ODE With Michael Sarin At Firehouse 12 Tonight

Photo by Peter Gannushkin

Firehouse 12’s fifth annual Fall Jazz Series reaches its midpoint tonight with a rare two-set performance by the electro-acoustic collective, ODE.

Founded in 2006, this trio of frequent collaborators, featuring saxophonist Larry Ochs, acoustic bassist Trevor Dunn and electric bassist/electronic sound manipulator Lisle Ellis, will be making its Connecticut debut.

The group will be joined for this occasion by special guest drummer Michael Sarin, best known to jazz fans for his long-term associations with Thomas Chapin, Dave Douglas and Mario Pavone among many others.

Firehouse 12 To Present The Mary Halvorson Quintet December 4th

Photo by Peter Gannushkin

On Friday, December 4th, New Haven’s Firehouse 12 will present acclaimed Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson and her newest ensemble, the Mary Halvorson Quintet. The group, which adds two horns to the longstanding trio that recorded Ms. Halvorson’s highly regarded 2008 debut, Dragon’s Head (Firehouse 12 Records), will feature Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto saxophone), John Hébert (bass) and Ches Smith (drums). This will be the band’s final performance before going into the studio a week later to record all new material for its forthcoming 2010 release on Firehouse 12 Records.

“Mary Halvorson is the freshest, busiest, most critically acclaimed guitar-slinger out of downtown Manhattan/Brooklyn right now,” declared eminent jazz critic/author Howard Mandel on his blog, Jazz Beyond Jazz. Critics have also called her “a new voice on the instrument” (Philip McNally, Cadence), “probably the most original jazz guitarist to emerge this decade” (Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader) and “the most impressive guitarist of her generation” (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com). “She plays guitar in a way that fractures conventions,” added Steve Dollar in the New York Sun, “restlessly inventing her own paradigms.”

An active member of the diverse New York music scene since 2002, Ms. Halvorson has toured the globe with groups spanning a wide variety of genres. In addition to her trio and quintet, she co-leads a genre-defiant duo with violist Jessica Pavone, the avant-rock trio People and the improvising collective The Thirteenth Assembly. She is also a member of several of iconic saxophonist/composer Anthony Braxton’s ensembles, as well as groups led by Tim Berne, Taylor Ho Bynum, Trevor Dunn, Myra Melford, Tom Rainey and Marc Ribot among others. Her discography features nearly 25 releases on more than 15 labels, including her first effort as a bandleader, Dragon’s Head, which the New York Times‘ Nate Chinen called “one of the standout jazz albums of 2008.” Learn more at http://maryhalvorson.com

2009 Fall Jazz Series Schedule:

09/18 :: Brandon Ross & Blazing Beauty
09/25 :: Matt Wilson Quartet
10/02 :: Mauger: Rudresh Mahanthappa/Mark Dresser/Gerry Hemingway
10/09 :: Steve Lehman Trio
10/16 :: Gretchen Parlato Band
10/23 :: Whirrr! The Music of Jimmy Giuffre
10/30 :: Taylor Eigsti Trio
11/06 :: ODE: Larry Ochs/Trevor Dunn/Lisle Ellis/Michael Sarin
11/13 :: The Peter Evans Quartet
11/20 :: Darius Jones Trio
12/04 :: Mary Halvorson Quintet
12/11 :: Amy Cervini Quartet
12/18 :: Daniel Levin Trio

Tickets and more information available at:
http://firehouse12.com/performance_space_calendar.asp

Firehouse 12 Records To Release Myra Melford’s The Whole Tree Gone January 19th

Photo by Jean-Francois Laberine

On January 19th, Firehouse 12 Records will officially welcome esteemed pianist/composer Myra Melford to its roster with the release of The Whole Tree Gone (FH12-04-01-012), her first recording as a bandleader since 2006. Recorded in the label’s state-of-the-art studio, this is Ms. Melford’s second release with her longstanding ensemble Be Bread, which currently features Cuong Vu (trumpet), Ben Goldberg (clarinets), Brandon Ross (guitars), Stomu Takeishi (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums). It documents the latest evolution of eight original compositions she has been performing with this ensemble, and others, for the past five years. The band will celebrate its new release by touring both the East and West coasts in January.

“Most of the music on this record came from a suite titled The Whole Place Goes Up, written in the fall of 2004 with the support of a Chamber Music America grant,” Ms. Melford explains in the liner notes. “‘Moon Bird’ was written for a concert at the MOMA Sculpture Garden (NYC) in July 2005. Though originally written for Be Bread, I’ve enjoyed performing this music over the past few years with many wonderful musicians in several configurations, including the multimedia performance Knock on the Sky and my duo with Marty Ehrlich. My heartfelt gratitude to the musicians who’ve given a part of themselves to bring this music to life, and to all the other people who have inspired and supported my efforts in many ways for many years.”

Founded in 2002, Be Bread was conceived as an outlet for new compositions Ms. Melford wrote following an extended stay in India studying the harmonium as a Fulbright Scholar. The group has since utilized a variety of other timbres as well, including Ms. Melford’s melodica, Ross’ banjo and electronically manipulated sounds. Most recently, it has performed as an acoustic sextet focused on the instrumentation and commissioned suite of pieces heard on The Whole Tree Gone. Critics called Be Bread’s 2006 debut, The Image of Your Body (Cryptogramophone), “artful and intelligent” (Michael Keefe, PopMatters.com), “contemplative, introspective work” (Mike Shanley, JazzTimes) and “another superb release from Melford, whose evolution from a more aggressive free player to an equally unencumbered melodist is a path well worth following” (John Kelman, AllAboutJazz.com).

Over the course of two decades and more than 30 recordings, Ms. Melford has carved out a distinctive niche among the creative music’s most respected pianist-composers. Her signature sound skillfully combines early influences such as classical music and the traditional blues piano styles of her native Chicago with her later immersion in the music of Eastern Europe and India and extensive musical studies with such legendary figures as Ran Blake, Jaki Byard, Don Pullen and Henry Threadgill. In addition to Be Bread, she currently leads/co-leads a variety of ensembles, including Happy Whistlings, Trio M and duos with multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich, pianist Satoko Fujii and dancer/choreographers Oguri and Dawn Akemi Saito. Since 2004, she has also served on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, where she develops and teaches courses about contemporary improvised music. Learn more at http://myramelford.com

Bynum-Hébert-Cleaver Trio In Philly Tonight

Bynum-Hébert-Cleaver Trio

Tonight at The Rotunda in Philadelphia, the recently formed Taylor Ho Bynum-John Hébert-Gerald Cleaver Trio will finish its three-city tour before heading into the studio tomorrow to record its debut for the RogueArt label.

“These three are pacesetters in modern improvisation, so the very idea of their convergence as a trio is rich with promise,” writes Philadelphia Weekly’s David R. Adler. “Cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum has worked alongside Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton and other giants; his own bands include SpiderMonkey Strings and Positive Catastrophe. Bassist John Hébert played with the great Andrew Hill until the pianist’s death in 2007; he’s currently with Fred Hersch and leading his own Byzantine Monkey. Drummer Gerald Cleaver can wail with free-jazz icons like Roscoe Mitchell and Matthew Shipp, then turn around and offer swinging, melodic treasures with his own group Violet Hour. Together, they’ve got six wide-open ears and infinite musical options.”

Taylor Eigsti Trio At Firehouse 12 Tonight

Photo by Devin DeHaven

Grammy® nominated pianist/composer Taylor Eigsti will make his Firehouse 12 debut tonight as part of the New Haven venue’s fifth annual Fall Jazz Series.

This two-set performance is part of a short tour featuring his new trio with bassist Joshua Crumbly and drummer Aaron McClendon. The group is on the road working out material for its debut CD to be released early next year.

“Everyone who hears him seems to agree: Taylor Eigsti is the most exciting progressive-mainstream pianist to come along in a very long time,” writes AllAboutJazz.com’s Chris May.

Critics have noted his “intelligence, emotional depth, technical assurance and buoyant swing” (Robert Doerschuk, DownBeat), calling him “the real thing” (Kevin R. Convey, Boston Herald) and “an artist who has discovered his singular viewpoint and powerfully takes command” (Thomas R. Erdmann, JazzReview.com).

AllMusic.com’s Jonathan Widran adds, “There comes a time in every former prodigy’s life when he/she has to be judged by their output as an adult. Eigsti’s just keeps getting more compelling and inspiring.”

Jimmy Giuffre Tribute Tonight At Firehouse 12

Photo by Dick Katz

Tonight at 8:30 and 10:00 p.m., drummer George Schuller and guitarist Joel Harrison will pay tribute to legendary clarinetist/composer Jimmy Giuffre (1921-2008) with their new sextet, Whirrr! The Music of Jimmy Giuffre, as part of Firehouse 12’s ongoing Fall Jazz Series.

This two-set performance, also featuring multi-instrumentalists Ohad Talmor and Billy Drewes, bassist Cameron Brown (a former Giuffre sideman) and trombonist/accordionist Jacob Garchik, will focus on flexible new arrangements of the innovative trio music Giuffre recorded between the mid-1950’s and mid-1970’s.

These rarely heard gems, some of which have not been performed in more than 40 years, include such Giuffre originals as “Whirrr”, “Phoenix” and “Scootin’ About”, as well as Carla Bley’s “Jesus Maria”.

Firehouse 12 To Present The Darius Jones Trio November 20th

Photo by John Sharpe

On Friday, November 20th, New Haven’s Firehouse 12 will present a two-set celebration of New York-based alto saxophonist/composer Darius Jones‘ long-awaited debut CD, Man’ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing) (AUM Fidelity). Described by Jones as “a sonic tone poem about me and my life growing up in the South,” the record draws on such early influences as his Jamaican father’s love of reggae, the revelatory vocal music of the church and countless hours of listening to everything from classical to rock on the radio. Recently heralded as “a new voice poised to receive widespread acclaim” (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com), Jones brings this diverse and passionate music to life with his mentors, the eminent master musicians Cooper-Moore (piano and diddley-bo) and Rakalam Bob Moses (drums).

“On Man’ish Boy,” writes PointofDeparture.org’s Ed Hazell, “alto saxophonist Darius Jones delivers one of the most impressive debuts in recent memory, displaying a remarkably well-developed concept and individual sound. Jones has a big, fleshy, lived-in tone, with a vibrato that owes as much to Johnny Hodges as it does to Albert Ayler. It’s defiant, vulnerable, proud, and weary; there is laughter and sobbing in it.” Jason Crane, host of The Jazz Session and columnist at PopDose.com, adds, “For his debut statement, 31-year-old Jones wanted to tell his story. To talk about what it means to be poor and black and struggling and intelligent in this day and age. Jones has fit all that and more into an incredible recording that will make you sing, make you weep and make you marvel.”

Jones came to New York from his native Virginia in 2005 and has since displayed his distinctive musical voice in a wide variety of genres. Pianist/composer Matthew Shipp writes, “He is one of those rare talents that when you first hear him you scratch your head, because it’s all there—the concept, the virtuosity, a real improvisational mind. I feel really good about the future of this music knowing that a real and pure talent like Darius exists.” In addition to his own trio, Jones actively performs with Lewis Barnes’ Hampton Roads, the Cooper-Moore Trio, William Hooker’s Bliss (East), Little Women, Mike Pride’s From Bacteria to Boys and Mara Rosenbloom’s Arrival Quartet. He is also a teacher and producer of records by Korean jazz vocalist Sunny Kim and country-folk artist Mary Bragg. Learn more at http://www.myspace.com/blackdajones

2009 Fall Jazz Series Schedule:

09/18 :: Brandon Ross & Blazing Beauty
09/25 :: Matt Wilson Quartet
10/02 :: Mauger: Rudresh Mahanthappa/Mark Dresser/Gerry Hemingway
10/09 :: Steve Lehman Trio
10/16 :: Gretchen Parlato Band
10/23 :: Whirrr! The Music of Jimmy Giuffre
10/30 :: Taylor Eigsti Trio
11/06 :: ODE: Larry Ochs/Trevor Dunn/Lisle Ellis/Michael Sarin
11/13 :: The Peter Evans Quartet
11/20 :: Darius Jones Trio
12/04 :: Mary Halvorson Quintet
12/11 :: Amy Cervini Quartet
12/18 :: Daniel Levin Trio

Tickets and more information available at:
http://firehouse12.com/performance_space_calendar.asp

Gretchen Parlato At Firehouse 12 Tonight

Photo by Jeaneen Lund

The Gretchen Parlato train rolls into New Haven tonight for two sets at Firehouse 12. The much-talked-about vocalist and her band, featuring pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Michael Olatudje and drummer Kendrick Scott, are on tour celebrating her acclaimed new release, In A Dream (ObliqSound).

Critics have called the record “simply stunning” (Ted Gioia, Jazz.com), “gently thrilling” (John Byngey, The Times, London), “leagues ahead of the year’s other vocal jazz recordings” (Michael J. West, Washington City Paper) and “the most alluring jazz vocal album of 2009″ (Billboard).

“Parlato has been blessed with extraordinary talents,” adds The International Review of Music’s Don Heckman, “an unerring sense of pitch, utterly relaxed rhythmic clarity, an open ear for harmony…what makes her so unique is the imaginative way in which she uses those skills to rove deeply within the instrumental sounds, while still retaining her presence as the vocal center of the music.”

Taylor Ho Bynum In October

Photo by Scott Friedlander

Hot on the heels of the mid-September release of his latest CD, Madeleine Dreams (Firehouse 12 Records), cornetist/composer Taylor Ho Bynum is gearing up for a busy month of performances in New York and abroad.

His upcoming sideman dates include performances with composer/conductor Laura Andel, pianist Lucian Ban, the Anthony Braxton Diamond Curtain Wall Trio and a special guest appearance with the Mary Halvorson/Jessica Pavone Duo in Botticino, Italy.

On October 25th in Boston, he’ll lead the first-ever performance of his new quintet featuring alto saxophonist Jim Hobbs, trombonist and tuba player Bill Lowe, bassist John Hébert and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

The next day in New York, a subset of that group, dubbed the Bynum-Hébert-Cleaver Trio, will perform as part of the RUCMA/Vision Performance Series to be followed by a second trio date in Philadelphia on November 2nd and a recording session for the RogueArt label on November 3rd.

Laura Andel: Premieres and New Works for Large Ensemble
10/17 :: Brecht Forum (New York, NY)

Enesco Reimagined
10/20 :: Merkin Hall (New York, NY)

Taylor Ho Bynum Quintet
10/25 :: Boston Center for the Arts (Boston, MA)

Bynum-Hébert-Cleaver Trio
10/26 :: RUCMA @ The Local 269 (New York, NY)
11/02 :: Ars Nova Workshop @ The Rotunda (Philadelphia, PA)

Mary Halvorson/Jessica Pavone Duo with special guest Taylor Ho Bynum
10/31 :: Botticino Jazz Festival (Botticino, Italy)

Firehouse 12 To Present The Peter Evans Quartet November 13th

Photo by C. Neil Scott

On Friday, November 13th, Firehouse 12’s fifth annual Fall Jazz Series will present the New Haven debut of The Peter Evans Quartet. The group, which recorded its highly acclaimed eponymous debut for Firehouse 12 Records in 2007, is led by trumpeter/composer Peter Evans, who critics have called “a new jazz star” (Brian Morton, Jazz Review) with “the kind of mad chops and conceptual smarts that surface just a few times in every lifetime” (Peter Margasak, DownBeat). The current version of the ensemble, his main outlet as a bandleader, features pianist Ricardo Gallo, bassist Tom Blancarte and drummer Kevin Shea.

“Trumpeter Peter Evans is an urgent new talent who promises to upend the world of jazz and improv,” wrote The Wire’s Andy Hamilton in his review of The Peter Evans Quartet. “If you had a lingering suspicion jazz might be dead, this furious and compelling release will calm your fears.” AllAboutJazz.com’s Troy Collins adds, “This crack ensemble balances boundless energy with knowing finesse. Continuously in flux, the quartet endlessly modulates between collective improvisation, intricate notated charts and individual solos with graceful verve. The Peter Evans Quartet is not only a definitive statement from a rising new voice, but one of the finest jazz records of the year.”

A member of the New York music community since 2003, following his graduation from Oberlin Conservatory with a degree in classical trumpet performance, Evans works in a wide variety of music settings, including baroque, contemporary classical, free improvisation and electro-acoustic music. He first gained widespread attention for his talents through the release of his 2006 solo trumpet CD, More is More (Psi), and has since recorded with such notable ensembles as Carnival Skin, Moppa Elliott’s Mostly Other People Do The Killing, Evan Parker’s Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, Sparks and Tyft in addition to his own working quartet. The Peter Evans Quartet was named to best of the year lists in AllAboutJazz.com, Cadence, Jazz Review, the Village Voice and The Wire. Learn more at http://www.myspace.com/peterevanstrumpet

2009 Fall Jazz Series Schedule:

09/18 :: Brandon Ross & Blazing Beauty
09/25 :: Matt Wilson Quartet
10/02 :: Mauger: Rudresh Mahanthappa/Mark Dresser/Gerry Hemingway
10/09 :: Steve Lehman Trio
10/16 :: Gretchen Parlato Band
10/23 :: Whirrr! The Music of Jimmy Giuffre
10/30 :: Taylor Eigsti Trio
11/06 :: ODE: Larry Ochs/Trevor Dunn/Lisle Ellis/Michael Sarin
11/13 :: The Peter Evans Quartet
11/20 :: Darius Jones Trio
12/04 :: Mary Halvorson Quintet
12/11 :: Amy Cervini Quartet
12/18 :: Daniel Levin Trio

Tickets and more information available at:
http://firehouse12.com/performance_space_calendar.asp