Crib Notes

Subtlety and restraint are two words that aren’t often used to describe the work of Chicago sax man Ken Vandermark. As a member of seminal free jazz and improvisational ensembles Vandermark 5, Spaceways Inc., Caffeine, and too many others to name, he’s done more to further jazz music over the last two decades than seems humanly possible.

The frenetic pace of his output traverses a wide range of sounds, reaching from a traditional European approach to spontaneous freakouts. Vandermark’s latest offering is a collaboration with Dutch counterpart Ab Baars of ICP Orchestra titled Goofy June Bug. It’s bound by a lingering tension that builds between every note and skronk, flourishing in whispered silence before breaking into wild, blood-boiling chaos.

Both Vandermark and Baars alternate between saxophone and clarinet over a careening rhythm section of Wilbert De Joode (double bass) and Martin Van Duynhoven (drums). The spaciousness of a tune like “Straws” makes its omnipotence clear from the onset. Other more ominous pieces, such as “Honest John” or the quivering confusion of “Then He Whirled About,” ebb with an aggressive sound, but the music walks on insect legs, scuttling out of the light before revealing its true form.

Chad Radford:  You’re a pretty busy guy.
Ken Vandermark:  Yeah, a little bit. There are a lot of interesting people out there to work with, so I try to keep busy by working with them all.

Goofy June Bug is a more restrained album than what I’m used to hearing from you.
There were some other pieces that didn’t end up on the record that are more aggressive sounding. What Ab did with the CD, which I thought was interesting, was focus on the group in a way that would keep it from being a free jazz blow-out album. I’m always challenging myself to work in different ways, and in working with Ab’s trio, which has a really strong identity, we dealt with the music in a more oblique and abstract way, rather than throw it right into your face. That was refreshing.

Ken Vandermark & Ab Baars Trio play Eyedrum on Wed., April 15. $15. 8 p.m. 290 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 8. 404-522-0655.

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The 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra plays exactly what the name promises, a merger of Western and African rhythms and Klezmer-influenced song styles laid down by some of the best jazz hands in Atlanta.

Under the direction of composer/trumpeter Roger Ruzow, the 10-piece ensemble barrels through original arrangements of traditional and exotic sounds.

With so many players, 4WAKO features members of dozens of acts, including Noot d’Noot, Cadillac Jones and Gold Sparkle Band.

The group features Colin Bragg (guitar), Chris Case (keyboard), Ben Davis (tenor sax), Jeff Crompton (alto sax / clarinet), Ben Gettys (bass), Bill Nittler (baritone sax / clarinet), Keith Leslie (drums), Blake Williams (trombone) and Roger Ruzow (trumpet).

4WAKO plays two sets at 529 tonight. $7. 10 p.m. 529 Flat Shoals Rd. 404-228-6769.

“Greater Lagos Wednesday Night Talmud Meeting”

(Photo by Stevie Brown)

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On Wednesday night a slew of jazz, noise and otherwise head-cleaning sounds are making a stand at Capsule in Grant Park (in the former Youngblood space on Glennwood Avenue SE and Waldo Street SE near I-20/Boulevard).

Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth says of headling act, Michigan reeds/electronics duo Slither, “If two improvising horns in fug-mind gut interplay is not jazz then the form is dead. We say it is more alive than anyone in moldy fig land will ever know at this point. Slither is excellent reed street waste. Today’s jazz for today’s playboys.”

Also performing …

Steve Kenne of Wolf Eyes’ side-project Demons also plays a set of solo synth.
New Pledgemast (member of The Jasons playing solo vocals and electronics.
DJ Dirty Pillowz (member of of local long-standing noise improv. act Zandosis wielding turntables, broken records and a bent mind).

It should be noted that the show will end early. Music starts and 9 p.m. and will wrap up at 11 p.m. sharp. Cost is $5.

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Street Talk photographer Jeff Slate caught this photo of Mose Allison (piano) and Neal Starky (bass) performing at Blind Willies on Wed., March 4.

At the ripe age of 81, you would think pianist Mose Allison would be content to simply take it easy and enjoy life. Well, he does, but his enjoyment is playing live music on the road — over 100 shows a year. It’s a lifestyle he’s maintained since the 1950s, and even in his ninth decade he shows few signs of slowing down.

A self-taught player, Allison was raised listening to and learning from the deep delta blues, New Orleans jazz and classic boogie woogie of the era. With few constraints to shape his playing style, he absorbed what he heard, and put it all together to create his own unique sound.

Read the rest of James Kelly’s CL brief on Mose Allison.

(Photo by Jeff Slate)

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Ruzow (right).

For today’s Roll Call we call out Roger Ruzow of the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra.

Who are you?
Roger V. Ruzow. Teacher/Composer/Musician.

Describe yourself in three words.
Obsessed with music.

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
It’d be nice to have a few drinks with Captain Kangaroo, Kurt Vonnegut, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and Lester Bowie if their schedules don’t conflict.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Myself when I was in undergraduate school.

What song do you wish you had written?
The windows start-up sound. I hate that damn noise, but the royalties would sure help to fund other ideas.

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
What time of day or night is this question asked and which one of them is buying?

LP, CD or MP3?
See above answer for clarification.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
Thinking… assuming I figure out how to do it.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
Cell phones.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
Ingrid Bergman.

“Greater Lagos Wednesday Night Talmud Meeting”

The 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra plays the Highland Inn Ballroom on Sat., Jan. 24th w/ Kinnah Boto’s Ayah Drummers. $5. 9 p.m. The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. 644 North Highland Ave. 404-874-5756.

(Photo by Stevie Brown.)

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For today’s installment of Roll Call we talk to Charles Williams and Amy Pike of the Bonaventure Quartet who received Creative Loafing’s Critics Pick award for Best Local Jazz Act this year.

Who are you?
We are the Bonaventure Quartet featuring the fabulous Amy Pike. The only all acoustic swing jazz group in Atlanta who is equal parts Julie London, Dwight Yoakam, Django Reinhardt, Cole Porter, Bob Wills, Madeleine Peyroux and Leonard Cohen. With a dash of Paprika and a hint of 920 beer for flavor.

Describe yourself in three words.
Romantic, Sassy, Swing

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
I’d like to meet Django Reinhardt. If he’s busy, then Amy would like to hang with Eartha Kitt.

Whom would you most like to slap in the face?
Sarah Palin. If she’s out shopping, then George Bush.

What song do you wish you had written?
“Between the Bars” by Elliot Smith. I’m a sucker for waltzes, and he nailed a lyric that is tragic and yet somehow redemptive and transcendent, all the while lilting and listing like the Titanic’s first post-collision moments… Great song. And Madeleine Peyroux ’s version is the best.

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
As a songwriter, I like Elvis Costello. As a singer/performer/phenomenon Amy prefers Elvis Presley and she doesn’t care who knows it.

LP, CD or MP3?
LPs without a doubt. But even more specific, 78s. Try cueing up a 78 sometime of the Hot Club of France from 1938, sit back with a beer and smile while your foot starts tapping.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
Virtual Word Balloons. Using existing holographic technology, I think it would be neat to have a sound triggered chip implanted so that whenever you wanted, your conversational snippets would float above you in a cartoon-like balloon.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
Those little tattoos on the small of the back. Instead there should be a copyright symbol with your date of birth.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
Charles: That’s easy: Scarlett Johansson…
Amy says Dwight Yoakam.

“Little White Lies” MP3

“Lily’s on the Prowl” MP3

The Bonaventure Quartet plays three shows this weekend:

Fri., Nov. 21- Fernbank’s Natural History Museum Imax and Martinis: On Clifton Road off Ponce near Emory. $5 or free with IMAX admission. 6:30-10 p.m.
Sat., Nov 22 – Free in-store performance at Decatur CD. 3 p.m. 356 W Ponce De Leon Ave. in Decatur. 404-371-9090.
Nov 23 – Eddie’s Attic. 7:30 p.m. Individual advanced tickets: $10 / At the door: $13 / Tables: $50.

(Photo by Vincent Tseng).

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