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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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

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"

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

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

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?

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.