Happy New Year: 2014
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…]
thanks: Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn
I’m honored to have been part of a fantastic iteration of Gowanus Company (November 26), and feel enormously blessed to have been welcomed into such an incredible community. Big, heart-felt thanks to Kyoko and Josh for organizing the event. I’m touched, and could not have asked for a better send-off. Thanks to everyone who made music, and for creating that welcoming, friendly vibe. (And a particular pleasure to finally perform with Kyoko, Ken and Fay!) And thanks again to Scott Friedlander for the documentation.
From that vocal/guitar chorus (Kyoko, Viv, Fay, Nick and I) to the jazz racket of Ken and I joined by Tom and Ingrid… my spirits have been lifted!
reminder: Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn
This Tuesday (November 26, 2013), at 7:00pm: My last gig in Brooklyn before the Big Move!
In the spirit of Derek Bailey’s Company week, the evening will feature a series of never-before-seen and never-to-be-seen-again groups. [Read the rest…]
Gowanus Company with 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 takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.
performance: Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn
Tuesday, November 26, 2013, at 7:00pm: Gowanus Company with 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. Curated by Kyoko Kitamura, Josh Sinton and Han-earl Park, the event takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.
My last gig in Brooklyn, New York, and, for me, it’s my leaving party. I’m honored to be part of this event instigated by Kyoko and Josh.
See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [DSMC page…]
thanks: Eris 136199 (DMG, NYC) and Park-Sikora-Sinton (Harvestworks, NYC)
Acknowledgments re the, for the time being, final performances of two projects: Eris 136199 on October 27, and Metis 9 on October 29. My hat goes off to my comrades Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora who make Eris 136199 the site of unexpected choices—of twists and turns. We’d thought our previous performance was weird, this one warranted a new term:
weirderation wir-də-ˈrā-shən noun. process that results in something just that little bit weirder with each iteration. [compare examples A and B]
I am greatly indebted to Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton for doing the heavy lifting, and turning my barebone sketches and speculations into music; for engageing intelligently, adventurously and imaginatively with the context at hand. These past months have been a learning experience for me as tactician, and I couldn’t have asked for better teachers.
Thanks to Bruce and Manny at the World’s Best Record Store for hosting us, and for their unshakable advocacy of new music. Thanks to Carol Parkinson, Hans Tammen, Kevin Ramsay, Emilio Vavarella and everyone at Harvestworks for hosting our performance, their enthusiasm, and for their support. Thanks again to Kevin Reilly for his video documentation of the DMG performance [watch/listen…], and, as always, thanks to all who came to listen and witness the musicking—real-time and interactive.
Next up: performance in Pittsburgh (November 7) as part of Crucible Sound, then back to New York (November 17) for a duo performance with Viv Corringham [canceled…] back to Brooklyn (November 20) for a duo performance with Anna Webber. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.
reminder: Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton at Harvestworks, New York
Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 29, 2013), at 7:00pm: perhaps for the last time, Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet) will render Metis 9. The performance takes place at Harvestworks (596 Broadway #602, New York, NY 10012) [map and directions…]. Free admission.
performance diary 10-23-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)
| 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…] |
13 Monroe Street New York, NY 10002 |
Canceled! 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)”
performance: Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton at Harvestworks, New York
Tuesday, October 29, 2013, at 7:00pm: Free play meets social engineering? ‘Glorious noise’? Anti-structures? Willful complexity? Perhaps the last chance to hear Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet) explore interactive noise and improvisative complexity via Metis 9. The performance takes place at Harvestworks (596 Broadway #602, New York, NY 10012) [map and directions…]. Free admission.
See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [Harvestworks page…]
details
Free play meets social engineering? ‘Glorious noise’? Anti-structures? Willful complexity? An orchestrated, real-time, interactive collision between the cyborgism of guitarist Han-earl Park, and the incomparably original melodic and timbral sensibilities of saxophonist Catherine Sikora and saxophonist-clarinetist Josh Sinton. The trio will render into music, Metis 9, a collection of improvisative tactics, and higher-level interactive macros for group improvisation.
An orchestrated, real-time, interactive collision between the cyborgism of guitarist Han-earl Park, and the incomparably original melodic and timbral sensibilities of saxophonist Catherine Sikora and saxophonist-clarinetist Josh Sinton. The trio will render into music, Metis 9, a collection of improvisative tactics, and higher-level interactive macros for ensemble performance designed, designated and specified by Han-earl Park.
Metis 9 has ‘glorious noise’ or ‘frenzy’ at its root, yet it is not so much structuring the noise as it is a meta-layer of complexity that performers can introduce at will. Metis 9 does not tell the performer what to play, or provide all the details of how to interact, but it is an auxiliary network protocol for interactive possibilities. Group improvisation is always the primary protocol; Metis 9 provides secondary or tertiary tactics that create an additional focused complexity. The decision for each bloop and bleep is still retained by the ensemble. These macros enable specific interactionist schemes to be expressed in an open improvisative context; it is improvisative play channeled by group consent.
final (?) performances: Eris 136199 and Metis 9, NYC
Last chance to see? Coming up in October: what may be the final performances (for the foreseeable future) of two of my New York projects, Eris 136199 with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora, and Metis 9 with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton (see the performance diary for up-to-date info).
- October 27, 2013: Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) at Downtown Music Gallery (13 Monroe Street, New York, NY 10002).
[Performance diary entry…] [DMG page…] - October 29, 2013: Performance of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet) at Harvestworks (596 Broadway #602, New York, NY 10012).
[Performance diary entry…] [Harvestworks page…]
If you’ve never caught these project… now’s the time!
thanks: Parker-Park (The Stone, NYC), Park-Sikora-Sinton (DSMC, Brooklyn) and Park-Parkins (The Living Gallery, Brooklyn)
Three gigs; and I couldn’t ask for a more varied and musically valuable seven days.
I learned a heck of a lot (about my capabilities as an improviser, and about the social dynamics of interactive play) performing with Evan Parker. Still reeling from the experience, I’m grateful for the opportunity to play with Mr Parker again, and to have sat in with the Bleeding Edge Trio.
The performance with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton was the most craftily accomplished. We’ve been engineering, navigating and negotiating these improvisative, tactical considerations since February, and it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to be working with two imaginative and gutsy performers. I expect our performance at Harvestworks in October will be something else. (Plus thanks to Josh for the post-gig reflections.)
If I had to choose just one of these gigs as a stand-out though, it might have to be the duo with the stupendously creative Andrea Parkins. Insanely fun! Despite (or perhaps becuase of) severe technical limitations, I found myself in some very odd places. (Andrea was one of the first NYC people I contacted before moving here, so this performance was looong overdue.) Let’s play again. I had a blast.
Big thanks to coconspirators Michael Foster and Lisa Mezzacappa, to Mike Pride for the funniest post-gig story telling, and to the documetarists Don Mount and Jeremiah Cymerman. Finally, special thanks to Louise and Tom for bringing their new family to The Stone.
Next up: performances coming up in October as part of Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora), and with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton for another round with Metis 9. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.
performance diary 09-27-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)
| 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 Han-earl Park (guitar) and other as part of Crucible Sound. Details to follow… Suggested donation: $7. |
| November 17, 2013 | Downtown Music Gallery 13 Monroe Street New York, NY 10002 |
6:00pm | Performance by Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Details to follow… Free admission. |
| 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. Details to follow… Recommended donation: $10. |
| 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 09-27-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)”