Laminal Animal, a Madison-based trio consisting of Luke Leavitt (piano and electronics), Tim Russell (percussion and electronics), and Ari Smith (bass, percussion and electronics), utilizes improvisation to investigate emergent, complex social interactions in order to create and navigate new sonic landscapes.
Adult Swim at Madison Children’s Museum honors the public pool tradition of kicking the kids out so adults can have the space to themselves (without the water or need for a swimsuit). This 21-and-up event series offers adults the opportunity to play like a grown-up for the evening—crawling, sliding, crafting, and dancing their way through the museum.
Adult Swim is presented by the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.
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
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).
After 2 years of collaborating between Madison, Milwaukee & Ann Arbor ~ Lovely Socialite is finally ready to release our second CD, “Toxic Consonance”! We’ve still got our trademark odd-time signature jazz and free-improv cadenzas, however this time with a lot more distortion pedals! Come out to the release show and grab your copy: it includes wonderfully charming album art from Josh Newland, enigmatic Lovely Socialite Mrs. Thomas W. Phipps field notes by Huckleberry Grimm& masterful studio engineering by Landon Arkens. Tracking, mixing & mastering performed by Landon (aka The 7th Socialite) @ Blast House Studios. We can’t thank him enough for his ability to bring forth the character of our live sound in the studio with such clarity. Thanks to all of our Indie GoGo supporters who pre-ordered the album, you made this possible!
For those of you who follow along with GrimmusiK (or have looked at the shows page on this website) you’ll notice that I play bass every Tuesday night from 9p-12 at The Mason Lounge with the Five Points Jazz Collective. The Mason Lounge is one of my favorite bars in Madison, WI. Brian, the owner, serves 15-or-so carefully selected craft beers on tap which thoroughly range the palette. Every Tuesday, I eagerly await a rundown on the new kegs that have been tapped.
This week, we’re happy to have a special trio night with Brennan Connors & Stray Passage! “Brennan Connors & Stray Passage is bringing it’s unique blend of free jazz, improvised music, and original compositions to the Mason. Come join us for a night of dynamic music running the gamut from fiery high energy sounds to focused minimalism. Brennan Connors on saxophones; Brian Grimm on cello and bass; Geoff Brady on drums and percussion.”
