CMS Update

This Blog Has Moved

2011-01-04T09:14:00.003-05:00

Hi, All:

I'm now blogging at http://arborville.com.

These old, archived posts will stay here for the time being. Look for new posts (after January 3, 2011) at the new site.

And let me hear from ya'.

Bob

More on the CMS Archive Project

2010-12-12T11:06:00.003-05:00

Have you received volume 1 of the Creative Music Studio Archive Selections?

If so, please send Karl Berger and Ted Orr an email message (creativemusic@verizon.net) and say, "I got my volume 1."

Also, it would be a big help if you could respond to Karl's Thanksgiving message (see the post below), and let him know whether or not you can attend CMS day at Columbia University next April. Even if you can't, just drop a Karl a line and say, "Wish I could be there; I think it's a terrific idea."

The CMS Archive Project offers you a chance to capture and, if you were there, relive the sounds that made the Creative Music Studio such an extraordinary musical community. There's never been another place like it.

"The collection is unique in its artistic scope: an international treasure, featuring some of the most outstanding and ground-breaking composers/performers in World Jazz, World Music, New Music." From the liner notes to Creative Music Studio Archive Selections, volume 1.

Peace,

Bob

Letter from Karl Berger; CMS Day at Columbia

2010-11-27T10:24:00.007-05:00

UPDATE (February 20, 2011):

Hi, All. Although Karl mentions below that there were tentative plans afoot for a CMS party and festival in Woodstock on April 18, those plans have been scrapped. There will be no CMS events in Woodstock on April 18.

April 18 will be the first of a series of CMS-style workshop performances at The Stone in NYC. Stay tuned to CMS Update at http://arborville.com for more information on that series.
***********************
Dear Friends,

It is a long time since the CMS days, yet it feels just like yesterday. It's been great to reconnect with so many of you, as we strive to complete the CMS Archive Project. Over 100 tapes have been re-mastered by Ted Orr, with more than 300 to go. It is exhilarating to listen to all this music in the process. There is truly nothing like this anywhere else.

I'm writing to share some great news:

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2011 WILL BE 'CMS DAY' AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK. Throughout the day, four panels will explore the oral histories and musical implications of the Creative Music Studio. Our desire is to involve as many of you as possible (and not just those who live in New York), sharing your CMS Stories and memories, which will be recorded and used for an upcoming book as part of the CMS Archive Project.

On Sunday, April 17, 2011 I will lead a Student Ensemble from the Columbia Jazz Studies Program in a concert at Columbia University's Miller Theater, reminiscent of our orchestra sessions at CMS in Woodstock and around the world. And, depending on your response, we might conclude the weekend with a CMS Party-Festival on Monday evening, April 18, 2011 in Woodstock, where all of us can get another wonderful chance to play together again.

If we are to preserve the spirit of CMS, time is of the essence. We all are growing older, but hopefully our fond memories of CMS are not. We need your active help to keep the CMS spirit and legacy alive. Please help to:

Connect us with all former participants at CMS

Join our membership/subscription program

Pass the membership/subscription info on to your contacts and friends

Lead us to radio and press contacts in your area

Be in touch with your personal ideas and suggestions on how we can re-invigorate CMS.

Once again, we're facing enormous financial pressure and cannot rely on outside support. We've tried grants and fundraising without much success. So now it's time to turn to you; we need to make it happen ourselves. If your time at CMS gave you something unforgettable, now is the time to give thanks by giving back to CMS, helping support the Archive Project as described above. With your renewed energy, the CMS spirit and legacy will live on.

I am eager to hear from you soon.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Karl Berger
creativemusic@verizon.net
http://www.creativemusicstudio.org/

CMS Day at Columbia U

2010-11-06T11:32:00.002-04:00

This just in:

Karl Berger writes:

April 16, 2011 is CMS Day at Columbia University in New York City, with all-day panels exploring the “Oral History” of CMS and its participants. I hope that you will be able to participate and/or contribute to the life-changing stories surrounding the CMS legacy. More news on this to come.

Thanks. with music always,
Karl Berger

--
Creative Music Studio
POB 671
Woodstock, NY 12498
www.creativemusicstudio.org

Don Cherry on Albert Ayler

2010-07-20T20:48:00.003-04:00

If you're at all acquainted with what it was that made the Creative Music Studio a unique community, you'll know something about how important a figure Don Cherry was in CMS's history and development.

And if you're at all familiar with Don Cherry's stature in creative music, you're likely to find his monolgue on his first meeting with Albert Ayler fascinating, as I did.

Don Cherry on Albert Ayler, on YouTube

Different Music V; CMS Goes to Turkey

2010-06-28T20:24:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, July 3, at the Colony in Woodstock:

CMS Goes to Turkey!

The Legendary Creative Music Studio Featured at Istanbul Festival*

Sneak Preview Performances during the "The Different Music Festival" @ The Colony Café in Woodstock NY, July 3rd, features -Steve Gorn, Ingrid Sertso, Karl Berger, John Lindberg, Tani Tabbal, Ted Orr-the legendary CMS World Jazz Orchestra - CMS Funk All Stars - Blue Food/Futu Futu soloists.

Woodstock's legendary Creative Music Studio will be the center of an unusual 11-day festival in Istanbul,Turkey, at the end of July, with a sneak preview for area music lovers at the Colony Café in Woodstock, Saturday July 3rd, 7:30pm.

Turkish melodies will guide much of the improvisatory explorations that CMS is known for: exciting ensembles from Trios, Quintets to the legendary 18 piece CMS World Jazz Orchestra led by Karl Berger, take part in this festive evening, where every player is a soloist, including special guest Steve Gorn, bansuri flute, performing with Ingrid Sertso, vocals, CMS founder Berger, piano/vibes, John Lindberg, bass, Tani Tabbal, drums. The evening also includes the CMS Funk All Stars, led by Ted Orr and featuring the “Duchess of Funk” Alana Orchid and members of Blue Food and Futu Futu, plus CMS Orchestra Soloists.

Proceeds for the Colony Cafe event will benefit the CMS Archive Project. Tickets are $ 25, students/seniors $ 20, CMS members/subscribers free.

For more information on CMS, the Woodstock concert event and the Turkish fetsival, contact Stanton Warren at 845 679 8847.

Why Turkey? CMS, known internationally as the birthplace of the contemporary world music movement, has always considered Turkey the Ground Zero of World Music, with influences converging from Asia, Africa and Europe. Several Turkish musicians were regulars at the CMS Woodstock campus in the 70s and 80s, notably composer/saxophonist Ismet Siral. The Istanbul event is dedicated to Ismet Siral and CMS. Therefore the title ISCMS Festival .

The Turkish festival features 11 days of workshops and concerts. Some of what will be performed on July 3 at the Colony Café will be performed 4 weeks later in Istanbul by a host of international and Turkish performers and an international student body.

The Creative Music Studio, founded in 1971 by Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman, was the pre-eminent institution for world music and avant-garde jazz. Credited as the birthplace of World Jazz, the Creative Music Studio featured some of the world's most renowned improvising musician/composers. The CMS community now exists as a remarkable network of creative musicians all over the world.

The Creative Music Studio Archive Project started two years ago: CMS collaborates with Columbia University's Center for Jazz Studies in preserving its tape collection and providing first-person accounts of this exiting period of the development of free and world jazz. Among the extraordinary artists included on these recordings: Don Cherry, Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, Sam Rivers, Ed Blackwell, Foday Suso, Abdullah Ibrahim, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Giuffre, Frederic Rzewski, Steve Lacy, Carla Bley, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Paulo Moura, Nana Vasconcelos, Pauline Oliveros, Karl Berger, Trilok Gurtu, Steve Gorn, Ismet Siral, Fred Frith, Oliver Lake, Lee Konitz, Leroy Jenkins, George Lewis, Olu Dara and many other stellar talents (for more info, visit http://www.creativemusicstudio.org/. and http://www.myspace.com/cmsarchive . CMS has had a major impact on improvising musicians across several generations" ... The Jazz Times.

Karl Berger at the Stone

2010-06-28T20:16:00.002-04:00

We missed this one, folks. . . or were you there?

Karl played at The Stone in NYC on June 27.

It was "a CD release concert, with world-premiere performances of compositions/improvisations from Karl's Tzadik Release 'Strangely Familiar', introspective 'Miniatures for Piano Solo' (Tzadik Records)." http://www.thestonenyc.com/calendar.php?month=0

Vision Festival XV 2010

2010-06-26T13:25:00.004-04:00

It seems that the bigger Vision Festival gets, the fewer CMS alums I see in the lineup! The festival is huge this year. It includes once-upon-a-time CMS folks Hamid Drake, Joseph Jarman (natch), Marilyn Crispell, Wadada Leo Smith--that's all that I could recognize from the schedule.

Good to see former Detroiters Gerald Cleaver and Salim Washington in the schedule.

Were You at CMS?

2010-05-16T20:23:00.002-04:00

Karl Berger and the folks at the Creative Music Studio would like to get your postal address.

Karl says:

To all CMS Participants of the 70s and 80s:

Please send us your postal mailing addresses by return mail, if you have not done so already.
We want to send you the first CMS Archive Selection CD.

With music,
Karl Berger

Send your postal (snail mail) address to creativemusicstudio@gmail.com .

John Lindberg at The Stone in NYC, May 13

2010-05-11T20:53:00.002-04:00

I wish I could be there. I met John at the Creative Music Studio when he was just 17. What a force in creative music he has become. Gotta love that brash continuance

Check him out if you're in the neighborhood.

John Lindberg At The Stone

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Stone, New York City
2nd Street at Avenue B

8 pm
John Lindberg Solo Bass Performance

10 pm
John Lindberg’s TriPolar
w/ Don Davis & Kevin Norton

http://www.johnlindberg.com/

In brash continuance of over thirty years of presenting solo bass performances, Lindberg will be playing a set of works, both old and new, energy-filled and spirit-driven, as always.

Solo bass discography:

Comin’ and Goin’ – Leo Records (1979)
Luminosity: Homage to David Izenzon – Music & Arts (1996)

TriPolar is Lindberg’s exhilarating current “working band” and features new works by the leader as well as extraordinary contributions by the composer/performers Don Davis (reeds) and Kevin Norton (percussion).

Their recently completed album is:

(a)live at Roulette NYC – jazzwerkstatt Records (2010), scheduled for a fall release.
Lindberg has released over fifty albums as leader/co-leader.

Video link to excerpt from recent live performance:
http://www.youtube.com/user/lindymgmt#p/a/u/1/TzaR1RJUK4Q

The Stone
2nd Street at Avenue B
http://www.thestonenyc.com/

Tom Djll on Anthony Braxton

2010-05-06T20:59:00.002-04:00

Check out Tom Djll's excellent post on his encounters with Anthony Braxton and other characters (including moi truly) at CMS. It's worth the trip.

Maybe if we stay tuned, we'll find out what happened to parts two and three.

Ornette Coleman Receives Honorary Doctorate (Obama, too)

2010-05-05T20:24:00.003-04:00

Ornette Coleman and Barack Obama both received honorary doctorates during the 2010 University of Michigan commencement ceremony on May 1--Ornette's in music, the president's in law.

It's a good thing that those who bestow the degree didn't know that when asked why he never came up to teach at the Creative Music Studio (even though he was a cofounder), Ornette's response was, "Well, you know, then people would think I know something!" (from Music Universe, Music Mind, page 26)

“Different Music Festival”--Gala!

2010-03-18T20:50:00.003-04:00

Gala Music and Dance night to benefit the CMS Archive Project, and Celebrate the Launch of the First Series of Archive CDs

(WOODSTOCK NY) March 10. On Saturday, March 20, the legendary CMS Orchestra will be the center of the first “Different Music Festival” in 2010 at the Colony Café in Woodstock NY., followed by a funk-intensive dance party with the amazing BLUE FOOD Band.

The proceedings will start at 7 PM with small group improvisations and compositions, featuring saxophonist/flutists Peter Buettner and Don Davis, trumpeter Bob Selcoe, vibist Karl Berger, vocalist Ingrid Sertso and surprise guests.

The CMS Orchestra conducted by Karl Berger, always good for exciting and deeply emotional statements, will follow at 8:30 PM. The CMS Orchestra is a glamorous group of jazz soloists, contributing to a unique and enlightening listening experience.

Around 10 PM the dance floor is open to the music of Blue Food, a Woodstock funk institution which began in the late eighties as a funk outgrowth of the worldbeat group Futu Futu and whose main songbook comes from the legendary James Brown saxophonist and band director, Pee Wee Ellis. Blue Food features Paul Henderson, trumpet, Otto Kenrtrol, bari sax/flute, Peter Buettner, tenor/alto sax, Jack Ryon, tenor sax, Ted Orr, guitar, Mike Colletti, bass, and Tony Parker, drums. They will appear with an extended ensemble, utilizing players from the CMS orchestra. 98% funk, 2% jazz.

Suggested contribution of admission is $20, with $15 for seniors and students. All proceeds go to support the CMS Archive Project ( see CreativeMusicStudio.org ).

CMS members/subscribers (see the "Archive Subscription" post below) enjoy free admission.

More News on CMS Archive Subscriptions

2010-02-24T08:28:00.004-05:00

This is an update to the February 12 post below, "CMS Archive Recordings: You Can Subscribe!"

There is now a discount available to those who were CMS participants during the years 1972-1984.

Read on:

Great News: Subscriptions to the CMS Archive Selections Available Now

Listen to great music and help support the Creative Music Studio Archive Project.

As many of you know, the Creative Music Studio is digitally remastering its archive of hundreds of hours of never-heard-before music, featuring important artists from Anthony Braxton, Nana Vasconcelos, Jimmy Giuffre, and George Lewis to Frederic Rzewski, Ed Blackwell and many others ( see www.creativemusicstudio.org )

The project is being funded primarily by CMS fans, friends, musicians and colleagues all over the world. By becoming a subscribing CMS member, you can directly support the CMS Archive Project. That's good. What's even better is that you'll get an advance copy of each recording before it's released to the public. ( Vol.1 is scheduled to be released on April 1 by Planet Arts Records.)

"CMS Archive Selections" will issue two recordings per year for a total of 12.
The first volume, with music by David Izenzon, solo and in trio with Ingrid Sertso and Karl Berger, Oliver Lake and the CMS Orchestra, and Foday Suso with the Mandingo Griot Society, featuring Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph is ready now. Subsequent releases will feature rare CMS performances by Anthony Braxton, Jimmy Giuffre, Nana Vasconcelos, Frederic Rzewski, Karl Berger, and many others.

For the basic membership/subscription of $60 per year, you'll receive 2 volumes of the CMS Archive Selection CDs annually, as well as regular updates on the Archive Project, and notices/discounts on CMS events and workshops, including Oral History events and music online.

For the premium membership/subscription of $95 per year you'll receive, in addition, full access, by password, to the Online Archive, including webstreams of unreleased tracks and videos, new "oral history" events, blogs and new concert recordings, and your name will be listed in the booklets of upcoming CMS Archive Selection CDs as a sustaining member.

CMS Participants of the archived times (1972-1984) will get the membership / subscription reduced further to $50 for the basic and $80 for the premium membership/subscription. Archive engineer Ted Orr will be loading up new streaming music each month for premium members to enjoy, as well as some free bonus downloads.

Musicians may also become Active Members by participating in concerts benefiting the CMS Archive Project. Participants in CMS Archive concerts also earn reductions in studio fees for recording, editing, mixing, mastering projects of their own at Woodtsock's Sertso Studio ( Ted Orr, chief engineer).

Your membership is the only way we can digitize and distribute music from the Archive, music that's historically important and great to listen to. Your patronage will ensure that the music of CMS will remain vibrant and available to fans and students around the world. And time is of the essence here: it is now or never to
preserve the rich oral histories of the Creative Music Studio.

All additional contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law: the Creative Music Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Please help keep the music of CMS alive by becoming a member today. If you subscribe before March 31, you will receive a limited edition advance copy signed by Karl Berger, and your name will be listed in upcoming CD liner notes as one of the special members that helped in the initiation of the CMS Archive Selection Series.

Please make checks payable to CMS (or Creative Music Studio) and send to CMS, POB 671, Woodstock N.Y. 12498. Your membership includes shipping/handling costs. Or simply make your pledge by email to creativemusic@verizon.net, stating your postal mailing address.

Omar Faruk Tekbilek on Link TV

2010-02-20T15:57:00.006-05:00

I came across this great Link TV interview of Omar Faruk Tekbilek.

Omar Faruk and his brother Haci, along with Ismet Siral and Murat Verdi, were part of the CMS Turkish connection that thrilled so many CMS participants in the early eighties.

In Music Universe, Music Mind, Adam Rudolph refers to the Sufi/Mandingo melding of musics that he and Hamid Drake enjoyed with the Turkish musicians as "magic moments."

Our friend Dost Kip from Istanbul has been working to put together a film about the CMS Turkish connection and has also managed to put together at least one CMS-style workshop in Istanbul.

I haven't heard from Dost in quite a while, so I'm not sure how things are going over there. If you're in Istranbul, be sure to look him up and tell him I said hey.

CMS Archive Recordings: You Can Subscribe!

2010-02-12T08:32:00.002-05:00

Listen to great music and help support the Creative Music Studio Archive Project

As many of you know, the Creative Music Studio is digitally remastering its archive of hundreds of hours of never-heard-before music, featuring important artists from Anthony Braxton, Nana Vasconcelos, Jimmy Giuffre, and George Lewis to Frederic Rzewski, Ed Blackwell and many others ( see www.creativemusicstudio.org )

The project is being funded primarily by CMS fans, friends, musicians and colleagues all over the world. By becoming a subscribing CMS member, you can directly support the CMS Archive Project. That's good. What's even better is that you'll get an advanced copy of each recording before it's released to the public ( Vol.1 April 1, Planet Arts Records ).

"CMS Archive Selections" will issue two recordings per year for a total of 12. The first volume, with music by David Izenzon, solo and in trio with Ingrid Sertso and Karl Berger, Oliver Lake and the CMS Orchestra, and Foday Suso with the Mandingo Griot Society, featuring Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph is ready now. Subsequent releases will feature rare CMS performances by Anthony Braxton, Jimmy Giuffre, Nana Vasconcelos, Frederic Rzewski, Karl Berger, and many others.

For the basic membership/subscription of $60 per year, you'll receive 2 volumes of the CMS Archive Selection CDs annually, as well as regular updates on the Archive Project, and notices/discounts on CMS events and workshops, including Oral History events and music online.

For the premium membership/subscription of $95 per year you'll receive, in addition, full access, by password, to the Online Archive, including webstreams of unreleased tracks and videos, new "oral history" events, blogs and new concert recordings, and your name will be listed in the booklets of upcoming CMS Archive Selection CDs as a sustaining member.

Your membership is the only way we can digitize and distribute music from the Archive, music that's historically important and great to listen to. Your patronage will ensure that the music of CMS will remain vibrant and available to fans and students around the world. And time is of the essence here.

All additional contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law: the Creative Music Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Please help keep the music of CMS alive by becoming a member today. If you subscribe before March 31, you will receive a limited edition advance copy signed by Karl Berger, and your name will be listed in upcoming CD liner notes as one of the special members that helped in the initiation of the CMS Archive Selection Series.

Please make checks payable to CMS (or Creative Music Studio) and send to CMS, POB 671, Woodstock N.Y. 12498. Your membership includes shipping/handling costs. Or simply make your pledge by email to creativemusic@verizon.net, stating your postal mailing address.

Lisle Ellis, Bass and Circuitry

2010-02-09T20:40:00.004-05:00

Lisle Ellis is active as an acoustic and electronic musician, visual artist, and a lecturer in creative process and jazz history. As a bassist/composer/improvisor he has performed and recorded with many of the world's foremost muscians in the field of jazz, improvised, creative and new and experimental musics. Currently living in New York City, Ellis leads his own ensemble whose music often reflects his interest in electronic music and its applications in improvisational contexts as well as his ongoing relationship with the acoustic bass.
From http://www.lisleellis.com

Lisle Ellis was living in the San Francisco area when I interviewed him for the book Music Universe, Music Mind. But it turns out that for a lot of musicians who head out West (or start out West--Lisle's roots are in Vancouver), the magnetism of New York is just too strong to resist.

I found out that Lisle had moved to New York by coming across a little article about him in the magazine Electronic Musician (Murphy, Bill Pro/File: Lisle Ellis - Bass and Circuitry
Electronic Musician 25:6 (June 2009) p. 22.).

From the article:

New York City has always been a hotbed of experimentation, especially when it comes to avant-garde jazz. For bassist Lisle Ellis, who has worked with certified heavyweights (Cecil Taylor, Paul Bley) and contemporary rebels (John Zorn, Peter Brotzmann), the legacy of the city's arts and music scenes has been a near-constant source of inspiration going back to the late '70s, when he lived in the city and studied at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock.

I consider Lisle's account of his Cecil Taylor experience at CMS to be one of the high points of Music Universe, Music Mind.

Usula Oppens Wins Grammy

2010-02-06T12:05:00.003-05:00

Pianist Ursula Oppens, who was a strong figure in CMS's "classical avant garde" contingent, won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra) for her album Oppens Plays Carter.

She has received two Grammy nominations prior to winning in 2010.

Ursula and Frederic Rzewski were collaborators at CMS, and she continues to perform Rzewski's music.

Congratulations, Ursula Oppens

Cyro Baptista Workshop in NYC

2010-01-14T21:08:00.003-05:00

Very Special Workshop at THE STONE in NYC

The Stone (corner of avenue C and 2nd st. NYC) Monday January 18, 2010, 7PM to 9PM.

No advanced tickets! Get there early to reserve a spot!!

Not just for percussionists but open to all musicians, Cyro will work with the participants using their hands, feet and voice, clapping, stomping and singing with the objective of acquiring polyrhythmic awareness. Starting with basic rhythms and getting into more complex patterns, the students will develop their perception and musical intuition both individually and as an ensemble.

This is part of The Stone's special series dedicated to contemporary music practice. In the interest of updating and supplementing contemporary music education, The Stone initiates a special series of workshops, lectures, seminars and Q&As on a variety of fascinating subjects by some of the world's most unique, cutting edge musical thinkers. Made available to musicians, students, critical thinkers and the general public at affordable prices, all curricula will be decided by the musicians themselves and presented at the Stone at 7pm every Monday night.

For More Information about this Special Workshop, Click Here!

Check out Cyro on the web:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cyro+baptista
http://www.myspace.com/cyrobaptista
http://www.facebook.com/people/Cyro-Baptista/670532192

CMS Minifestival at Symphony Space

2009-10-29T08:58:00.003-04:00

An Extraordinary Universe of Unexpected Sounds as Free Jazz Meets World Music

On Thursday, October 29, 2009, at the Thalia Theatre ( Symphony Space ) in New York, the Creative Music Studio offers a mini festival of musical conversations, featuring Kenny Wessel, guitar, Steve Gorn, bansuri flutes, Graham Haynes, cornet, Sylvain Leroux, flutes, Adam Rudolph percussion, Jorge Sylvester, alto sax, Badal Roy, tablas, flutes, Michael Bisio, bass, Ingrid Sertso, vocals, Karl Berger, piano, vibes and surprise guest.

The concert will benefit the ongoing Archive Project of the legendary Creative Music Studio (see www.creativemusicstudio.org). "Oral Histories", stories from the CMS days, alternate with musical conversations in the free-wheeling spirit of CMS.

Mingle with fellow music lovers, enjoy light food and drinks, and join in conversation with the artists at 6:30pm as Symphony Space's artistic director and composer Laura Kaminsky moderates Underscore: Cocktails and Conversation.

The concert starts at 7:30 PM, with a second set starting at 9 PM. Advance tickets are $ 25, day of show 30.

For reservations go to www.SymphonySpace.org or call 212 864 5400. The Thalia Theatre is located on 95th and Broadway in New York.

CMS collaborates with Columbia University's Center for Jazz Studies in preserving its tape collection and providing first-person accounts of this exiting period of the development of free and world jazz.

The Creative Music Studio, founded in 1971 by Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman, was the pre-eminent institution for world music and avant-garde jazz.

Credited as the birthplace of Worldjazz, the Creative Music Studio featured some of the world's most renowned improvising musician/composers.

The CMS community now exists as a remarkable network of creative musicians all over the world.

The Creative Music Studio is a program of the Creative Music Foundation, Inc.,a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization. Your contributions are tax-deductible.

Please consider making the Creative Music Foundation one of your charities of choice. Thank you !

"It may still be one of the more obscure corners of the jazz universe,but CMS has had a major impact on improvising musicians across several generations." Jazz Times

What's Goin' On In Woodstock?

2009-10-21T20:17:00.004-04:00

The legendary Workshop with Karl Berger and Ingrid Sertso
is coming back to Woodstock.

Hey, that's good news!

Here's the blurb from Karl's Facebook page:

No instruments needed.

Although seasoned music lovers and musicians will gain new perspectives from this work, no prior musical knowledge is needed in order to participate.

We begin by vitalizing the breath with sound and movement and vocalize through easy rhythmic-melodic improvisations.

We proceed to focus on timing and spontaneous attention, playfully using voice and movement with a practice of the legendary GaMaLaTaTaKi® technique.

We consciously explore and develop our sense of time and space through playing and listening.

We learn to be in touch with our natural Music Mind.

We travel to places that we didn’t even know existed. Your experiences of listening to and playing music will never be the same again.

Wednesdays at 6 PM in Woodstock ( please inquire at 845 679 8847 ).

Sequence of 4 weekly sessions, $ 80. Sliding scale. Work study scholarships available.
First sequence starting October 28.

For more information + sign-up please call CMS Studio at 845.679.8847
or Lou Pollack at 845.679.8508. E mail: creativemusic@verizon.net
www.creativemusicstudio.org, www.karlberger.com
www.myspace.com/ingridsertso

UPCOMING:

Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Friends will perform in concert
Saturday, November 7 at the Kleinert Gallery, Woodstock

"Different Music" Festival

2009-08-10T20:14:00.003-04:00

This was, what, the third Different Music Festival?

Well, it happened on the weekend, Saturday, August 8.

Here'a Facebook page on it: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=100835608212&ref=nf

In case you don't feel like clicking on over to Facebook, here's the lowdown:

“Different Music” Festival & World Beat Dance Party to Benefit the Creative Music Studio’s Archive Project

Saturday August 8, 7 PM to Midnight
The Colony Café, 22 Rock City Rd., Woodstock N.Y.

(Woodstock NY) July 22, 2009: This summer we celebrate music history generated from Woodstock. Another major Woodstock force in the history of music is the Creative Music Studio.

The Creative Music Studio announces a one-night only “DIFFERENT MUSIC” FESTIVAL, featuring some of the finest jazz and world-beat musicians playing together in small groups and orchestra, Saturday, August 8, 7p-Midnight at the Colony Café, Woodstock NY.

The evening concludes with a World Beat Dance Party to the music of Futu Futu, the popular jam band-fun-roots music ensemble that originated at CMS, the pioneering avant-garde jazz and world music school and performance center based in Woodstock from 1971 until the late ‘80’s.

The “DIFFERENT MUSIC” Festival is part of a series of events to benefit the CMS Archive Project to digitize the extraordinary collection of concert tapes featuring the giants of jazz and world music recorded in the heyday of CMS.

Festival ticket price: $20, $15 for students

Different Music Festival schedule:

7pm- Small Group Conversations -Gems of improvised chamber music:

A set of solo/duo/trio delicacies featuring Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso, Steve Bernstein, John Lindberg, Don Davis, Bob Selcoe, and special guests.

8:30pm- The legendary CMS Orchestra

An improvising music extravaganza, featuring all of the above players plus special guests Janet Grice, bassoon, Jane Scarpantoni cello, Jayna Nelson, flutes, Bob Selcoe, Joe McPhee, Paul Henderson, Nathan Brenowitz, trumpets, Joe Giardullo, sopranosax, Don Davis, Jorge Sylvester, altosax, Peter Buettner, flute and tenor sax, Tom Collins, Bill Ylitalo, baritone sax, Ted Orr, guitar, John Lindberg, bass, Tani Tabbal, drums, Chuck Ver Straeten, vocals, Ingrid Sertso, poetry, vocals, Karl Berger, conducting.

10pm-12am - World Beat Dance Party with Futu Futu!!!

Featuring Joakim Lartey, Percussion, Vocal; Chris Lané, Guitar,Fx, Vocal; Ted Orr, MIDI Guitar; Peter Buettner, Saxophone; guests- Alana Orr, Bass; Tani Tabbal, Drums, and other special guests from the CMS Orchestra. This African Funk mix makes you dance, on your feet and in your head.

- The Creative Music Studio Archive Project is preserving the large collection of live performances -more than 350 audio and video tapes - recorded from 1972 to 1986 at CMS facilities in Woodstock NY, as well as other concerts sites in the USA. CMS has joined forces with Columbia University’s Center for Jazz Studies to complete the project, which will be housed at Columbia as part of the CJS Jazz Studies Online program.

Under the guidance of CMS-Director Karl Berger, master engineer and composer Ted Orr leads the effort to transfer and re-master the tapes. The new masters are being stored and backed up in 3 digital formats (Hard Drive, CDs, DVDs ).

Among the extraordinary artists featured on these recordings:

Don Cherry, Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, Sam Rivers, Ed Blackwell, Foday Suso, Abdullah Ibrahim, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Giuffre, Frederic Rzewski, Steve Lacy, Carla Bley, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Paulo Moura, Nana Vasconcelos, Pauline Oliveros, Karl Berger, Baikida Carroll, Trilok Gurtu, Steve Gorn, Ismet Siral, Fred Frith, Oliver Lake, Lee Konitz, Leroy Jenkins, George Lewis, Olu Dara and many other stellar talents (for a complete list, visit www.CreativeMusicStudio.org ).

Founded in 1971 by Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman, The Creative Music Studio was the pre-eminent institution for world music and avant-garde jazz. Credited as the birthplace of Worldjazz, CMS was a hotbed of creativity and improvisation featuring some of the world's most renowned improvising musician/composers.

The CMS community now exists as a remarkable network of creative musicians all over the world.

For more information on CMS and the Archive Project – visit www.CreativeMusicStudio.org, and www.myspace.com/cmsarchive.

For information on Futu Futu - www.myspace.com/futufutu.

Different Music Festival, contact Stanton Warren creativemusicstudio@gmail.com 845-679-5616

Vision Festival XIV June 9 - 15, 2009

2009-05-28T20:33:00.005-04:00

Vision Fest, y'all!

http://www.visionfestival.org/

This year there seems to be far fewer folks from the CMS family performing at Vision Fest. Not that you should base your decision to go on that fact--I just think it's interesting to note who's there who had some involvement with the CMS community.

From the Chicago contingent: Hamid Drake, Douglas R. Ewart, Shaku Joseph Jarman, and J.D. Parran.

From the way-out-west coast: Lisle Ellis.

Bob Moses will represent New England.

I should point out Henry Grimes, too. Henry wasn't really a CMS guy, but he did have an association with Karl Berger during Karl's early days in New York, while Karl was doing what he did to lay the groundwork for CMS.

I've never been to Vision Fest, have you? If you go, drop me a line and let me know how it was.

Tedd Orr Update

2009-05-27T20:04:00.002-04:00

I heard from Karl Berger today, who said that Ted Orr's benefit was a big success (see post below). He made the money that he needed for eye surgery, has already had the surgery, and is seeing so well now that he can even drive.

Hot dog!

Congratulations, Ted.

Ted Orr; Benefit Concerts, April 24 and May 24

2009-04-17T20:14:00.005-04:00

Ted Orr is a helluva guitarist.

He's also a CMS alumnus and a recording engineer who collaborates with Karl Berger and Ingrid Sertso in running the Sertso Studio in Woodstock. Sertso Studio houses the Creative Music Studio Archive and is the home of ACR (Artists-Create-Recordings), an umbrella label for productions by members of the Creative Music Foundation, Inc.

I'll let Ted tell you in his own words about his upcoming benefit concerts:

"I am a musician and audio engineer. I was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago, after having it for over 20 years. As a result of having it untreated for so long , I developed retinopathy and neuropathy. I have teetered on the edge of legal blindness for 4 years, and after my next surgery my doctor tells me I will be able to read and drive again. I am having 2 benefits to raise the money for the surgey. On Friday, April 24 at Beardville theater, we will have Jack DeJohnette and David Sancious , John Sebastian, Mambo Kikiongo,Voodelic, Chimi Choden, Gilles Malkine, Ras T Asheber, Stoney Clove Lane, Duchess Of Funk, and DJ Dave Leonard ! Also there will be a silent auction and medical technicians on hand to test blood sugar. On Sunday, May 24th, Keegan Ale House in Kingston, NY will present '3' and 'Futu Futu.' Hope to 'see' you!!!"

If you're in the neigborhood, stop on in. Help Ted out. Gonna be some great music.

"Pure Inspiration" Courtesy of Lee Konitz

2009-03-21T18:18:00.002-04:00

I came across this interview with Lee Konitz, who made such a big contribution at the Creative Music Studio.

Lee Konitz: Back to Basics

In it, Lee describes a ten-step approach to improvising on a melody that seems so practical and sensible. The bonus is the tenth step, which he describes as "an act of pure inspiration."

Sometimes the simplest approaches are the best.

Cyro Baptista

2009-02-28T10:15:00.006-05:00

I don't know why, but something in Joe Germuska's "Conference of the Birds" feature on CMS sparked a memory of Cyro Baptista. Cyro is a Brazilian percussionist who first came to the USA to study at the Creative Music Studio.

Since then, he's played with "David Byrne, Kathleen Battle, Gato Barbieri, Dr. John, Brian Eno, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Robert Palmer, Melissa Etheridge, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Michael Tilson Thomas, Daniel Barenboin, Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo-Ma, Medeski Martin & Wood, Spyro Gyra, Trey Anastasio from Phish, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Santana and Sting. He has also played with many respected Brazilian artists such as Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Ivan Lins, Marisa Monte, and Nana Vasconcelos" (from http://www.cyrobaptista.com/page.cfm?content=bio ).

I absolutely love Cyro's own account of his arrival at CMS, which he submitted to me for the email-newsletter version of the CMS Update, back in 2001. In his own words:

"In July 1980 I came to America arriving at JFK with a Berimbau and a cracked conga. I waited in front of the airport for a van service that picked me up and after two hours of driving on the highway, it delivered me at a Howard Johnsons. At that time it looked to me like an incredible piece of Swiss architecture. Karl and Ingrid Berger came to get me in an Oldsmobile and we stopped to get a six-pack of Michelob.

"Everything was so incredible. I was so nervous and I didn't have any clue of what would happen in this new situation. Also, I had no idea how CMS would be.

"Well, we arrived, and the place was really beautiful. It looked exactly like the Hollywood idea I had of Woodstock. They showed me my room in a little chalet, where I would stay with other students. In no time people started to arrive. I remember a guy with very nice long hair who came to me and said, 'Hey man you are the Brazilian percussionist. Yeah man, you guys are the
best.'

"I, with my Tarzan English, could barely understand what he was saying, and I just said, 'Yes.' Then he continued, 'Man you are going to play at my presentation tonight.'

"I told him that I didn't even speak English, and that I had just arrived. He replied, 'No man, I'll see you later, it is going to be very easy.'

"I went with my cracked conga to this big room. Students and teachers sat waiting for the presentation. The tune was 'Night in Tunisia,' a song I had never heard of in my life, and what was even worse, he arranged it in 9, which I didn't even know existed (In Brazil we mainly play in 2 or 4, sometimes 3).

"We started to play. The drummer was playing swing. I told myself, 'This is going to be a piece of cake, just do pa pumpum pa pumpum.' But then, suddenly, something different happened in the tune. I thought maybe it was an American thing . But it happened again and again. I knew I was playing right and they must be totally wrong. But the incredible thing was that they were doing the same mistake together at the same time. Then I started to get really paranoid, I kept thinking, 'Why is this happening to me? On my first day at school, in my first day in America, and in front of everybody.' I remember thinking, while I was playing, that maybe during the trip, when I crossed the Equator the magnetic fields took my rhythm away. I was totally destroyed and wanted to cry.

"Finally the torture ended. I went to a corner trying to recompose myself when this guy came to talk to me. He was one of the teachers. His name was Ismet Siral, an incredible musician from Turkey .

'You was lost there, eh?'
'Yes.'
'The tune was in 9.'
'Nine what?'
'1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, 1 2....' He showed me, counting on his fingers.
'Why somebody would do something like that? To make other people's life miserable?'
'In my country they do that, and they even play that on the radio. They also
play in 11, 13, etc.'

"The late Ismet. What a guy he was. He told me, 'When you don't know what they are playing, just play what you know and wait with patience, because eventually you will play the 1 together.'

"I always tell this story to the students. It is easier to tell than to write, especially with my third-world English.

"I came to do the summer course at CMS. I stayed over there for a month, then, on my way back, I decided to stop in New York City for a week, and I ended up staying here for over twenty years.

"Eventually I came back to Woodstock to record and play some concerts with Karl and Ingrid. Sometimes I go to Woodstock to record at Bearsville Studios and I feel a lot of nostalgia.

"During the month that I lived up there I learned so much, not just about the art of making music, but also the art of living."

If you ever have a chance to check out Cyro's band Beat the Donkey, I think you'll find it to be pure fun, pure energy, and pure excitement. I haven't seen them except in video. When I see them it makes me think, "man, that's what I want to do when I grow up!"

Check out this brief YouTube sample:

And here's a little more seriousness, with Yo-Yo Ma:

See Cyro's website at http://www.cyrobaptista.com.

CMS on WNUR "Conference of the Birds"

2009-02-17T14:59:00.005-05:00

Joe Germuska of radio station WNUR in Chicago will be doing a Creative Music Studio feature program on his show "Conference of the Birds."

Love that name, Joe. It was the title of a Dave Holland Quartet album from 1972, with Dave, Sam Rivers, Barry Altschul, and Anthony Braxton.

It's also the title of a book of poems by Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar.

Check out Joe's latest blog post on "Conference of the Birds" (his show, not the album) at http://blog.germuska.com/2009/02/17/wnur-conference-of-the-birds-2009-02-17/ .

Bob

CMS Curates Concert Series at Symphony Space's Thalia Theater

2009-01-06T20:57:00.003-05:00

Curates. That's an odd term. But I guess that's what they're doin'.

On January 16, 2009, the concert will be "In the Spirit of Don Cherry," an All-Star Octet under the direction of Karl Berger, performing mostly music by Don Cherry.

March 6, 2009 will be a musical conversation of alto saxophonist Oliver Lake with pianist Vijay Iver.

We missed the first one, which was the Jewish Music Project on December 12, featuring Steven Bernstein (trumpet/slide trumpet/compositions), Peter Apfelbaum (tenor saxophone, flute, piano , compositions), Mark Helias on bass, Dafnis Pietro on drums, and vibist/pianist Karl Berger.

See http://www.symphonyspace.org/genre/music for more info.

CMS in the New York Times

2008-10-23T21:04:00.003-04:00

The CMS tape-archive rescue project was written up in the New York Times on October 21. See "A Ferment of World Jazz Yields a Trove of Tapes."

The author, Ben Ratliff, points out that CMS remains "underdocumented." That's true, CMS is so underdocumented that it's in danger of being forgotten altogether without articles like Ratliffe's.

But CMS is certainly not undocumented. Read Music Universe, Music Mind: Revisiting the Creative Music Studio, Woodstock, New York.

CMS Luminaries Celebrate

2008-10-15T09:17:00.005-04:00

Click on the image to enlarge it so that you can read about this very exciting event.

Go to symphonyspace.org for more info.

More "Different Music"

2008-09-30T20:22:00.003-04:00

There will be a repeat of this spring's "Different Music" Festival to benefit the Creative Music Studio's Archive Project

Friday October 10

8 PM
Joe Giardullo / Harvey Sorgen
"seraphic hep & the magic of juju"

9:30 PM
Marc Black Band
"his songs are great and his singing is superb"
- Paul Winter

Saturday October 11

4:30 PM
Rehearsal: The CMS Orchestra ( free audit )
"Woodstock Orchestra Workshop"

7:00 PM
John Lindberg and Eric Watson
A performance for double bass and piano
supported by Grants from Chamber Music America and
Meet the Composer and co-sponsored by Planet Arts, Inc

8:30 PM
CMS Woodstock Orchestra
conducted by Karl Berger
with Ingrid Sertso, voice, Don Davis, sax + clar., Peter Buettner, sax + flute, Jayna Nelson, flute, Sylvain Leroux, flutes + sax, Joe Giardullo, sax, Bob Selcoe, Paul Henderson, trumpet, Tomas Ulrich, cello, Ted Orr, guitar, John Lindberg, Tom Schmidt, bass, Tani Tabbal, drums

10:00 PM
Futu Futu
legendary Woodstock Worldbeat Band,with Joakim Lartey, Chris Lane, Ted Orr, Peter Buettner, Dean Jones, Mike Colletti, Jamiles Lartey

Colony Café, Woodstock, NY, 22 Rock City Road
creativemusic@verizon.net www.creativemusicstudio.org
$ 20 per day, $ 35 both days, seniors and students $ 15 / 25

Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso, and Anthony Braxton

2008-07-20T17:47:00.003-04:00

Talk about your cosmic, international, coincidental convergences:

I was talking with Karl Berger a few weeks ago, and he told me that Anthony Braxton had happened upon a concert that Karl and Ingrid were doing in Italy. They talked and agreed that a recording project with the three of them would be a fine and worthy thing to do. Karl seemed enthused and pleased at the outcome of their chance encounter.

Shortly after that, while on vacation with the family and waiting for our luggage at the Geneva airport, big whacky coincidence number two (maybe bigger and whackier than the first, given the context of my conversation with Karl) comes along. I looked up and who should I see, also waiting for his luggage? Did you guess Anthony Braxton?

How weird! I hadn’t seen Anthony since 1977 or ’78 at the Creative Music Studio. I went over to chat, and he corroborated his meeting with Karl and the upcoming project.

Look for the recording (I don’t know when it will happen), and if you ever run across Anthony Braxton in an airport, make sure you go up and say hi.

"Different Music": The First Festival to Benefit the Creative Music Studio's Archive Project

2008-04-30T09:16:00.006-04:00

Presenting two days of extraordinary music with CMS alumni and friends at the Colony Café, 22 Rock City Road in Woodstock, New York, on Saturday May 3rd, 8:00 pm and Sunday May 4th at 5:00 pm.

During the '70s and '80s, the Woodstock-based Creative Music Studio was considered the premier study center for contemporary creative music. Founded in 1971 by Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman, CMS brought together leading innovators in the jazz and world music communities.

A project to preserve the CMS collection of over 400 recordings is underway. The "Different Music" festival to benefit this archive project will present two days of extraordinary music with CMS alumni and friends at the Colony Café, 22 Rock City Road in Woodstock, on Saturday May 3rd, 8:00pm and Sunday May 4th at 5:00pm.

Saturday May 3 at 8:00 pm
The CMS Orchestra "an improvising music extravaganza"

Conducted by Karl Berger and including Tani Tabbal, drums; John
Lindberg, bass; Ingrid Sertso, voice; Don Davis, sax and clarinet; Peter Buettner, sax and flute; Sylvain Leroux, flute and sax; Jayna Nelson, flutes; Tomas Ulrich, cello; Ted Orr, guitar; Joe Giardullo, soprano and sopranino sax; Rebecca Francks, trumpet; Steve Bernstein, trumpet; and
surprise guests.

Saturday May 3 at 9:30 pm
Futu Futu

This performance ushers in the return of the legendary Woodstock band with a World Beat Dance Party, with Joachim Lartey, Chris Lane, Ted Orr, Peter Buettner, Mike Coletti, Dean Jones, Jamiles Lartey.

Sunday May 4, 5:00 pm
Solo/Duo "gems of musical artistry"

Featuring Marilyn Crispell, Ingrid Sertso, Tom Schmidt, John Lindberg, Karl Berger, and surprise guests.

Sunday May 4 at 6:30 pm
Sylvain Leroux + Friends "West African echoes"

Organic music based on West African traditional forms, with Karl Berger, John Lindberg, and David Schommer.

Sunday May 4 at 8:00pm
Blob "spots and splashes of color that enlighten your brain"

Psychedelic experimental jamband with John Lindberg,Ted Orr, Harvey Sorgen.

Sunday May 4 at 9:30 pm
Ben Perowsky "leaves you feeling optimistic about the state of jazz"

Drum excellence with surprising turns.

The fundraising drive to preserve the CMS Archive will continue with performances throughout 2008/2009 including a concert on October 24 at Symphony Space in New York, with Anthony Braxton, Ingrid Sertso, Karl Berger, John Zorn, Bill Laswell, Steven Bernstein, Peter Apfelbaum and others to be announced.

The CMS Archive of audio and video tapes contains recordings from the CMS facilities in these recordings are Don Cherry, Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, Foday Suso, Abdullah Ibrahim, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Giuffre, Frederic Rzewski, Carla Bley, Dave Holland, Paulo Moura, Nana Vasconcelos, Pauline Oliveros, Karl Berger, Baikida Carroll, Trilok Gurtu, Steve Gorn, Ismet Siral, Jack DeJohnette, Fred Frith, Oliver Lake, Lee Konitz, Leroy Jenkins, George Lewis, just to name a few.

CMS is credited as the birthplace of Worldjazz - the improvisational and compositional expansion of the world's musical traditions. Now one of the main driving forces in many styles of music, this concept was pioneered very early on at CMS, guided by authentic leaders.

Contact creativemusic[at]verizon.net for more information.

Jimmy Giuffre

2008-04-26T16:06:00.002-04:00

Jimmy Giuffre has died. Giuffre was an important guiding artist at CMS because he served as a bridge between a more traditional, "mainstream" approach to jazz and some of the freer, "outside" approaches to improvisation. Too many who came to CMS were inclined toward the latter without much grounding in the former. Emily Hay credits Giuffre as the one who convinced her to stick with flute when she was interested in branching out to saxophones.

Here's an obituary from the Washington Post.

And here's an article that appeared in All About Jazz in 2003 that covers the range of Giuffre's career very nicely.

The quality of this video is not too good, but it's a nice opportunity to see Giuffre in his younger days as he was moving out of more traditional jazz structures. The absence of a drummer in his small groups became one of his hallmarks.

Marilyn Crispell at Birdland April 29th

2008-04-23T20:24:00.003-04:00

Marilyn Crispell came to CMS in 1977 and was one of a small number of folks who came with a strong foundation in formal musical education, having graduated from Boston's New England Conservatory of Music in 1968. It was at CMS where she made connections with Anthony Braxton and Cecil Taylor. You can see a video of her performing with Anthony in 1981, below. It's nice because it features another CMS alumnus who made his Braxton connection at CMS, trumpeter Hugh Ragin.

I was pleased to see this announcement for Marilyn's upcoming concert at Birdland, of all places.

MARILYN CRISPELL
A SOLO CONCERT TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF HER NEW ECM RECORDING
April 29th, 6PM
Birdland
315 W. 44th between 8th and 9th
For reservations and information call 212-5813080
http://www.birdlandjazz.com/

Steve Gorn

2008-04-21T20:27:00.003-04:00

Much of the "world music" excitement took place in the later years at CMS. And because I was there in some of the earlier years (1976, '77, '78, '79), I missed a lot of it, including Steve Gorn. Nonetheless, I did managed to meet him in 1994, and from our interview came this testimonial:

There clearly wasn't much financial reward [from teaching at CMS], but there was obviously something going on that inspired people. This brought in a number of musicians who were really exploring with ways to integrate non-Western music into a jazz context. Practically everyone that has been significant in exploring in that direction passed through CMS at some point or another (from Music Universe, Music Mind, page 137).

I found some Steve Gorn videos on YouTube, but the videos that I found on Steve's own site are much better. Please check him out. Buy his records and go to his concerts.Very beautiful, very peaceful. I like beautiful and peaceful, don't you?

Babatunde Olatunji

2008-04-14T20:36:00.003-04:00

Babatunde Olatunji was another bright and loving spirit who contributed so much to CMS. He's also one whom I am sorry that I missed. I interviewed him on the phone, though, and it was clear to me that the man was infused with something joyous that others naturally wanted to be around to soak up.

It might seem odd, in a blog that's devoted to updates on the ongoing community of CMS, that this and the previous post are both dedicated to musicians who have gone on. Well, I was just so thrilled to have come across these videos, that I for the first time realized that this blog could also be a means for helping to keep the memory alive of those of the CMS community who have left the physical realm.

This first Olatunji video is a nice tribute to the man, made at his 75th birthday party. It's a fitting portrait of how much the man was loved, but also sad in that it was a time of decline, after which he soon left us, as noted at the end of the video. Kinda cool to see Joan Baez at the party, too.

The second is an in-studio performance that I believe was made for an instructional video. Please enjoy.

Ed Blackwell

2008-04-06T20:00:00.003-04:00

I was inspired recently by a young fellow--nineteen years old--from Connecticut named Kyle, who recently picked up Music Universe, Music Mind. Kyle was interested in my Ed Blackwell tales, and was led to remark, "Ed Blackwell is just a rarity, and anything of his deserves appreciation."

Can you believe that? Another rarity is the fact that such a young guy would even know who Ed Blackwell is, let alone have an appreciation of him.

Ed Blackwell, as much as anyone else I can think of, was the perfect embodiment of the spirit of CMS. He was a very loving, gentle, and generous soul. And the music just oozed out of him.I'm sure that he could have played with anyone and been right at home with what was happening. Africa, New Orleans, New York--Ray Charles, even!!!

Here, Kyle, you'll like this:

Frederic Rzewski

2008-04-01T18:28:00.004-04:00

I've never seen Frederic Rzewski, even though he was very active as a guiding artist at CMS, especially in the early years. Our paths just never crossed. And, strangely enough, he is just one of those figures who I thought I'd never hear and never see perform.

Well, thanks to the wonders of YouTube, there are at least snippets available and opportunities to see and hear others play and talk about his music.

Here's a very nice little bit with pianist Sara Cahill talking about Rzewski and giving us some samples. (So disappointed, though, that she suggests that Rzewski wrote "Down by the Riverside.")

And here's the man, himself.

Here's probably as good a place as any to start to learn more about him.

Art Ensemble of Chicago with Cecil Taylor (1984)

2008-03-25T19:46:00.003-04:00

Wow! I can put YouTube videos of some of the leading lights of CMS (and maybe even some not-so-leading lights) into blog posts.

Well, duh. . . of course you can.

Watch this:

CMS Recordings Preserved

2007-09-14T13:16:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

LEGENDARY RECORDINGS OF
CREATIVE MUSIC STUDIO TO BE PRESERVED:
More than 400 performances by ground-breaking composer/performers of the World Jazz and New Music genre (1972-1986).

INNOVATIVE PROJECT WITH PLANET ARTS IGNITES
NEW PHASE OF KARL BERGER'S CREATIVE MUSIC FOUNDATION

(WOODSTOCK, NY) Sept. 12: The Creative Music Foundation (CMF), in collaboration with Planet Arts, has launched a new project to preserve the recorded archive of the legendary Creative Music Studio (CMS). The CMS Archive contains more than 400 audio and video tapes of live performances by some of the world's greatest musical innovators, recorded from 1972 to 1986 at the CMS facilities in Woodstock NY. as well as other concert sites in the US.

The collection of recordings is unique in its artistic scope and depth, capturing spontaneous performances by some of the most outstanding and ground-breaking composers/performers in World Jazz, World Music and New Music. CMS served as an incubator for new music for nearly 15 years, providing a musical laboratory for contemporary masters, guiding ensembles of highly motivated emerging artists and expanding the language of contemporary improvised music.

Among the artists leading ensembles on these archive recordings are Don Cherry, Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, Foday Suso, Abdullah Ibrahim, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Giuffre, Frederic Rzewski, Carla Bley, Dave Holland, Paulo Moura, Nana Vasconcelos, Pauline Oliveros, Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso, Baikida Carroll, Trilok Gurtu, Steve Gorn, Ismet Siral, Jack DeJohnette, Fred Frith, Oliver Lake, Lee Konitz, Leroy Jenkins, George Lewis, and others (a complete list is available at: www.CreativeMusicStudio.org).

The CMS/Planet Arts project is considered revolutionary in that the re-mastered recordings will be returned to the contributing artists for their unrestricted use. Selected tracks of these recordings will be made available by participating artists to be included in a special CMS series of CD/DVD compilations.

CMF is partnering with Planet Arts to create an imprint label (Planet Arts/CMS records) that will jointly promote the project and disseminate the recorded packages through the Planet Arts International network and to the CMS network of artists, contributors and members, as well as to educational institutions and dedicated radio hosts. Planet Arts Recordings is a GRAMMY Award winning,
not-for-profit, 501(c) 3 Label.

Founded in 1971 by Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman, the Creative Music Studio (CMS) brought together leading innovators in the jazz and world music communities. During the '70's and '80's, the Woodstock-based Creative Music Studio was considered the premier study center for contemporary creative music. Unprecedented in its range and diversity, CMS was an acknowledged phenomenon in the international music world, providing participants with the rare opportunity to interact personally with the musical giants of improvisation and musical thought on a daily basis.

CMS is credited as the birthplace of Worldjazz - the improvisational and compositional expansion of the world's musical traditions. Now one of the main driving forces in many styles of music, this concept was pioneered very early at CMS, guided by authentic leaders.

A popular book about the Creative Music Studio, "Music Universe, Music Mind: Revisiting the Creative Music Studio, Woodstock NY", written by Robert E. Sweet, was published in 1996 by Arborville Publishing.

For more information on the CMS/Planet Arts Archive project contact:

Thomas Bellino, Planet Arts
518 945 2669
planetarts@earthlink.net
<http://www.PlanetArts.org>

or

Karl Berger, CMS
845 679 8847
creativemusic@verizon.net
<http://www.CreativeMusicStudio.org>

Nick Didkovsky Doin's

2007-09-14T08:36:00.000-04:00

News from Nick:

Tonight (Friday Sep 14 2007), two great bands playing my tunes, at two different venues:

1) Electric Kompany, 7:30 pm at the Ethical Society of Lincoln Center (64th st. and Central Park West).
The opening concert of the 2007-8 Wordless Music series.
EK will be premiering one movement of my new 11 movement suite "Human Dog" for EK and Ethel. Ethel won't be there tonight (the double quartet will premiere all of Human Dog on late October). But this should be an exciting preview!
For tickets/info http://www.wordlessmusic.tickets.musictoday.com/WordlessMusicSeries/calendar.aspx

2) Meridian Arts Ensemble, 7:30 pm Borden Hall, Manhattan School of Music
Part of the new Graduate Comtemporary Performance Program

The following pieces to be performed without pause:
Remedial Eminent Brass Nick Didkovsky (2000)
Fanfare for All Milton Babbitt (1993)
Denser Mealtime Brains Nick Didkovsky (2000)
Mini Overture Witold Lutoslawski (1982)
Mantra I Mark Applebaum (2006)
The Black Page no. 1 (solo drums) Frank Zappa (1977)
Saóko Tania Leon (1997)
Last Inane Dismemberer Nick Didkovsky (2000)
Dimensions Dafnis Prieto (2005)
Meanie Master Blinders Nick Didkovsky (2000)

Rock on
Nick

Karl Berger and Friends: "In the Spirit of Don Cherry"

2007-09-12T17:47:00.000-04:00

IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB
1650 BROADWAY (Corner of 51st)
NEW YORK, NY 10023
RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121
http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/
Sets At 8:00 & 10:00PM

Karl Berger and Friends: "In the Spirit of Don Cherry"
Sept. 19 at The Iridium Jazz Club
Steven Bernstein, tp, Peter Apfelbaum, ts/fl, Bob Stewart, tuba, Mark Helias, bass, Tani Tabbal, dr., Ingrid Sertso, vocals, Karl Berger, piano/vibes

A Symphony for Improvisors that continues the exuberant spirit of Don Cherry. Karl Berger brings together an All Star Group of the highest caliber. The music is emotionally charged, bringing together many world-musical elements in a relaxed mix of themes and improvisations.

Pianist/vibist Karl Berger is a six time winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll as a jazz soloist and the recipient of numerous Composition Awards. A long-time associate of Don', Karl formed the Creative Music Studio with the help of Ornette Coleman, where Don developed many of his musical treasures.

Trumpeter Steven Bernstein may be the ultimate Downtown jazz personality. Certainly, he's one of the most ubiquitous. Steven worked closely with Don in Peter Apfelbaum's "Hieroglyphics Ensemble".
If you're curious to hear what a virtuoso tuba player sounds like, you won't want to miss Bob Stewart. Bob played with Don on many occasions and is always good for improvisational surprises.

Saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum has been called "a visionary, galvanic performer / composer like few others of his time." Peter was Don Cherry's music director and associate for many years, touring the world with him.

Bob Stewart’s distinctive tuba playing has been featured with such artists as Don Cherry, Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Carla Bley, David Murray, Taj Mahal, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, Arthur Blythe, and Freddie Hubbard to name a few.

Mark Helias is one of the finest acoustic bass players in contemporary jazz, a guy who can play inside as well as out and who stretches the boundaries in both directions. Mark also frequently performed with Don Cherry.

Drummer Tani Tabbal became known for his fluidity with odd and mixed meters, pushing the jazz medium along with blending world rhythms, His approach has been compared to Ed Blackwell, who was Don Cherry's favorite drummer.
Ingrid Sertso established herself as a captivating, adventurous vocalist, capable of blending jazz, African, South American and other world-beat influences into a distinctive, hypnotic sound. Ingrid was Don's favorite singer/poet. He asked her to write the lyrics to his famed song Art Deco, which is part of the repertoire of "In the Spirit of Don Cherry"

This is a show not to be missed.

Watazumido Doso Roshi

2007-08-16T18:21:00.000-04:00

Watazumido Doso Roshi(1910-1992) is perhaps the most legendary of all modern shakuhachi players and teachers. He brought his concept of music as not music to CMS in the fall of 1981.
Go see http://www.shakulute.com/R-Shaku-Watazumido.html.

Were you there? Do you recall any of the sessions from this master's sessions? If so, please send me an email message.

bsweet[at]arborville.com

Donnie Davis

2007-08-16T18:08:00.000-04:00

Saxophonist Donnie has a new CD with pianist Joe Deleault. They're also working on a project with poet F.D. Reeve. Go see at http://www.davisanddeleault.com.

Inauguration of the Ismet Siral Creative Music Studio in Istanbul

2006-10-06T09:51:00.000-04:00

Dost Kip seems to have really pulled it off. (See my February 8 posting, below.)

In July of this year, there was a major event in Istanbul at what has come to be called the Ismet Siral Creative Music Studio (see http://www.iscms.org/). It featured many Woodstock luminaries (Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso, Steve Gorn, John Lindberg, Tani Tabbal, Marilyn Crispell), old CMS friends (Trilok Gurtu, Henry Grimes, Carlos Ward), and several of Turkey's reigning improvisational masters.

Sounds like the good old days (read the book Music Universe, Music Mind).

Francesco Matinelli has a very nice account of the event at the All About Jazz site (see http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22858 ).

Adam Rudolph's Pure Rhythm

2006-09-26T16:50:00.000-04:00

I have not yet gotten my copy of Adam Rudolph's book Pure Rhythm: Rhythm Cycles and Polymetric Patterns for Instrumentalists, Percussionists, Composers and Music Educators, but I know this for sure: If you are at all interested in gaining a better understanding of the rhythmic wisdom that informs all musics of the world from all times, traditions, and cultures, you must own a copy of Pure Rhythm.

Well, how can you say that, Bob, if you haven't even held the book in your hand?

I know Adam, I know his experience and his mastery, and I know that every word of the testimonials at his book's website is true.

Go there right now and buy a copy.

Peace and Music

Larry Chernicoff on Internet Radio

2006-04-11T20:06:00.000-04:00

Here's this, just in from Larry Chernicoff:

"Friends

My weekly radio show from Great Barrington, Massachusetts ('Beauty and the Beat') is now being streamed live, online. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, you can get it live.

It's an eclectic mix of music, in which anything can follow anything -- jazz, classical, rock, oldies, folk, Italian, Indian, African, Latin, medieval - complete musical equality and lots of fun.

The show is on every Thursday from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Eastern time in the USA. If you're at your computer, tune in!

Go to http://www.berkshireradio.org/ and then click on "Listen Now".

Music,

Larry Chernicoff "

George Cartwright's new record "Ghostly Bee"

2006-03-12T15:40:00.000-05:00

George Cartwright, who birthed his group Curlew at the Creative Music Studio, has a new collection of recorded musical selections to delight you. The album is called "Ghostly Bee."

Go to amazon.com and gitchoo a copy right now. Or, type "ghostly bee" into your favorite web search engine and find any of a number of online vendors whom you might prefer to patronize.

Go pay George a visit at http://www.georgecartwright.com. He'll be glad you came.

Karl Berger Leaves UMass Dartmouth

2006-02-18T14:09:00.000-05:00

Karl Berger has ended his most recent stint in the world of formal, higher education. (See the January 7, 2005 posting in this blog.) He's back full time in the "dangerous free-lance life."

He and Ingrid recently returned from Sicily where they performed "In the Spirit of Don Cherry" with an octet consisting of Karl, Ingrid, Graham Haynes (trumpet), Carlos Ward ( alto sax ), Peter Apfelbaum ( tenor sax, flute, percussion, piano ), Bob Stewart ( tuba ), Mark Helias ( bass ), Billy Elgart ( drums ).Karl and bassist John Lindberg are teaming up, as they have on many occasions over many years, for a series of performances and educational residencies. They have a duo recording coming out on Between the Lines Records, a German label, which will be distributed internationally this spring. For information on their projects, contact maximalmusic@hv.rr.com.

Karl and Ingrid have released a duet recording, which is a pilot for a series of CMS releases entitled Artists Create Recordings (ACR). The next one will be an album by CMS alumnus Sylvain Leroux, a world-musical (African) mix.

Karl is still arranging for some selected singer songwriters, through a company called wacbiz.com. You can download tracks of independent productions there, itunes style.

"So you see we are keeping busy," Karl says.

Yes, we see. Sure beats the college life, dangerous as free-lancing may be.

Leroy Jenkins' "Coincidents" at Long Island University

2006-02-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Leroy Jenkins was one of the first of the AACM luminaries to come to CMS in the early seventies. Before my time there, unfortunately, because I've come to understand that his contribuiton was considerable, and I'm sorry I missed him.

I'm still not over the guilt that I inflicted upon myself when, upon meeting him at a Leroy Jenkins, Myra Melford, Joseph Jarman gig in a Detroit suburb a few years back, he said, "Why didn't you interview me for your book?" (Music Universe, Music Mind).

Why, indeed? It was one of my great oversights in my haste to get the book done and out there.

I'm trying to make it up to him just a little bit here by encouraging you to go see his "multi-media opera-in-progress."

"Brooklyn, New York -- 651 ARTS presents the second installation of Coincidents: a multi-media opera-in-progress composed by Leroy Jenkins and written by Mary Griffin, at Long Island University's (LIU) Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, February 10, 2006. This one-night-only performance fits another piece to Jenkins and Griffin's family history puzzle, meshing media, oratorio and opera as only they can. Tickets are $10. For more information, call 651 ARTS at 718-636-4181 x2229 or go to www.651arts.org. To purchase tickets call LIU's box office at 718.488.1624." (From All About Jazz.)

CMS in Istanbul?

2006-02-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

Well, yeah, sure. Istanbul came to CMS in Woodstock in the early eighties in the personage of Ismet Siral. Now, it's turning around as filmmaker and Ismet Siral promoter Dost Kip works to create a Turkish version of CMS in his home town.

It's a fascinating exchange. Check out Dost Kip's website at www.ismetsiral.org.

Henry Grimes, Marilyn Crispell, Tani Tabbal, Roswell Rudd

2006-01-26T08:19:00.000-05:00

I received this from Margaret Davis (www.HenryGrimes.com;www.jazznewyork.org). Wish I could be there.

"Saturday, Feb. 25 at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY: Henry Grimes workshop in Bard Hall at 4 p.m; Henry Grimes Quartet featuring Marilyn Crispell & Tani Tabbal + special guest Roswell Rudd, concert in Olin Auditorium at 8 p.m., 845-876-7666, -7425 (Bard Center), 8OO-227-3265, www.bard.edu/jazzatbard, StPierre@bard.edu, corleone62@aol.com."

Speaking of Marilyn Crispell, I'm enjoying the heck out of the Marilyn Crispell instructional video that I got for Christmas. It's called A Pianist's Guide to Free Improvisation. Go buy a copy.

It's great to have you in my living room, Marilyn.

Creativity and Consciousness at the University of Michigan

2005-10-01T15:14:00.000-04:00

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

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

2005-09-15T09:11:00.000-04:00

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.

Still Alive and Kickin'

2005-09-12T16:04:00.000-04:00

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.

"Gittin' to know" George Lewis

2005-05-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

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

Special Book Offer

2005-04-23T08:43:00.000-04:00

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

Henry Grimes and Marshall Allen: Spaceship on the Highway

2005-02-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

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.

Joseph Jarman Article Among 2004 Top Ten in One Final Note

2005-01-30T14:36:00.000-05:00

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

Yaya Diallo

2005-01-17T09:11:00.000-05:00

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

2005-01-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

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.]

New Emily Hay CD

2005-01-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

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/

Creative Music Studio Goes to College

2005-01-07T13:29:00.000-05:00

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.

2005-01-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

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