1. JAIMEO BROWN AND TRANSCENDENCE featuring JD Allen, Chris Sholar and vocalist, Falu.

Date: Tuesday May 14, 2013
Time:  9:30pm
Venue: Drom (85 Avenue A, NY, NY 10009, 212- 777-1157)
Ticket: $19
Genre: jazz

Transcendence marks the Motéma Music debut from Jaimeo Brown, a brilliant 34-year-old drummer, composer and conceptualist. With an intriguing amalgam of modern jazz, Southern black spiritual music, East Indian Carnatic music, blues, and hip-hop/electronica production tactics, Transcendence introduces Brown as a fearless renegade – an artist who seeks new pathways for personal musical expression through honoring a deep and broad lineage of musical and cultural traditions. Brown’s chemistry with guitarist/producer Chris Sholar (Q’tip, Kanye West, Jay Z) and jazz sax titan JD Allen is extraordinary.

2. Quickly Quietly w. Ponyhof

Date: Tuesday May 14, 2013
Time:  8pm
Venue: Cameo Gallery (93 N 6th St  Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718-302-1180)
Ticket: $5
Genre: indie rock/avant pop, electronica

Quickly Quietly formed in 2011, at the end of the year they released their debut Seven EP. The band first played together in prospect-lefferts garden and continued grinding out improv sessions into a fresh sound from analog drum machines, deep guitar and heavy rhythms. The new sound, exemplified by the track “Nothing But Air,” is very electric and very live. Lautaro on drums and samples, Paul on bass and keys, Aaron on guitar and vox. Each member serves double duty to the music creating a eclectic sound and a wide palate, uncharacteristic of a rock trio. If there was an ethos to the band it would be song, texture, rhythm, electrified. Quickly Quietly are:  Aaron Hyzen (guitar,vocals/leader), Paul Sikivie (bass & synths), Lautaro Burgos (drums ), Greg Zweiben (synths & percussion)- This band plays edgy indie-esque rock.

Ponyhof, which refers to the German expression “Life’s no pony farm,” is the new collaborative project of songwriter Carrie Erving, who is joined by Chris Loxley (Kelli Rudick, Akron/Family ) on electric cello and synthesizer, Robert Sahm (LeLoup) on bass and Ricky Petraglia (The Blind Woods) on electronic drums. Erving recently moved to Brooklyn after spending the last 3 years in Berlin, where she performed with her former band “erving” and won critical acclaim in Germany for her first album, “Lonely Girl at Heart” (Pop-Up Records 2009).

Ponyhof serves as a platform for both Erving’s melancholy, intimate songwriting and the musicians’ shared interest in the exploration of soundscapes–through cello looping and distortion pedals, synthesizers, electronic beats, and dreamlike lyrics.

3. ULAN BATOR, Insect Ark (Record Release), Ron Anderson & Martin Bisi

Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Time: 8pm
Venue: The Delancy (168 Delancy Street, NY)
Ticket: $8
Genre: no wave/ post rock/ art rock

Yesmisolga Records and the Delancey present three unique talents of the no wave/ post rock/ art rock scene who will converge in New York on May 15th. Collectively this trio of groups has revolved around the Micheal Gira (Swans) axis for more than 20+ years. Additionally, Ron Anderson (Molecules, PAK and long time collaborator of Ulan Bator) will play his vintage Korg MS 20 and bass!

Ulan Bator was produced on Young Gods. Many members are long standing members of Faust as well. Gira says of Ulan Bator: “one of the best french bands in the last 300 years!” Ulan Bator’s first ever US tour will promote its new album En France, En Trance available only on the US tour. This show will be a Bon Voyage party for Ulan Bator and will be the last chance to see them on this tour.

Dana Schecter (Insect Ark) is known from her work with Angels of Light and Bee and Flower. Insect Ark is a solo project, described as having “A weighty drone vibe, beautifully drawn-out space filled with low-end waves crashing, gorgeous guitar textures, intriguing siren calls” (Dusted Magazine, March 2013). Tonight will be the Vinyl record release party for Insect Ark’s new EP, “Long Arms”.
www.insectark.com

Ron Anderson is a multi-instrumentalist and consummate traveler who appears on over 60 recording through out the world. Tonight he will play his original Korg MS20. He started playing with Ulan Bator in 1998 while living in Geneva. He has also performed and/or recorded with – ANOTHONY COLEMAN, JAC BERROCAL, MARK RIBOT, ELLIOTT SHARP, THE SUN CITY GIRLS, SHELLY HIRSCH, THE POOL, OTOMO YOSHIHIDE, SEIICHI YAMAMOTO, JACK WRIGHT, JOHN ZORN and many more.

Martin Bisi needs no introduction, as an indie rock performer and record producer. He has realized albums by Sonic Youth, Swans, Bill Laswell, Boredoms, John Zorn, Foetus, etc etc…Bisi continues his history of sonic excess and layering, which can be ambient and disorienting, and swings between heavier post-rock and indie songs, and intimate and entertaining interludes.

4. Deadly She -Wolf Assassin at Armageddon!

Date: Thursday May 16, 2013 through June 2, 2013
Time:  7:30pm
Venue: La Mama (74A East 4th Street, btw Bowery & 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003, 212-475-7710)
Ticket: $30
Genre: music theatre

A Martial Arts-Samurai Sword Fighting-Music/Theater Fantasy Action-Adventure Blockbuster homage to “Lone Wolf and Cub” (Kozure Ogami) in a story of imperial decline and desperation, revenge, intrigue and catharsis. Fred Ho’s super-talented team unleashes a music/theater work of dazzling spectacle and emotional power.

Music and Concept by Fred Ho / Written by Fred Ho and Ruth Margraff / Directed by Sonoko Kawahara

5. Renegade Sufi

Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013
Time: 9pm
Venue: PIANOS (158 Ludlow St., New York, NY 10002)
Ticket: $8
Genre: sitar-based electronic jazz

Renegade Sufi plays a singular blend of sitar-based electronic jazz. Led by multi-instrumentalist and composer Dawoud—who has performed and recorded with such artists as Lauryn Hill, James Blood Ulmer, and Nona Hendryx—the group expands upon classical raga with otherworldly electronics, hypnotic drum loops, and free-jazz-style improvisation to produce deep, trancelike grooves. He will be joined by Cody Rahn, Holly Cordero (bass), and special guests.

6. Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra (KBIO)

Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013
Time: Rehearsal/ Workshop: 7:00pm, Performance: 8:15pm
Venue: ShapeShifter Lab (18 Whitwell Pl, between Carroll St & 1st St,Brooklyn, NY 11215, ph:  646-820-9452)
Ticket: $15
Genre: nu jazz

Karl Berger developed an innovative orchestra comprised of 20 or more professional string, horn, reed and percussionists

The KBIO takes the principles of the Creative Music Foundation Orchestra Workshops to a professional level, with astounding results. Through an open ‘rehearsal’ that precedes each performance, audiences can listen and watch as Karl transmits the “Music Mind” concepts he developed at CMS. Audiences can see how Karl shapes the sound and feel of the orchestra and how he gets the musicians to harmonize and blend orchestral sounds in an improvisational setting. Conducted in Karl’s inimitable style, this orchestra of extraordinary improvisers explores original themes, melodies from the world’s folk traditions and compositions written by legendary improvisers such as Don Cherry or Ornette Coleman, as well as musical ideas that arise spontaneously. One of the orchestra’s trademarks is Ingrid Sertso’s uncanny vocalization and poetry.

An evening of songs that cross borders between distant places and spaces: South and North America, politics and poetry, pain and humor delivered with a healthy dose of rhythm and plenty of space for audience participation and instrumental solos.

This band was selected by Phillip Glass to perform at the Tune In Festival as an example of a new direction in music and “musical ingenuity.”

Michael Wimberly: voice and percussion
Baba Don Eaton: percussion
Wally Irizarry: bass
Domenica Fossati: flute, voice and percussion
Michael Campbell: electric guitar
Ruben Gonzalez: compositions, voice, guitar

8. Music Now!  Tribute To Jayne Cortez

Date: Sunday, May 19, 2013
Time: 3pm to 7pm
Venue: The Brecht Forum (451 West Street, west side highway btwn Bank St. & Bethune St., New York, NY 10019, 212-242-4201)
Ticket: $10
Genre: jazz/improve/poetry

Jayne Cortez (May 10, 1934– December 28, 2012) was an African-American poet, activist, small press publisher and spoken-word performance artist whose voice is celebrated for its political, surrealistic and dynamic innovations in lyricism and visceral sound. Her writing is part of the canon of the Black Arts Movement. Jayne Cortez died of heart failure in Manhattan, New York, on December 28, 2012.

Curated by Ras Moshe and Kazembe Balagun on MC

3:30  Althea SullyCole-Kora
4:00 Mariposa-Poetry, Ras-Tenor Sax & Flute
4:30 Bern Nix Quartet with Matt Lavelle, Reggie Sylvester & Francois Grillot
5:30 Patricia Spears Jones-Poetry and Jason Kao Hwang-Violin
6:00 Bill Cole’s Untempered Ensemble: “Politics” in dedication to Jayne Cortez:
Bill Cole – Sona, Hojok, Didgerdoo & Flutes
Warren Smith-Drums & Vibes
Joe Daley-Tuba
Althea SullyCole-Poetry
Shayna Dulberger-Bass
Lisette Santiago-Bata Drums & Voice
Ras Moshe-Tenor Sax & Flutes

9. The Secret Chiefs 3

Date: Sunday, May 19, 2013
Time: 9pm
Venue: Union Pool (484 Union Avenue, corner of Union & Meeker, Brooklyn, NY, 718-609-0484)
Ticket: $20
Genre: free oriental rock

Secret Chiefs 3 is an ever unfolding musical vision. In 2004 on the album “Book of Horizons” it was revealed that Secret Chiefs 3 has always been a general name for seven different bands, each representing a different aspect of a musical and philosophical intersection. The seven bands are The Electromagnetic Azoth, UR, Ishraqiyun, Traditionalists, Holy Vehm, FORMS, and a yet unheard seventh band. The sub-groups are appearing increasingly under their own names. Tonight SC3 performs UR and Masada.

Related post: Interview: The Secret Chiefs 3′ Trey Spruance dreams of performing in Iran?