Holland Andrews and Chris Johnedis in an Improvised Concert Film The experimental drum and vocal duo, called I’d Rather Not Talk About It, closed out the 2016 Improvisation Summit of Portland, last summer. It was the end of another long weekend in which even big fans of weird music and their acute ears were beginning …
Tag Archives: Creative Music Guild
Sixth Annual Quiet Music Festival, A Photo Journal
Only one music festival turns off the loudness button for a weekend. Stephanie Leet and I split coverage of the QMF, she attended on Friday and I went on Saturday. It was Steph’s first time and reading through her notes on the evening, it was an imaginative experience for me — she was in The Jungle Book …
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Improvisation Summit of Portland Photo Journal
New worlds of improvised form were showcased at Creative Music Guild’s fifth annual ISP. In the spirit of this festival, the following was developed in an improvisational manner. As the event progressed, I posted photos and thoughts that were gradually edited, revised, and distilled — when I was able to rouse myself back up. Two nights and one full …
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The Staying Power of Peter Brötzmann
One of Europe’s best known free jazz players mesmerizes old fans in Portland. Peter Brötzmann’s Quartet took the stage at Mississippi Studios last Thursday night in silence, setting a powerful tone of what was to come, which I will say now, was something musically fierce. With no commentary or following encore, the band set off, led …
From Island to Ocean to Ocean
Japan Noise Tour Kicks Off in North Portland The term “noise” might be derogatory in some cases, implying uninvited sound. But there is another view which contends that all sound, invited or not, is music, so it just depends on how seriously the musician takes their noise. One might suggest that the latter would be …
Roscoe Mitchell Headlines a Generation of Improvisers
Creative Music Guild brought together dozens of unique performers every day at Disjecta, for their annual dance and music improvisation conference. Mostly, it is music, but the importance of dance and spoken word in the program is now irreversible. When inclusive community groups do something big, you can feel it. ISP is an event that …
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Dancing Fingertips of Joëlle Léandre
Joëlle Léandre rips it. She leans in to the double bass with eyes sealed shut to block out all but tactile and audible information. It is self-imposed sensory deprivation because improvising is difficult—making music in that manner requires a certain kind of focus. Perhaps it compares to singing with virtuosity and dancing with choreography at once: …
Movement is the Summit of Improvisation
This year’s Improvisation Summit of Portland, produced by the Creative Music Guild, happened to fall on one of the busiest weekends of the year, marking the beginning of that marvelous summer season of arts in Portland. Opera, Symphony, and Theater schedules are gone with the end of spring, but Portland summers are fantastic with special …