9/23-24 | ImprovisationaLU – Lawrence University Festival of Improvised Music

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Lawrence University Festival of Improvised Music

Presented by Deep Listeners of Lawrence University

The first annual Festival of Improvised Music will be an all weekend event for the Lawrence and Appleton Communities. The aim of the event is to show case all kinds of improvised music and to engage the audience in as many ways as possible. We are featuring some of the finest improvisers from the LU Community, the Wisconsin Community and from across the country.

Check out this Lawrence Univeristy News write-up:
ImprovisationaLU: Two-day festival features some of music world’s best improvisers

FRIDAY
Warch Campus Center–Esch Hurvis Room
8-9PM: Matt Turner & Hal Rammel
9:15-10:30PM: Jen Shyu‘s Solo Rites: Seven Breaths directed by Garin Nugroho

McCarthy Co-op – Late Night House Show (Students Only)
11-12AM: Matt Blair Trio w/ John Christensen and Devin Drobka
12-1AM: Brian Grimm & Sam Genualdi

SATURDAY
Warch Campus Center–Esch Hurvis Room
7:15-8:15PM: Carnage The Executioner
8:30-9:15PM: Fred Frith Solo
9:20-10:15PM: White Out w/ Fred Frith

McCarthy Co-op – Late Night House Show (Students Only)
11-12AM: Multa Nox
12-1AM: Pony Pop

Supported by: LUCC, McCarthy Co-op, SAI, Sinfonia, SOL Studios, EMC, Fiddle Club, Band Booking Committee, WLFM, WAC, SLUG, ORC

No Cover – Donations Benefit BLUME-Haiti


8/11, 8/12 | BC Grimm “Orbis Obscura” CD Release Show!

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Album Artwork by John Praw Kruse

Thr 8/11 | 8pm $5 @ West End Conservatory

5500 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53208

“Orbis Obscura” CD Release Show feat.

HENRY/DROBKA/WELLER/MCEVOY/MILLER QUINTET

BC GRIMM

Fri 8/12 | 8pm $5 @ ArtIn Gallery

1444 E Washington Ave, Madison, Wisconsin 53703

“Orbis Obscura” CD Release Show feat.

HENRY (NYC) / WELLER (CHI) QUARTET

BC GRIMM

New BC Grimm “Orbis Obscura” (2016) CD $10
2nd ed. “The Ideating Knell” (2014) CD $10
Both CDs for $15
at the show

“Orbis Obscura” is a 35 minute “sci-fi tone poem” for Pipa (Chinese lute) with delay & fuzz pedals by BC Grimm. Available Friday, 8/12 on CD & Digital from Other Obscura Records! Other Obscura is a label promoting the compositions and improvisations of artists in Milwaukee, Madison and the surrounding areas. Est. 2016.

GrimmusiK Records is running a limited edition second printing of BC Grimm’s “The Ideating Knell”, originally released in 2014 by Signal Dreams. This seminal 70min work by BC Grimm features 16 experimental compositions performed on prepared Guzheng and phased Guqin Chinese zithers.  Available at the show!

BC Grimm

Cellist & composer Brian Grimm grew up surrounded by Chinese string instruments of every sort. After initial lessons in Chinese music with Yang Wei (pipa) & Daxun Zhang (bass) of the Silkroad Enesemble, he was lucky to then study guqin (zither), pipa (lute), gaohu (fiddle) & daruan (bass lute) in Hong Kong with members of the 香港中樂團 Hong Kong Chinese OrchestraWuji Ensemble 無極樂團. Over the last 15 years Grimm has developed a deep language of Free Improvisation & Composition with groups such as The Brothers Grimm, Lovely Socialite, and Brennan Connors & Stray Passage. In conjunction with performing & teaching, Brian runs GrimmusiK Records – a label for all projects involving him & his brother AJ (classical & flamenco guitar).

BCG on cello + pipa by John Hiller Brumbaugh

BCG on cello + pipa by John Hiller Brumbaugh


 

5/5 | Audio for the Arts presents: HANGING HEARTS punk/jazz trio (Chi)

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This April, I had the fortunate luck of catching a thrilling late night set from Hanging Hearts punk/jazz trio in Detroit. Ben Willis and I were performing on a different side of town & stopped by afterwards to catch one of our favorite drummers, one of Wisconsin’s best, Devin Drobka. Devin, Chris & Cole of Hanging Hearts brought the house down with incredible energy, driving compositions, and excellent group communication. Even after a quite robust set, people were hungry for more. This in-studio concert will help Hanging Hearts prepare to go back into the studio this June to record their next album, produced by drummer Dave King of The Bad Plus.

Thr, 5/5 |  @ Audio for the Arts Studios
7 S. Blair St., Madison, WI
$10  Doors at 7:30p  /  Music at 8p

Recording Engineer & Host – Steve Gotcher

HANGING HEARTS (Chi) is:
Chris Weller – tenor saxophone
Cole DeGenova – keyboards/effects
Devin Drobka – drums/percussion
http://www.hangingheartsmusic.com/

Hanging Hearts is a Chicago-based jazz trio with rock energy dedicated to the fearless exploration of group improvisation. Described by critics as “hammering the walls between genres,” their music bridges the gap between jazz, rock, and experimental music. The band features Chris Weller on tenor saxophone, Cole DeGenova on keyboards, and Devin Drobka on drums. While Chris and Cole grew up in Chicago, playing professionally in jazz and blues clubs by the age of 15, the trio was completed at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where all three members graduated. The trio’s repertoire consists of their original compositions and free improvisations.

Members of the group have performed around the world and shared the stage with Joe Lovano, Jerry Bergonzi, Greg Osby, Tony Malaby, Tower of Power, Lettuce, Kurt Elling, Snarky Puppy, Lupe Fiasco, Greg Ward, Tim Daisy, and Dave Rempis, among others. Notable performances as a band include the Jazzinec Festival in Czech Republic and Nádasdy Castle in Sárvár, Hungary. Though they have been playing together for years, the group released their debut album in October ’14, with supporting US shows and European tour (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, & Romania).


 

3/25 Milwaukee, 3/26 Madison – Lovely Socialite Live!

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Fri  3/25  8pm  $5 cover
@ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
1001 E Locust St
Milwaukee, Wi 53212

Sun//Decrease (MILWAUKEE, WI)
Percussion by Devin Drobka
Upright Bass by Barry Paul Clark
Vocals by WC Tank

LOVELY SOCIALITE (MADISON/MILWAUKEE, WI)
Cello – Pat Reinholz
Cello/Pipa/Gaohu – Brian Grimm
Trombone – Corey Murphy
Vibraphone – Abe Sorber
Upright Bass – Ben Willis
Percussion – Mike Kozewski

Trench (MILWAUKEE, WI)
Guitar-Jay Mollerskov
Soprano Saxophone-Steve Nelson-Raney
Percussion-Devin Drobka


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Sat  3/26  8pm  $5 door
@ The Frequency
121 W Main St
Madison, WI 53703

LOVELY SOCIALITE

HONEYMOONERS

JOHN PRAW & THE NORTH AMERICAN COUNSEL FOR A MOONLESS TOMORROW