MSP/Piano: Post-jazz compositions for improvisers w Aaron Bennett’s Electro-Magnetic Trans-Personal Orchestra @ The Uptown (Tue 09 Jul, 10:30pm) + bran(…)pos (9pm) + Tastyville (9:45pm)

Aaron Bennett’s phenomenal post-jazz ensemble Electro-Magnetic Trans-Personal Orchestra returns to the East Bay in Aram Shelton’s Active Music Series at approx. 10:30pm, Tue 09 Jul @ The Uptown (1928 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland – map, BART, directions)

It’s aways a blast to play with Aaron’s EMTPO, and it will be a special pleasure to bring his fantastic charts to The Uptowns’ Active Music Series.

Curated by Aram Shelton since 2010 at the Uptown, the Active Music Series is focused on presenting new creative jazz and improvised music across the Bay Area and dedicated to highlighting the work of artists that embrace experimentalism, are informed by traditions, and demonstrate the confidence to combine complex concepts into unified works. Specialities of the series are experimental notation, electro-acoustic performance, conduction, compositions with improvisation, avant jazz, free improvisation, chamber music and electronic noise.

If you’ve already heard the first album of Aaron Bennett’s unique compositions released by Electro-Magnetic Trans-Personal Orchestra (cover below),  you’re already coming to this great show. If not, run, don’t walk, to get a copy at http://emtpo.bandcamp.com/ and hear what the fuss is about.

Among Aaron’s many stellar contributions to the Bay Area improv and new music scenes (like sax trio arrangements of Bollywood standards) are fantastic “breathing chart” compositions for large improvising groups that deliver heightened coherence and adventure at the same time. They stand as Himalayas of group improv music. And Electro-Magnetic Trans-Personal Orchestra is the Mt. Everest.

To quote Aaron: “The members of this ensemble utilize the electro-magnetic field of their collective mind to attain a unitive transcendent state of sonic consciousness and in turn, create sublime and/or unusually expanded sonic experiences for their listeners.”

The electro-magnetic field is tuned and amplified by means of unique “breathing chart” compositions using a special graphic notation Aaron has designed for large improvising ensembles to focus and unleash aural energies. The resulting sound is like nothing else and has amazed audiences in a string of orgone-accelerating Bay Area performances over the last year.

(For a more detailed interview with Aaron about this music, please check out Craig Matsumoto’s post: Aaron Bennett’s Electro-Magnetic Improv).

Bio note: Saxist/composer Aaron Bennett has been bending space in the Bay Area jazz and improvised music communities for more than 15 years. Beyond his studies in composition and performance of western music at California Institute of the Arts, Aaron has also studied and played the music of West Africa, Indonesia, India, and Traditional Japanese 雅楽 (Gagaku) music. He has performed throughout the United States and abroad including performances with Wadada Leo Smith, Peter Kowald, John Butcher, Donald Robinson, Marco Eneidi, Gianni Gebbia, Weasel Walter, Adam Lane, Larry Ochs, Steve Adams, John Raskin, Victoria Williams, Aphrodesia, Lagos-Roots, The Rova Saxophone Quartet and many others.

He leads his own groups Go-Go-Fightmaster, Electro-Magnetic Trans-Personal Orchestra and performs in the Oakland Active Orchestra , Lisa Mezzacappa’s Bait & Switch, Vijay Anderson Quartet, and Guerilla Hi-Fi. Aaron has composed for large ensembles, chamber groups, plays, films, dance performances, wind quintet, saxophone quartets and trios as well as pieces for solo instruments.

In addition to Aaron Bennett (sax & compositions), the line-up for this show will also include:

Rob Ewing – trombone

Darren Johnston – trumpet

Jeff Hobbs – violin

Bob Marsh – accordion/cello (and spiritual guidance counselor)

Lisa Mezzacappa – bass

Joe Lasqo – MSP & piano

Beginning the show at 9pm in Set 1 will be the inimitable bran(…)pos.

When you think of experimental vocal tract procedures, “face music”, and larger than life meta-presence through extreme video manipulation, you can only be thinking of… bran(…)pos.

Fresh from a brilliant performance at the Center for New Music, bran(…)pos will re-polarize your aura in this Uptown set. To quote Amanda Chaudhary (अमांडा चौधरी), describing a bran(…)pos performance at the 2011 Outsound New Music Summit:

“Bran(…)pos…. fit the term “face music”. He disappeared behind a screen onto which a colorful image of a butterfly was projected. From behind the screen, one could hear disembodied sounds of chewing, crunching, churning, squeaks, pops and other percussion that one can make with the face and mouth – at once they were everyday sounds, but also heightened through amplification and rhythmic placement.

After a period of time, the otherwise still video started to glitch, with grainy video images briefly appearing on the screen. After a moment, I realized that this was in fact the face of the artist from behind the screen.

Soon, the live video replaced the still images entirely. (From my vantage point, I could actually glimpse the “man behind the curtain” while watching the live video.) The sounds and visuals together gave the impression that he was “eating” the microphone. After a while, soft resonant bell-like sounds emerged in the background behind the face sounds, and gradually loops and rhythms began to emerge as well as the facial gestures in the video grew more frantic.

There was a moment when the “face music” seemed to stop, leaving only a drone of pure synthesizer sounds, after which… the background elements grew more industrial, with strong resonances that morphed into large bells. The set ended in a visual of melting red.”

Don’t miss an opportunity to experience the unique aesthetic sensibility and consciousness-altering techniques of the Bay Area’s leading visagiste as he starts the show off with bang.

Following at approx. 9:45pm in Set 2 will be the indescribable Tastyville.

Not to be confused with Tastyville Pizza Buffet of Greenville, NC, this unholy love child of ringleaders Cansofis Foote (musique) and Charlie St. Claire (vocal interventions and interpretative dance) proves there are art forms that cannot be intended.

Brand Promise: “If you want to get a thrill… a show that’s gonna kill… call Tastyville!”

Existential Question: “Why don’t we make a list of all your favorite lists?”

Smash Hit & Invented Holiday (“The night before Halloween is when the real freaks arrive…”): Philoweenadelphia

As they say in  A Show for Succulents, “Don’t take the brown spicy mustard” (something else will be much more appropriate…).

Let us blow your little mind at the Uptown… see you there!

Joe