tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46414877938164841912024-03-13T23:44:46.406-07:00The Distillery: A Life in Music and the ArtsJoe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-73927721703681255042012-11-28T15:39:00.000-08:002012-11-28T16:19:31.914-08:00Calendar Updates<span style="font-size: small;">A couple updates since my last post<span style="font-size: small;">, with a newly abridged list of events below</span>. Please note that the December 2 show w/Inzinzac in Philly has been cancelled (or postponed, more like it) - so keep an eye out for another show perhaps in early 2013. I've added a performance with bassist Sean Ali at a new music series in Brooklyn, and we'll be playing <span style="font-size: small;">under the moniker Tris<span style="font-size: small;">megistus </span></span>at Lark Cafe on Church Ave. on December 6. And it will now be HAG performing at Douglass Street on December 1, with Pretty Monsters and Twins of El Dorado - and word on the street is tub<span style="font-size: small;">i</span>st Dan Peck will make the trio a quartet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, on 11/30, Twins of El<span style="font-size: small;"> Dorado will appear on <a href="http://www.wgxc.org/events/6693" target="_blank">WGXC Community Radio</a> in Hudson prior to our <span style="font-size: small;">show, between 4:00 <span style="font-size: small;">and</span> 6:00<span style="font-size: small;">. Tune in!</span></span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>11/29 @ 7:30pm, Hartford, CT</u>: Twins of El Dorado at the <a href="http://hartfordphaseshift.com/" target="_blank">Hartford Phase Shift</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>11/30 @ 8:00pm, Hudson, NY</u>: Twins of El Dorado at <a href="http://www.thespottydog.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Spotty Dog</a>, w/<a href="http://silentisle.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Silent Isle</a>. Performance/interview on <a href="http://www.wgxc.org/events/6693" target="_blank">WGXC Community Radio</a> between 4:00pm<span style="font-size: small;"> and 6:00pm.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/1 @ 9:00pm, NYC</u>: Twins of El Dorado at <a href="http://295douglass.org/" target="_blank">Douglass Street Music Collective</a> w/<a href="http://www.publiceyesore.com/ehcat.php?eh=56" target="_blank">HAG</a> and <a href="http://katherineyoung.bandcamp.com/album/pretty-monsters" target="_blank">Pretty Monsters</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/6 @8:30pm, NYC:</u> Trismegistus (w/Sean Ali, bass, and special guest(s)) at <a href="http://www.larkcafe.com/activities.html" target="_blank">Lark Cafe</a>, w/Greg Chudzick, bass. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/7 @ 7:00pm, Cambridge, MA</u>: Twins of El Dorado at the <a href="http://www.lily-pad.net/" target="_blank">Lily Pad</a> w/the Allan Chase Quartet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/9 @ time TBA, NYC</u>: Twins of El Dorado at <a href="http://www.pascalniggenkemper.com/ze_couch.html" target="_blank">Ze Couch</a> (location TBA) w/<a href="http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/7350/experimental-nyc-yolt" target="_blank">YOLT</a> and Rita Grollman.</span><br />
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Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-84088040857302222382012-10-29T08:29:00.004-07:002012-10-29T10:37:36.248-07:00Rest o' 2012 Calendar, incl. Twins Tour<span style="font-size: small;">Long overdue, here is a listing of my performance dates for the end of 2012, which includes an album release tour by Twins of El Dorado, my art song duo with Kristin Slipp. We will release our debut, <i>Portend the End</i>, on December 1st on Brooklyn's <a href="http://www.promnightrecords.com/" target="_blank">Prom Night Records</a>. If you are unfamiliar with our work - and as we don't have a website for the ensemble (yet) - do check out <a href="http://soundcloud.com/moffjazz/being-that-in-america-twins-of-el-dorado" target="_blank">this live recording</a> on my SoundCloud page. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>11/13 @ 10:00pm, NYC</u>: w/<a href="http://www.inzinzac.com/" target="_blank">Inzinzac </a>at The Stone. Also performing is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmwIp-12MpE" target="_blank">Barrsheadahl</a>, at
8:00pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>11/29 @ time TBA, Hartford, CT</u>: Twins of El Dorado at the <a href="http://hartfordphaseshift.com/" target="_blank">Hartford Phase Shift</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>11/30 @ 8:00pm, Hudson, NY</u>: Twins of El Dorado at <a href="http://www.thespottydog.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Spotty Dog</a>, w/<a href="http://silentisle.bandcamp.com/music" target="_blank">Silent Isle</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/1 @ 9:00pm, NYC</u>: Twins of El Dorado at <a href="http://295douglass.org/" target="_blank">Douglass Street Music Collective</a> w/<a href="http://music.justinwalter.net/" target="_blank">Justin Walter </a>and <a href="http://katherineyoung.bandcamp.com/album/pretty-monsters" target="_blank">Pretty Monsters</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/2 @ 8:00pm, Philadelphia, PA</u>: w/<a href="http://www.inzinzac.com/" target="_blank">Inzinzac</a> at <a href="http://www.riprig.com/" target="_blank">RipRig</a>. Also performing are Ecstasy Mule vs. John Cage vs. Ecstasy Mule and the Ricardo Lagomasino 3.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/7 @ 7:00pm, Cambridge, MA</u>: Twins of El Dorado at the <a href="http://www.lily-pad.net/" target="_blank">Lily Pad</a> w/the Allan Chase Quartet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>12/9 @ time TBA, NYC</u>: Twins of El Dorado at <a href="http://www.pascalniggenkemper.com/ze_couch.html" target="_blank">Ze Couch</a> (location TBA) w/<a href="http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/7350/experimental-nyc-yolt" target="_blank">YOLT</a> and Rita Grollman.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Please check back for updates, including broadcast times for radio appearances by Twins of El Dorado. </b></span></div>
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Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-76131905455374674552012-08-13T21:50:00.002-07:002012-08-13T21:52:05.678-07:00August Calendar<b>August 5:</b> w/ Giacomo Merega (bass), Noah Kaplan (sax) and Andy Bianco (guitar) at Downtown Music Gallery (New York)<br />
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<b>August 15: </b>Joe Moffett Quartet at Uncertainty Music Series (Elm Bar, New Haven, CT) - with Noah Kaplan (sax), Dov Manski (Wurlitzer), and Jason Nazary (percussion, electronics.<br />
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<b>August 26:</b> w/ Inzinzac at Ortlieb's Lounge (Philadelphia).
Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-49607917990311013962011-10-28T17:12:00.000-07:002011-10-29T14:22:37.899-07:00Change to Venue Info, etc., on Previous PostMy duo w/Kristin Slipp, twins of el dorado, will in fact be performing at the Highwire Gallery on November 20, <b>not</b> the Greenline Cafe - please see my <a href="http://joemoffett.blogspot.com/2011/10/end-o-2011-calendar.html">End o' 2011 Calendar</a>. Also, I have the full lineup listed, which will include Split Red (as ever), with Travis Laplante and the Pirog/Verrastro Duo performing as well! OK.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-63569652854461178472011-10-24T16:07:00.000-07:002011-10-29T12:18:09.098-07:00News News NewsSome pretty exciting happenings abound recently. First off, I'm pretty happy for my friends in <a href="http://manyarmsband.blogspot.com/">Many Arms</a> - they are set to release their most recent recording, named <i>Beyond Territories</i>, on Tzadik! These guys are a pretty serious unit - if you haven't seen or heard them, just take a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWzdyPYgpps&feature=player_embedded">look-see and listen</a>. <br />
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Also, <a href="http://wishgift.bandcamp.com/">Wishgift</a>, a kick-ass prog-punk group from Chicago, will be playing on Wednesday at Death by Audio in Brooklyn. I'm excited. You should be too. Details <a href="http://www.eardrumnyc.com/show/28030-chat-logs-wishgift-lushes-punks-on-mars-death-by-audio/">here</a>.<br />
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Lastly, but not least-ly, there's a show I'm pretty psyched to be a part of this week - on Thursday night, trumpeter and composer Brad Henkel will present a new piece for sextet at the <a href="http://www.brooklynlaunchpad.org/">Launch Pad</a> in Brooklyn. Please check out <a href="http://bradhenkel.blogspot.com/2011/09/october-shows.html">Brad's calendar</a> for more details.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-30736252720059507592011-10-23T11:50:00.000-07:002011-10-29T12:18:58.880-07:00Photos: Ad Faunum at Gallery 263Some photos from last week's show by <a href="http://sophiedelphis.blogspot.com/">Sophie</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDnjFpGn5FRhb9jm3V2tti7J2I-rBNQ0DLb4pl2R-92fVxUv27XFp20N93DpLuEyfAUeJrZiQgRx8i0defOpVh69szWPW_uNLzI40XxQlF2DSw3IXntdHhwheTpXzHTzAeSGQpERtQ7w/s1600/IMG_1522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDnjFpGn5FRhb9jm3V2tti7J2I-rBNQ0DLb4pl2R-92fVxUv27XFp20N93DpLuEyfAUeJrZiQgRx8i0defOpVh69szWPW_uNLzI40XxQlF2DSw3IXntdHhwheTpXzHTzAeSGQpERtQ7w/s320/IMG_1522.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHxXRlfKDRiuUemwRzuZ2I6Deiqa3F2gnhZ3pVKi0sH5tmRq08wC4U-LEo-bCZJ4l4e6fRBmUlFWy-y88mwvM722BZYsLpFkqee0EDrErpVDEjahwwv54R7dK7T4xM7EGXto-MdCL5E0/s1600/IMG_1527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHxXRlfKDRiuUemwRzuZ2I6Deiqa3F2gnhZ3pVKi0sH5tmRq08wC4U-LEo-bCZJ4l4e6fRBmUlFWy-y88mwvM722BZYsLpFkqee0EDrErpVDEjahwwv54R7dK7T4xM7EGXto-MdCL5E0/s320/IMG_1527.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJALsbPBnMeSwpmeqEHE-NrxWqUJjcUK-DI4e8q0pUkQTqbk-rwy_CP0mVtz5BWN9Pikf4zBHGvFvrJcOBv7MafaNlXp4jfCybHAA3wPJLaV9Q7L4RW90nExZFd5FuWx3C1QF0XfQn6w/s1600/IMG_1521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJALsbPBnMeSwpmeqEHE-NrxWqUJjcUK-DI4e8q0pUkQTqbk-rwy_CP0mVtz5BWN9Pikf4zBHGvFvrJcOBv7MafaNlXp4jfCybHAA3wPJLaV9Q7L4RW90nExZFd5FuWx3C1QF0XfQn6w/s320/IMG_1521.JPG" /></a></div>Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-27262751450698816502011-10-23T11:33:00.000-07:002011-10-29T14:23:55.860-07:00End o' 2011 CalendarA little calendar action for you all. Here's what's going on, so far, for the rest of the year. I'm pretty excited about all of these performances - they include a CD release performance by my quintet Ad Faunum, and a reincarnation, of sorts, of my duo with Kristin Slipp, now named 'twins of el dorado'. <br />
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Keep yer eyes peeled for the release of <i>Ad Faunum</i> on <a href="http://www.nottwo.com/">Not Two Records</a> this year, as well as a release by the Bailly/Millevoi/Moffett Trio at the beginning of 2012! <br />
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<b>Thursday, October 27, 8:00pm:</b> w/<a href="http://bradhenkel.blogspot.com/">Brad Henkel's</a> new sextet @ Launch Pad (721 Franklin Ave., Brooklyn). Also being performed that night is Nathaniel Morgan's work for 8 percussionists and a solo dance work by Brooke Herr. <br />
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<b>Friday, November 18, 8:00pm:</b> Bailly/Millevoi/Moffett Trio @ Highwire Gallery (2040 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia). Other performers TBA.<br />
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<b>Sunday, November 20, 7:30pm:</b> twins of el dorado (duo w/Kristin Slipp (vox)) @ Highwire Gallery, Philadelphia - plus Split Red, Travis Laplante, and the Pirog/Verrastro Duo. $6 admission.<br />
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<b>Friday, December 9, 8:00pm:</b> CD release performance by Ad Faunum. Opening set by Kristin Slipp / Dov Manski duo.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-86623104710294702192011-10-10T19:45:00.000-07:002011-10-10T19:45:59.137-07:00Ad Faunum CD ReleaseSo I officially have my first release coming out this fall on the Polish label <a href="http://www.nottwo.com">Not Two</a>! The release is the self-titled debut of Ad Faunum, my dual-bass, microtonal improv quintet. It features Noah Kaplan (sax), Giacomo Merega (electric bass), Jacob William (double bass) and Luther Gray (drums). I may be stating the obvious, for those of you who know these guys and the sounds they make, but I'll say it anyway - they are all extraordinary musicians and are a total pleasure to work with. It's the kind of group in which I am in awe of the players that surround me. A great, if sometimes intimidating, position to be in as a "leader" (I still sometimes have trouble with this distinction, as the music is totally collective and improvised). The album is a solid hour of improvised tracks, all recorded at Firehouse 12 studios on one brisk day in New Haven last year. There are actually a handful of tracks that don't appear on this release... but perhaps I can put some of them out in the future - in case anyone is curious, here's an <a href="http://soundcloud.com/moffjazz/ad-faunum-number-6">unreleased track</a>. <br />
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The release date is pending, but I'll post it once I have the official date.<br />
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Here are the dates for the two Ad Faunum shows currently on the books:<br />
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<b>Saturday, October 15 @ 7:30 p.m.</b>: <a href="http://gallery263.com">Gallery 263</a> in Cambridge, MA.<br />
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<b>Friday, December 9, two sets starting at @ 8:00 p.m.</b>: <a href="http://295douglass.org/">Douglass Street Music Collective</a> in Brooklyn, NY. Also performing will be one of my favorite duos: Kristin Slipp and Dov Manski (check out their <a href="http://kristinanddov.bandcamp.com/track/you-go-to-my-head-2">bandcamp page</a>).Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-29562780410284525402011-08-08T19:20:00.000-07:002011-08-11T07:52:44.055-07:00August CalendarA handful of shows will be happening this month. One of them is the premiere of my apartment's "house band" Hairy Messiah (a.k.a. Harry Messiah). <br />
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<b>August 10, 8:30:</b> Hairy Messiah performs with special guest Dana Jessen (bassoon). Hairy Messiah is Joe Moffett (tpt), Matt Plummer (tbn), Wes Matthews (pn/kbd) and Kevin McFarland (cello). Also performing, Giacomo Merega (e. bass) and Eli Keszler (drums).<br />
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<a href="http://295douglass.org/">Douglass Street Music Collective</a><br />
295 Douglass St.<br />
Brooklyn, NY<br />
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<b>August 12, 7:00:</b> Bird Fly Yellow. Also performing, String 4tet: Nathan Bontranger (cello), James Ilgenfritz (bass), Al Margolis (violin), Ben Shirley (guitar); and Duo: Adam Matlock and Carl Testa - accordion, string bass, electronics.<br />
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<a href="http://uncertaintymusic.com/">Uncertainty Music Series</a><br />
@ Bru Cafe<br />
141 Orange Street<br />
New Haven, CT<br />
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<b>August 13, 8:00:</b> Bird Fly Yellow; Genghis Complex.<br />
<a href="http://www.thespottydog.com/blog/"><br />
The Spotty Dog</a><br />
440 Warren Street<br />
Hudson, NY 12534<br />
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<b>August 25, 8:00:</b> Ad Faunum: Joe Moffett (tpt), Noah Kaplan (sax), Giacomo Merega (e. bass), Jason Nazary (dr). Additional performers TBA.<br />
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<a href="http://295douglass.org/">Douglass Street Music Collective</a><br />
295 Douglass St.<br />
Brooklyn, NYJoe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-55922491626421379072011-06-07T17:42:00.000-07:002011-06-07T17:42:25.217-07:00June "Calendar"A quiet month at the moment, but a couple fun performances will be happening nonetheless. First will be my solo trumpet performance at the <a href="http://295douglass.org/">Douglass Street Music Collective</a>. This is taking place on <b>Wednesday, June 8, at 8:00</b>. Contrary to <a href="http://joemoffett.blogspot.com/2011/03/quickie-on-obstructions-for-solo.html">one of my earlier posts</a>, I will not be performing "Obstructions for Trumpet." Still, some of those ideas have leaked into my current playing and will surface sub- or not-so-subconsciously, I suspect. I am very happy to be joined by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thebuckminsteraffair">Buckminster</a>, who will be performing at 9:00.<br />
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Later this month, I will perform at International Waters in Philadelphia with the Johnny DeBlase Quartet. This will be happening on <b>Saturday, June 25</b>. <br />
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As usual, keep posted for more details!Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-43552068433392763632011-05-06T18:46:00.000-07:002011-05-06T18:57:14.665-07:00Recordings: Past and FutureHere are some updates on my myriad recording sessions. My quintet Ad Faunum, with <a href="http://www.noah-kaplan.com/">Noah Kaplan</a> (sax), <a href="http://transien.ipower.com/page2.html">Jacob William</a> (b), Giacomo Merega (e b), and Luther Gray (dr) will be released later this year on <a href="http://www.nottwo.com/">Not Two</a>. More information, such as the album title, release date, etc. will be announced. Stay tuned!<br />
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<a href="http://bird-fly.com/">Bird Fly Yellow</a> recently went into the studio to record its full-length debut. We spent a day at <a href="http://www.troutrecording.com/">Trout Recording</a> and had a very fruitful session. We will be re-entering the studio to mix the session within a month’s time, and we hope to release the album by next Summer, 2012. <br />
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<a href="http://www.inzinzac.com/about/albanbailly">Alban Bailly</a>, it turns out, is not only a guitar wizard but a great home-recording engineer as well. He, guitarist <a href="http://nickmillevoi.blogspot.com/">Nick Millevoi</a> and I recorded a fully-improvised trio session in Alban's basement in April and are very pleased with the result. We will be mixing this one ourselves, and we’ll see if we can get it released for public consumption in the near future.<br />
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This weekend, I will be meeting up with my good friend <a href="http://jeffkimmel.blogspot.com/">Jeff Kimmel</a> to do a couple performances and record a duo session as well. Jeff, who recently saw the release of a trio album, <a href="http://www.peira.net/pm05.html"><i>tilting</i></a>, with <a href="http://www.jacobwick.info/">Jacob Wick</a> and David Moré, is one of the best bass clarinetist-improvisers around, and putting a little something on tape with him will be a great pleasure.<br />
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Finally, I'll be recording with the Johnny DeBlase Quartet on June 26, which <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBNVqNIYGx0">performed not long ago at the Highwire Gallery in Philadelphia</a>. The recorded material will consist of Johnny's compositions and, of course, lots of improvising.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-23527186820550003452011-05-04T15:17:00.000-07:002011-05-10T17:18:03.743-07:00May Calendar: Super Message BodyThis is how May is shaping up so far: Well.<br />
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<b>May 7, 10:00</b>: w/ <a href="http://jeffkimmel.blogspot.com/">Jeff Kimmel</a> (bass clar), <a href="http://www.marcriordan.com/">Marc Riordan</a> (dr), and <a href="http://www.brianlabycz.com/">Brian Labycz</a> (synth) at <a href="http://www.heavengallery.com/">Heaven Gallery</a> in Chicago. Also performing: Wingbridge.<br />
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<b>May 8</b>: Duo recording w/ Jeff!<br />
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<b>May 9, 7:30</b>: Duo performance w/ Jeff at <a href="http://www.myopicbookstore.com/">Myopic Books</a>, Chicago.<br />
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<b>May 28, 8:00</b>: Performance of a piece by <a href="http://bradhenkel.blogspot.com/">Brad Henkel</a>, "Shopping List for the World Ends" for 4 trumpets, 2 guitars, and narrator. Also featuring performances by Mariel Berger's quartet and Dan Peck (tuba). Show takes place at Jonathan Wood Vincent's UWS apt.: 201 W. 86th Street Apt. 806 (The Belnord), New York, NY<br />
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Follow them links!!!Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-68636773096765517562011-04-16T06:34:00.001-07:002011-04-21T18:29:46.629-07:00Rant in All ClefsSince free improvisation is not, <span style="font-style:italic;">de facto</span>, avant garde anymore, we shouldn't assume that what we're making is somehow innovative or new. Currently, this mode of performing is problematic because it can act as a haven for perfectly talented and learned people to make music that lacks the furor and prescience of truly avant-garde music, while there still being the assumption that it is somehow "different" from other kinds of music. And by furor or prescience, I'm not referring necessarily to volume, density, or speed. What I mean is a personal or personal-political furor (because the personal is political and the act of collective improvising has political implications), or the prescience of a music that leads one (performer and audience member alike) to think in a more sensitive or simply <span style="font-style:italic;">different</span> manner. So let's do it. Let's go somewhere truly exciting and take an audience with us.<br />
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Part of the issue is the inherent revolutionary attitude that is presumed by free improvisation. It is, for example, a valid question to ask whether this kind of music must actually do something new, every time. Can't we simply be good at it? But when I ask this I come to the conclusion that for it to be good it must at least be vigorous, which, in a way, aligns it with other forms of music (isn't all truly "good" music simply a perfect expression in its time, extending beyond its temporal locus?).<br />
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There is a much larger discussion to be had outside of this post. But I should take this moment to point out that there are people who specialize in free improv that do not rest on its history in order to prove its relevance. Let's be sure to follow their lead, in the spirit of what these performers do.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-32088483560685066572011-04-05T19:38:00.000-07:002011-04-19T07:02:53.733-07:00April HappeningsI am excited. Not just because I'm excitable, but mostly because there are happenings that merit... excitement. <a href="http://bird-fly.com/">Bird Fly Yellow</a> will be performing twice this coming weekend, and will also be recording at the end of the month. And April 15 will see the return of Gleason's Twins, my duo with vocalist Kristin Slipp. <br /><br />Big thanks to Matt Plummer, Bonnie Lander, Owen Stewart-Robertson, Brad Henkel, and Derek Beckvold for all their work in putting these events together. (If I missed anyone, please accost me, preferably on the street.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">April 9, 8:00:</span> Sunshine Soldier / Pink Brown / Masri, Cohen Duo / Bird Fly Yellow<br /><br />International Waters<br />532 S. 48th St.<br />Philadelphia, PA<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">April 10, 8:30:</span> Bird Fly Yellow / OS-R, Niggenkemper, Gray / Sunshine Soldier<br /> <br /><a href="http://295douglass.org/">Douglass Street Music Collective</a><br />295 Douglass St.<br />Brooklyn, NY<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">April 15, 8:30:</span> [Music + Words]: Gleason's Twins / Ben Syversen Trio / Box Lunch<br /> <br /><a href="http://295douglass.org/">Douglass St. Music Collective</a><br />295 Douglass St.<br />Brooklyn, NY<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">April 30:</span> Bird Fly Yellow recording at <a href="http://www.troutrecording.com/">Trout Studio</a> in Brooklyn.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-1280767438118520152011-03-27T09:04:00.000-07:002011-03-27T09:13:12.103-07:00KlangfarbenmelodeliciousI remember Joe Morris talking to me about a “pivot” where a given moment in an improvisation is like a triangulation that references points immediately before and after in time, or above, below, left, or right, etc. in space. Listening back to some recordings from my last year in school, it seems that it was definitely having an effect on me – I’m trying to recapture this idea in my current playing, as I sometimes find it’s lacking (did I forget?). The idea, if memory serves, is one way of dealing with “line,” where the line continues (as it does naturally because it exists in time), but I as the improviser do not coddle (or swaddle) it. If the line of music is a child, you have to let it go out and play. The line of course is not only mine but mine in relation to others’ – a klangfarbenmelodie of fragmented swing, blips, ringing tones, etc.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-32845462880072021642011-03-23T15:13:00.000-07:002011-03-23T16:59:08.043-07:00Thingness: A Little Leslie ScalapinoI've been reading an earlier series by <a href="http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/scalapino/">Leslie Scalapino</a>, <span style="font-style:italic;">hmmmm</span>. I'm finding myself falling into her work more and more, after a brief hiatus. There is something quite tangible about this writing, where I can simultaneously relate to the emotion in the work while at the same time be strangely freed of its inherent heat. She utilizes decidedly biological symbols in this series (the water lily, the fish, and, like George Oppen, the anemone) that act to objectify and thus cool narratives that arise from “extreme” emotional or socio-economic states.<br /><br />Or, as in covering a contortionist with a blanket, allow one to see the shape discarded of the uncomfortable and unflattering tangle of the body. <br /><br />The narratives are folded. I read first the happening - say, of searching frantically for someone in a park at night - and then the symbolic overlay brings me away from the intensity of the first-hand experience. With Scalapino often acting as a conduit of another's reflection on an historical (personal) action, there is a further distancing of the narrative by degrees, further cooling it, giving it a certain solidity, tangibility, and "thingness." <br /><br />It is a hunk of obsidian.<br /><br />The series is available via the linked site above, the Electronic Poetry Center at Buffalo.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-39084717447163822292011-03-09T09:51:00.000-08:002011-03-16T06:30:46.527-07:00A Difficult Fish, or A Post About EverythingI've been sitting on this post for a little while now. It's a bit half-baked, but nonetheless has been what I've been feeling swimming around my brain for the past month.<br /><br />The difficulty being that, when living in New York and practicing any art, one has to do more of everything, with less time to do it. I’m finding myself in this challenging position. “Everything” means not having a sole focus on practice. I want to see more performances, of friends as well as people I don't know personally, of "up-and-coming" musicians as well as those "established." <br /><br />Also, I would like to spend more time online in a constructive capacity. “Constructive” almost literally – building a repertoire of words to support the framework of my musical tree house. That includes the music of others, of course. It is always important - and maybe now more than ever, amid a recession and all the challenges stemming from it - to support one another. <br /><br />So how does a person accomplish everything?<br /><br />New York is a difficult fish. Even if you're hungry and want to eat you first have to catch it and know how to cook it.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-81589803594326753512011-03-03T16:53:00.000-08:002011-03-03T17:21:32.416-08:00An Addendum on "Obstructions for 'Solo' Trumpet"You may ask why I put the word "solo" in quotes for this piece. I can't divulge everything, because I don't want to ruin any surprises, but let's just say the music I'll be making on June 8 will have one foot in the tradition of solo instrumental improv, and one foot kicking (or softly nudging) its counterpart repeatedly. There will be doppelgangers, voice walls, and hopefully a macked-out ride (for solo instrumentalist, of course).<br /><br />The tentative titles for the pieces are as follows:<br /><br />Obstruction #1: Wall<br />Obstruction #2: Mutes<br />Obstruction #3: Solo for Four Voices<br />Obstruction #4: Background MusicJoe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-23506998597676407172011-03-03T08:39:00.000-08:002011-03-23T15:13:21.154-07:00Oh FunI’m not going to even talk about how long it’s been since I last posted something on my blog. Oops!<br /><br />Below is a list of some upcoming shows that I’d like you to know about. There are a lot of "TBAs," so be sure to check back for said announcements. <br /><br /><strong>March 24, 8:00:</strong> Moffett/Kaplan/Merega/Nazary @ Doulgass St. Music Collective w/ Henkel/Carlson duo. <br /><br /><strong>April 9, 9:00:</strong> Bird Fly Yellow @ International Waters (Philadelphia) w/ Henkel/Carlson/Stardrum and others, TBA<br /><strong>April 10, time TBA:</strong> Bird Fly Yellow @ Douglass St. Music Collective w/ Henkel/Carlson/Stardrum<br /><strong>April 30:</strong> Bird Fly Yellow is in the studio!<br /><br /><strong>May 7, 10:00:</strong> w/ Jeff Kimmel (bass clar), Marc Riordan (dr), and Brian Labycz (synth) at Heaven Gallery in Chicago. Also performing: Wingbridge.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">May 9, 7:30:</span> w/ Jeff Kimmel at Myopic Books, Chicago. <br /><br /><strong>June 8, 8:30:</strong> Obstructions for “Solo” Trumpet @ Douglass St. Music Collective. Also performing: Buckminster.<br /><br />More dates with Bird Fly Yellow to be announced – looks like we’ll be in Washington DC and Baltimore in June. Check our website for updates: bird-fly.com.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-3365148450589535142010-08-16T19:02:00.000-07:002010-08-16T19:13:27.860-07:00One for August 16Thinking about writing (not music, words), and watching <span style="font-style:italic;">L'Avventura</span> for the first time. How does one keep up with modernity, while still retaining some semblance of meaning? I mean, if the present is upon you, and the present moment happens to be one of those nearly-unsolvable problems, how do you represent it in art? Oh hell. The woman in the film asks "Why all this fuss over a swim?" She dives in.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-47152985071701860152010-08-12T15:53:00.001-07:002010-08-12T16:04:46.852-07:00The SummerThe summer! It's been a busy one. A quick update on things: Two small tours have taken place in June and July, and a couple recordings (one at the home of Joe Morris and another at the Bunker Studio) have been made. It's been a very enjoyable couple months, where music is concerned anyway. Now I must prioritize a bit. Firstly, at least one of my groups needs a website, and of course this has fallen by the wayside. It will happen, just not without a bit of orchestration and willingness to do the "biz" stuff. Okay. Now for planning a couple more mini-bursts of weekend tours in November and December with Bird Fly Yellow and a yet-unnamed trio from Philly, culled from the quartet Shot x Shot.<br /><br />Keep your eyes peeled for more details about gigs, releases, websites, et al. And by the way, some of my music (including an unmixed version of a track from the aforementioned Bunker session) is now available on my SoundCloud page: soundcloud.com/moffjazz.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-43223616682788705482010-06-15T20:03:00.000-07:002010-06-15T20:15:08.727-07:00A Brief PostBe warned, this post was meant to be concise and to-the-point. It comes, however, from a number of thought-streams... At the front of my mind right now is the string of shows I'm playing with my group Bird Fly Yellow. Specifically: how to effectively advertise them. More accurately: how to more effectively advertise for my shows the next time around. <br /><br />The group has gotten better - we have new music and are now capable of playing with a degree of reckless abandon that I sometimes crave as an audience member. Our show at Highwire in Philadelphia was, I believe, a high point for us - transitions between solos, collective improvisations, and heads were more natural; there was a consistency to the energy; there was a real sense of<span style="font-style: italic;"> direction</span>.<br /><br />The voice in the back of my head is speaking, albeit in cliches: "Let's do this. Let's really go for it. I have to make a pact with myself to really promote this music. If I don't do it, no one will."<br /><br />I have to start listening.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-8253827152876562812010-05-02T17:05:00.000-07:002010-05-02T17:13:49.025-07:00Shylock: Form or Deform?Last week we held the first rehearsal for the new group Shylock, a Dixie-meets-free jazz ensemble. It’s a quintet featuring Noah Kaplan on sax; Avi and Benjy Fox-Rosen on guitar and bass, respectively; Matthew Rousseau on drums; and myself on trumpet. It went well, and certainly established, for me, the new light-motif of my musical life – the dichotomy of keeping to a musical form and the urge to twist that form, or leave it altogether. In theory, working one’s way out of a set form is great idea, but it is actually quite difficult to do effectively. How do you play off a form without falling directly into a formlessness that disregards the beauty of the piece in its original incarnation? Specifically, how do we honor Louis Armstrong’s music and perform our modern take on it without giving in to sonic masturbation? <br /><br />I believe one way around this essential problem is thinking of form as an expandable and retractable medium. In this way, one is observing the power of the chord progression and yet is willfully mutating the chordal rhythm. This method certainly owes to Ornette Coleman’s revolutionary work in Harmolodics. In this case, the set form becomes “harmolodic” in that it melds to the ever-unfolding phrases and collective melodies created by the ensemble. It might also be likened to poet Charles Olson’s “projective verse,” where the form corresponds to the content of the improvisation. <br /><br />This is certainly not the first time someone has approached set form with the intention of upending it in a meaningful way. But this would be “one of those times,” and I think it’s going to work. <br /><br />Now for the pitch: Shylock will be playing at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn this Friday, May 7, at 9:00. A trio fronted by Noah Kaplan, will go on at 8:00. Come by, listen, and let me know what you think.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-31452749582470760242010-04-22T16:38:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:35:35.142-07:00The High Life and the Sub-ConsciousLast night I caught a performance by Jason Ajemian and The High Life at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn. The <a href="http://www.jasonajemian.com/highlife/index.html">band</a>, a conglomerate of New York and Chicago musicians, has been on tour for about a month now to promote their new album ("Let me get that Digital"), and they will continue to perform through the rest of April.<br /><br />The High Life’s show at Issue Project Room was not only a great performance, but it was also an excellent example of the art of programming. They played continuously for about an hour, and it was one of those rare occasions where the longer the performance lasted, the more convincing the performance was. In the beginning of the show I was amused, if a bit skeptical. By the end, I felt like I had experienced something truly special.<br /><br />The ensemble slid from one stylistic bent to another, from sea shanty to rock to free jazz, to name a few. I felt as though I were being guided through different rooms within the subconscious – mine or The High Life’s or Jason Ajemian’s – and it turns out that these “rooms” are more literal than one might expect. The musical scores are arranged like blueprints for a house, with entranceways and exits. <br /><br />The most consistent thread within the group’s set was perhaps Jason Ajemian’s voice, acting as a narrator throughout the journey (his voice was occasionally joined by the voices of the entire band). He yelped and belted lyrics, and fragments of lyrics, beckoning the listener through the hallways of his music. Jason’s vocal delivery was reminiscent of Captain Beefheart. In fact, the tunes themselves occasionally reminded me of the Magic Band, with their off-kilter looping rhythms, and their oscillation from one meme to another and back. <br /><br />One thing that surprised me was that the pastiche of styles never really felt ironic. It was never insular in that fashion – it led the listener in and not out, despite the fact that the soil was always shifting under one’s feet. <br /><br />All of this musical surrealism would not have gone off as well as it did without the talent of The High Life’s musicians. They are all excellent instrumentalists and improvisers, and have projects of their own that are very much worth checking out. <br /><br />Many bands will describe their sound by simply listing their iPod playlist and not sound like half of the artists they claim to channel. The High Life is not one of them. They perform a bizarre and wonderful collection of songs that a mere “shuffle” key can’t replicate. Don’t miss them next time they visit a performance space near you. <br /><br />Jason Ajemian and The High Life is:<br /><br />Jason Ajemian: bass, vox<br />Jacob Wick: trumpet, vox<br />Peter Hanson: saxophone, vox<br />Owen Stewart-Robertson: guitar, vox<br />Marc Riordan: drums, voxJoe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641487793816484191.post-39451208014865478642010-04-13T19:17:00.000-07:002010-04-13T19:27:55.353-07:00Joe Morris/Nate Wooley/Dominic Lash @ Douglass St.At long last, a new post!<br /><p><br />On Sunday night, I had the pleasure of hearing an excellent set by Joe Morris, Nate Wooley, and Dominic Lash at the Douglass Street Music Collective in Brooklyn. Joe and Nate have been working together for a little while now, and the addition of Dominic on bass was a real treat – he traveled all the way from the U.K. for this performance. <br /><p><br />The set of three extended improvisations was one of the most balanced and nuanced I’ve heard in a while. All three players are masters at their instruments, but there was never the feeling that any one of them was trying to be the “leader.” Moments where only one instrument was sounding did not come off as a solo but rather as the logical progression of the musical conversation – all but one of the voices in the room die down and that one voice is simply continuing its story.<br /><p><br />The music produced was absolutely a sum of its parts. Joe Morris, whose career spans decades, continues to reinvent his own playing as well as the nature of the avant-guitar itself. Impromptu “preparations” – adding an elastic band to the neck, running brass cylinders over the strings – allowed for a widened palate of sound. And the effectiveness of these preparations was owed completely to Mr. Morris’s quick musical intuition. Dominic Lash is the rare bassist who seems completely at home both with and without the bow. An incredibly virtuosic and naturally musical player, he’s someone you must hear the next time he’s in the U.S. (or you’re in Europe). And of course, there’s Nate Wooley. From my perspective as a trumpeter and improviser, it’s easy to see why he’s one of the most in-demand performers of modern improv. The guy has prodigious technique, but he never plays as though he has something to prove (a rare thing indeed to find in a trumpet player). Probably the most impressive thing about Nate is that he can play quietly and really commit to that dynamic. He was always blending into the texture of the group, occasionally peeking out from within. <br /><p><br />The trio’s music resembled a kind of modern folk music, with its collective spirit and an overall sound that develops directly from the “act of playing.” It was a truly engaging experience. Let’s hope they make a recording or go on tour sometime in the near future.Joe Moffetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03922351671316791380noreply@blogger.com0