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Henry Threadgill Ensemble Double Up: Old Locks And Irregular Verbs
by Dan Bilawsky
The premiere of Old Locks and Irregular Verbs--Henry Threadgill's tribute to his longtime friend and colleague, musical pioneer Lawrence D. “Butch" Morris--was easily one of the most talked about events at the 2014 edition of New York's Winter Jazzfest. The buzz factor and expectation surrounding this work and the band performing it was so strong, in fact, that it was scheduled for two performance slots. For any other act at a festival that prides itself on diversity, that might've been ...
Continue ReadingHenry Threadgill Zooid: In for a Penny, In for a Pound
by Luca Canini
Non poteva che chiudersi così il 2015, con un nuovo disco di Henry Threadgill. Un doppio addirittura, il primo a proprio nome in 40 e passa anni di prodigi e meraviglie: In for a Penny, in for a Pound. A conferma di uno stato di grazia conclamato -dalle gesta dell'ensemble Double-Up alle rimpatriate con Jack DeJohnette e Leo Smith, è da un bel pezzo ormai che il nostro si mantiene su livelli stratosferici -e a incorniciare idealmente l'annus mirabilis della ...
Continue ReadingHenry Threadgill Zooid: In For A Penny, In For A Pound
by Hrayr Attarian
Innovative multi-reed player and composer Henry Threadgill is no stranger to adventurous projects. Starting with the groundbreaking trio Air four decades ago he has not stopped expanding his creative boundaries. The ambitious multi-part suite In for a Penny, In for a Pound highlights the unusual instrumentation Threadgill has always incorporated in his groups. Each movement is written for and coalesces around one of the members of Threadgill's current ensemble Zooid. The cinematic “Ceroepic" features drummer Elliott Humberto Kavee ...
Continue ReadingHenry Threadgill Zooid: In for a Penny, In for a Pound
by Troy Collins
Renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist Henry Threadgill has led a number of critically acclaimed groups since his formative days as a founding member of the AACM, but none have endured as long as Zooid. Formed in 2001, the unit has undergone a few personnel changes over the years, although guitarist Liberty Ellman and tuba player/trombonist Jose Davila have been involved since the ensemble's inception. The current configuration is completed by cellist Christopher Hoffman and drummer Elliot Humberto Kavee, making this particular ...
Continue ReadingHenry Threadgill Zooid: In For A Penny, In For A Pound
by Karl Ackermann
Fresh off his significant contribution to Jack DeJohnette's Made In Chicago (ECM, 2015), composer/saxophonist/flautist Henry Threadgill and his most long-established group, Zooid, return for the ensemble's most creative and ambitious collection. Almost thirty years ago, Threadgill told Chicago's Pulitzer winning writer, Studs Terkel, of the influence of marching bands that he saw in that city's frequent street parades. That influence--along with that of his founding status in the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians--are apparent in the adventurous collection ...
Continue ReadingHenry Threadgill Zooid: In for a Penny, In for a Pound
by Mark F. Turner
Don't call this jazz. In a 2013 interview with Larry Appelbaum at the Library of Congress, saxophonist, flautist, and composer Henry Threadgill, in so many words, denounced the association of labelling his music with a diluted categorization. Having performed with free thinking musicians like Muhal Richard Abrams and Anthony Braxton; lead highly regarded and out of the mainstream groups such as Air, Very Very Circus, and currently and arguably his best ensemble, Zooid; Threadgill continues to orbit around forward thinking ...
Continue ReadingHenry Threadgill Zooid: In For A Penny, In For A Pound
by Dan Bilawsky
No artist manages to marry compositional specificity and independent thought to the degree that Henry Threadgill does. And while his singular vision(s) with groups like Air and Very Very Circus have already earned him a place in the history of this music, when all is said and done, his work with Zooid may be his most important contribution to the ever-evolving art form of jazz. On In For A Penny, In For A Pound, Zooid delivers what ...
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