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Jazz Articles about Ken Vandermark
Transatlantic Five: Transitions
by Mark Corroto
There is an expression in meditation for when an individual is concentrating on their breath, “it's a simple practice, but not easy." A similar statement might be made about Transitions by the Transatlantic Five. The music is not simple, but it is easy. Easy, at least for this quintet. The American duo of Ken Vandermark (tenor saxophone, clarinet) and trumpeter Nate Wooley crossed an ocean (thus the name) to perform and record with the German trio of vibraphonist ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman: Reed Rapture in Brooklyn
by Jeff Schwartz
Is this album fundamentally unreviewable? Are there jazz fans who do not immediately know if they need an 11-hour collection of 103 improvised duets between Ivo Perelman and a dozen saxophonists and clarinetists? It is at least describable. Perelman is faithful to his tenor, while his partners bring examples of nearly every type of saxophone, from soprillo to contrabass, as well as most of the clarinet family. Although all tracks are free improvisations, the default mode is ...
Continue ReadingKen Vandermark: Returning To The Road With A New Band And New Energy
by John Chacona
For three decades, Ken Vandermark has criss-crossed the globe as one of music's most restless and exploratory improvisors. Yet as he embarked on a tour in Spring 2023, his improvisatory skills were put to the test--not as a musician, but as a bandleader and organizer. He assembled a new band, Edition 55, that includes some of the most adventurous young musicians on the Chicago scene: Lily Finnegan on drums, tubist Beth McDonald, cellist Katinka [Kleijn and bassist Nick ...
Continue ReadingReed Rapture With Vandemark And More
by Bob Osborne
On this show we conclude our twelve week look at Ivo Perelman's Reed Rapture In Brooklyn with music from his partnership with Ken Vandermark. There is also further music from Vandermark plus new albums from Mark Ortwein, John Bailey and Dave Stryker.Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Ivo Perelman and Ken Vandermark “Four" from Reed Rapture In Brooklyn (Mahalaka Music) 00:54 Ken Vandermark, Klaus Kugel, Mark Tokar “Automatic Suite" from Escalator (Not Two Records) 05:30 Mark Ortwein “It Was Time" ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman: Reed Rapture in Brooklyn
by Mark Corroto
"Let's play two," the famous line by the Cubs Hall-of-Fame baseball player Ernie Banks in 1969, uttered when the temperature in Chicago had reached 105 degrees (40.5 celsius) and his teammates were exhausted, might find its analogy with this massive undertaking from saxophonist Ivo Perelman. At eleven hours in length though, the two games Banks cited are not single games, but more like two double-headers here. Like the baseball infielder, Perelman has limitless energy and a never-ending appetite for creativity, ...
Continue ReadingReed Rapture In Brooklyn: A Box Set Of Woodwind Duets With Ivo Perelman
by Hrayr Attarian
One of the 20th century's musical geniuses, saxophonist Charlie Parker said “Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you that music has boundaries. But, man, there's no boundary line to art." This statement on unbridled creativity applies perfectly to saxophonist Ivo Perelman's oeuvre. Perelman, however, is not just a saxophonist. Although the tenor is one of his favorite tools of expression, he is an ...
Continue ReadingMade To Break: F4 Fake
by Mark Corroto
If you count their three download-only releases from 2016, F4 Fake by Ken Vandermark's Made To Break is the band's ninth release since forming in 2011. This is significant because like his quintet Vandermark 5, which existed from 1996 until 2010, this quartet and his ensemble Marker are the main drivers for the trailblazing composer. Not to say his solo work and duos with musicians such as Paal Nilssen-Love, Nate Wooley, and Tim Daisy aren't also growth rings in his ...
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