paul elwood nice folks innova 903 : vocals : : percussion : : double bass : : electric guitar electric : Kelsey Shiba Kelsey : guitars and music boxes and music guitars : : keyboards and trombone and keyboards : : five-string banjo and vocals banjo five-string : Pierre Fenichel Pierre THE INVISIBLE ENSEMBLE INVISIBLE THE : saxophones and bass clarinet saxophones : The GRIM/Montevideo Choir GRIM/Montevideo The Famoudou Don Moye Famoudou Jean-Marc Montera Jean-Marc ¨ Simon Sieger Paul Elwood Paul Thomas Weirich Thomas Raphael ImbertRaphael except #4 by John Hartford, Sony/ATV Harmony. Harmony. except #4 by John Hartford, Sony/ATV 2014 by Western Wear Music Publishing (ASCAP) Wear 2014 by Western 3:14 p Recordings is the label of the American Composers Forum. Recordings is the label of the American Composers Forum. 3:43 ® 1:45 All songs © innova 4:58 paul-elwood.com soundchoice.typepad.com www.innova.mu paul-elwood.com soundchoice.typepad.com www.innova.mu 7:29 7:35 7:19 6:27 3:07 5:13 5:32 6:04 Paul Elwood Ensemble The Invisible Ensemble The Invisible The Invisible Ensemble The Invisible Paul Elwood Les Fleurs de Castellane Les Fleurs Incident at Max’s at Incident Rue Breuteuil a.m. 4 Ivaravi Poets of Andalucia Hydraulic Nice Folks Flame Blue Aeroplane Steam Powered Street Seventeenth of End The Ann Sally Tru Love Tru The Invisible Ensemble The Invisible and Moye Elwood by arr. trad., Paul Elwood Paul Elwood Paul Paul Elwood Paul Elwood Hartford John

10. 11. 12. 9. 8. 6. 7. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. Nice Folks: The Invisible Ensemble featuring ization a dream I had for many years of using my Famoudou Don Moye, is a collection of origi- instrument within the context of an avant-garde nal compositions by banjoist Paul Elwood featur- jazz ensemble; Famoudou Don Moye’s presence ing Moye, the world-renown percussionist with on the recordings is a direct connection to the the legendary Art Ensemble of Chicago (AEC), a vanguard of the experimental jazz movement of major innovative voice in jazz. The compositions the ‘60s and ‘70s. I believe that this recording were influenced by jazz and by my background as will offer fans of the AEC the opportunity for an a banjoist in bluegrass and Appalachian folk mu- aural update on this legendary percussionist and sic; since the AEC is well-known for its wonder- to hear him in a new context. ful improvisations, the recording is punctuated by five short group improvisations. During the recording guitarist Jean-Marc Montera was sitting next to Moye. Jean-Marc isn’t known The AEC, alongside luminaries such as guitarist, for playing softly, but Moye asked him to turn up John Abercrombie, drummer Jack DeJohnette, his amp as he was having trouble hearing him. bassist David Holland, and saxophonist Ornette After adjusting his amp, Montera still couldn’t be Coleman among many others, was a major influ- heard, so Moye asked him to turn up again. And he ence on me as a developing musician/banjo play- still wasn’t heard. Therefore Moye began refer- er. In 2011 I met Moye at a concert in Marseille, ring to Jean-Marc as the “invisible brother.” The France. I quickly set about to muster seven young, title stuck and we began referring to the group as virtuosic French musicians, the “Invisible Ensem- a whole as “The Invisible Ensemble.” ble,” to record a number of my compositions with — Paul Elwood, Marseille, France, July 2014 Moye. This project enabled me to bring to real-

PAUL ELWOOD’s music has been featured at festivals in Moscow, Sofia, Mexico City, Marseille, Wol- longong, Edinburgh, Darmstadt, and all over the U.S.A. Performers that have played his music include Stephen Drury, the Callithumpian Consort (Boston), the North Carolina Symphony, and Ensemble Signos (Mexico City). Recent recordings are on Innova as banjoist with Misfit Toys (2013) and with his own chamber and folk music, Stanley Kubrick’s Mountain Home (2011), additional albums are with bass- ist Bertram Turetzky (2008), and Electric Cowboy Cacophony (2008). He is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and of the Camargo Foundation (Cassis, France). In 2000 he won the Sigma Alpha-Iota Inter-American Music Awards. Elwood’s compositions are published by C.F. Peters and Smith Publications. THE INVISIBLE ENSEMBLE:

Before FAMOUDOU DON MOYE joined the Art En- SIMON SIEGER, keyboards and trombone: Simon semble of Chicago as their percussionist in 1970, works both in active performance in jazz and im- the band consisted of saxophonist Roscoe Mitch- prov as well as in the realms of theory and musi- ell, trumpeter Lester Bowie, bassist Malachi Favors, cology. An astounding young performer, he has and saxophonist Joseph Jarman. Moye fit in beau- been a member of Compagnie Nine Spirit since tifully; he and the band had roots going back to 2010 and most recently toured as a trombonist the AACM, the Association for the Advancement with Archie Schepp’s Attica Blues project all over of Creative Musicians, founded in 1965. In addition Europe. He collaborates frequently with guitarist to his activities with the band, Moye worked with Thomas Weirich. Randy Weston, Joseph Jarman, Don Pullen, Cecil McBee, Hamiet Bluiett, Julius Hemphill, Chico Free- THOMAS WEIRICH, guitar: is a virtuosic and versa- man, the Black Artists Group, and Lester Bowie’s tile young guitarist who performs frequently with Brass Fantasy (among others) and since 1984 has Compagnie Nine Spirit and in an improvisational been a member of the Leaders. He currently per- duo with Simon Sieger. Thomas’ abilities are prodi- forms all over Europe with a variety of musicians, gious whether he is working in the realms of jazz most notably the Archie Schepp Attica Blues Band. and free improvisation, or in country music and blues. JEAN-MARC MONTERA, guitar: started in rock and is known throughout the world for his eclectic use PIERRE FENICHEL, contrabass: was trained origi- of the guitar in sonorous and free improvisation. nally as a medical doctor and is now one of South- He is co-founder of GRIM (Groupe de Recherches ern France’s most in-demand musicians perform- ¨ et d’Improvisation Musicales) in Marseille, France. ing widely with the likes of Raphael Imbert, Henri He has performed with artists as diverse as Patti Florens, Benoit Paillard, Perrine Mansuy, and Vin- Smith, Fred Frith, and Thurston Moore, among oth- cent Strazzieri, among many others. Pierre’s inter- er luminaries. ests range from musique contemporaine, being a huge fan of the likes of Morton Feldman, to elec- RAPHAEL¨ IMBERT, saxophones: is a major force in tronic music having used the MAX/MSP computer the jazz scene in France and has many projects platform extensively in his own music. with his Compagnie Nine Spirit, based in Marseille and ranging all over Europe. He has released a KELSEY SHIBA, vocals: Kelsey is an extraordinarily number of recordings in the genre of jazz, but has talented young musician who specializes both in created unique and interesting crossovers with his keyboards and vocals. She performs regularly all “Bach-Coltrane” Project and “Heavens: Amadeus over the region of the Front Range in Colorado, and the Duke.” He has performed with drummer working with bands such as TC and the Domes- Gerald Cleaver, bassist Joe Martin, and famed sax- tic Engineers, Black Water, Groove Yard, and the ophonist Archie Schepp, among many others. ShibaDiva Quartet, among others. She is associate director of jazz studies at the University of North- ern Colorado THANKS TO: Erik Billabert: recording engineer, GRIM/Montevideo C.C. Culver Greg Heimbecker: additional recording and Regine´ Esposito mixing, University of Northern Colorado GRIM/Montevideo Studio, Marseille, France Photos by Martin Sarrazac Jean-Marc Montera, director of GRIM The University of Northern Colorado Summer innova is supported by an endowment Support Initiative for Research and Dissemination from the McKnight Foundation Recorded June 14-15, 2011, Marseille, France Philip Blackburn, director, design Mixed and Kelsey Shiba’s vocals recorded Chris Campbell, manager September 2011, Greeley, Colorado Steve McPherson, PR

Thanks also to the following for their generous support through my Hatchfund campaign – this wouldn’t have happened without them! Erik Applegate Don Fortner Diane Kirby Myles Sloniker Heather Barringer Laurdella Foulkes-Levy Dana Landry James F. Stover Joanna Branum Berthold Franke Joe Marquand Candia Thew John Bundy Socrates and Wanda Garcia Susan Mayo Chipper Thompson Daniel Chisam Stuart Gerber Ryan Middagh Kim Treiber Jerry and Gloria Clouse Jon Gudmundson Daniel Moore David Vincent Stephen Drury Joseph and Sara Haefeli Daniel Nelson Shawn Waggoner Houston Dunleavy Daniel Hauben Aimee Niemann Denise and JP Walsh Kristen Dye Ted Jillson David Olson Kelly and Diana Werts Fred and Alice Elwood Deborah Kauffman Lynn Piller Jim White and Kelsey Shiba H. Philip and Darlene Elwood Jack Kellogg Sarah Quintana Ken White Matthew and Mariko Elwood Rebecca Kephart Jake Schepps Matt Wilson Ben Wright L-R: front row: Famoudou Don Moye, Jean-Marc Montera, Paul Elwood, Raphael¨ Imbert (standing), and Erik Billabert; second row, L-R: Simon Sieger, Thomas Weirich, Pierre Fenichel