thanks: Park-Lash-Sanders-Pugh (Fizzle, Birmingham; BtB, Bristol; and OTO London), Laubrock-Park (New Revolution Arts, Brooklyn) and Didkovsky-Park-Sinton (65Fen, Brooklyn)

Han-earl Park and Ingrid Laubrock (New Revolution Arts, Brooklyn, December 12, 2015). Photo © 2015 Michael Foster.
Han-earl Park and Ingrid Laubrock (New Revolution Arts, Brooklyn, December 12, 2015). Photo © 2015 Michael Foster.

Five performance this final month of 2015! A great privilege to have shared the stage with so many awesomely creative, smart and generous people. Let’s get to the hat-tips…

Okay, start with a thanks to my co-conspirators, Dominic Lash, Mark Sanders and Caroline Pugh, who consistently created fascinating, difficult, infuriating, confounding and beautiful spaces for interaction. Listening to the music play out in real-time, all I could think was that it sounds great whenever the guitarist shuts-up. (As Josh Sinton pointed out later, that’s really a wonderful position to be in; not knowing how to contribute to—to add to—an already perfect ensemble at play.)

Thanks to Ingrid Laubrock for the play—it was great to come-off a… logistically challenging set of gigs into a relaxed performance where, well, anything might happen… and we ended up in some interesting and unexpected places. (Felt very good about this one.)

To Josh Sinton and Nick Didkovsky, well… That. Was. A. Blast. …Thanks, Josh, Nick, for the Loud Jazz (best possible sense!).

Big thanks to all the venues and promoters, DIYers and supporters: to the indefatigable Andrew Woodhead at Fizzle; to Seth Cooke and everyone at Bang the Bore for an awesome event; to Fielding Hope, Oli Barrett and everyone at Cafe OTO for their support, and for their patience with all the ups’n’downs; to Josh and everyone at 65Fen Music Series; and to Cisco Bradley for inviting me to perform at New Revolution Arts (a beautiful space—socially, musically).

Thanks to Tom Durham the gentleman who lent me his amplifier in Birmingham (sorry, can’t remember your name!), and to Andrew Drury and Chris Welcome who did the same in Brooklyn—y’all made my travels so much more pleasant!

The tour by my ensemble with Dom, Mark and Caroline was made possible with funding from Culture Ireland, and I am extremely grateful for their support.

I am also grateful to Franziska Schroeder, Elspeth Murray, Helen Petts, ODD7’s Towards the Margins, London Korea Links, and Alma Ní Choigligh of Embassy of Ireland (London) who all helped to spread the word of the performances. A special thanks to Cath Roberts of LUME, Avant Music News, and George Haslam of SLAM Productions for their continued support. Similarly, thanks to Editor Laurence Donohue-Greene for tying-in a review in The New York City Jazz Record to coincide with my Brooklyn performances.

Thanks to Dom Lash and Kate Hendry, and to Josh Sinton and family, for offering a place for this itinerant musician to crash a night (or three). Kudos to Nasc Ireland for helping me navigate some border… technicalities 😉

And a very special thanks to the Best Sound Engineer in the Known Universe, Alex Fiennes, for taking time to make the music sound great in London.

Finally, as always, thanks, thanks, thanks, everyone, for listening.

Next up…

Performing again with Dom Lash, Mark Sanders and Caroline Pugh, this time in Cork, January 2016. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Culture Ireland logo

Birmingham, Bristol and London performances presented with funding from Culture Ireland, and support from SLAM Productions.

updates

12–20-15: add Tom Durham’s name (thanks, Andy).

tonight: Han-earl Park and Dominic Lash at Robinson College, Cambridge

Tonight (Sunday, May 3, 2015), at 7:00pm: Han-earl Park (guitar) and Dominic Lash (double bass), plus David Grundy and Martin Hackett, perform at Robinson College Music Room (Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AN, England). Admission free.

Han-earl Park and Dominic Lash will also be performing in London tomorrow night (May 4). See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Above video from the first time Dom and I performed a duo (from Andrew’s Soup and Sound series).

JazzTokyo: Jazz Right Now

Han-earl Park (Cork, 05-26-10)
Photograph © 2010 Stephanie Hough.

As part of his regular JazzTokyo column reporting on the new New York “21st Century Improvised Music” scene, Cisco Bradley (with Japanese version of the text by Takeshi Goda) writes about Anomic Aphasia (“one of the most interesting recent releases” in which “they dot, occasionally splash, and, at times, tear their collective portrait as they momentarily build, then cut, rearrange, dismember”), and talks of some of my collaborations in New York:

最も興味深い最近のリリース作品のひとつは、ギタリストのパク・ハンアルHan-earl Parkをリーダーとする二つの異なるトリオ演奏を収録した『アノミック・アフェイジア(Anomic Aphasia)』(SLAM Productions)である。ひとつはギタリストのニック・ディドゥコフスキー Nick Didkovskyとサックス奏者キャサリン・シコラ Catherine Sikoraとの<エリス136199 / Eris 136199>、もう一つはシコラとリード奏者ジョン・シントン Josh Sintonとの<メティス9 / Metis 9>。2月19日にリリースされたこのレコードには、パクのトレードマークの打楽器的アプローチによるギター・プレイが5曲の即興トラックに収めされている。アルバムは、エリスのギザギザで角のある楽曲が、メティスのより健全で流動的なナンバーに挟まれた構成になっている。本作はパクの2年間のニューヨーク滞在の成果である。その期間に、パクは上記二つのグループの他にもサックス奏者イングリッド・ラウブロック Ingrid Laubrock、ヴォーカリストのヴィヴ・コリンハム Viv Corringham、電子音楽の達人アンドレア・パーキンス Andrea Parkinsとも共同作業した。このレコードで、パクは白いキャンバスにサウンドで色を塗り、鼓舞されたバンドメイトたちも同様に絵筆を走らせた。彼らは一緒になって、描き上げたばかりの集合肖像画に点を穿ち、所々に飛沫を散らし、時には引き裂く。そして切り取り、並べ替え、分割する。2013年末にパクがアイルランドのコークへ帰国してしまって以来、ニューヨークでは彼の不在を嘆く声が絶えない。 [Read the rest…]

[One of the most interesting recent releases is Anomic Aphasia (SLAM Productions), led by guitarist Han-earl Park, including music from two different trios. The first is Eris 136199 with guitarist Nick Didkovsky and saxophonist Catherine Sikora and the latter is Metis 9 with Sikora and reeds-player Josh Sinton. Released on February 19, this record features Park with his signature percussive approach to guitar in five improvisations. The album is bookended by jagged, angular pieces by Eris surrounding the more wholesome, fluid numbers by Metis. The record is a product of Park’s two-year stint in New York during which time he built working relationships with the above groups as well as figures such as saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, vocal artist Viv Corringham, and electronics master Andrea Parkins. On this record, Park paints a sparse canvas with his sound and inspires his bandmates to do likewise. Together, they dot, occasionally splash, and, at times, tear their collective portrait as they momentarily build, then cut, rearrange, dismember. After his return to Cork, Ireland in late 2013, Park has been sorely missed here in New York.]

Thanks to Cisco for the profile. I am very happy and privileged to presented among such an amazing group of creative people… including a few old comrades (Hey, Andrew, Josh, Ingrid, Mike!).

After his return to Cork, Ireland in late 2013, Park has been sorely missed here in New York.

Ah, makes me a little homesick for Brooklyn. Hope to be back one of these days!

Out now: Anomic Aphasia

CD cover of ‘Anomic Aphasia’ (SLAMCD 559) with Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora, Nick Didkovsky and Josh Sinton (artwork copyright 2015, Han-earl Park)

Anomic Aphasia (SLAMCD 559) [details…]

Performers: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (tenor and soprano saxophones), Nick Didkovsky (guitar), and Josh Sinton (baritone saxophone and bass clarinet).

© 2015 Han-earl Park.
℗ 2015 SLAM Productions.

performance: Mette Rasmussen with Michael Foster, Pascal Niggenkemper and Han-earl Park, Brooklyn

Stop Press: New venue!
‘Alias Ra’ with Michael Foster, Pascal Niggenkemper and Han-earl Park
Friday, June 6, 2014, at 7:00pm: a performance by the mystery saxophonist, ‘Alias Ra’ Mette Rasmussen with Michael Foster (saxophones), Pascal Niggenkemper (doubles bass) and Han-earl Park (guitar) as part of Soup and Sound House Concert. Also performing are Chris Stover (trombone), Russ Johnson (trumpet), Niels Praestholm (bass) and Andrew Drury (drums). The event takes place at Andrew Drury’s home in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn (contact him for the location). Recommended donation: $15. Also performing are Gianni Mimmo (saxophone) and Alison Blunt (violin) at 6:00pm. The event takes place at Downtown Music Gallery (13 Monroe Street, New York, NY 10002-7351) [map…]. Free admission.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

updates

06–02–14: cancelation.
06–02–14: new venue.

performance diary 05-22-14 (Brooklyn, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
June 6, 2014 The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011
3:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) as part of ISIM: Cross-Cultural Improvisation III.
Conference fees from $25 (single event) to $200 (entire conference [more info and get tickets…]. [Details…]
June 6, 2014 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002
7:00pm New venue! Performance by ‘Alias Ra’ Mette Rasmussen (saxophones) with Michael Foster (saxophones), Pascal Niggenkemper (doubles bass) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing (6:00pm): Gianni Mimmo (saxophone) and Alison Blunt (violin). Admission free.
[Details…]
June 8, 2014 Why Not Jazz Room
14 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
7:30pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and Tom Rainey (drums) as part of Andrea Wolper’s Why Not Experiment? Series. Also performing: TransAtlantico (Lamy Istrefi: drums, percussion, sound efx; Lawrence Leathers: drums, sound efx; Brahim Fribgane: percussion, goumbri, oud, sound efx). Recommended donation: $10 per set.
[Details…]
2014– Europe I am based in Europe as of 2014, and I am seeking performance opportunities for, in particular, my Europe-based projects including Numbers (with Richard Barrett), Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
September–October 2014 Europe Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) is seeking performance opportunities late-September and October 2014. Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 05-22-14 (Brooklyn, New York)”

thanks: Park-Pride-Sikora (Spectrum, NYC) and Velez-Wright-Drury-Park-Tabuenca (Soup and Sound, Brooklyn)

Thanks to all involved in the April 2 and April 3 performances. Thanks to the hosts at Spectrum (Glenn Cornett and the multi-talented Lester St. Louis), and at Soup and Sound (I thank the Cosmos for people like Andrew Drury and Alissa Schwartz who open their homes, and welcome the arts and artists). Thanks to the efforts of the multiple documentarists at the events: Kevin Reilly, Don Mount, Michael Lytle, Adrian Knight and Lawrence de Martin (who provided the experimental speaker cabinet for the Spectrum performance).

I take my hat off to all the musicians who shared the stage: Javier Areal Velez, Jack Wright, Luis Tabuenca and Andrew Drury, and a big, big thanks to Mike Pride and Catherine Sikora for their awesome musicianship and peerless inventiveness. Finally, thanks to all who came to listen!

Next up: performance in Cork, May 3 as part of Sonic Vigil 8. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

tonight: Javier Areal Velez, Jack Wright, Andrew Drury and Han-earl Park, Brooklyn

Tonight (Thursday, April 3, 2014), at 7:00pm: a performance by Javier Areal Velez (guitar), Jack Wright (saxophones), Andrew Drury (percussion) and Han-earl Park (guitar) as part of Soup and Sound House Concert takes place at Andrew Drury’s home in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn (contact him for the location). Recommended donation: $10.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Above video: first time I performed with Jack Wright. With Jonathan Moritz at one of Andrew’s events. Video by Kevin Reilly. [Watch the rest…]

performance diary 03-29-14 (Brooklyn, Cork, New York)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
April 2, 2014 Spectrum
121 Ludlow Street
Floor 2 (ring bell for 2)
New York, NY 10002
9:30pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar), Mike Pride (drums) and Catherine Sikora (saxophones).
$15 ($10 students and seniors).
[Details…]
April 3, 2014 Andrew Drury’s home
[Contact for location…]
Lefferts Gardens
Brooklyn, NY
7:00pm Soup and Sound House Concert with Javier Areal Velez (guitar), Jack Wright (saxophones), Andrew Drury (percussion) and Han-earl Park (guitar).
Recommended donation: $15.
May 3, 2014 St Anne’s Church
Shandon
Cork, Ireland
2:00pm Han-earl Park (guitar) performs as part of Sonic Vigil 8.
Free admission.
[Details…]
June 6, 2014 The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011
3:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) as part of ISIM: Cross-Cultural Improvisation III.
Details to follow…
June 8, 2014 Why Not Jazz Room
14 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
7:30pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and Tom Rainey (drums) as part of Andrea Wolper’s Why Not Experiment? Series. Also performing: TransAtlantico (Lamy Istrefi: drums, percussion, sound efx; Lawrence Leathers: drums, sound efx; Brahim Fribgane: percussion, goumbri, oud, sound efx). Details to follow…
Recommended donation: $10 ($15 both sets).
2014– Europe I am based in Europe as of 2014, and I am seeking performance opportunities for, in particular, my Europe-based projects including Numbers (with Richard Barrett), Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!
September–October 2014 Europe Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) is seeking performance opportunities late-September and October 2014. Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 03-29-14 (Brooklyn, Cork, New York)”

farewell, Brooklyn, it’s been a blast

Let’s start with a kind of personal Top Ten. In no particular order: Han-earl Park with Ingrid Laubrock; with Tim Perkis and Harris Eisenstadt; as part of Eris 136199 with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora; with Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen and Michael Evans; Gerald Cleaver; Tom Blancarte; Dominic Lash; Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton; and with Evan Parker, Brooklyn and New York, 2012–2013. Videos by Scott Friedlander, Don Mount and Kevin Reilly.

I moved to Brooklyn back in December 2011, and I’m grateful and privileged to have been part of, even briefly, such a gracious, vibrant, creative, fun and welcoming community.

I’m particularly indebted to Andrew, Jesse, Michael, Adam, Anna and Andrea for introducing me to the (cultural) geography/neighborhood(s); to Bruce, Wadada and Ras who gave me my first few gigs; and to Tim and Evan for offering me sideman gigs. And a very big thanks to Josh, Catherine and Nick for much of the above, and for collaborating on some long-term projects. To everyone, I hope to repay the your generosity (and hope to catch up when I’m back in Brooklyn/NYC).

Now back in Cork, and, for what feel like the first time in a long time, I’m arriving without a gig in town (and, to my surprise, I’m not too unhappy about that). Some plans ahead (solo performance at SARC for starters), fingers crossed, something will work out.

Anyway, as posted earlier, I’m seeking performances for Numbers (Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park), Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) and Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward, Han-earl Park and Ian Smith). Interested promoters, venues, festivals and sponsors, please get in touch! [Details…]

tonight: Jack Wright, Ben Wright, Andrew Drury, Joe Moffett, Dan Peck, Han-earl Park and Michael Evans, Brooklyn

Tonight (November 21, 2013), at 7:00pm: a performance by Jack Wright (saxophones) and Ben Wright (double bass) with Andrew Drury (percussion), Joe Moffett (trumpet), Dan Peck (tuba), Han-earl Park (guitar), Michael Evans (percussion) and others as part of Soup and Sound House Concert takes place at Andrew Drury’s home in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn (contact him for the location). Recommended donation: $10.

Above video: last time I performed with Jack Wright. With Jonathan Moritz at one of Andrew’s events. Video by Kevin Reilly. [Watch the rest…]

performance: Jack Wright, Ben Wright, Andrew Drury, Joe Moffett, Dan Peck, Han-earl Park and Michael Evans, Brooklyn

Thursday, November 21, 2013, at 7:00pm: a performance by Jack Wright (saxophones) and Ben Wright (double bass) with Andrew Drury (percussion), Joe Moffett (trumpet), Dan Peck (tuba), Han-earl Park (guitar), Michael Evans (percussion) and others as part of Soup and Sound House Concert. The event takes place at Andrew Drury’s home in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn (contact him for the location). Recommended donation: $10.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Above video: last time I performed with Jack Wright. With Jonathan Moritz at one of Andrew’s events. Video by Kevin Reilly. [Watch the rest…]

performance diary 10-23-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 27, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002
6:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones). Also performing: Samm Bennett. Free admission.
[Details…] [DMG page…]
October 29, 2013 Harvestworks
596 Broadway #602
New York, NY 10012
7:00pm Performance of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet).
Free admission.
[Details…] [Harvestworks page…]
November 7, 2013 ModernFormations
4919 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
8:00pm (doors: 7:30pm) Performance by David Bernabo (guitar), Edgar Um Bucholtz (coronet, trash), J Wayne Clinton (synthesizer, homemade instruments), Han-earl Park (guitar) and Lenny Young (oboe) as part of Crucible Sound.
Suggested donation: $7.
[Details…] [Crucible Sound page…]
November 17, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002
6:00pm Canceled! Performance by Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Details to follow…
Free admission.
November 20, 2013 IBeam
168 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
8:30pm Performance by Anna Webber (saxophone) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Also performing: Joe Moffett (trumpet), Carlo Costa (drums) and Dan Peck (tuba). $10 suggested donation.
[Details…]
November 21, 2013 Andrew Drury’s home
[Contact for location…]
Lefferts Gardens
Brooklyn, NY
7:00pm Soup and Sound House Concert with Jack Wright (saxophones) and Ben Wright (double bass) with Andrew Drury (percussion), Joe Moffett (trumpet), Dan Peck (tuba), Han-earl Park (guitar), Michael Evans (percussion) and others.
Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
November 26, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217
7:00pm Gowanus Company curated by Kyoko Kitamura, Josh Sinton and Han-earl Park. Performers: Dan Blake (saxophone), Olie Brice (double bass), Viv Corringham (voice and electronics), Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Michael Evans (drums), Ken Filiano (double bass), Christopher Hoffman (’cello), Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone), Jeremiah Lockwood (voice and guitar), Russ Lossing (piano), Han-earl Park (guitar), Tom Rainey (drums), Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet), Fay Victor (voice) and others. Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…] [DSMC page…]
2014– Europe I will be moving back to Europe at the start of 2014, and I am seeking performance opportunities for, in particular, my Europe-based projects including Numbers (with Richard Barrett), Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith), and io 0.0.1 beta++ (with Bruce Coates and Franziska Schroeder). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 10-23-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)”