Jazz Articles about Ken Field

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Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic: Petrophonics

by Glenn Astarita
November 1, 2000

With their 10th recording titled Petrophonics, Boston Massachusetts based “Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic” have perhaps achieved the pinnacle of mastery with this truly superb newly released effort. Here, pianist/composer Erik Lindgren and woodwind specialist Ken Field cap off a string of successful solo ventures as the duo realigns with guitarist Michael Bierylo and synthesizer ace Rick Scott for the band’s latest and first effort in over five years.

“BOTM” continues to defy any rigid semblance of categorization yet surge onward ...

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Ken Field: Tokyo in F

by Glenn Astarita
August 1, 2000

Whether educating students at workshops, scoring soundtracks for television, i.e. “Sesame Street”, “HBO” and “PBS” or his ongoing affiliation with the band, “Birdsongs of the Mesozoic”, New England area saxophonist/composer Ken Field is liable to pull quite a few tricks out of the many hats he wears. With two highly acclaimed solo efforts to his credit, Pictures of Motion and Subterranea Field’s latest recording features three reputable Japanese musicians whom he had only met prior to the actual performance.

Tokyo ...

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Ken Field/Katsui Yuji/Kido Natsuki/Shimizu Kazuto: Tokyo In F

by AAJ Staff
July 1, 2000

Tokyo in F presents the international meeting of American Ken Field (Birdsongs of the Mesozoic) with Japanese musicians Kazuto (Arepos), Natsuki (Bondage Fruit), and Yuji (Bondage Fruit). Since this group of musicians had not previously played together before their date at Tokyo's In F nightclub, this live record oozes with spontaneity and a constant sense of discovery. Combining the restrained sound of chamber music with the constant fluxology of free jazz, the quartet makes creative use of its fresh instrumentation. ...

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Ken Field: Pictures Of Motion

by AAJ Staff
June 1, 2000

Ken Field has crafted thirteen sonic pictures of pure sax excellence. They range from introspectively dark or airy ambience to peppy, bopping bounces. This is a stroll down neon-lit alleyways of mod jazz hipness. Some pieces are somber, solo, alto saxophone, sometimes layered or effects-altered and others are amplified with drums, acoustic bass, fretless electric bass, drums and percussion. Best references for what is happening here are adventurous works by Dave Binney, Theo Travis, Gallery, Paul McCandless, and mellower Lost ...

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Ken Field: Pictures of Motion

by Mark Corroto
March 1, 2000

Composer /Saxophonist/Percussionist Ken Field is adept in the art of culture jamming. His music, played on Sesame Street, schemes to steer the little ones away from senseless drivel and back to creative music. Field, a member of the celebrated modern music ensemble Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic since 1988, has his second solo release, a follow-up to the 1996 Subterranea (O.O. Discs). Like his first release, he utilizes the overdubbing of his alto saxophone, to produce sounds reminiscent of Jameel Moondog, ...