Last Two Appearances This Season of Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra at The Jazz Gallery

May 1, 2012 admin

Well, folks, that went by fast. I’m not sure what constitutes a season, but it looks like this one is just about up.

Workshop/Performance Evenings

bi-weekly Tuesday night series

May 1 and 15

7:30 p.m. Workshop/rehearsal | 9:00 p.m. Performance

(Woodstock, NY) April 30, 2012:  Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra debuted Tuesday, March 20th as a New York Times Critics Choice at The Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, New York, NY. Following a critically-acclaimed eight-month run at The Stone in 2011, Karl Berger’s Orchestra of 18+ professional string, horn, and percussion soloists continues to turn improvisational ideas developed in the 7:30 pm workshop/rehearsal into a fully formed 9:00 pm performance. Using his “Music Mind” concept, Karl introduces a new approach and experience of harmonizing improvised sound. International guest musicians for the performance May 1st are Mikko Innanen (alto sax), and Veli Kujala, (accordion) from Finland.

“The suite-like performances have a warm, buoyant vibe issuing from brief folkloric-like motifs and the low-key, common-sense guidance Karl offers his players” said music critic Howard Mandel.

Conducted in Karl’s inimitable style, developed at the legendary Creative Music Studio, this orchestra of extraordinary improvisers explores original themes, melodies from the world’s folk traditions and compositions written by the likes of Don Cherry or Ornette Coleman, as well as musical ideas that arise spontaneously. One of the orchestra’s trademarks is Ingrid Sertso’s uncanny vocalization and poetry.

“I love the atmosphere that Karl and Ingrid create. For me it’s an oasis in the middle of all these stressful energies that the city brings.” said composer Sonia Megias.

The rotating cast of soloists, with a solid core of regulars, includes Lou Grassi, drums, Hilliard Greene (bass), Ken Filiano (bass), Harvey Valdes (guitar), Yoni Kretzmer (tenor sax), Mikko Innanen (alto sax) (guest from Finland), Veli Kujala, accordion (guest from Finland), Afram Fever (soprano sax, bass clarinet), Don Davis (alto, contra alto clarinet), Mercedes Figueras (alto sax), David Schnug (alto sax), Thomas Heberer (trumpet), Blaise Siwula (clarinet), Michael Lytle (bass clarinet), Sylvain Leroux (flutes), Frederika Krier (violin), Mossa Bildner (vocals), Ingrid Sertso (vocals).

All net proceeds support the Creative Music Studio’s Archive Project, the preservation and re-mastering of over 400 historic CMS recordings from the 70s and 80s of some of the finest innovators in jazz, improvisation, and world music. The Archive Project is in collaboration with Columbia University.

http://www.creativemusicfoundation.org/archive-project.html

For reservations call The Jazz Gallery   (212) 242-1063

Tickets are $20.00 Workshop + Performance | $15.00 for Members and Students.   $15.00 Performance Only | $10.00 for Members and Students.

The Jazz Gallery is located at 290 Hudson Street, New York, NY

(between Spring St and Dominik Street ( Subways #1 and C/E)

For program and artistic info:

creativemusicstudio@gmail.com

www.creativemusicfoundation.org

–
Creative Music Studio
POB 671
Woodstock, NY 12498
PH 845 679 8847
www.creativemusicstudio.org

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Carlos Zingaro

March 3, 2012 admin

The Lawrentian, the student newspaper of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, has a story on Portugese violinist Carlos Zingaro. I’m particularly intirgued with the fact that  Zingaro’s way to CMS was paid by a Fullbright Scholarship. It was a rare musician, indeed, who had any funding at all to smooth his or her way at CMS, let alone a Fullbright.

Check out the article; it gives insight to the political oppression in Portugal, the country of Zingaro’s birth, that limited freedom of expression and which led him to develop an interest in free improvisation.

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Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra Launches New Series at the Jazz Gallery

February 29, 2012 admin

This is the 2012 incarnation of the workshop/performance series that was being held at The Stone, April through December of last year.

The full details follow, courtesy of Jim Eigo’s Jazz Promo Service:

Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra Launches New Series
at the Jazz Gallery

A New Round of Acclaimed Workshop/Performance Evenings
Debuts Tuesday, March 20th
and Continues a Bi-weekly Tuesday Night Series Through May 15

(Woodstock, NY) Feb. 15, 2012:  Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra debuts Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at the Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, New York, NY. Following a critically-acclaimed eight-month run at The Stone in 2011, Karl Berger’s Orchestra of 18+  professional string, horn, and percussion soloists  continues to turn improvisational ideas developed in the 7:30 pm workshop/rehearsal into a fully formed 9:00 pm performance. Using his “Music Mind” concept, Karl introduces a new approach and experience of harmonizing improvised sound.

“The suite-like performances have a warm, buoyant vibe issuing from brief folkloric-like motifs and the low-key, common-sense guidance Karl offers his players.” said music critic Howard Mandel.

Conducted in Karl’s inimitable style, developed at the legendary Creative Music Studio, this orchestra of extraordinary improvisers explores original themes, melodies from the world’s folk traditions and compositions written by the likes of Don Cherry or Ornette Coleman, as well as musical ideas that arise spontaneously. One of the orchestra’s trademarks is Ingrid Sertso’s uncanny vocalization and poetry.

“I love the atmosphere that Karl and Ingrid create. For me it’s an oasis in the middle of all these stressful energies that the city brings.”  Said composer Susan Megias, composer.

The rotating cast of soloists, with a solid core of regulars, includes Ingrid Sertso, Mossa Bildner (vocals), Frederika Krier, David Bakridges (violins), Sylvain Leroux (flutes), Yukuri (alto flute), Ken Ya Kawaguchi (shakuhachi), Blaise Siwula (clarinet), Michael Lytle (bass clarinet), Catherine Sikora, Afram Fever (soprano saxes), Mercedes Figueras, Welf Dorr, David Schnug (alto saxes), Peter Apfelbaum, Stephen Gauci, Yuri Kretzmer, (tenor saxes), Daniel Carter (tenor sax, flute, trumpet), Thomas Heberer, Steven Bernstein, Herb Robertson, Brian Groder (trumpets), Josh Roseman (trombone), Harvey Valdes, Kenny Wessel (guitars) Hilliard Greene, Ken Filiano, Michael Bisio (basses), John Pietaro (percussions) Lou Grassi, Warren Smith, (drums), Philip Foster (odds and ends), and national/ international surprise guest soloists.

The new season is a bi-weekly Tuesday night series, continuing on April 3 and 17, and May 1 and 15.

All net proceeds support the Creative Music Studio’s Archive Project, the preservation and re-mastering of over 400 historic CMS recordings by some of the finest innovators in music, in collaboration with Columbia University.

For reservations call the Jazz Gallery   (212) 242-1063

The Jazz Gallery is located at 290 Hudson Street, New York, NY
(between Spring St and Dominik Street ( Subways #1 and C/E)

Tickets are $20.00 Workshop + Performance | $15.00 for Members and Students.   $15.00 Performance Only | $10.00 for Members and Students.

For program and artistic info:
creativemusicstudio@gmail.com
www.creativemusicstudio.org

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Karl Berger at International Society for Improvised Music Conference

February 15, 2012 admin

I post hereunder the entire press release describing Karl’s involvement at ISIM. Karl and I had to allow ourselves to be amused over the irony of him having to go to New Jersey to play with Ann Arbor (University of Michigan) musicians. I tired to convince the folks at U-M to bring him out here last year, but to no avail. We couldn’t get him here, so he has to play with them there.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Creative Music Foundation.

Deborah Day; 845-679-8847

Creativemusicstudio@gmail.com

SPOTLIGHT ON IMPROVISED MUSIC:

Karl Berger Participates In Keynote Panel and Conducts the University of Michigan Creative Arts Orchestra Concert at the International Society for Improvised Music Conference:  Feb. 16-19

(Woodstock, NY) Feb. 15, 2012: The International Society for Improvised Music (ISIM) 2012 Festival/Conference, convening February 16-19, 2012 at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, will kick-off 9am Friday morning with a distinquished Keynote Panel featuring Karl Berger (founder and director, Creative Music Foundation/Creative Music Studio), and Douglas Ewart (Chair, Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), moderated by Ed Sarath (President, ISIM).

Saturday events conclude with an evening festival concert directed by Karl Berger with the 25-member University of Michigan Creative Arts Orchestra. A key component of this concert will be the CMS model of a site-specific open workshop followed by a complete orchestral performance.

See full schedule and performers: http://www.isimprov.org/upcomingEvent.html

The panel’s presentations and discussions will focus on the interactions that took place between members of CMS and AACM during the 70s and 80s, and the repercussions that are still being felt today. The inspiration for this panel was the on-going cross-pollination between Creative Music Studio and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. AACM members, including Douglas Ewart, Anthony Braxton, George Lewis, Leo Smith, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and many more, regularly lead sessions at CMS as ‘Guiding Artists.’

“The discussions concerning the philosophies that governed CMS and AACM should prove to be of great interest to the new generation of improvisers today, ” said Berger, who has been actively developing improvised orchestras for the past forty years.  He is launching a new series – Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra -  beginning in March at NYC’s Jazz Gallery.  He recently completely a successful eight month Monday night series at The Stone in NYC’s East Village, which featured an 18+ piece orchestra of extraordinary improvisers exploring original themes, melodies from world traditions, spontaneous musical ideas, and compositions from such iconic artists as Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry and Ingrid Sertso whose uncanny vocals and inspiring poetry is one of the orchestra’s trademarks. The orchestra often enjoys national/international guest soloists.

Berger is the co-founder, with Ornette Coleman and Ingrid Sertso, of the legendary Creative Music Studio (CMS) and its parent organization, the Creative Music Foundation. His “Music Mind” concept developed over decades at CMS, deepens the experience of playing and listening to music while focusing on attention, expression and communication, and introduces a new approach to harmonizing improvised sound for orchestral explorations.

Fellow panel participant Douglas R. Ewart is a composer, improviser, sculptor and maker of masks and instruments. He was chairman of the internationally renowned Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), one of the foremost  groups of musicians who changed the face of improvised music from the 1970′s on.

Moderator Ed Sarath, is a flugelhornist, composer, professor of music and founding faculty in the Department Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at The University of Michigan School of Music. He is President of The International Society for Improvised Music (ISIM) which promotes performance, education, and research in improvised music, and illuminates connections between musical improvisation and creativity across fields.

For more information on the Conference contact:

International Society for Improvised Music ISIM: http://www.isimprov.org/upcomingEvent.html

For information on Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra, Creative Music Studio,  or the CMS Archive Project contact:

Creative Music Foundation / Creative Music Studio

PO Box 71

Woodstock, NY 12498

creativemusicstudio@gmail.com

www.creativemusicstudio.org

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Sam Rivers

February 7, 2012 admin

I was remiss in not writing about Sam Rivers’ passing back in December. I have no excuse. But I want to make sure now that upon his passing it be noted that he was another great improviser in the African-American tradition whose contribution to the Creative Music Studio was formative and far-reaching.

I remember playing in a large-ensemble performance with him at CMS back in 1976. I remember that it happened, but I’m sad to say that I can’t really recall any of the details of the performance. It was the same spring that I met Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell and also played in large ensembles with Oliver Lake and Leo Smith. The memories all tend to blend together, but impress upon me an undeniable recollection of my first real indoctrination (in a very good way) into liberation through sound.

Howard Mandel, a stalwart  supporter of the CMS community then and now, has written a far more eloquent encomium for Mr. Rivers than I ever could. Please read his “Sam Rivers Remembered, Recommended.”

Rest in peace, Sam Rivers.

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Joseph Jarman

December 8, 2011 admin

If you are the praying kind, please say a prayer for Joseph Jarman of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. He suffered a a massive blood clot between his brain and its lining on the left side of his head.  He’s in Engelwood Hospital in Engelwood, New Jersey.

If you take an interest in the kind of stuff that’s presented in this blog, I don’t have to tell you about the vital contributions that Joseph Jarman and the Art Ensemble have made to creative music.

One of the highest highlights of my time at the Creative Music Studio was getting to know Joseph Jarman. Here’s an article I wrote about Joseph that appeared in the online journal One Final Note, which appeared in 2004.

Please join me in wishing the very best for Shaku Joseph Jarman.

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Sylvain Leroux

December 7, 2011 admin

In my last post, I mentioned that Nick Didkovsky is one of the busiest guys I know who came through CMS. But then I got to thinking about Sylvain Leroux. He’s another very busy guy, actively carrying on with what he learned and absorbed at CMS. “Since 1990, Sylvain [has been] active as a free lance musician in New York, playing for many groups and dance companies in the Afro-Brazilian, African and African-American field” (Fula Flute website).

I just found out that Sylvain will be part of a holiday concert called “Hand in Hand for the Holidays,” which will be held on Sunday, December  11, at 3 p.m. in Trinity Episcopal Church, 141 Broadway in Bayonne, New Jersey.

But if you miss that show, you can catch Sylvain at one of his many gigs around New York City. Check him out on Facebook. Ans, listen to some of his tunes on SoundCloud.

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Nick Didkovsky

December 3, 2011 admin

Nick Didkovsky seems to be one of the busiest musicians I know of who came through the Creative Music Studio. He and his band Dr. Nerve have been “annihilating the boundaries between rock, metal, improvisation, jazz, and experimental music since 1983″ (Dr. Nerve website). The best way to keep up with him is to get on his News from Nick email newsletter. It looks like you can do so here.

Nick and Nerve recently made their way to Zappanale in Germany. It’s a Frank Zappa fest. Here’s a little taste:

See the Dr. Nerve Zappanale YouTube channel  here.

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Stone Workshop Orchestra: Final 2011 Performance and Final Stone Performance

November 29, 2011 admin

The workshop and performance series that Karl has been running at The Stone since April will come to a close for 2011 on December 5. Look for the series to continue in 2012 at a new location.

On December 5 there will be two performance sets at 8 PM and 10 PM, with guest soloists, including John Zorn, saxophone.

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Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith on WGXC, 12/1/11

November 28, 2011 admin

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith will be interviewed on a program on WGXC radio called “The Jazz Disturbance” on December 1.

WGXC is a a community-run media project emanating from Greene County, New York, the county just north of Ulster County, where Woodstock sits.

Details are here: http://newsroom.wgxc.org/archives/15452 .

Here’s a little taste of what Leo was up to in September of 2011 at Cafe Oto in London:

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