So long, RVA!
The Camel’s new weekly Jazz @ The Camel series begins tonight — in a few minutes actually — with SCUO (guitarist Scott Burton and drummer Scott Clark) followed by Jason Scott Quintet. It should be a strong start to a very solid weekly series this winter. Check out the line-up below and come out for inexpensive but always high quality jazz.
…and she’ll be wailing with her Little Big Horns at Balliceaux on Saturday night. It’s no surprise that the singer got her start in New Orleans. It is, however, a surprise that before hitting New Orleans she was part of a circus sideshow, eating glass and insects and twirling fire. Lake and the instrumentalists (including trombone, clarinet, tuba, banjo, and piano to name a few) spew with New Orleans soul. It’s a traditional sound that’s capable of grabbing on to you whether you tend toward the poppier end of jazz vocalists or the real deal. If it’s the former, hopefully you’ll realize there’s something in Lake that other singers just don’t have.
Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns perform at Balliceaux on Saturday, December 4 at 10pm. Balliceaux is located at 203 N. Lombardy St., Richmond, VA. $10, ages 21+. More info at balliceauxrva.com.
Our good friend Ed Ricart from DC is a guitarist and show promoter, presenting great free jazz in the district that otherwise might be overlooked. On Thursday, he brings his own guitar/drums duo Matta Gawa to Richmond with Cheer Accident and Richmond’s New Loft.
About Cheer Accident:
This band simply needs to be seen! Bountiful musicianship, crafty songwriting, satisfyingly counfounding time signature changes, well-developed ideas. One of the most creative and solid rock bands you could possibly watch, anywhere. 30 year veterans of the underground, always ahead of their times. They’ve had a number of different incarnations (including members of Chicago noise rock bands Dazzling Killmen, US Maple, etc.) and accordingly, their sound has been wildly eclectic over the year. In fact, from tune to tune (and even verse to verse!) on their albums. Their live performances and recordings range from unforgettable pop music to complex progressive rock composition to “pointless theatrics” to noise.
About Matta Gawa:
MATTA GAWA is an improvising drums+guitar duo hailing from Washington DC. Building with time and texture, their music is deeply connected to the methods and spirit of jazz, while retaining the electric backbone of creative rock music. Loosely translated, MATTA GAWA means river of moments- an apt description for their spontaneously composed flow of singing guitars, free-form drumming, howling feedback, sub-blasting bass, stagger-stepped odd-time signatures, polyrhythmic beatrock + guitar solos.
WRIR’s Fall Fund Drive begins today, and there’s quite a bit in store. As Richmond’s only community-based volunteer-driven radio station, Richmond Independent Radio (“radio for the rest of us”) is truly one of a kind. It boasts the most eclectic programming that spans every genre imaginable as well as features great syndicated shows during the day. It’s completely operated by volunteers. And it depends on donations from its listeners to survive year after year.
I’ve been a volunteer at WRIR for almost two years, assisting Mike “Mr. Jazz” Gourrier of WWOZ (New Orleans) fame and Bill Thomson on Sunday mornings and occasionally hosting their shows as a substitute. I’ve been a part of a small community that is loved by the bigger community surrounding it. I hear music I’ve never heard before in my life. When I visit other cities, I wonder what they have that’s like WRIR, and often times it’s nothing.
I’ll be answering phones and greeting visitors at the studio (1621 W. Broad St.) this evening while Rattlemouth performs live on Global A Go-Go from 5-7. Sunday morning makes another great time to listen and pledge your support: Jason Jenkins Trio with guitarist Alan Parker and drummer Keith Willingham will be performing from 10am to noon.
Please take a moment this week to support a great station, whether it’s by giving to it monetarily or checking it out for the first time.
Visit wrir.org for more information on the fund drive
The monthly VCU Jazz @ The Camel series is back for round two after a successful first year. Tonight, check out two student bands with much to offer:
At 8pm: “Ben Heemstra, a jazz trumpet major from South Dakota, will be leading a group consisting of Christ Bates (tbn), Abinnet Berhanu (drums), David Tennenholtz (piano), and Andrew Randazzo (bass) playing some original compositions and tunes from the late 60’s Herbie Hancok era.”
At 9:30pm: “Abinnet Berhanu is a sophomore drummer who will be leading a trio consisting of Ben White (piano) and Evan Sarver (bass). He’ll be doing some original tunes and may even have some very special guests up on stage.”
Those guests, turns out, are trumpeter John D’Earth and tenor saxophonist JC Kuhl. As always, VCU Jazz @ The Camel is free of charge.
On Tuesday night, Brian Jones will be conducting Fight the Big Bull through a series of improvisations. Sounds weird, and cool. We don’t normally think of improvised music being conducted. But if you saw him play with the group at Musicircus 2009 (conducting from the back line) or have ever seen him perform (especially with his percussion ensemble), you know it’s not completely farfetched. Jones is a fan of Lawrence “Butch” Morris and his technique of conducting large ensembles through improvised music called conduction. No, it doesn’t have to do with physics. Not really, anyway. Instead, Butch Morris’s conduction involves an array of hand gestures to direct an ensemble’s improvisations. Recalling themes, dynamics, mimicking another musician, changing tempi or keys. All of this and more is in the hands of the conductor. Jones — who appears on both of FTBB’s Clean Feed albums — knows the band inside and out, which will make Tuesday night under his direction doubly interesting.
Balliceaux is the place to be this week. On Wednesday night, Ombak makes their return, this time with JC Kuhl. They’ll be playing tunes from their new album, and it’s guaranteed to get a little crazy. Fresh off their performances this past weekend at the Richmond Folk Festival (including their kazoo march in the family area), No BS! Brass plays a free show at Balliceaux. Hear the sounds of their new album and old favorites. For the main event, the New York-based Jason Ajemian & The HighLife return to Richmond on Friday. We hosted them back in April, and it’s bound to be a hit again this time.
(Bonus fourth reason: did I see they serve Sunday brunch now?)
He’s back! Saxophonist and native Virginian Jason Arce is a VCU alumnus and recent recipient of a master’s degree in music performance from NYU.
The pride and joy of Jackson Ward is its rich history. Have you ever heard Duke Ellington’s “Rumpus in Richmond”? Bet it was penned after a nightclub gig (and a jaunt with a lady) on the street. Back in the day, Richmond was a destination for jazz musicians like Duke, and each year the 2nd […]
Richmond Jazz Society continues their monthly Guest Educators Series in October with Gabriel Alegria and the Afro-Peruvian Sextet.
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