Ask the Ages

Ask the Ages brings together new and old friends from several worlds: Greg Campbell, drums; John Seman, bass; Matt Reid, trumpet & electronics; and Brian Heaney, electric guitar and compositions. Joining the quartet are trombonist Stuart Dempster, classical harpist Melissa Walsh, and Indian karnatic singer Archana Bennur. They'll perform music drawn from the edges of jazz and new music with sights set for drone und drang. Opening the show is the guitar trio of Dennis Rea, Stephen Parris and Brian Heaney.

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Earshot: Trio Illogic + Helix

Presented by Earshot Jazz as part of their Jazz: the 2nd Century series. Helix is an ensemble with an unusual lineup: two saxophones and two percussionists. Eric Barber and Greg Sinibaldi perform on tenor saxophones, while Paul Kikuchi and Greg Campbell play drumsets and other percussion instruments. Trio Illogic consists of three relative newcomers to the Seattle jazz scene: trumpeter Riley Mulherkar, pianist Julian Garvue, and trombonist Willem de Koch, who make sense of the New Orleans traditional jazz approach by pulling it apart and putting it back together for modern times.

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Paul Taub & Cristina Valdes

Paul Taub, flute and Cristina Valdes, piano perform music from this century and the last: Aaron Copland, Duo for Flute and Piano; Julie Mandel, Blues for Paul; Olivier Messiaen, Le Merle Noir from Petites Esquisses D’Oiseaux; Jovino Santos Neto, Sertao Carioca; Wayne Horvitz, Inside Morning; Peteris Vasks, Sonata for Solo Flute; Bela Bartok, Suite Paysanne Hongroise

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S. Eric Scribner & Neal Meyer

S. Eric Scribner is a pianist, composer, and improviser. Much of his music is involved with aleatory sequences and improvisation. Discarded Poems is a theatrical piece in which the performers gradually move from sounds of the here-and-now into sounds of the eternal, figuratively “discarding” texts along the way. Also on the program: two short pieces for piano and percussion, and an improvised set with Neal Meyer.

Seattle composer Neal Meyer has been working on Gradus: For Fux, Tesla, and Milo the Wrestler since 1987: Learn to play the piano one note at a time. Devote an extended improvisation session to each note on the piano, and to each possible combination of notes in turn. Begin with pitch-class A. Play in such a way (patiently, quietly, with lots of space) that the music is experienced and heard as a duo for pianist and piano, with unintended ambient sound joining in chorus.

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Andy Hayleck & Paul Neidhardt

Presented by Seattle Improvised Music.

Andy Hayleck and Paul Neidhardt, both percussionists from Baltimore dedicated to exploring new sounds and forms through surface and vibration (with Hayleck on computer and electronics as well), are core members of Baltimore's improvised music scene. They will perform as a duo and in collaboration with Seattle improvisers, including Gust Burns (piano) and Tyler Wilcox (saxophone).

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Affinity Chamber Players

The Affinity Chamber Players perform music by four contemporary composers, including one world premiere and two local premieres. The program includes Eric Flesher's Three Movements from “Wandering Rocks”, Stephen Lilly's A Sextet of Seven for Ecstya, Chris Stover's ôvo, and Ryan M. Hare's Chamber Concerto.

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Lara Candland & Christian Asplund

Utah-based poet and singer, Lara Candland and composer-performer Christian Asplund have evolved a unique style of performance involving an ethereal and lush mix of speech, singing, live sampling, looping, layering, drones, and electronics. They will draw from poems in Candland's recently published Alburnum of the Green and Living Tree. For this performance they will be joined by Seattle virtuosi Jesse Canterbury (clarinet), Greg Campbell (percussion), and Stuart Dempster (trombone).

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Gust Burns & Adrienne Varner

Two of Seattle's most notable pianists explore directions in 20th century and contemporary piano music. Adrienne Varner performs Yuji Takahashi's 3 Poems of Mao Tse-Tung and Chained Hands in Prayer, as well as Cage's Music for Marcel Duchamp, for prepared piano. Gust Burns performs his own music: imhc ik, inspired by the Geomungo music of Im Seok-Yun, and nsdpsm10, a new work for inside piano.

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Boris Savoldelli with Dennis Rea

Italian singer Boris Savoldelli is an inimitable performer who has gained international acclaim for exploring the extraordinary possibilities of the human voice. With a background in classical vocal techniques and jazz singing (under the tutelage of mentor Mark Murphy), his recent work has ranged from rock and funk to an avant-garde, experimental approach to vocalizing. For his first-ever Seattle appearance, Savoldelli will demonstrate both the melodic and experimental sides of his work, and will be joined by celebrated Seattle guitarist Dennis Rea for part of the set.

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Seattle Composers' Salon

The Seattle Composers' Salon is an informal presentation of new music by regional composers. The salon meets the first Friday of every other month, and features finished works, previews, and works-in-progress. It brings together composers, performers and audience members in a casual setting that allows for discussion and experimentation.

This month's featured composers include Nat Evans, Steve Scribner, Kam Morrill, and Tom Baker.

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Robert Rich

Nonsequitur presents ambient music pioneer Robert Rich, performing in support of his new album, Ylang, using live electronics with analog modular synthesizer, keyboards and computer, along with his signature handmade flutes and steel guitar to create a hypnotic, atmospheric blend of composition and improvisation.

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