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Good morning to all, Do you guys love Grant Green as I do? Not just him, but all of the players on his records from the 1960's.....absolutely great! This is not a straight up approach to a cover because I certainly made it my own and I left out guitar completely. I just did not think my guitar added anything to the music at this point, but maybe in a later version (I may be doing some alternate versions of this). So Jean De Fleur, yeah super famous jazz composition. I have always loved it. I decided to take it on and see what I could do with it. This music includes drums, bass, piano, electric piano, and trumpet. I dig it. I really want your feedback on this music. What do you think? Leave your comments below. Thanks and have a great day. https://youtu.be/_lNRuH5Fxdw

Hello and good evening. I have been working on this new track for a few days and I have finished it finally and am putting it out here for your feedback. I am personally delighted with it, and I hope you are too! But if not, hey that's okay also! So have a listen and let me know what you think of my jazz! I am the entire quartet. Cheers https://youtu.be/iVX4ANa3F3E

Hello again everyone, I am pleased to announce that I am in full production of my first album titled "The Jazz Abstract Project". It falls in the category of "free-jazz" and the music is open to many musical suggestions and expression. I love it! After 25 years of fooling around with only a guitar in hand, I have finally realized where my spot is and I am so on it. I found my groove with this more free form of jazz music. I am also getting some help from a friend who is a sound production expert and he will be lending a hand to help with some final mixing and mastering (later). I recently acquired Birth of the Trumpet and Addictive Drums 2 and I bought the two jazz kits (absolutely fantastic!). So this here is "Dreamscape Stargaze". This link is from Sound Cloud. Hey, I really hope you get my music and also enjoy it too! I tried to make it enjoyable to the listener. Hope I succeeded in that. I began this track with the bass, and built onward from their. I think it's cool and I cannot wait to see what is next. I am doing all of this for fun and for my love for the music, not for money although it would be nice to make some dollars doing this but let's be honest.....who pays people to make jazz these days? Yeah, exactly. https://soundcloud.com/gutiarvegas/dreamscape-stargaze-mixdown

Hello, all- Sorry for the tragically long thread title - this is Karl / ep1str0phy. In summary, my avant duo Grex is hosting Lockdown 3, a livestream music festival commemorating the release of our new record. The festival itself has a crackling bill, featuring the great DC bassist Luke Stewart, Asian Improv aRts co-founder/personal hero Francis Wong, Jordan Glenn (of Fred Frith Trio fame), the great young poet Tongo Eisen-Martin, and a really eclectic mix of cutting-edge Bay Area improv, beat music, rock, and so on. Our music has a theme of protest baked into it, meant to address inequitable living conditions in Oakland and the Philippines. In light of recent events, we thought it appropriate to put the music to some practical use. All proceeds from the sale of our record, and all donations collected at this festival, will be directed to the ACLU and to support the continued work of percussionist, educator, and researcher Milford Graves (ailing, as of late). Lockdown Festival 3 / Saturday, September 5, 4-9pm PT If you're interested in tuning in, the event is entirely on Youtube, but we're collating details + streaming links here: https://www.facebook.com/events/645326159422827 And for the righteous anti-FB crowd, here's a direct link to Grex's set, which will be updated with streaming links to the other sets: https://youtu.be/eKsjAPImWcM Finally: here's the Bandcamp page for the new record. All sales here for the foreseeable future (including limited t-shirt sales) will be directed to the aforementioned causes: https://grex.bandcamp.com/album/everything-you-said-was-wrong All the best to you all. K

Greetings to you, my much beleaguered friends/colleagues/community, This a bit of self-promotion, but also (I think) a project of interest. I have an album releasing on the stellar Astral Spirits label next Friday, May 22. This record, entitled Apura! (Tagalog for "very urgent"), is a collection of improvised trios and quartets featuring the company of the O board's own Alexander Hawkins, South African legend Louis Moholo-Moholo, and UK great Trevor Watts. This project is the fulfillment of a longtime dream to convene an international, intergenerational quartet of creative voices for the goal of making music that is at once spontaneous, contemporary, and suffused with the energies of the incendiary past. To put it in so many words, this felt and feels like crisis music for today in much the same way that the music of the Blue Notes, Amalgam, etc. was crisis music for its era. You can pre-order and preview some tracks here: https://apura.bandcamp.com/ As some of you may know, it was my goal to bring a version of this project out to the US for a run of May concerts. Clearly this didn't/won't happen, though we're going to try for a series of December dates featuring myself, Alex, Asian American jazz innovator Francis Wong, and the great Andrew Cyrille. Will keep you posted, but in the meantime, I've scheduled a livestream "Album Release Concert" (accompanied by prerecorded elements from the Moholo/Tippett album No Gossip). In summary: it's going to be strange, but it's going to be cool. May 22, 7pm PT: https://youtu.be/daAtrW-nAF8

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

Hey, all- Not so much jazz as "jazz adjacent", but I'm deeply excited about this and wish to share--after several years of blood, sweat, and the other things, my project Grex has released its brand new album, entitled Electric Ghost Parade. I've never worked on anything as hard as I've worked on this record, so if you have the time and ears, this is the one. It's an unpredictable but incendiary and exhilarating paean to the epic psychedelic albums of the 1960's, traversing the cutting edge of modern indie rock, noise, and free jazz. It summarizes lessons I've learned from the likes of (former teachers) Fred Frith and Roscoe Mitchell, and it captures, I think, a lot of the character of the Bay Area avant rock scene as it's existed in the past decade. You can purchase the album, and listen to a few choice tracks, here: https://grex.bandcamp.com/album/electric-ghost-parade Some early reviews: “Grex strikes an interesting balance between the exploratory tendencies of psychedelic rock and free jazz with a more modern indie-pop sensibility.” - The Los Angeles Beat (Ted Kane) “a wide-ranging and excitingly unpredictable sound” - The Bay Bridged (Ben Van Houten) “I haven’t heard such varying psych sounds in more recent times since The Fiery Furnaces went their separate ways some nine years ago. An excellent release.” - Echoes and Dust (Ljubinko Zivkovic) “Coming from a free-jazz, improvisational background, creating spontaneous art was Evangelista's general methodology with Grex…The resulting songs are dynamic and at times quirky and jubilant, like something Bay Area avant-pop band Deerhoof might play.” - East Bay Express (Aaron Carnes) “these Bay Area brainiacs trip out on a chilled-out yet complex attack of math-rock heroics, free-improvisational freak-outs, and psych-rock weirdness as they channel Henry Kaiser and Hendrix.” - The Brooklyn Rail (Brad Cohan) “It’s a sardonically noisy psychedelic rock record with a little free jazz thrown in to keep you guessing. And it’s an awful lot of fun.” - New York Music Daily (Alan Young) Here's a video of our two piece in action: You can hear more about us here: http://www.grexsounds.com More music here: http://grex.bandcamp.com And we're on Spotify and Tidal, if that suits your fancy. Thanks for listening, folks!

Hey, all- Getting this in just under the wire! Thank you in advance for the indulgence, and for humoring me- I'm very proud to be announcing that, after several years of blood, sweat, and tears, my project Grex is gearing up for the release our brand new full-length album, entitled Electric Ghost Parade. The album is sort of a paean to the high concept jazz and psychedelic rock albums of the 1960's, but the music is a very contemporary synthesis of song and fringe improvisation. In preparation for the album release, we’ll be mounting a wild nationwide tour, covering parts of the Bay Area, the American NW, So Cal, the Southwest, the EC, and the midwest. It’s a jam-packed itinerary, but we’re thrilled: we’ll be featuring all-new, never-before-heard arrangements of the album material. Rehearsals have been sublime—it’s the best set we’ve ever had. I'm also pretty proud of the bills, many of which should be of interest to some of the folks on here (Allen Lowe features on the CT show, below). The album streets on July 20, but preorders (and some sample listening) are available now: https://grex.bandcamp.com/album/electric-ghost-parade And more about us here: http://www.grexsounds.com Tour Dates: June 15, Sacramento, CA at Fox & Goose (w/Gentleman Surfer, Amy Reed) June 16, Reno, NV at Reno Community Radio Station (w/Rob Ford Explorer, Everybody Dies for Now) June 18, Seattle, WA at the Royal Room (w/Chris Icasiano, Tiny Ghost) June 19, Olympia, WA at Le Voyeur (w/Hammer of Hathor, Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa) June 20, Eugene, OR at Old Nicks (w/Mood Area 52, Megan Johns) June 21, Portland, OR at Kenton Club (w/Rllrbll, Galaxy Research) June 22, Bellingham, WA at Alternative Library (w/Tetrachromat, Nauticult, Bliss Point) June 23, Portland, OR at Mothership Music (w/The Social Stomach, San Kazakgascar Solo) June 26, San Diego, CA at The Merrow (w/The Grok, Nicey Nice World) June 27, Los Angeles, CA at The Silverlake Lounge (with Steuart Liebig and Emily Hay, Logan Hone, Max Kutner) June 29, Long Beach, CA at 4th Street Vine (w/Baast) June 30, Joshua Tree, CA at Joshua Tree Saloon July 3, Truth or Consequences, NM at TOC Brewing Co. (w/Tatsuya Nakatani) July 4, Amarillo, TX at Mariposa Eco-Village (w/Hayden Pedigo, Andrew Weathers, Fat Lava) July 7, Washington, DC at Rhizome (w/Ted Zook's Heterodyne, Pagan Reagan) July 8, Arlington, VA at Galaxy Hut (w/Chester Hawkins) July 9, Providence, RI at Alchemy July 10, Boston, MA at Midway Cafe (w/Fable Grazer, The Modern Voice, Brown Lasers) July 11, Queens, NY at H0L0 (w/Ron Anderson/Kevin Shea, Max Jaffe, Aaron Novik Quartet) July 12, Brooklyn, NY at Pine Box Rock Shop (w/Devin Hoff Solo, Dunkelman/Yang/Mcmurray) July 13, Philadelphia, PA at Random Tea Room (w/Mitch Esparza) July 14, Hamden, CT at Best Video (w/Special Guest Allen Lowe) July 15, Chicago, IL at Elbo Room (w/Tatsu Aoki, La Cosa) July 16, Kansas City, MO at Uptown Arts Bar (w/Music Research Strategies/Marshall Trammell [of Black Spirituals]) July 19, Live Mic on KFJC July 20, Alameda, CA at The Fireside Lounge (w/IMA, Qualia, Scott Amendola’s Orchestra) Hope to see you! K/ep1str0phy

The Charlie Kolhase Quintet Reunion Concert with original band members Charlie Kohlhase (alto, tenor & baritone saxophones), John Carlson (trumpet & flugelhorn), John Turner (bass), Matt Langley (tenor & soprano saxophones), and Matt Wilson (drums). "For all the fine ensembles that call Boston home, one of the most accomplished has to be the Charlie Kohlhase Quintet, a one-of-a-kind band that made an exuberant appearance over the weekend..." [Chicago Tribune, 1995] Originally from Portsmouth NH, alto/tenor/bari sax man Charlie Kohlhase made the leap to Boston in the early 1980's. After a few years of composing his own free jazz work, he formed The Charlie Kohlhase Quintet (CKQ) in 1989, in order to better realize his uncanny, oftentimes playful, pieces. Word travelled fast, since this particular unique combo of then local players ... Kohlhase joined by John Carlson (trumpet/flugelhorn), John Turner (bass), Matt Langley (tenor/soprano sax), and Matt Wilson (drums) ... performed jaw dropping performances both locally and nationally. CKQ disbanded after a dozen years, leaving in their wake four albums, all highly acclaimed: Research & Development (Accurate Records, 1992), Good Deeds (Accurate, 1992), Dart Night (Accurate, 1995), and Dancing On My Bedpost (CIMP, 1998) [Full Charlie Kohlhase discography at www.charliekohlhase.com/page3/page3.html]. Since then each player has carved out his own stellar niche in the jazz world, locally, nationally, and internationally. It may very well be impossible to predict what will take place during this reunion of highly respected jazz musicians. The only way to really know is to check them out ... in real time! The concert will be held on Friday, March 3, 2017, at 8:00 pm. Tickets (cash at door): $15, $10 students/seniors. The Third Life Studio, 33 Union Sq., Somerville, MA 02143. For information: 617-800-7255, www.thirdlifestudio.com/upcoming-concerts. Further specifics on the reunion concert, can also be found at www.facebook.com/events/799512853520483/. "As a mainstay in Boston’s jazz scene, saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase has helped cultivate the city as one of America’s most fertile hotbeds for creative music." (Jazz Times, 1999) Current background links to the players: www.charliekohlhase.com www.johncarlsontrumpet.com www.jpmc.us/turner.html www.mattlangley.com www.mattwilsonjazz.com

Hey folks- I'm emerging from a period of relative inactivity out here to share some wild news: my art rock project Grex is touring the American West Coast for the entirety of June. I've (happily) met and encountered some of you at Grex jaunts in the past. This one is a little different--for the first time in something like five years, we're touring with the duo iteration of the band. We've expanded our arsenal from keys and guitar to a pretty strange multi-percussion setup--it's a "two man band" in the vein of Skeleton Crew, and we're excited to be tapping into that tradition of hybridized songs, psychedelic filigree, noise, and free jazz. More information here: http://www.grexsounds.com The dates: June 4, Joshua Tree, CA, 7pm at Beatnik Lounge (w/Ahead Change & Hive Minds) June 5, Long Beach, CA, 9pm at Que Sera (w/Celik Brothers & DJ Dank Steak) June 6, Los Angeles, CA, 8pm at The Mint (w/featuring Joe Berardi, w/Beyond Rare & The HiGrounds) June 8, Los Angeles, CA, 10pm at Hyperion Tavern June 9, San Diego, CA, 9pm at The Merrow (w/Nexus 4000 & Whelmer) June 10, Pasadena, CA, 8pm at Battery Books (featuring Dan Clucas) June 11, Long Beach, CA, 8pm at Rebel Bite (w/Nathanael and Frankie) June 14, Eugene, OR, 9pm at Old Nicks (w/Mood Area 52) June 16, Portland, OR, 9:30pm at Kenton Club (w/Alto!, Noah Bernstein) June 17, Seattle, WA, 7:30pm at Good Shepherd Center (Wayward Music Series w/Citizens Band) June 18, Portland, OR, 8:30pm at Turn Turn Turn (w/Toyboat Toyboat Toyboat, Bubble Cats) June 20, Seattle, WA, 7:30pm at The Royal Room (part of Father Daughter) June 23, Quincy, CA, at Main Street Sports Bar June 24, Sacramento, CA, at Gold Lion Arts (part of Gold Lion Festival) June 25, Berkeley, CA, 9pm, at The Starry Plough (w/3 Leafs, Dire Wolves) I'm especially excited to be playing with a couple of remarkable guests: ace journeyman Joe Berardi on percussion (6/6) and the remarkable LA trumpeter Dan Clucas (6/10). Also of possible (particular) interest to Organissimo people: we're sharing the bill with some of Seattle's best young improvisers at the longstanding Wayward Music Series (6/17), and with a murderers' row of creative musicians in Sacramento (6/24--featuring the great Stuart Liebig, bassist on Julius Hemphill's Georgia Blue). Lastly, a couple of samples: the first (Stump F***ers) is from the band's first run as a duo, the second (Mango Mango) from our current book. We can't wait to share this bizarre new version of the band with everyone.

Hello, all- I'm breathlessly excited to be announcing that Grex--my Oakland-based trio--will be hitting the East Coast for a special run of dates (split between NY, DC, Virginia, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.) We've entitled the tour Electric Ghost Parade. The music we're taking on tour with us--none of which has been played on the East Cost before--is different from the stuff we've done in the past. A lot of the process of creating this music has centered on confronting our "creative apparitions"--the "big" stuff that a lot of outre jazz, rock, and electronic music is beholden to. When at first we thought we'd be consumed by the catastrophic burden of "creating something new," we've come to rejoice in the process. (Hence the "parade.") So we're proud to be bringing this fresh slew of music--which jousts and/or battles, in phases, with everything from Enemy-era Sonny Sharrock, Are You Experienced Hendrix, Surfer Rosa Pixies, the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, J Dilla's Donuts, and Deerhoof--out East. For fans of interesting "local music" of all stripes: we have some pretty killer bills in order, featuring some genuine underground powerhouses. So it's "art rock" or "post jazz" or whatever, but more than anything else, I'm proud of it and it's fun. If I catch any Organissimo folk when I'm out on tour, beverages are in order. Details: TOUR DATES Sept. 24, Philadelphia, PA, 8pm at AUX Space (Fire Museum Presents, w/Superlith, George Korein & the Spleen) Sept. 25, Washington, DC, 9pm at Velvet Lounge (with Chester Hawkins, Plums) Sept. 27, Arlington, VA, 9pm at Galaxy Hut (with Lost Civilizations) Sept. 29, Montclair, NJ, 9pm at Meatlocker (with PA Angelo, Ghypsee and the Wichts, et al.) Sept. 30, Cambridge, MA, 7pm at Lilypad (with Kenne Highland of the Gizmos, Fable Grazer) Oct. 1, Brooklyn, NY, 9pm at Muchmore’s (with Weasel Walter/Chris Pitsiokos Duo, Andrew Barker Trio, Max Jaffe/Brandon Seabrook/Tim Dahl) Oct. 2, Brooklyn, NY, 9:30pm at Pine Box Rock Shop (with Young Nudist, Aaron Novik's Abebbe (w/Ava Mendoza, etc.), Marc Edwards & Slipstream Time Travel) Oct. 3, Brooklyn, NY, 8pm at Panoply (Brooklyn Experimental Song Carnival, with Naked Roots, et al.) Listen to Grex: http://grex.bandcamp.com More Info: http://www.grexsounds.com

Hey, all- I haven't made a post like this a minute, but I thought that this particular run of dates might be interesting to Organissimo-ites of the Southern CA persuasion- My art rock/psych trio Grex (http://www.grexsounds.com) has been in the midst of a very heavy regimen of recording, rehearsal, and giging, and whatever you wish to call the music that we've arrived at, I can say with some certainty that I've never been prouder of anything I've worked on in my life. It's the post-Hendrix/Dudu Pukwana/Deerhoof thing we've been trying to get to for ages. We're bringing this new round of songs to LA for a few choice dates--the 1st (on June 12) with a new configuration of the Vinny Golia Ensemble. If you don't know Vinny, he's the daddy of the Nine Winds label and one of the true living legends of the LA Jazz scene (having worked with the likes of Bobby Bradford, John Carter, Alex Cline, Horace Tapscott, etc.). On June 13, we're joined by a few LA experimental pop mainstays (Helene Renaut, My Hawaii) and a special duo of Steuart Liebig and Joe Berardi. Steuart has been bassist for Les McCann and Julius Hemphill (on the beautiful and atypical Georgia Blue), and Joe Berardi is an LA session heavyhitter (with the great band Non Credo and, surprisingly, Megan Mullally's group--he can actually be seen on a few episodes of Parks and Recreation). June 14 is our sole Long Beach date and features one of the great local psych/prog ensembles (Karl?)--it's an opportunity to stretch out at a venue that that is shockingly (1) clean and (2) very hospitable to adventurous music. The dates: Grex w/Vinny Golia Ensemble June 12, 8-10pm (7:30pm doors) @ Ham & Eggs Tavern 433 W 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014 $5 Cover http://www.vinnygolia.com Grex w/My Hawaii, Helene Renaut, Joe Berardi/Steuart Liebig June 13, 8pm Doors/8:30pm Music @ Human Resources 410 Cottage Home, Los Angeles, CA 90012 $7 Cover http://myhawaii.bandcamp.com http://www.helenerenaut.com Grex w/Karl? June 14, 6pm-9pm (Grex on 1st) @ 4th Street Vine 2142 E 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90814 Free/Donations Accepted http://www.facebook.com/karlqmark Of course, we'd love to see some O folks. There's great music happening everywhere--naturally, we're just hoping (and trying) to add to it. -K/ep1