Saturday, October 01, 2005

Creativity and Consciousness at the University of Michigan

There was a fascinating event here in Ann Arbor on September 25. Ed Sarath, who is the director of jazz and improvised music here at the University of Michigan, brought in filmmaker David Lynch and his compatriots John Hagelin and Fred Travis for a presentation in creativity and consciousness. This is an area that, like music, is near and dear to Ed's heart. He has been instrumental in establishing a formal Program in Creativity and Consciousness Studies at U-M, and as part of that program, he's brought in a number of enlightening speakers.

Lynch introduced us his Foundation for Consciousness Based Education and World Peace. Hagelin, a world-renowned quantum physicist, educator, author, and public policy expert, discussed the possibilities that exist when scientific exploration becomes united with techniques of consciousness expansion. Fred Travis, a highly regarded brain researcher showed us, literally, how brains and brain waves are affected by meditation.

What does any of this have to do with the Creative Music Studio? Ed Sarath is the tie in by virtue of his connection with Karl Berger, which began at the Banff Center way back in the early eighties. Ed and Karl collaborated most recently on a recording, concert, and workshop here at U-M about two years ago. Ed's responsible for introducing Karl Berger-flavored teaching methods (notably the gamala taki rhythm training) to the U-M School of Music.

Check out all of Ed's websites:
http://www.edsarath.com
http://isimprov.com
http://www.statenow.org

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Is L.A. the Center of the Creative-Music Universe?

Probably not. But not for a lack of effort on Adam Rudolph's part. His series of concerts and workshops with his Go: Organic Orchestra sound to me (from the press releases I've received) to be absolutely mouth watering. Go to http://www.metarecords.com/go.htm to learn more.

Adam Rudolph was one of the most giving and positive people I interviewed for the book Music Universe, Music Mind. His stories about his playing experiences at the Creative Music Studio with the Mandingo Griot Society and a group of Turkish musicians will give you a true appreciation of the meaning of world music.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Still Alive and Kickin'

Oh, mercy, it's a been a long while since my last post--but I'm still here. Anybody out there?

Some quick news bullets:

  • You can now buy the book Music Universe, Music Mind: Revisiting the Creative Music Studio, Woodstock, New York using PayPal. Go to http://www.arborville.com/cms/ordermumm.html. PayPal is easy to use, and they accept all major credit cards. Be in the know! Read it! The Creative Music Studio was the twentieth century's most forward-looking musical community in all of creative-jazz-avant-garde-experimental-new-world music. It was unique and it was amazing.
  • A Don Cherry Celebration, October 1-23, 2005 at the Stone in New York City, U.S.A. Go to http://www.thestonenyc.com/calendar.php?month=1 . Wow. This is an extraordinary event-- a series of extraordinary events really.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

"Gittin' to know" George Lewis

Check out the maiden issue of Critical Studies in Improvisation, in which you can read "Gittin' to Know Y'all: Improvised Music, Interculturalism and the Racial Imagination," by the soulfully erudite George Lewis. George--trombonist, scholar, electronic-music trailblazer-- was one of several AACM musicians who helped to give the Creative Music Studio its distinctive flavor and to help garner its international reputation.

"Critical Studies in Improvisation/ Études critiques en improvisation is an open-access, peer-reviewed, electronic, academic journal on improvisation, community, and social practice housed at the University of Guelph." (from the website)

Bob

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Special Book Offer

I've been away, but now I'm back.

And just to see whether anyone is out there checking on the CMS Update, I'm offering a special deal on the book Music Universe, Music Mind: Revisiting the Creative Music Studio, Woodstock, New York.

For the next thirty days, readers of CMS Update can buy Music Universe, Music Mind for the unheard of low price of $7.00, including shipping.

Send a check for $7.00 (sorry, I'm not set up to receive credit-card purchases), payable to Arborville Publishing, to Arborville Publishing, Blog Offer, PO Box 2767, Ann Arbor MI 48106.

If you have any questions about the book or CMS history, give me a holler at bsweet@arborville.com.

Peace

Bob

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Henry Grimes and Marshall Allen: Spaceship on the Highway

I'm taking liberties in announcing the road tour of the northeastern United States that Henry Grimes and Marshall Allen are about to embark upon, Friday, March 4th through Saturday, March 19th, 2005 . That's because there is only a tenuous CMS link here. But, it's my blog and I can employ as tenuous a link as I choose.

However, there is a link--kind of a full-circle CMS link. CMS founder Karl Berger spent some of his early days in New York, pre-CMS, playing with Henry Grimes. And, now, in 2005 the CMS link comes back around with Henry Grimes' teaming with Marilyn Crispell. And Marilyn's link to CMS is as strong as they come.

Anyway, the itinerary follows. It came to me by way of Margaret Davis, intrepid and stalwart chronicler and supporter of creative music and musicians.

Contact: Margaret Davis, (212) 841-O899, musicmargaret@earthlink.net
http//www.jazznewyork.org

Friday, March 4th: Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, An Die Musik, 4O9 North Charles St., 2nd floor, Baltimore, Maryland, sets at 8 and 1O p.m., 888-221-617O, www.andiemusiklive.com, furmuda1@yahoo.com.

Sunday, March 6th: Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, Brew House, 21OO Mary St. at 21st St., Pittsburgh, PA, 412-381-7767, one set at 9 p.m.

Tuesday, March 8th:Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, radio broadcast with Lazaro Vega over WBLV-FM, 9O.3 / WBLU-FM, 89.9, Blue Lake Public Radio, Twin Lake, Michigan, 1O-11 p.m. 231-894-5656, ext. 1O4, www.bluelake.org, radio@bluelake.org.

Wednesday, March 9th: Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, Young Soul Rebel Records / CPOP Gallery, 416O Woodward Ave.,Detroit, Michigan, 313-833-99O1, 313-832-2OO1, www.CPOP.com, PFrisco@hotmail.com.

Friday & Saturday, March 11th and 12th: the Henry Grimes Quartet featuring Marshall Allen, Fred Anderson, & Avreeayl Ra, HotHouse, 31 East Balbo Ave.,Chicago, IL, one set at 9:3O p.m. each night, 312-362-97O7, www.hothouse.net, www.hothouse.net/calendar/genre/jazz.jsp#667.

Tuesday, March 15th: Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, Passport Project's Global Community Arts Center, 128O1-3 Buckeye Rd., Cleveland, Ohio, workshop at 4:00 p.m., concert at 8:3O, 216-721-1O55, http://passportproject.org/goingsOn.php, chloe@passportproject.org.

Thursday, March 17th: Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, Rosewood Theater, 218 Walnut St., Morgantown, WV, 3O4-292-8999, www.rosewoodtheatre.com, Gary@rosewoodtheatre.com.

Friday, March 18th: Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, Slought Foundation, 4017 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 8 p.m., 215-222-9O5O, http://slought.org/content/11282, info@slought.org, markc@slought.org.

Saturday, March 19th: Henry Grimes & Marshall Allen, Vision Series, Clemente Sotol Velez Center, 1O7 Suffolk St. betw. Rivington and Delancey (2 blocks east of Tonic), New York City, one set at 1O p.m. , 212-26O-4O8O, http://csvcenter.com/2005, www.visionfestival.org, info@visionfestival.org.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Joseph Jarman Article Among 2004 Top Ten in One Final Note

My article "Joseph Jarman: All the Voices Are There Again," published in the online journal One Final Note, was recognized as one of the journal's top ten articles of 2004. Publisher Scott Hreha says, "Of course, the earlier they were published, the more traffic they'll have gotten, but it's still an interesting look at what people are reading. They're listed in order by number of pageviews (the number of times they were actually loaded into a reader's web browser), with that number following in parentheses."

Here's the full list:

01) "Jimmy Lyons: The Box Set" by Joe Milazzo (1,016)
02) "eai: Reflections on the New New Thing" by Adam Hill (1,012)
03) "Edwin Prevost: Minute Particulars" by Walter Horn (740)
04) "The Roaring Silence: In Memory of Elvin Jones" by Matthew Sumera (649)
05) "Miles Davis, The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions" by Tom Djll (625)
06) "Joseph Jarman: All the Voices Are There Again" by Bob Sweet (618)
07) "Steve Swell: The OFN Interview" by Jay Collins (616)
08) "New York City Summer Festival Roundup" by Howard Mandel (598)
09) "Ornette Coleman: Ann Arbor MI, 19 March 2004" by David Dupont (592)
10) "Cecil Taylor Big Band: New York NY, 23 March 2004" by James Beaudreau (582)
10) "Jason Moran & The Bandwagon: Antwerp BELGIUM, 7 November 2003" by Mwanji Ezana (582)

If you're not already familiar with One Final Note, please check it out. Scott has put together a top-notch publication.

Bob

Monday, January 17, 2005

Yaya Diallo

News and information regarding Yaya Diallo can be read on http://onzourecords.proboards32.com as well as Onzou Records, http://www.onzou.com .
Yaya Diallo's 5th album "Live at Club Soda" was released by Onzou Records in 2003.
Yaya Diallo conducts "Healing Drum Tours" to Mali and currently resides in Louisville, KY where he teaches African music and dance at Bellarmine University.
All the best,
Stephen Conroy, Producer/Publisher
Yaya Diallo's African Music
Onzou Records, http://www.onzou.com

[Bob's note: Yaya Diallo was one of the many African musicians who spiced up the Creative Music Studio's World Music summer sessions, which began in 1980.]

Randy Raine-Reusch

Za Disc has released an intriguing new CD of New Music for Asian Zithers entitled BAMBOO, SILK, AND STONE featuring Canadian composer/performer Randy Raine-Reusch on Korean kayageum, Chinese zheng, Vietnamese dan bau, Japanese ichigenkin, and Japanese nigenkin, with Jon Gibson, Stuart Dempster, Jin Hi Kin, Barry Truax and William O. Smith.

Raine-Reusch approaches these instruments in a startling new way that retains the power and essence of these instruments while exploring new techniques, tunings, timbres and relationships.

This CD contains two eclectro-acoustic works, and well as solo and ensemble pieces.

To hear samples go to
http://www.asza.com/store.shtml

[Bob's note: Randy came to the Creative Music Studio from Vancouver in 1975, playing the Appalchian mountain dulcimer as his main instrument.]

Saturday, January 15, 2005

New Emily Hay CD

A recent email message from Emily Hay in L.A. says:

pfMENTUM is pleased to announce the release of a new CD by virtuoso improviser Emily Hay. Emily Hay is joined by an incredible group of performers: Lisle Ellis, Marcos Fernandes, Wayne Peet, Brad Dutz, Joe Berardi, Ronit Kirchman, Michael Whitmore, Sara Schoenbeck, Michael Intriere, Kurt Heyl, Steuart Liebig and Rich West...truly an amazing group of some of the most talented of West Coast improvisers.

In this CD, Emily shows the wide range of her improvisational vocabulary using flute, alto flute, voice and electronics; and then incorporates this vocabulary into wide ranging group settings from acoustic chamber sounds to electronic frenzies...a gem of an album!

For more information and an audio sample of

Emily Hay
Like Minds
pfMENTUM CD022

go to http://www.pfmentum.com/

Friday, January 07, 2005

Creative Music Studio Goes to College

Have you heard? Karl Berger now has a teaching post at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He's the chair of the Music Department at UMassD's College of Visual and Performing Arts. How cool is that?

Best of all, the school is giving Karl the freedom to conduct CMS-style workshops.

Read more here.

Bob

CMS Update is back.

Greetings:

CMS Update is back, although in blog form now. It should be a better format. Even though it will require you to come here to see what's new, it will allow me far more flexibility in posting info.

Please come back and visit often, and tell all your friends that this is the best place to visit to stay informed of news of the enduring Creative Music Studio community.

Bob