PETER EVANS Trumpet, Composer, Educator

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

PETER EVANS Trumpet, Composer, Educator PETER EVANS Trumpet, Composer, Educator “Evans is the rare virtuoso player who's willing to take real musical risks” - Rolling Stone Peter Evans is a trumpet player and improviser/composer based in New York City since 2003. Evans is part of a broad, hybridized scene of musical experimentation and his work cuts across a wide range of modern musical practices and traditions. Peter is committed to the simultaneously self-determining and collaborative nature of musical improvisation as a compositional tool, and works with an ever-expanding group of musicians and composers in the creation of new music. His primary groups as a leader are the Peter Evans Ensemble and Being & Becoming (with Joel Ross, Nick Jozwiak and Savannah Harris). Evans has been exploring solo trumpet music since 2002 and is widely recognized as a leading voice in the field, having released several recordings over the past decade. He is a member of the cooperative groups Pulverize the Sound (with Mike Pride and Tim Dahl) and Rocket Science (with Evan Parker, Craig Taborn and Sam Pluta) and is constantly experimenting and forming new configurations with like-minded players. As a composer, he has been commissioned by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Yarn/Wire, the Donaueschingen Musiktage Festival, the Jerome Foundation's Emerging Artist Program, and the Doris Duke Foundation. Evans has presented and/or performed his works at major festivals worldwide and tours his own groups extensively. He has worked with some of the leading figures in new music: John Zorn, Ingrid Laubrock, Jim Black, Weasel Walter, Ambrose Akinmusere, Matana Roberts, Tyshawn Sorey, Levy Lorenzo, Nate Wooley, Steve Schick, Mary Halvorson, Joe McPhee and performs with both ICE and the Wet Ink Ensemble. He has been releasing recordings on his own label, More is More, since 2011. 2020 will see the releases of the first record by Being & Becoming, a new album by a quartet version of the PE Ensemble, and an album of Christmas music with three pianos. CONTACT: Chris Mees O: (646) 397.8705 C: 347.622.1775 E: [email protected] W: bnatural.nyc 357 UPLAND AVENUE • YONKERS, NY 10703 | P: 646.609.6675 | [email protected] | BNATURAL.NYC 1 .
Recommended publications
  • Subjective (Re)Positioning in Musical Improvisation: Analyzing the Work of Five Female Improvisers *
    Subjective (Re)positioning in Musical Improvisation: Analyzing the Work of Five Female Improvisers * Marc Hannaford NOTE: The examples for the (text-only) PDF version of this item are available online at: h+p:,,www.mtosmt.org,issues,mto.10.12.1,mto.17.12.1.hanna ord.php 4E5WORDS: Feminist music theory, gender, improvisation, jazz, Shannon 7arne+, Caroline Davis, Ingrid 9aubrock, 9inda Oh, Anna Webber A7STRACT: This article analyzes the music o :ve emale improvisers. I employ these women’s lived experiences o discrimination as a basis or my analysis o improvisation in terms o what I call subjective (re)positioning. Given these women’s experiences o discrimination, trust means something ar richer than musically working together during per ormance. Trusting improvising partners create a conceptual space in which musicians are able to position and reposition themselves, thus expressing agency. Received March 2016 Volume 23, Number 2, June 2010 Copyright © 2017 Society for Music Theory A/B At a recent per ormance o improvised music at a venue in New 5ork, some musicians and I noticed that the cover o the March 2015 DWomen’s Eistory Month” issue o The New York Jazz Record eatured male pianist Vijay Iyer on the cover. Our jokes about dishpan hands soon gave way to melancholy: it seems that, despite some jazz progressivists, neo-classicists, and academics arguing that jazz is a site or the realization o egalitarian or democratic ideals ( 7urns 2004 , Fischlin 2012 , Nicholls 1012 ), there is still work to be done. (1) A1B This article analyzes music by composer,improvisers Shannon 7arne+, Caroline Davis, Ingrid 9aubrock, 9inda Oh, and Anna Webber in conjunction with interviews I conducted with each o them ( 7arne+ 1015 , Davis 2015 , 9aubrock 2015 , Oh 2015 , Webber 2015 ).
    [Show full text]
  • Cool Trombone Lover
    NOVEMBER 2013 - ISSUE 139 YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENE NYCJAZZRECORD.COM ROSWELL RUDD COOL TROMBONE LOVER MICHEL • DAVE • GEORGE • RELATIVE • EVENT CAMILO KING FREEMAN PITCH CALENDAR “BEST JAZZ CLUBS OF THE YEAR 2012” SMOKE JAZZ & SUPPER CLUB • HARLEM, NEW YORK CITY FEATURED ARTISTS / 7:00, 9:00 & 10:30pm ONE NIGHT ONLY / 7:00, 9:00 & 10:30pm RESIDENCIES / 7:00, 9:00 & 10:30pm Fri & Sat, Nov 1 & 2 Wed, Nov 6 Sundays, Nov 3 & 17 GARY BARTZ QUARTET PLUS MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ QUINTET Michael Rodriguez (tp) ● Chris Cheek (ts) SaRon Crenshaw Band SPECIAL GUEST VINCENT HERRING Jeb Patton (p) ● Kiyoshi Kitagawa (b) Sundays, Nov 10 & 24 Gary Bartz (as) ● Vincent Herring (as) Obed Calvaire (d) Vivian Sessoms Sullivan Fortner (p) ● James King (b) ● Greg Bandy (d) Wed, Nov 13 Mondays, Nov 4 & 18 Fri & Sat, Nov 8 & 9 JACK WALRATH QUINTET Jason Marshall Big Band BILL STEWART QUARTET Jack Walrath (tp) ● Alex Foster (ts) Mondays, Nov 11 & 25 Chris Cheek (ts) ● Kevin Hays (p) George Burton (p) ● tba (b) ● Donald Edwards (d) Captain Black Big Band Doug Weiss (b) ● Bill Stewart (d) Wed, Nov 20 Tuesdays, Nov 5, 12, 19, & 26 Fri & Sat, Nov 15 & 16 BOB SANDS QUARTET Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet “OUT AND ABOUT” CD RELEASE LOUIS HAYES Bob Sands (ts) ● Joel Weiskopf (p) Thursdays, Nov 7, 14, 21 & 28 & THE JAZZ COMMUNICATORS Gregg August (b) ● Donald Edwards (d) Gregory Generet Abraham Burton (ts) ● Steve Nelson (vibes) Kris Bowers (p) ● Dezron Douglas (b) ● Louis Hayes (d) Wed, Nov 27 RAY MARCHICA QUARTET LATE NIGHT RESIDENCIES / 11:30 - Fri & Sat, Nov 22 & 23 FEATURING RODNEY JONES Mon The Smoke Jam Session Chase Baird (ts) ● Rodney Jones (guitar) CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO Tue Cyrus Chestnut (p) ● Curtis Lundy (b) ● Victor Lewis (d) Mike LeDonne (organ) ● Ray Marchica (d) Milton Suggs Quartet Wed Brianna Thomas Quartet Fri & Sat, Nov 29 & 30 STEVE DAVIS SEXTET JAZZ BRUNCH / 11:30am, 1:00 & 2:30pm Thu Nickel and Dime OPS “THE MUSIC OF J.J.
    [Show full text]
  • New Music Series, Peter Evans, Trumpet, and Sam Pluta, Electronics, November 7, 2016 Lawrence University
    Lawrence University Lux Conservatory of Music Concert Programs Conservatory of Music 11-7-2016 8:00 PM New Music Series, Peter Evans, trumpet, and Sam Pluta, electronics, November 7, 2016 Lawrence University Follow this and additional works at: http://lux.lawrence.edu/concertprograms Part of the Music Performance Commons © Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Recommended Citation Lawrence University, "New Music Series, Peter Evans, trumpet, and Sam Pluta, electronics, November 7, 2016" (2016). Conservatory of Music Concert Programs. Program 103. http://lux.lawrence.edu/concertprograms/103 This Concert Program is brought to you for free and open access by the Conservatory of Music at Lux. It has been accepted for inclusion in Conservatory of Music Concert Programs by an authorized administrator of Lux. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NEW MUSIC SERIES 2016–2017 New Music Series 2016-17 Splinter Reeds Wednesday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m. | Harper Hall Peter Evans, trumpet and Sam Pluta, electronics Monday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m. | Harper Hall Wet Ink Friday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. | Harper Hall The music of Marcos Balter and Stacy Garrop: Saxophone and composition collaboration project Sunday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m. | Harper Hall Roomful of Teeth Friday, April 7, 8 p.m. | Lawrence Memorial Chapel Peter Evans, trumpet, and Sam Pluta, electronics lawrence.edu/conservatory/performance_series/new_music CO16-260 by the International Contemporary Ensemble, Yarn/Wire, the Peter Evans, trumpet, Donaueschingen Musiktage Festival and the Jerome Foundation’s and Sam Pluta, electronics Emerging Artist Program. He has presented and/or performed his works at Darmstadt, the Köln Trienalle and Roulette Intermedium Monday, Nov.
    [Show full text]
  • Liebman Expansions
    MAY 2016—ISSUE 169 YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENE NYCJAZZRECORD.COM DAVE LIEBMAN EXPANSIONS CHICO NIK HOD LARS FREEMAN BÄRTSCH O’BRIEN GULLIN Managing Editor: Laurence Donohue-Greene Editorial Director & Production Manager: Andrey Henkin To Contact: The New York City Jazz Record 66 Mt. Airy Road East MAY 2016—ISSUE 169 Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 United States Phone/Fax: 212-568-9628 New York@Night 4 Laurence Donohue-Greene: Interview : Chico Freeman 6 by terrell holmes [email protected] Andrey Henkin: [email protected] Artist Feature : Nik Bärtsch 7 by andrey henkin General Inquiries: [email protected] On The Cover : Dave Liebman 8 by ken dryden Advertising: [email protected] Encore : Hod O’Brien by thomas conrad Editorial: 10 [email protected] Calendar: Lest We Forget : Lars Gullin 10 by clifford allen [email protected] VOXNews: LAbel Spotlight : Rudi Records by ken waxman [email protected] 11 Letters to the Editor: [email protected] VOXNEWS 11 by suzanne lorge US Subscription rates: 12 issues, $40 Canada Subscription rates: 12 issues, $45 In Memoriam 12 by andrey henkin International Subscription rates: 12 issues, $50 For subscription assistance, send check, cash or money order to the address above CD Reviews or email [email protected] 14 Staff Writers Miscellany David R. Adler, Clifford Allen, 37 Duck Baker, Fred Bouchard, Stuart Broomer, Thomas Conrad, Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman, Event Calendar 38 Philip Freeman, Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland, Anders Griffen, Alex Henderson, Marcia Hillman, Terrell Holmes, Robert Iannapollo, Suzanne Lorge, Marc Medwin, Ken Micallef, Russ Musto, John Pietaro, Joel Roberts, John Sharpe, Elliott Simon, Andrew Vélez, Ken Waxman Tracing the history of jazz is putting pins in a map of the world.
    [Show full text]
  • WXYC Brings You Gems from the Treasure of UNC's Southern
    IN/AUDIBLE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR a publication of N/AUDIBLE is the irregular newsletter of WXYC – your favorite Chapel Hill radio WXYC 89.3 FM station that broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week out of the Student Union on the UNC campus. The last time this publication came out in 2002, WXYC was CB 5210 Carolina Union Icelebrating its 25th year of existence as the student-run radio station at the University of Chapel Hill, NC 27599 North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This year we celebrate another big event – our tenth anni- USA versary as the first radio station in the world to simulcast our signal over the Internet. As we celebrate this exciting event and reflect on the ingenuity of a few gifted people who took (919) 962-7768 local radio to the next level and beyond Chapel Hill, we can wonder request line: (919) 962-8989 if the future of radio is no longer in the stereo of our living rooms but on the World Wide Web. http://www.wxyc.org As always, new technology brings change that is both exciting [email protected] and scary. Local radio stations and the dedicated DJs and staffs who operate them are an integral part of vibrant local music communities, like the one we are lucky to have here in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Staff NICOLE BOGAS area. With the proliferation of music services like XM satellite radio Editor-in-Chief and Live-365 Internet radio servers, it sometimes seems like the future EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Nicole Bogas of local radio is doomed.
    [Show full text]
  • 132 New on Maybe Monday
    New on INTAKT RECORDS www.intaktrec.ch One marker of bassist Michael Formanek's creativity and versatility is the range of distinguished musicians of several generations he's worked with. While still a teenager in the 1970s he toured with drummer Tony Williams and saxophonist Joe Henderson. Starting in the '80s he played long stints with Stan Getz, Fred Hersch and Freddie Hubbard. Formanek is also a composer and leader of various bands. One of his principal recording and international touring vehicles has been his acclaimed quartet with Tim Berne, Craig Taborn and Gerald Cleaver. His occasional groups include the 18-piece all-star Ensemble Kolos- sus, roping in many New York improvisers he works with. Currently his primary focus is the Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet with Tony Malaby, Kris Davis, and Ches Smith. In putting together the Elusion Quartet, interpreting his music with these specific musicians, Michael Formanek says he sought “a more direct connection to emotions: mine, theirs and the listener’s.” Hank Shteamer writes in the liner notes: "As one zeroes in on the details of Time Like This, it's clear that this sort of emotional immediacy permeates the album. You hear it in Kris Davis’ flowing, balletic solo on “A Fine Mess”; in Tony Malaby's ululating tenor cries on “The Soul Goodbye”; in Ches Smith’s raucous grooves on “That Was Then”; or the leader’s poised, sinewy lines on “Culture of None.” Elusive? MicHaeL FOrManek Certainly. But as this album proves, under the right conditions, with the eLusiOn QuarTeT right personnel, it’s still out there." Der New Yorker Bassist und Komponist Michael Formanek präsen- TIME LIKE THIS tiert mit seinem Elusion Quartett ein neues, wegweisendes Projekt.
    [Show full text]
  • Wallace Roney Joe Fiedler Christopher
    feBrUARY 2019—ISSUe 202 YOUr FREE GUide TO THE NYC JAZZ SCENE NYCJAZZRECORD.COM BILLY HART ENCHANCING wallace joe christopher eddie roney fiedler hollyday costa Managing Editor: Laurence Donohue-Greene Editorial Director & Production Manager: Andrey Henkin To Contact: The New York City Jazz Record 66 Mt. Airy Road East feBrUARY 2019—ISSUe 202 Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 United States Phone/Fax: 212-568-9628 new york@niGht 4 Laurence Donohue-Greene: interview : wallace roney 6 by anders griffen [email protected] Andrey Henkin: artist featUre : joe fiedler 7 by steven loewy [email protected] General Inquiries: on the cover : Billy hart 8 by jim motavalli [email protected] Advertising: encore : christopher hollyday 10 by robert bush [email protected] Calendar: lest we forGet : eddie costa 10 by mark keresman [email protected] VOXNews: LAbel spotliGht : astral spirits 11 by george grella [email protected] VOXNEWS by suzanne lorge US Subscription rates: 12 issues, $40 11 Canada Subscription rates: 12 issues, $45 International Subscription rates: 12 issues, $50 For subscription assistance, send check, cash or oBitUaries 12 by andrey henkin money order to the address above or email [email protected] FESTIVAL REPORT 13 Staff Writers Duck Baker, Stuart Broomer, Robert Bush, Kevin Canfield, CD reviews 14 Marco Cangiano, Thomas Conrad, Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman, Phil Freeman, Kurt Gottschalk, Miscellany Tom Greenland, George Grella, 31 Anders Griffen, Tyran Grillo, Alex Henderson, Robert Iannapollo, event calendar Matthew Kassel, Mark Keresman, 32 Marilyn Lester, Suzanne Lorge, Marc Medwin, Jim Motavalli, Russ Musto, John Pietaro, Joel Roberts, John Sharpe, Elliott Simon, Andrew Vélez, Scott Yanow Contributing Writers Brian Charette, Steven Loewy, As unpredictable as the flow of a jazz improvisation is the path that musicians ‘take’ (the verb Francesco Martinelli, Annie Murnighan, implies agency, which is sometimes not the case) during the course of a career.
    [Show full text]
  • Kris Davislooks to Discover the Piano's Full Potential
    Outerto the Kris Davis looks to discover the piano’s full potential. ReachesBY TED PANKEN t 7 a.m., 90 minutes before our scheduled morning, after which, Davis told me later, she treated herself interview on Christmas Eve morning, Kris to a rare “day off” that entailed practice, exercise and hanging Davis sent an email: “bad night of sleep — out with her son. call you when I’m up — around 9:30.” We Between our conversations, Davis had pursued her were supposed to speak the previous night, customarily industrious schedule, which included a commute but she emailed me before the appointed from her Ossining, New York, home to Manhattan to teach time to say that a second consecutive day of recording piano and guide the Herbie Hancock Ensemble at the New an orchestral album with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock at School; a two-hours-each-way drive to teach jazz piano at Manhattan’s Power Station left her too punchy “to do you Princeton; and two long rehearsals with Laubrock. The day much good.” When we finally connected at 9:30 sharp, Davis after our second talk, she led a new trio with Eric Revis and explained that she’d been up most of the night soothing her Johnathan Blake at a John Zorn-produced evening at the New A4-year-old son through serial nightmares. School’s Tishman Auditorium, then worked three consecutive It was our second rescheduling moment of the week. Six nights as a sidewoman, first in saxophonist Jure Pukl’s quintet days earlier, we postponed our first scheduled interview when at the Cornelia Street Café in Greenwich Village, then in a Davis awoke in the morning with a stomach virus her son had quintet assembled by Revis to play a newly commissioned suite picked up at school.
    [Show full text]
  • HDO 191 Redux
    HDO 191 Redux El contrabajista y compositor Pablo Martín Caminero pasará por HDO para presentar Salto al vacío, su nueva grabación que presentará el 11 de noviembre en el Festival de Jazz de Madrid. En la entrega 191 de HDO se podrá escuchar la voz de este músico, y también música de esta nueva grabación. En HDO 191 Redux está disponible un adelanto del programa, en menos de seis minutos, que estará disponible próximamente en Tomajazz. HDO 190. En concierto con… René Marie [Podcast] La cantante René Marie va a actuar en nuestro país en el IV San Miguel Jamboree Jazz Club Festival en Barcelona (sábado 5 de noviembre de 2016), el Festival Internacional de Jazz de Madrid (miércoles 9), y el Festival de Jazz de Palencia (viernes 11). Esta veterana (nació en 1955), decidió dedicarse por entero al jazz a una edad muy poco habitual: 42 años y tras un ultimátum de su marido, que le planteó elegir entre él o el jazz… y eligió el jazz. Gran cantante, que se mueve con mucha comodidad por distintos registros, y compositora, deja buena muestra de ello tanto en sus conciertos, como en sus grabaciones. En HDO 190 revisamos sus tres últimas grabaciones: Sound of Red (que ya sonó en HDO 149), I wanna be Evil, y Black Lace Freudian Sleep. © Pachi Tapiz, 2016 HDO es un podcast editado, producido y presentado por Pachi Tapiz. HDO 189. Ingrid Laubrock: her voice and her musics… interview by Pachi Tapiz [Podcast] Ingrid Laubrock will play in Spain. Her Anti-House 4 (Laubrock herself, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Tom Rainey) will play at Jamboree (Barcelona), Bogui Jazz (Jazz Con Sabor a Club – Festival Internacional de Jazz de Madrid), and Campus Jazz Festival in Cádiz.Pachi Tapiz interviews her in the HDO Tomajazz podcast.
    [Show full text]
  • Freier Download BA 67 Als
    BAD 67 ALCHEMY 1 Martin Büsser gewidmet 1968 - 2010 2 WHAT A DIFFERENCE A NIGHT MAKES Ah, Serenade kommt tatsächlich von sereno. Weil sie unter heiterem Himmel stattfindet. Der 10. August 2010 ist so ein Abend, ideal, um ihn beim WÜRZ- BURGER HAFENSOMMER mit dem PORTICO QUARTET zu genießen. Vier le- ger gekleidete Jungmänner entern die schwimmende Bühne hinter dem Heiz- kraftwerk und beginnen, die genial verhuschten Federwölkchen über uns abzu- malen. Duncan Bellamy an den Drums, Milo Fitzpatrick am Kontrabass, Nick Mul- vey klöppelt auf etwas, das sich Hang Drums nennt und aussieht wie drei Wok- pfannen und Jack Wyllie bläst abwechselnd Tenor- und Sopranosaxophon. Sie präsentieren ihr Isla-Programm und wenige Takte genügen, um auf den voll be- setzten Treppenstufen zu begreifen, warum die Londoner für den Mercury Prize 2008 nominiert waren, auf Peter Gabriels Label Real World publizieren und eu- ropaweit als Darlings herumgereicht werden. Der melodische Sound des Hang, einer Percussion-Novität von Panart in Bern, verbreitet mit repetitiven, harmoni- schen Mustern aus nur einer Handvoll Tönen die Wärme und den hypnotischen Sog von Trinidad-Steel-Drums, erinnert stellenweise an Harfenarpeggios, mit bloßen Händen gespielt auch an eine Mbira. Das Quartett lässt in seinen Mustern Debussy und Nyman mit Tortoise vexieren. Fitzpatrick zupft warme Bassriffs. Bellamy tickelt, tüpfelt und wischt dazu funkelnde und federleichte Beats. Und schon ist jeweils der schönste Groove beieinander, etwa bei ‚Dawn Patrol‘ mit seinem simplen Pizzikatodrive, in den Wyllie hell und sanglich betörend einfädelt. Der Clou sind jedoch klangliche Accessoires, die er mit Delay- und Loop-Effekten unterlegt, einfach das Klacken der Klappenmechanik, lang gezogene oder kas- kadierende Dauertöne, das Fiepen einer Melodica.
    [Show full text]
  • TIRESIAN SYMMETRY (Cuneiform Rune 346) Format: CD
    Bio information: JASON ROBINSON Title: TIRESIAN SYMMETRY (Cuneiform Rune 346) Format: CD Cuneiform publicity/promotion dept.: 301-589-8894 / fax 301-589-1819 email: joyce [-at-] cuneiformrecords.com (Press & world radio); radio [-at-] cuneiformrecords.com (North American radio) www.cuneiformrecords.com FILE UNDER: JAZZ / AVANT-JAZZ Saxophonist/Composer Jason Robinson Takes a Mythic Journey with New Album: Tiresian Symmetry featuring Robinson with All-Star Band: George Schuller, Ches Smith, Marty Ehrlich, Liberty Ellman, Drew Gress, Marcus Rojas, Bill Lowe, JD Parran A ubiquitous and often pivotal figure in the stories and myths of ancient Greece, the blind prophet Tiresias was blessed and cursed by the gods, experiencing life as both a man and a woman while living for hundreds of years. In saxophonist/composer Jason Robinson’s polydirectional masterpiece Tiresian Symmetry, he doesn’t seek to tell the soothsayer’s story. Rather for his seventh album as a leader, he’s gathered an extraordinary cast of improvisers to investigate the nature of narrative itself in a jazz context. The music’s richly suggestive harmonic and metrical relationships elicit a wide array of responses, but ultimately listeners find their own sense of order and meaning amidst the sumptuous sounds. For Robinson, a capaciously inventive artist who has flourished in a boggling array of settings, from solo excursions with electronics and free jazz quartets to roots reggae ensembles and multimedia collectives, Tiresian Symmetry represents his most expansive project yet. “I was attracted to the myth of the soothsayer, who tells the future even when it’s not welcome information,” Robinson says. “But on a more technical level I was intrigued by the numerical relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • Thumbscrew-Never Is Enough PR
    Bio information: THUMBSCREW Title: NEVER IS ENOUGH (Cuneiform Rune 478) Format: CD / VINYL (DOUBLE) / DIGITAL www.cuneiformrecords.com FILE UNDER: JAZZ How much is too much when it comes to THUMBSCREW? The All-Star Collective Trio Delivers a Decisive Answer with Their Sixth Album NEVER IS ENOUGH a Riveting Program of Originals by Tomas Fujiwara, Mary Halvorson and Michael Formanek A funny thing happened while Thumbscrew was hunkered down at City of Asylum, the Pittsburgh arts organization that has served as a creative hotbed for the collective trio via a series of residencies. Late in the summer of 2019 the immediate plan was for drummer Tomas Fujiwara, guitarist Mary Halvorson and bassist Michael Formanek to rehearse and record a disparate program of Anthony Braxton compositions they’d gleaned from his Tri-Centric Foundation archives, pieces released last year on The Anthony Braxton Project, a Cuneiform album celebrating his 75th birthday. At the same time, the triumvirate brought in a batch of original compositions that they also spent time refining and recording, resulting in Never Is Enough, a brilliant program of originals slated for release on Cuneiform. There’s a precedent for twined projects by the trio serving as fascinating foils for each other. In June 2018, Cuneiform simultaneously released an album of Thumbscrew originals, Ours, and Theirs, a disparate but cohesive session exploring music by the likes of Brazilian choro master Jacob do Bandolim, pianist Herbie Nichols, and Argentine tango master Julio de Caro. Those albums were also honed and recorded during a City of Asylum residency. While not intended as the same kind of dialogue, The Anthony Braxton Project and Never Is Enough do seem to speak eloquently (if cryptically) to each other.
    [Show full text]