The 25th Seattle Improvised Music Festival took place in multiple venues over two weekends, February 11-14 and 18-20, 2010. It was co-presented by Seattle Improvised Music and Nonsequitur with funding assistance from 4Culture and Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. Curators were Gust Burns, Paul Hoskin, Wilson Shook, Wally Shoup, and Tyler Wilcox.
Participating artists:
Gust Burns, piano; Fred Chalenor, bass (Portland) [included on poster but did not play]; Chris Cochrane, electric guitar (Brooklyn); Chris Corsano, drums (New England); Jaime Fennelly, electronics (Waldron Island); Evan Gallagher, keyboards (NYC); Bill Horist, electric guitar; Paul Hoskin, contrabass clarinet; Jeph Jerman, drums/percussion/objects (Cottonwood, AZ); Michael Johnsen, homemade electronics/bowed saw (Pennsylvania); Leonel Kaplan, trumpet (Argentina); Mark Kaylor, drums (Portland) [no record of when he played]; Fred Lonberg-Holm, cello (Chicago); Jeffrey McGrath, trumpet; Paul Neidhardt, percussion (Baltimore); Robert Pedersen, electronics (Vancouver, BC); Kelvin Pittman, saxophones (Portland) [not included on poster]; Greg Powers, trombone/tuba; Mara Sedlins, viola; Wilson Shook, sax; Wally Shoup, sax; Birgit Ulher, trumpet (Germany); Rachael Wadham, electronics (Vancouver, BC); Tyler Wilcox, sax; Jack Wright, sax (Pennsylvania); C. Spencer Yeh, violin/voice/electronics (Cincinnati)
“After conferring with both Kaylor and Pittman, we collectively dimly remember something like Kaylor got sick and cancelled and Pittman came up as his “sub.” (quite a sub.)” (Gust Burns, private email)
Thursday, February 11 (Skinner Auditorium)
Curated by Gust Burns, Wilson Shook & Tyler Wilcox
Duo – Gust Burns, Fred Lonberg-Holm
Remaining line-up currently unknown.
Friday, February 12 (Good Shepherd Center Chapel)
Curated by Gust Burns, Wilson Shook & Tyler Wilcox
Trio – Jaime Fennelly, Leonel Kaplan, Birgit Ulher
Duo – Mara Sedlins, Rachael Wadham
Duo – Paul Hoskin, Fred Lonberg-Holm
Duo – Gust Burns, Jack Wright
Saturday, February 13 (Chapel)
Curated by Gust Burns, Wilson Shook & Tyler Wilcox
Quartet – Paul Neidhardt, Robert Pedersen, Wilson Shook, Jack Wright
Quartet – Gust Burns, Birgit Ulher, Rachael Wadham, Tyler Wilcox (Recording of this Quartet)
Quartet – Gust Burns, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Paul Neidhardt, Tyler Wilcox
Large Group – All of the above (Recording of the Large Group)
Sunday, February 14 (Gallery 1412)
Curated by Gust Burns, Wilson Shook & Tyler Wilcox
Exact line-up currently unknown.
Thursday, February 18 (Sunset Tavern)
Curated by Wally Shoup
Quartet – Chris Corsano, Bill Horist, Wally Shoup, C. Spencer Yeh
Friday, February 19 (Chapel)
Curated by Gust Burns, Wilson Shook & Tyler Wilcox
Duo – Michael Johnsen, Kelvin Pittman
Trio – Gust Burns, Mara Sedlins, Tyler Wilcox
Quintet – Gust Burns, Michael Johnsen, Kelvin Pittman, Mara Sedlins, Tyler Wilcox (Recording of the quintet)
Saturday, February 20 (Chapel)
Curated by Paul Hoskin
Trio – Jeffrey McGrath, Jeph Jerman, Greg Powers
Duo – Evan Gallagher, Greg Powers
Duo – Chris Cochrane, Jeffrey McGrath
Trio – Chris Cochrane, Evan Gallagher, Jeph Jerman
Sextet – Chris Cochrane, Evan Gallagher, Paul Hoskin, Jeph Jerman, Jeffrey McGrath, Greg Powers
Recordings of final night by Rob Angus:
(6:06) Jeph Jerman, drums / Jeffrey McGrath, trumpet / Greg Powers, tuba
(10:50) Evan Gallagher, piano / Greg Powers, trombone
(8:13) Chris Cochrane, guitar / Jeffrey McGrath, trumpet
(17:24) Chris Cochrane, guitar / Evan Gallagher, organ / Jeph Jerman, drums
(12:09) Chris Cochrane, guitar / Evan Gallagher, keyboards / Paul Hoskin, contrabass clarinet / Jeph Jerman, percussion/objects / Jeffrey McGrath, trumpet / Greg Powers, trombone/tuba – #1.1
(16:38) Chris Cochrane, guitar / Evan Gallagher, keyboards / Paul Hoskin, contrabass clarinet / Jeph Jerman, percussion/objects / Jeffrey McGrath, trumpet / Greg Powers, trombone/tuba – #1.2
(15:39) Chris Cochrane, guitar / Evan Gallagher, keyboards / Paul Hoskin, contrabass clarinet / Jeph Jerman, percussion/objects / Jeffrey McGrath, trumpet / Greg Powers, trombone/tuba – #2
(4:16) Chris Cochrane, guitar / Evan Gallagher, keyboards / Paul Hoskin, contrabass clarinet / Jeph Jerman, percussion/objects / Jeffrey McGrath, trumpet / Greg Powers, trombone/tuba – #3
Preview by Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times, Feburary 11, 2011:
Be ready for surprises at the Seattle Improvised Music Festival
We can’t tell you exactly what it’s going to be like — because, hey, it’s all improvised!
But the 25th Anniversary Seattle Improvised Music Festival (SIMF) does promise to be an international affair.
And if that quarter-century mark makes you think “venerable” and therefore comfortable, be forewarned. A quick tour of the performers’ web sites and MySpace pages suggests the sounds these folks will make land right on the border between music and noise.
The festival describes itself as “an annual meeting place for improvisers at the forefront of the music
from around the world.
“This year, festival founder Paul Hoskin helps curate some of the shows, along with former festival organizer Wally Shoup and current Seattle Improvised Music director Gust Burns, who’s been running things since 2001.
Starting tonight, performers from Germany; Argentina; New York City; Vancouver, B.C.; Seattle; and other locales will be playing in four Seattle venues: Skinner Auditorium, 1245 10th Ave. E. (Thursday); Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. (Friday-Saturday and Feb. 19-20); Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave. (Sunday); and the Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W. (Feb. 18). Ticket prices
vary.
Seattle Improvised Music Festival 