars by providing a big bottom, all the while taking what was essentially a solo during the entire piece without being too obvious about it! I consider Andrew's playing definitive for G3. For some reason that no one seemed to be able to explain to me at the time, the Robert Longo slides looked exceptionally well in the sense that they were highly defined and quite sharp. Later on, I asked David Daniell what he thought about it, and he reminded me that Soundlab is associated with the Big Orbit Gallery. Since they are sensitive to things visual, it made sense that they have good video projection equipment. So that, combined with a white wall behind the screen and stage, made for a crisp, sharp image. We ended the evening with everyone hanging out and talking at Soundlab. Then Tony took us over to what is known as "The Conrad Prison". It is part of a film set for something Tony shot neary 30 years ago. Eric and I dwelt within it for a time. The Conrad Prison was a hellish place to be. Standing (left - right): Bill Sack, Tony Conrad, Andrew Thomas, David Daniell. Kneeling in middle--Jim Abramson (black t-shirt) Sitting (left - right): Scott Valkwitch (white collar), Rhys, Chase Middaugh, Tristan Trump.

new good music		03.12.07

OCEAN poster		03.09.07
Carl Pace (The Beta Cloud) and i have decided to collaborate on a few booking events here in Buffalo. this is the first of at least a few more to come...

GOLDEN DAWN TRIO 021307		02.25.07
photos courtesy of Matt Brauts

GOLDEN DAWN TRIO vs BIRD CAGE THEATER		02.08.07

Teeth So Sharp photos		02.03.07
more photos from the guitar trio show from 12.29.06 photos courtesy of K. Force

More On The Rhyster...		01.30.07
"Written in 1977, "Guitar Trio" is Rhys Chatham's signature composition, and with good reason. The word "seminal" was invented to describe it. With a single, repeated chord, Chatham permanently altered the DNA of rock by splicing the gritty, overtone-drenched minimalism of John Cale and Tony Conrad with the elemental fury of the Ramones. The amalgamation was inspired. It energized the downtown New York scene throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, and made Chatham a founding father of the notorious No Wave movement. The influence of "Guitar Trio" spread even further as former students and ensemble members, including Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth, injected his raucous, ecstatic sound into the rock mainstream. In 1982, he even took to the road with Fab Five Freddy, marking hip-hop's first excursion into the heartland. In 2007 Chatham returns (he expatriated to Paris in 1987) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Guitar Trio" by performing it on tour throughout the US and Canada. And we don't mean it's on the set list; it is the set list. These will be no ordinary concerts, and the ensemble -- pumped up to a formidable six guitars at most shows-- will be no ordinary ensemble. Together, Rhys Chatham and company will demonstrate to a new generation of fans the amazing feats that can be accomplished with one chord, six guitars, a rollicking rhythm section and amplifiers set to "Liquefy." The entire tour will also be recorded, with the choicest versions to be released on a G3-only CD. The title? It's obvious: Guitar Trio Is My Life." Soundlab presents: Thursday, February 1, 9pm, Free Rhys Chatham presents his iconic Punk-Minimalist classic "Guitar Trio" feat. Robert Longo's original visuals & a guest ensemble of Bflo experimental musicians incl: Scott Valkwich (Bare Flames): guitar; Tristan Trump (Bare Flames): guitar; Bill Sack (Hallwalls): guitar; Chase Middaugh (Novelist): guitar; Andy Thomas (Post): bass; Jim Abramson (Bare Flames): drums; David Daniell (San Agustin): guitar; Chatham: guitar/conducting w/ openers NVLST + DJ sets by the MJB Corporation (no wave/post-punk/experimental) 110 Pearl St. Buffalo, NY

Black Centipede: Final Transmission		01.25.07
if you are in the New York City area, be sure to get over to Ad Hoc Art Gallery for the final performance of Brooklyn's Black Centipede. "BLACK CENTIPEDE AGAINST RIIKO SAKKINEN - Our performance for the Power One show. We will perform a live soundtrack to Riiko Sakkinen's video loop "The Brothel." This will also be your last chance to see Black Centipede in a live setting." January 25th, 2007 49 Bogart St Brooklyn, NY 8:30 PM. FREE! http://www.myspace.com/blackcentipede godspeed gentlemen.

Golden Dawn Trio part 2		01.21.07
photos courtesy of Ryan McMullen

Golden Dawn Trio 11.12.06 photos		01.20.07
photos courtesy of Ryan McMullen more soon...

Tzadik mania 2007!		01.17.07
so many fantastic new releases on the horizon from Tzadik for 2007. John Zorn: Six Litanies for Heliogabalus [#7361] The infamous Moonchild/AstronomeTrio of Patton, Dunn and Baron returns to the studio this time aided by the searing organ of Jamie Saft, the complex electronics of Ikue Mori and a small female chorus to realize Zorn’s latest project Six Litanies for Heliogabalus. Inspired by the decadent excesses of the Roman emperor/child-god who made Caligula and Nero look like reasonable human beings—smothering his dinner guests to death in a rain of perfumed rose petals—these six compositions (including an outrageous new piece for solo voice) explode with color, imagery and intensity. A startling blend of Metal, Contemporary Classical, Jazz and Mediaeval Music, this is one of Zorn's most extreme and original creations. Mick Barr: Octis: Iohargh Wended [#8030] One of the most extreme and virtuosic guitar players today creates compositions of repetitive and non-repetitive modular structures with speed, intensity and a profound inner logic. Included here are five breathtaking solo pieces and ten lightening fast pieces for guitar and drum machine that will make your head spin. Brilliantly combining the power of rock with a classical asceticism, this is unique and mysterious music from a masterful young musical experimentalist. Tony Oxley: The Advocate [#7618] One of the most important musical partnerships in English Free Improvisation was the duo of Tony Oxley and Derek Bailey. Their long standing friendship began as early as 1963 with the group Joseph Holbrooke (including composer/bassist Gavin Bryars) and lasted over forty years. These recordings were created in the studio in 1975 and catch them at their peak. Also included is Oxley’s touching tribute to Bailey, a dynamic new piece for electronics and percussion recorded live at the recent Bailey tribute concert at the London Barbicon, 2006. Exciting and vibrant improvisations—never before released—by two pioneers of the genre. The Cracow Klezmer Band: Remembrance [#8116] The last release by this spectacular ensemble. Formed in 1997, the Cracow Klezmer Band has been a phenomena. Through their spectacular combination of impeccable musicianship, imaginative arrangements and passionate performances they have developed into one of the most successful groups in Radical Jewish Culture. This exciting live CD marks their dissolution after ten years and captures them performing an exciting program of colorful new music and a few of their compositional classics in their home of Warsaw, Poland. Claudia Heuermann: Sabbath in Paradise [#3005] Claudia Heuermann’s fascinating documentary on the Radical Jewish Culture movement out of downtown New York’s East Village in the early 1990’s. Featuring exciting concert footage, in depth interviews with Anthony Coleman, Marc Ribot, Andy Statman, David Krakauer, Frank London, John Zorn and many others, this is a fascinating view into a small cultural revolution in the making. Included as a bonus is a new thirty minute film showing perspective through newly filmed interviews and concert footage with a new generation of Radical Jews, including Steve Bernstein, Jon Madof, Shanir Blumenkranz and Jamie Saft. Reminiscences by Anthony Coleman and Zorn himself bring a new clarity to the movement that continues to redefine New Jewish Music for the twenty first century. as always, more at Tzadik.com

NVLST vs RHYS CHATHAM		01.17.07
Thursday, February 1st Rhys Chatham's Guitar Trio All-Stars Novelist Soundlab 110 Pearl St. | Buffalo, NY 9 pm. Chase Middaugh from Novelist will be performing as part of Rhys Chatham's ensemble for the evening as well. Visuals by Robert Longo. Rhys Chatham is one of the most significant figures in modern music. A classically-trained prodigy, Chatham was protegee to the world-renowned pianist Glenn Gould, and a student under composers Morton Subotnick and La Monte Young. In 1971, at the age of 19, he founded the profoundly influential music program at The Kitchen in New York City, which launched the careers of a generation of avant luminaries, including Laurie Anderson and Brian Eno. In 1975 Chatham had an epiphany at a concert by the Ramones. His mission: to alter the DNA of rock by splicing the overtone-drenched minimalism of John Cale and Tony Conrad with the elemental fury of punk. The amalgamation was inspired, and it energized the downtown New York scene throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, making Chatham a founding father of the notorious No Wave movement. Chatham's influence spread even further as former students and ensemble members, including Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth, injected his raucous, ecstatic sound into the rock mainstream. In 1982, he even took to the road with Fab Five Freddy, marking hip-hop's first excursion into the heartland. Throughout the 1980s, Chatham's ensemble continued to grow in size and scope until it became an enormous amplified orchestra. His 1989 masterpiece, "An Angel Moves Too Fast to See," scored for 100 electric guitars, bass and drums, is one of the most extraordinary works in the minimalist canon and cemented Chatham's reputation as a monolithic figure astride both rock and classical musics. Since 1989, Chatham has received the patronage of Europe's most prominent institutions and municipalities, and his symphonies have been staged dozens of times around the globe. Most recently, the city of Paris commissioned from Chatham an epic piece for 400 guitars, which was presented at the largest church in France. Witnessed by tens of thousands of jubilant fans -- and glimpsed by hundreds of thousands more on television -- the event created a national sensation.

NVLST vs NYC		01.02.07

Guitar trio pics		12.31.06
photos courtesy of HQ

Tonight!		12.29.06
"Looking outside traditional band configurations to forge a 'new approach to heavy/ambient guitar,' the local duo of Chase Middaugh and Ryan McMullen wrench a full band’s worth of heavy rock atmospherics from Novelist’s relatively sparse drums and guitar format. With an all instrumental sound that falls somewhere between The Who’s long-form feedback jams, Glenn Branca’s art-rock symphonies and Sunn O)))’s drone metal soundscapes, Novelist maximize their minimal attack. On Friday (Dec. 29) at Soundlab, the group diverges even further from tradition when McMullen trades his drum kit for a guitar and Bill Abdale (guitarist with Brooklyn's Black Centipede) joins the group to create a one-night-only all-guitar collaborative trio. Opening is Buffalo experimentalists The Beta Cloud, and Jax Deluca will provide projections, starting up at 9 pm." ARTVOICE v5n51

Full-Stack mania		12.15.06

Improv 120706		12.07.06
Just finished recording some solo guitar improv pieces. Enjoy. Materials used: guitar, transistor radio, triangle. Chase Middaugh- "Improv 120706" 01. One 02. Two 03. Three or download all three pieces at once: here.

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