Roswell Rudd / Steven Bernstein- Nyswu performance, 12/09

Solo trombone performances, summer 2009

Jacob Garchik / Jacob Sacks duo- NYSWU performance

CURHA- Decoupage NYSWU performance at 58N6

Brian Drye’s Scopa Trio- NYSWU performance 2009

Trombones in Stereo

Julian Priester

Recently, Destination Out sent up mad props to the trombone by listing a track by Julian Priester. This killing piece features Priester’s Marine Intrustion and is an amazing representation of his post Mwandishi musical exploits. Also, don’t forget to check out some of the other moments that Chilly Jay Chill and Prof. Drew LeDrew caught Priester sliding his way around a varied musical atmosphere by way of his work with SUNN O))).

While they were at it, D:O let the cat out of the bag on Trombone Hall of Fame, featuring such esteemed members as Grachan Moncur III, George Lewis and Roswell Rudd. Don’t let your vote go unheard. Give a shout out as to who you think should be charter members in their comments.

Trust in the Key of DG

Recently David Gibson brought his Organ 4tet featuring Jared Gold (organ), Julius Tolentino (alto sax) and Jakubu Griffin (drums)to NYSWU for an excellent night of music. We asked David for the secret behind such a cooking ensemble and here’s what he had to say:

I first played with Jared Gold around 10 years ago. It was a brief encounter, but memorable. It was several years before we were musically reacquainted. We began our musical relationship anew on a one-nighter at Fat Cat that has since turned into a steady gig. Jared’s creativity and unabashed sense of musical liberty was daunting at first, but has helped me to grow immensely and I’m consistently surprised by the destinations at which we arrive in our musical conversations.

Conversation is the consistent quality in the music and all of the guys on this performance are hip. Julius and Jakubu both offer a great deal of fire and intensity which balances out what I consider to be the softer side of Gibbo. Each of them inspires me to greater intensity, even if it’s expressed by alternative means.

The best thing about this group to me, the composer, is that “my” music always becomes “our” music…and I welcome that. I embrace their input, whether in the moment or in a rehearsal or at the bar on the break. I trust these guys.

Ergo is a Band

Ergo: Multitude, Solitude

At NYSWU’s recent Electronics and Trombone symposium, Brett Sroka graced our ears with the sweet stylings of his band Ergo, featuring Sam Harris on rhodes electric piano/synthesizer/piano and Shawn Baltazor on drums. Needless to say, the set was enchanting and the whole NYSWU audience was grateful for their musical contributions to the greater beauty of our world. Like all NYSWU events, both Ergo and the Rick Parker Trio’s set that night were recorded, and now I can’t wait to have them finished so we can share with the world, but to hold us over for the time being, here are some words from Brett about his approach to the trombone, to electronic, to Ergo and to the New York Slideworkers’ Union…

Trombone and electronics seem like an odd pairing, but when I think back on it my path to combining them feels rather organic. Like many trombonists I’ve had a conflicted relationship with the instrument, feeling inferior to slicker, more glamorous instruments, and marginalized in even the most marginal styles of music. At some point I began to think that any contribution I made on trombone would be largely ignored and irrelevant, so out of that frustration I started looking for other avenues of expression and got entranced by electronic music. However, as my understanding of electronic music developed my approach to the trombone began to change as well. To integrate the two seemingly disparate worlds, centuries apart in technology, I started thinking about the instrument in more textural, timbral and lyrical ways and in realizing it’s unique possibilities I found new fulfillment in playing it and in making music. At the performance we discussed the objective in making this music and my intuition is that the objective is less important than the experience. The best experiences of life are beyond words, even beyond thoughts, as with the experience of music (when it really gets you). Our experience making it might be something like being at the bottom of a well, and yours listening like being at the top. You may be able to draw water or not, we can do our best to play it, but that will largely depend on you, your perspective and your experience of life. While generally I make music for my own pleasure and my own experience, I also do it with the aspiration that it could be worthy of yours.

Learn more about Brett and Ergo:
www.ergoisaband.com
www.myspace.com/ergo

Steve Swell on Music

Steve Swell

Recently Steve Swell spoke with Roulette about his continuing adventures with experimental media. Steve name checks a couple of great and goes on to answer the age old question of what exactly is music. Check out more from Steve online at http://www.steveswell.com/

NYSWU/Ibeam Trombone Festival 2010

IBeam and NYSWU presents the Second Annual Trombone Festival. The festival spans 5 nights throughout April 2010 and features a diverse roster of trombonists leading their original projects and bands in New York City. The trombonists presented here represent a wide range of approaches to the instrument each with a unique voice in both composition and improvisation.

The month of April is now officially (in the least official way possible) Trombone month in Brooklyn, and to celebrate, NYSWU is teaming up with Ibeam Music Studios to present their second annual Trombone Festival throughout the month. Most events will be held at Ibeam Music Studios, 168 7th Street in Brooklyn, but look out for the Alan Ferber Nonet and Ryan Keberle’s Double Quartet at 58 N6th Media Labs.

$10 Suggested Donation at all shows.

Check out the events below for some mind blowing takes on what it means to make music with a slide and a bell:

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