NYC Jazz Alternatives/The New Generation (IAJE Conference Special)

Wednesday, January 11, 2006, six of New York's top emerging jazz artists and groups converge for a single night at Tonic, to present an alternative venue for young alternative artists outside the purview of the increasingly venerated International Association of Jazz Educators Conference.

The evening features half-hour sets from New York's most talented jazz-alternative artists, lost without a central home such as the Knitting Factory of the 90s or loft scene of yesterdecade.

What defines these artists is not a central aesthetic viewpoint, but a concept that jazz can go beyond the four-to-the-floor swing concept fostered by the mainstream - though all artists have roots that go back to the origins of jazz.

In order of appearance, the night will feature Okkyung Lee, Rashanim, Shane Endsley, Gutbucket, Jacob Garchik Trio, and Benny Lackner Trio.

Cellist and composer Okkyung Lee begins the evening with an all-star group including Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), John Hollenbeck (drums), and Anthony Burr (bass clarinet). “A Korean-born cellist who studied improvisation and film scoring in Boston, Okkyung Lee hit New York in 2000. Seemingly overnight, she became a ubiquitous presence in the downtown avant-garde scene. A powerful, versatile player, Lee has played a substantial role in projects led by John Zorn, Butch Morris and Greg Tate; she also works in a collaborative trio with Tim Barnes and Toshio Kajiwara. Nihm, Lee's debut release as leader, at long last provides firsthand evidence of the distinctive personality behind those prodigious chops." - Steve Smith, Time Out NY. Lee is completing a solo cello CD for Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label; and will appear on BAM's Next Wave Series 2006 with Mike Ladd and Vijay Iyer.

Rashanim, the latest new “Jewish power trio" to release 2 CDs on Tzadik Records, is drawing international acclaim with its newest record Masada Rock. NPR's Weeekend Edition said it's like “you've invited Dick Dale to do the music at your bar mitzvah." trio of guitar, bass and drums/percussion, Rashanim draws on influences including Jewish melodies, indie rock, punk, and jazz. The group is led by guitarist Jon Madof, who has worked with John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Frank London and many others. Shanir Blumenkranz (Satlah, Pharaoh's Daughter) is on bass, and Mathias Kunzli (Lauren Hill) plays drums and percussion. The band gets its name from the noisemakers used during the Jewish holiday of Purim. The Village Voice just says that Rashanim “may be one of the best things to happen to Jewish music since Andy Statman or the Klezmatics."

Shane Endsley could perhaps be considered the first young trumpeter in the “Dave Douglas school." A recent Eastman graduate, Endsley was “discovered" by Douglas at his trumpet summit festival last year, after which Douglas hand-picked Endsley's group “Kneebody" to be the first signing on Douglas's label. Kneebody has released one CD with another one to come in 2006 and its first national tour under its belt. Endsley himself has performed with Ani DiFranco, Steve Coleman, Josh Roseman, Dave Binney, Ravi Coltrane, and others. Tonight, Endsley leads a recent group that includes some of NYC's most important freelancers including Todd Sickafoose (bass), Ted Poor (drums), Matt Moran (vibes), Mike Gamble (guitar), and Erik Deutsch (piano/keyboard).

Gutbucket, the longest-running of all the groups on the bill, has had a 7 year career with 3 CDs to its name on Knitting Factory, Enja, and Cantaloupe Records. Its third CD - to be released in March, Sludge Test, represents its furthest delving from jazz into instrumental saxophone-guitar-bass-drums power rock. Touring the festival and club circuit across Europe, they have performed in 17 countries across the world, along with 29 states at home. They have performed across the US most recently at the Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle, and, in December, completed a sold-out collaboration with Cantaloupe Music label-mates string quartet Ethel at BAM Cafe. The Guardian writes, “Like any self-respecting jazz-thrash-rocklatin- noise band from the dark underbelly of New York, Gutbucket have a peerless way....There is something smart, sleek and assured about Gutbucket, and when they begin firing on all cylinders it makes for an exhilarating, intelligently performed racket." The New York Times has called the group “Ornette Coleman mixed with a rock band."

Jacob Garchik Trio presents the latest work of trombonist/Brooklyn resident Jacob Garchik, his trio with Jacob Sacks, piano and Dan Weiss, drums. Known for his work with such luminaries as Lee Konitz, Steve Swallow, and Joe Maneri, he his a regular member of about 20 ensembles including the Lee Konitz New Nonet, the Ohad Talmor/Steve Swallow Sextet, the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, Slavic Soul Party!, and more. He has performed at the North Sea, Umbria, Montreal, Porto and JVC Jazz Festivals, at four international conventions of music educators, and in 15 countries. He has recorded for Pirhana, Omnitone, Fresh Sound New Talent, NCM East, and Palmetto. The New York Times has called the JG Trio's debut “a bouquet of appealingly compact excursions," Time Out NY calls it “engrossing."

Benny Lackner Trio is an internationally touring group led by Berlin-born NYC-resident pianist/keyboardist Lackner, that has released 2 CDs on the German Nagel-Heyer records, and toured across the USA and internationally - most recently in Germany, Greece, and Switzerland in November. An acoustic-based piano trio, the group uses elements of hip-hop and drum & bass, adding analog synths and eclectic percussion & bass sounds. Reinventing standards and identifying the new classics while focusing on originals, Lacker “may be the first established pianist to come from the Mehldau school... but it is with his own writing that Lackner distinguishes himself the most," writes AllAboutJazz. They continue, “With a contemporary approach, [he] helps give the piano trio a much needed facelift." Lackner, in fact a student of Mehldau's in California, has performed on the Monterey and the Montreux Jazz Festivals, and played with artists such as the late Billy Higgins, Marc Ribot, Brad Shepik and Pheeroan akLaff. JazzTimes raves about trio's first CD Not the Same, “not one track of runs longer than it absolutely has to - a rarity for any jazz album."

For more information, please contact Ken Thomson at [email protected] or 917-620-0344.