Bklyn Sounds: 12/13/2022 - 12/19/2022
Shows: Matana Roberts / Karizma / Weak Signal / Dave Liebman, Adam Rudolph, Tyshwan Sorey / James Bangura / Caroline Davis / Florist / Marty Ehrlich/ Bodega / Liturgy / Algiers...+
EDIT: Obviously I got my calendar twisted in the original headline - though, thankfully, not throughout the piece. This week’s Bklyn Sounds covers Tues. 12/13 thru Mon. 12/19, and not 12/14-12/20. Apologies from “the editor.”
Some news: The Stone will officially not cross the New School adjunct faculty’s picket-line.
A note on the website of the experimental jazz venue founded by John Zorn, whose residencies have been a cornerstone of New York’s improvisation community since 2005, and which for the past five years has been programming on the lower Manhattan university’s campus made it clear. “The Stone will close until the strike at the New School is resolved - During the strike we will present The Stone at Shift - Shift is located at 411 Kent near Broadway in Williamsburg.”
1) That’s a boon for the great converted firehouse venue on Kent Avenue, which I’ve already spotlighted for some excellent experimental programming. And 2) As a university adjunct instructor (at NYU, which gave its adjunct professors a new contract in November), I applaud The Stone and the artists who have been booked to play there for their decision to stand united with the striking workers. <begins quietly humming “La Marseillaise”>
This week’s Sounds:
Though I spent a lot of time at Union Pool pre-pandemic, I don’t remember the improvisational music bills coming as consistent and hard, as they are now. It might just be me though. Drummer Ryan Sawyer keep bringing together incredible small groups, and Tuesday’s involves trumpeter Nate Wooley, and cellist/bassist/electronics polymath, Lester St. Louis. Bonus skronk comes from Cecilia Lopez-Joe Moffett Duo, and Chuck Bettis. (Tues. 12/13, 7p @ Union Pool 484 Union Ave., Williamsburg - $20)
Most post-punk revivalists of the past two decades have left me lukewarm because their bassline quotes come devoid of politics. This is also why I’ve had a soft spot for the generational self-flagellations of Bodega since 2018’s “How Did This Happen?” And this year’s pair of albums, Broken Equipment and Xtra Equipment, are more sturdy quasi-Marxist critiques of our modern hellscape. And, yes, you can dance to them. (Wed. 12/14, 8p @ Market Hotel 1140 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn Times Square - $17)
“Legends playing together” time: Drummer-percussionist Adam Rudolph has been bringing spiritual-minded global rhythms to improvisational music since the early 1970s, having studied with Don Cherry and Yusef Lateef, and mentored Carlos Nino (among others). Saxophonist Dave Liebman played in Miles’ electric bands of the early 1970s. And drummer Tyshawn Sorey is merely among the pre-eminent composers and time-keepers in contemporary music. They made an album together called New Now, which they’re celebrating with these two sets. (Thurs. 12/15, 7:30p & 9:30p @ Jazz Gallery 1158 Broadway (at 27th St.), Manhattan - $30)
A potentially dope night of cross-pollination: The Atlanta-based, Franklin James Fisher-led punk band Algiers has always had sound, ideas and energy, but (IMO) lacked the songwriting to take full advantage. Their upcoming album, Shook, “a celebration of community, collaboration, and place” features an incredible guest cast, including rappers billy woods and ELUCID, techno theorist/iPad drummer Speaker Music, free jazz saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi, among many. They’re all gonna be at National Sawdust. Definitely worth a punt! (Thurs. 12/15, 8p @ National Sawdust 80 North 6th St, Williamsburg - $20)
Based on the note that accompanies their self titled 2022 album, saying it “culminate[s] the decade-long journey of friendship and collaboration,” the synthy folk-pop softies of Florist, led by singer-songwriter-ambient-chanteuse Emily Sprague, may be saying goodbye. Brooklyn-in-Upstate quartet has always transcended the tweendie cliches, even as its pastoral sound and warm-heartedness wore down any easy jokes. When I saw them in 2016 the intensity was anything but funny. Brooklyn indie vets Mirah are a late addition to the bill. (Thurs. 12/15, 8p @ Pioneer Works 159 Pioneer St., Red Hook - $20adv/$30)
Another gig that makes Union Pool feel like the closest thing Bklyn has to classic-era Knit: Montreal’s Black Ox Orkestar is part of the sturm und drung-y Godspeed! You Black Emperor community, making a return after a decade away. But the main reason to go Friday is to see the great saxophonist and storyteller Matana Roberts in a New York club again. (I think they live in Berlin now.) Expect intensity - and release. (Fri. 12/16, 8p @ Union Pool 484 Union Ave., Williamsburg - $20)
EDIT (12/13/22, 5p EST): Just got word from Union Pool folks that Matana is ill, and has had to cancel their appearance this Friday.
This is what happens when a community anarchist artist space throws a holiday festival! “Property is Theft’s Anarcho-Holiday Blast” is three double-bill nights, repping 30+ years of grimey NYC indie-rock/-folk/-noise experimentalism. The oldsters will recognize the Village folkies The Scene is Now (playing Saturday with Aussies-in-Baltimore minimalists, Smoke Below) and East Village pre-grunge-folk staples God Is My Co-Pilot (Sunday with “psycho-existential” balladeer, Itch Princess). My personal pick would be Friday, when the wonderfully tuneful indie-rock trio Weak Signal meets the free-jazz folk hippies (and perennial WFMU faves) Sunwatchers. But much of the attraction is in the cross-generational camaraderie. (Fri. 12/16 - Sun. 12/18, 8p @ Property Is Theft 411 South 5th St., Williamsburg - $TBD)
Another holiday party, this one perfect for for hipster nu-disco parents: Throne of Blood is one of 21st century Brooklyn’s strongest still-chugging dance labels, and before its principals, James Friedman and Max Pask, had kids and decamped for the ‘burbs, were involved in some raucous-ass parties. Magick City is exactly the place to rekindle the magic. And with NYC staple Tommy Castro, plus Japanese spiritual disco revivalist Que Sakamoto in tow, the wildness may yet commence. The price is certainly right! (Fri. 12/16, 10p @ Magick City 37 Box Stt., Greenpoint - FREE? Really?)
This week’s best “big party” option sees the folks behind the Mizz Softee and Golden Record parties unite for a throwdown featuring some local legends and great visiting DJs taking over three rooms at H0LO. Between Jersey’s DJ Qu, Brooklyn’s Spinna and Detroit-in-Ridgewood’s Mike Servito, you truly can’t ask for better deep-house dance-floor guides. But also: Ladymonixx brings prime-time “today’s 313” energy and Lindsey Herbert embodies all the best things the term “West Coast techno rave” evokes. There’s a half-dozen others playing over the course of 15hrs whom I don’t know, but based on the far-flung quality of the above, I probably should. (Fri. 12/16, 8p @ H0LO 1090 Wyckoff Ave., Ridgewood - $25adv/$30)
A Saturday afternoon improvisational experiment maybe worth making the time for: Transatlantic Trance Map will see two groupings of experiment-leaning musicians try to collaborate over a high-fidelity network line. In the south east England town of Faversham, at a spot called Hot Tin, will be a septet that includes Evan Parker, Pat Thomas and Peter Evans, while gathered at Roulette will be a sextet that includes Ikue Mori, Craig Taborn and Sylvie Courvoisier. Potentially mind-blowing! (Sat. 12/17, 3p @ Roulette 509 Atlantic Ave, Downtown Brooklyn $25adv/$30)
Reed player, arranger, historian Marty Ehrlich has been one of my favorite Zelig characters in jazz, forever popping up in interesting configurations, playing with great musicians of multiple generations, or, in the case of Muhal Richard Abrams and Julius Hemphill, helping archive their music. He teaches up at Hampshire nowadays — and resides mostly in Philly I think — so his appearances at NYC jams come a lot less often than they used to. Bar Bayeux is a perfect spot to get acquainted with his Trio Expanse. (Sat. 12/17, 8p & 9:30p @ Bar Bayeux 1066 Nostrand Ave., Prospect-Lefferts - one drink minimum, tip the musicians)
Great DMV DJs in BK. Both Batimore’s JiaLing (aka Bg J) and DC’s James Bangura are into breakbeats, but in very different ways. JiaLing continues Charm City vaunted Baltimore Club lineage with humor, sleaze and just enough disrespect for samples and records to make the whole thing bounce TF along. Bangura makes techno that keeps rubbing harder and harder against UK junglist/hardcore tendencies (or maybe it’s actually the other way around). At a sweaty Jupiter Disco, this will be fun. (Sat. 12/17, 10p @ Jupiter Disco 1237 Flushing Ave., Bushwick - FREE before 11p/$10)
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: there are few places and times I love dancing as much as wintery Sunday late-afternoons at Nowadays, when the soundsystem is pumping, the smaller crowd is a bit more focused, and the selections are less hectic. After last summer’s triumphant return to Fort Greene Park, the community DJs behind Soul Summit should need no extra introduction; and if you know house music, this week’s guest, Baltimore’s great Basement Boy, Karizma doesn’t either. See you there! (Sun. 12/18, 5p @ Nowadays 56-06 Cooper Ave., Ridgewood - $20)
There’s never gonna be a lot of selections you can file under “metal” on Bklyn Sounds, cause I am not that guy. (Maybe try the great NYC Noise list?) But as many have argued, Liturgy, led by the guitar and power-electronics of Ravenna Hunter-Hendrix, are not necessarily a typical metal band. Ultra-hard in their angular sonic roar, yes. But fixated on death and darkness? Not for me. And I’ve never enjoyed them as much as at St. Vitus, which I think of as their “home turf,” especially with all the community holiday vibes in the air. (Sun. 12/18, 8p @ St. Vitus 1120 Manhattan Ave. Greenpoint - $20)
This Caroline Davis’ Portals band is a quintet version of the string-amended group that appeared on the saxophonist’s excellent 2021 album, Portals, Volume 1: Mourning, playing a music a wonderful, meticulously composed music that evokes sorrow and joy, day and night. Jazz? Sure. Classical? I guess. Deeply humanist? Without a doubt. Part of this great quintet set to appear in the tiny confines of Lunatico, low-key one of the best listening clubs in Bk, is trumpeter Marquis Hill. (Mon. 12/19, 9p & 10:15p @ Bar Lunatico 486 Halsey St., Bed-Stuy - $10)
FIRE!