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Hello, all- For those of you proximate to the SF Bay Area - my project Grex is proud to be presenting "Auntie + Tebs" - an experimental work that celebrates the sound of revolutionary change. The project premieres May 31 and June 1 in Oakland, CA. The project title “Auntie + Tebs” references two epochal figures: Miriam Defensor Santiago, my Aunt and a longtime Filipino public servant, and Louis Moholo-Moholo (“Tebs”), the innovative South African drummer and Anti-Apartheid activist. Both of these individuals devoted their lives to toppling corruption and oppression in their home countries. This project, which is centered on free jazz, spoken word, and experimental aesthetics, underlines the relationship between Bay Area activism and hard-fought battles abroad. For this project, we're excited to be welcoming the great Bobby Bradford (both shows) and firebrand Zoh Amba (6/1 only) to the Bay. It's a rare opportunity to see some unique, potent figures in an unusual setting. Details: Grex: “Auntie + Tebs” feat. Bobby Bradford, Zoh Amba, Francis Wong Friday, May 31, 8pm & Saturday, June 1, 8pm at Dresher Ensemble Studio, 2201 Poplar Street, Oakland, CA 94607, United States General Admission: $15; Students and Seniors: $10 TICKETS / MORE INFO

Hello, all- I've been posting here with (admitted) scarcity as of late, but I thought that, considering the pedigree, this project might be of interest to some of the folks on here. The project in question is Apura, a brand new program meant to explore the intersection between legacies in free improvised music and social transformation in an era of worldwide political upheaval. For this project, I'm doubly excited to be working with Francis Wong (co-founder of Asian Improv aRts and associate of the late Glenn Horiuchi, Jon Jang, Fred Anderson, etc.), the O board's own (brilliant) Alexander Hawkins, and the legendary Louis Moholo-Moholo. The project is slated for two dates in the SF Bay Area in May of 2020--May 21 at the San Francisco International Arts Festival, May 22 at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley. It's our intention to document the proceedings for our out-of-town listeners. Considering the sheer complexity of this project, we're actively seeking donors to help offset some of the considerable costs. It's a tough time of the year, but absolutely anything, big or small, helps. More info/donation page is here: https://chuffed.org/project/apura-improvised-music-bay-area Perks include a download of Grex's full discography (HERE) + a copy of a forthcoming record that, I by the way, also need to introduce: a double album featuring the UK version of this project (w/Messrs. Hawkins + Moholo-Moholo + the great Trevor Watts) is slated for release in April of next year. Wherever/however you may be, happy holidays to all and hope to trade some overlong screeds with you soon, Karl Evangelista/ep1str0phy