...with an emphasis on jazz, improvised & experimental music...
April
April 3: Blank Slate 2 (Earth House Collective in Indianapolis, more details TBA)
September
Chicago Jazz Festival (September 4 & 5)
Edgefest (Ann Arbor, MI)
October
Fifth Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival
Feel free to comment below if you can think of other festivals which could be included in this list. Thanks.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Films and Videos About Creative Music
Imagine the Sound, directed by Ron Mann (1981)
Mingus: Charles Mingus (1968), directed by Thomas Reichman
My Name Is Albert Ayler, directed by Kasper Collin (1962)
On the Edge (1992)
from ubu.com: "A series of four 55 minute films shown on Channel 4 TV in the UK in early 1992. To say this was the best and most intelligent analysis of improvisation to be screened on UK television is probably unnecessary: it has in all likelihood been the only televised programme on this form of music-making. Written and narrated by Derek Bailey, produced and directed by Jeremy Marr, it developed out of the first edition of Bailey's book on improvisation (the broadcast almost coinciding with the publication of the second edition) and attempted to provide a world-view of the subject, not being bound by country, musical genre or preconception."
Space Is the Place, directed by John Coney
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other films and videos that you think should be included here. Thanks.
Mingus: Charles Mingus (1968), directed by Thomas Reichman
My Name Is Albert Ayler, directed by Kasper Collin (1962)
On the Edge (1992)
from ubu.com: "A series of four 55 minute films shown on Channel 4 TV in the UK in early 1992. To say this was the best and most intelligent analysis of improvisation to be screened on UK television is probably unnecessary: it has in all likelihood been the only televised programme on this form of music-making. Written and narrated by Derek Bailey, produced and directed by Jeremy Marr, it developed out of the first edition of Bailey's book on improvisation (the broadcast almost coinciding with the publication of the second edition) and attempted to provide a world-view of the subject, not being bound by country, musical genre or preconception."
Space Is the Place, directed by John Coney
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other films and videos that you think should be included here. Thanks.
Music Destinations in the Midwest
...an incomplete list of great music-related places to visit in the Midwest...
ILLINOIS
Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation (Chicago)
MICHIGAN
Motown Historical Museum
MISSOURI
Scott Joplin House (St. Louis)
OTHER LOCATIONS OUTSIDE THE MIDWEST
Louis Armstrong House Museum (New York City)
Stax Museum of American Soul Music (Memphis, TN)
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other destinations that you think should be included here. Thanks.
ILLINOIS
Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation (Chicago)
MICHIGAN
Motown Historical Museum
MISSOURI
Scott Joplin House (St. Louis)
OTHER LOCATIONS OUTSIDE THE MIDWEST
Louis Armstrong House Museum (New York City)
Stax Museum of American Soul Music (Memphis, TN)
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other destinations that you think should be included here. Thanks.
Independent Record Stores in the Midwest
ILLINOIS
Dr. Wax (Chicago)
Dusty Groove America (Chicago)
Jazz Record Mart (Chicago)
Reckless Records (Chicago)
INDIANA
Indy CD & Vinyl (Indianapolis)
MISSOURI
Apop Records (St. Louis)
Euclid Records (St. Louis)
Vintage Vinyl (St. Louis)
MINNESOTA
The Electric Fetus (Minneapolis)
OHIO
Shake-It Records (Cincinnati)
PENNSYLVANIA
GREAT RECORD STORES OUTSIDE THE MIDWEST
Amoeba Music (California)
Downtown Music Gallery (New York City)
Louisiana Music Factory (New Orleans)
RELATED LINKS
Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMP)
Record Store Day
ThinkIndie.com
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other stores which you think should be included. Thanks.
Dr. Wax (Chicago)
Dusty Groove America (Chicago)
Jazz Record Mart (Chicago)
Reckless Records (Chicago)
INDIANA
Indy CD & Vinyl (Indianapolis)
MISSOURI
Apop Records (St. Louis)
Euclid Records (St. Louis)
Vintage Vinyl (St. Louis)
MINNESOTA
The Electric Fetus (Minneapolis)
OHIO
Shake-It Records (Cincinnati)
PENNSYLVANIA
GREAT RECORD STORES OUTSIDE THE MIDWEST
Amoeba Music (California)
Downtown Music Gallery (New York City)
Louisiana Music Factory (New Orleans)
RELATED LINKS
Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMP)
Record Store Day
ThinkIndie.com
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other stores which you think should be included. Thanks.
Midwest-Based Record Labels
...with an emphasis on jazz, experimental, & improvised music...
ILLINOIS
482 Music (Chicago)
Atavistic Worldwide
Delmark (Chicago)
Imaginary Chicago Records
INDIANA
IOWA
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
OHIO
Exit Stencil Recordings (Cleveland)
PENNSYLVANIA
WISCONSIN
Crouton Music
Please let me know if you can think of other labels, I'd be happy to include those if you'd comment on this post. Thanks.
ILLINOIS
482 Music (Chicago)
Atavistic Worldwide
Delmark (Chicago)
Imaginary Chicago Records
INDIANA
IOWA
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
OHIO
Exit Stencil Recordings (Cleveland)
PENNSYLVANIA
WISCONSIN
Crouton Music
Please let me know if you can think of other labels, I'd be happy to include those if you'd comment on this post. Thanks.
Publications & Other Media Outlets
Here're some great publications & other media outlets which include reviews of recordings, info about concerts, etc.:
IN THE MIDWEST
Illinois
Chicago Reader
New City
Time Out Chicago
Indiana
NUVO (Indianapolis)
Michigan
Detroit Free Press
Ohio
Columbus Alive
CityBeat (Cincinnati)
Wisconsin
Isthmus (Madison)
* * * *
NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS
DownBeat Magazine
Signal to Noise: The Journal of Improvised and Experimental Music
TapeOp: The Creative Music Recording Magazine
* * * *
INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS
The Wire: Adventures in Modern Music
* * * *
WEBSITES
AllAboutJazz.com
Destination Out
Point of Departure
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other publications and/or websites which could be included here. Thanks.
IN THE MIDWEST
Illinois
Chicago Reader
New City
Time Out Chicago
Indiana
NUVO (Indianapolis)
Michigan
Detroit Free Press
Ohio
Columbus Alive
CityBeat (Cincinnati)
Wisconsin
Isthmus (Madison)
* * * *
NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS
DownBeat Magazine
Signal to Noise: The Journal of Improvised and Experimental Music
TapeOp: The Creative Music Recording Magazine
* * * *
INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS
The Wire: Adventures in Modern Music
* * * *
WEBSITES
AllAboutJazz.com
Destination Out
Point of Departure
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of other publications and/or websites which could be included here. Thanks.
Radio Stations in the Midwest
Here are some excellent independent radio stations in the Midwest. Some are student-run at colleges and universities, and others are independent community radio stations:
ILLINOIS
WDBX "ITDE" show -- 91.1 FM in Carbondale
WLUW: "Something Else" show -- 88.7 FM in Chicago
WNUR -- 89.3 FM in Evanston
WZRD -- 88.3 FM in Chicago
INDIANA
MICHIGAN
Blue Lake Public Radio
WCBN -- 88.3 FM in Ann Arbor
MINNESOTA
KFAI -- 90.3 in Minneapolis
MISSOURI
WDHX -- 88.1 FM in St. Louis
OHIO
WAIF -- 88.3 FM in Cincinnati
IOWA
WISCONSIN
WORT -- 89.9 FM in Madison
OTHER GREAT RADIO STATIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE U.S.
KCRW -- 89.9 FM in Santa Monica, CA
KQED -- in northern California
KUSP -- 89.9 FM in Santa Cruz, CA
WKCR -- 89.9 FM in New York City
WFMU -- 91.1 FM in Jersey City, NJ
WWOZ -- 90.7 FM in New Orleans
WNYC -- 93.0 in New York City
* * * *
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of any other radio stations that should be added to this list. Thanks.
ILLINOIS
WDBX "ITDE" show -- 91.1 FM in Carbondale
WLUW: "Something Else" show -- 88.7 FM in Chicago
WNUR -- 89.3 FM in Evanston
WZRD -- 88.3 FM in Chicago
INDIANA
MICHIGAN
Blue Lake Public Radio
WCBN -- 88.3 FM in Ann Arbor
MINNESOTA
KFAI -- 90.3 in Minneapolis
MISSOURI
WDHX -- 88.1 FM in St. Louis
OHIO
WAIF -- 88.3 FM in Cincinnati
IOWA
WISCONSIN
WORT -- 89.9 FM in Madison
OTHER GREAT RADIO STATIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE U.S.
KCRW -- 89.9 FM in Santa Monica, CA
KQED -- in northern California
KUSP -- 89.9 FM in Santa Cruz, CA
WKCR -- 89.9 FM in New York City
WFMU -- 91.1 FM in Jersey City, NJ
WWOZ -- 90.7 FM in New Orleans
WNYC -- 93.0 in New York City
* * * *
Feel free to comment on this post if you can think of any other radio stations that should be added to this list. Thanks.
Friday, November 6, 2009
A little retrospective on my experience presenting...
I've been active in throwing shows and trying to develop as an improviser in my own right, as well as encourage those around me, for going on 7 years here in Columbus.
The question of audience development has always been at the forefront of my mind. I've never been content with the idea of creating some kind of secret society/insider-y scene for the music here, and have been careful to avoid any intellectual trappings in how I promote and produce shows. That's just a personal choice though. In some of the experimental music shows I attended early on, I may have enjoyed the music but found the people and the climate to be suffocatingly "in the know." When I started doing shows I determined that I would do what I could to cultivate a different kind of climate. Music can be serious but the people at an event-- musicians and audience alike--- don't need to take themselves so seriously.
This may not after all be the most strategic or astute thing. One of the things you find in a place like Columbus is that people yearn for the high art cred of New York/east coast....and that if you feed them pretentiousness, they'll often eat it up. A number of people have remarked that my shows would seem like a natural overlap for people who attend events at the Wexner Center (the local "mod" performing arts center). As such, I've attempted to distribute handbills outside of relevant Wexner Center concerts. That was eye-opening to say the least. I can't tell you how disinterested people were, even as I found myself making a pretty good pitch. I had nice, attractive handbills and I was polite, earnest, and all-- but I might as well have been selling wristwatches under my trenchcoat.
If something has the Wexner seal of approval though, people turn out. I'm convinced to this day that if some of the people I'd brought in-- Tatsuya, Tom Abbs, Josh Berman-- had performed at the Wexner Center instead of one of my "free jazz ghetto" shows, they would have had probably 10 times the attendance and pay. I don't have a personal need to present these guys on my turf either, which is why I've repeatedly contacted the Wexner Center on their behalf. Never heard a word from them.
While I would be happy for these artists getting a show at the Wexner, for their finances and their egos (getting to play in front of a larg(er) crowd)-- at the same time, I don't feel like busting into the concert hall, being legitimized by the mod art institutions, is what the music needs. I am a staunch believer in the music having a primarily grassroots existence....the problem is, of course, that musicians and promoters like myself or Dan get discouraged when the audience grows at such a snail's pace.
I will say, small as my crowds may be, I'm fairly proud of the kind of people who turn out for the shows. There's a range of ages, cultures, occupations, and even political persuasions. (The only thing that is sorely missing is gender diversity. Yes, they're mostly "man meets."). I would say too that a number of these folks might not have turned out for the shows if I had adopted some kind of knowingly mod/"cutting edge" presentation from the outset. There are some really down-to-earth people who would just be turned off by that. At the same time, I believe that my lack of pretentiousness has resulted in some people not turning out. It's a hard balance to strike, to cultivate the sort of climate you want to see take place, while knowing that you may be forfeiting some of the obvious suspects for audience members. I am just very resistant to creating another "scene" in a city rife with "scenes", and so, admittedly, have made very little effort to ingratiate myself with the young, white hipster community here.
If anything, I have tried to lean further to the "accessible" end of presentation. I have produced some mixed bill shows that featured free jazz alongside straight-ahead jazz, or hip-hop, or spoken word forums. Here though, I think this kind of program is just CONFUSING to people though. In the late 60s or 70s this wouldn't have been any big deal, but you're really screwing with people's sense of order when you do this now. I am still glad to have made attempts in this direction though. I think if you have the right venue, one that is eclectic by nature--- you could pull this off, especially if it was regular, revue-type event.
Speaking of which.....regularity, predictability, and consistency of quality. These are the things that are key to any presenter's success in buiding an audience. When I was having the most success here, it was because I had a regular venue to work with and the shows were happening on fairly regular intervals. Alas, the two regular venues I've worked with have both went bust, and that always takes you a step back. For the past 3 years I have just done shows with venues by committee-- where I could get an appropriate room and who was simply willing to host.
So-- if you have a hospitable venue, MILK IT for all it's worth because there is no telling how long it will last. I know ad hoc/by commitee is the reality for a lot of presenters and musicians in this music, and yet-- if I could go back in time I would have done even more shows at the regular venues I had.
All of this aside, I just keep doing what I do. I have gone back and forth at times about whether I wanted to continue doing shows, because just when I get some kind of little breakthrough-- a good crowd-- the next show would be sparsely attended. But in the course of time there's been a community of sorts that has evolved here. People who were once simply unconnected audience members are now playing in bands together, going to each other's weddings, sharing memories about good times, all that stuff. Shows are now an occasion for these guys to hang out and catch up, as well as experiencing a common interest. So that keeps me going, and is gratifying in its own right.
Lest I sound at all jaded or resigned here, I should add that I'm open to reconceiving how I present and promote shows. I just recognize that if one isn't willing to dress the music in intellectual trappings and ingratiate themselves with the local hiperati, you're counting on people being both honestly curious and honest in their intentions (to simply hear some interesting music...). I do believe there are more people in Columbus, and the Midwest in general, who might be curious about experiencing something "different", but are put off by the scenesterism. Precisely because they are not part of a pre-existing scene and do not travel by packs, they are harder to reach though.
Friends of friends, of friends....and don't forget grandma-- she might like free jazz if she tried it.
The question of audience development has always been at the forefront of my mind. I've never been content with the idea of creating some kind of secret society/insider-y scene for the music here, and have been careful to avoid any intellectual trappings in how I promote and produce shows. That's just a personal choice though. In some of the experimental music shows I attended early on, I may have enjoyed the music but found the people and the climate to be suffocatingly "in the know." When I started doing shows I determined that I would do what I could to cultivate a different kind of climate. Music can be serious but the people at an event-- musicians and audience alike--- don't need to take themselves so seriously.
This may not after all be the most strategic or astute thing. One of the things you find in a place like Columbus is that people yearn for the high art cred of New York/east coast....and that if you feed them pretentiousness, they'll often eat it up. A number of people have remarked that my shows would seem like a natural overlap for people who attend events at the Wexner Center (the local "mod" performing arts center). As such, I've attempted to distribute handbills outside of relevant Wexner Center concerts. That was eye-opening to say the least. I can't tell you how disinterested people were, even as I found myself making a pretty good pitch. I had nice, attractive handbills and I was polite, earnest, and all-- but I might as well have been selling wristwatches under my trenchcoat.
If something has the Wexner seal of approval though, people turn out. I'm convinced to this day that if some of the people I'd brought in-- Tatsuya, Tom Abbs, Josh Berman-- had performed at the Wexner Center instead of one of my "free jazz ghetto" shows, they would have had probably 10 times the attendance and pay. I don't have a personal need to present these guys on my turf either, which is why I've repeatedly contacted the Wexner Center on their behalf. Never heard a word from them.
While I would be happy for these artists getting a show at the Wexner, for their finances and their egos (getting to play in front of a larg(er) crowd)-- at the same time, I don't feel like busting into the concert hall, being legitimized by the mod art institutions, is what the music needs. I am a staunch believer in the music having a primarily grassroots existence....the problem is, of course, that musicians and promoters like myself or Dan get discouraged when the audience grows at such a snail's pace.
I will say, small as my crowds may be, I'm fairly proud of the kind of people who turn out for the shows. There's a range of ages, cultures, occupations, and even political persuasions. (The only thing that is sorely missing is gender diversity. Yes, they're mostly "man meets."). I would say too that a number of these folks might not have turned out for the shows if I had adopted some kind of knowingly mod/"cutting edge" presentation from the outset. There are some really down-to-earth people who would just be turned off by that. At the same time, I believe that my lack of pretentiousness has resulted in some people not turning out. It's a hard balance to strike, to cultivate the sort of climate you want to see take place, while knowing that you may be forfeiting some of the obvious suspects for audience members. I am just very resistant to creating another "scene" in a city rife with "scenes", and so, admittedly, have made very little effort to ingratiate myself with the young, white hipster community here.
If anything, I have tried to lean further to the "accessible" end of presentation. I have produced some mixed bill shows that featured free jazz alongside straight-ahead jazz, or hip-hop, or spoken word forums. Here though, I think this kind of program is just CONFUSING to people though. In the late 60s or 70s this wouldn't have been any big deal, but you're really screwing with people's sense of order when you do this now. I am still glad to have made attempts in this direction though. I think if you have the right venue, one that is eclectic by nature--- you could pull this off, especially if it was regular, revue-type event.
Speaking of which.....regularity, predictability, and consistency of quality. These are the things that are key to any presenter's success in buiding an audience. When I was having the most success here, it was because I had a regular venue to work with and the shows were happening on fairly regular intervals. Alas, the two regular venues I've worked with have both went bust, and that always takes you a step back. For the past 3 years I have just done shows with venues by committee-- where I could get an appropriate room and who was simply willing to host.
So-- if you have a hospitable venue, MILK IT for all it's worth because there is no telling how long it will last. I know ad hoc/by commitee is the reality for a lot of presenters and musicians in this music, and yet-- if I could go back in time I would have done even more shows at the regular venues I had.
All of this aside, I just keep doing what I do. I have gone back and forth at times about whether I wanted to continue doing shows, because just when I get some kind of little breakthrough-- a good crowd-- the next show would be sparsely attended. But in the course of time there's been a community of sorts that has evolved here. People who were once simply unconnected audience members are now playing in bands together, going to each other's weddings, sharing memories about good times, all that stuff. Shows are now an occasion for these guys to hang out and catch up, as well as experiencing a common interest. So that keeps me going, and is gratifying in its own right.
Lest I sound at all jaded or resigned here, I should add that I'm open to reconceiving how I present and promote shows. I just recognize that if one isn't willing to dress the music in intellectual trappings and ingratiate themselves with the local hiperati, you're counting on people being both honestly curious and honest in their intentions (to simply hear some interesting music...). I do believe there are more people in Columbus, and the Midwest in general, who might be curious about experiencing something "different", but are put off by the scenesterism. Precisely because they are not part of a pre-existing scene and do not travel by packs, they are harder to reach though.
Friends of friends, of friends....and don't forget grandma-- she might like free jazz if she tried it.
funding for the arts in the Midwest
Everybody knows that the current economic climate is pretty terrible, yet creative people continue to make projects happen, and audiences continue to support those projects. Recently a "No Cuts to Chicago Music, Arts & Cultural Programs" petition has been going around. Several months ago the Chicago Music Commission website ran a story entitled "Moving the Story Forward on the Promoter Ordinance,"; the music community must continue to be vigilant about this, since one never knows when the promoter ordinance situation will take a new turn.
The arts always needs more funding and support. Of course, people who are dedicated to the arts will continue to put their effort, time, and money into making projects happen. But institutions -- corporations, foundations, government -- need to do their part and step up to support the arts. Recently Chicago Tribune music critic Howard Reich wrote an op-ed piece about how budget cutbacks have been affecting Chicago's music festivals. In rough economic times, it's the arts that often get slashed first, because many people seem to think that the arts are "luxury" or not core things that need to be saved. That is wrong-headed thinking: the arts should always continue to be supported. A healthy society encourages and supports its arts and artists.
Chicago is world renowned for innovations in architecture, music, visual art, film, etc., yet the effects of more budget cuts can be seen and felt. Empty storefronts seem to be everywhere you look. But let's not focus on just doom and gloom, because exciting things continue to happen. What glimmers of hope can be found in the Midwest -- in Chicago, Madison, Cincinnati, Green Bay, St. Paul, Cleveland, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Carbondale, Urbana-Champaign, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, etc. -- in terms of new opportunities, new revenue streams, new funding initiatives?
The arts always needs more funding and support. Of course, people who are dedicated to the arts will continue to put their effort, time, and money into making projects happen. But institutions -- corporations, foundations, government -- need to do their part and step up to support the arts. Recently Chicago Tribune music critic Howard Reich wrote an op-ed piece about how budget cutbacks have been affecting Chicago's music festivals. In rough economic times, it's the arts that often get slashed first, because many people seem to think that the arts are "luxury" or not core things that need to be saved. That is wrong-headed thinking: the arts should always continue to be supported. A healthy society encourages and supports its arts and artists.
Chicago is world renowned for innovations in architecture, music, visual art, film, etc., yet the effects of more budget cuts can be seen and felt. Empty storefronts seem to be everywhere you look. But let's not focus on just doom and gloom, because exciting things continue to happen. What glimmers of hope can be found in the Midwest -- in Chicago, Madison, Cincinnati, Green Bay, St. Paul, Cleveland, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Carbondale, Urbana-Champaign, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, etc. -- in terms of new opportunities, new revenue streams, new funding initiatives?
"Heartland" show at the Smart Museum
The current Heartland show at the University of Chicago's Smart Museum of Art is fantastic. It includes projects by the Radical Midwest Culture Corridor, Design 99 (Detroit), The Miss Rockaway Armada, Simparch with Chris Vorhees, Tree of Heaven Woodshop (Detroit), Theaster Gates and the Black Monks of Mississippi (Chicago), Whoop Dee Doo (St. Louis), as well as essays by Rebecca Solnit, Dan S. Wang, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Andrea Lisle, Matthew Strauss, Dave Eggers, and others.
One thing I found interesting about the show was the curators' definition of "heartland." Personally my concept of the "American heartland" is more about the Midwest, but the curators have a different definition.
The Heartland publication is informative and well-produced. You can find out more about it by visiting the Smart Museum website, and the e-book version can be downloaded for free if you click here.
One thing I found interesting about the show was the curators' definition of "heartland." Personally my concept of the "American heartland" is more about the Midwest, but the curators have a different definition.
The Heartland publication is informative and well-produced. You can find out more about it by visiting the Smart Museum website, and the e-book version can be downloaded for free if you click here.
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