“We are very pleased to Welcome Ben Bennett, visiting from Columbus, Ohio. David Grollman will also perform.OPEN NOISEMAKING SESSION TO FOLLOW – explore your inner floor scraper, byo spatula, show us what you’ve got, kittens.

The handheld clips shot at Ben Bennett’s live shows depict a man unquestionably depraved. A victim of his own creative vision, the Ohio-based artist is portrayed scraping chairs across the floor with bare feet, stripping down to his underwear with a cardboard tube pressed to his lips, squirming on the ground with a metal cylinder between his legs and rasping through some makeshift horn. All of this is realized while exploiting an unsystematic array of tools that formulate a repertoire propelling persistent noise against an etching metallic quiet, which is captivating for two reasons: firstly because it throws up difficult questions concerning the value of the work at stake; and secondly because the artist is uncontrollably absorbed by his own freakish conduct. Throughout each performance, Bennett appears to be in a magnificent trance. He doesn’t know what is going to happen next and neither does his perplexed audience; he has to feel his way around whatever potential the objects around him inspire.” http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/ben-bennett-spoilage

2. Nashaz (Album Release Concert)

Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Time: 7:15pm
Venue: Drom (85 Avenue A, NY, NY 10009, Ph: 212- 777-1157)
Ticket: $10
Genre: nu and traditional arabic music

Arresting and compelling, Nashaz will immediately engage fans of Arabic music, jazz, and masterful oud playing. Brian Prunka’s 1930s Nahat oud takes center stage, and moments like the belly dance-inspired Hijaz Nashaz; the mysterious melody of City of Sand; and the fiery Jurjina reveal a depth of understanding of ornamentation and phrasing that prove him a serious contender on the instrument.  As a composer, Prunka successfully blurs the lines between two sonic worlds, creating music that showcases the best of both, while striking out in stirring new directions. Nashaz reflects the best of both worlds and fans of jazz, Arabic music, and great instrumental playing and composing will find much to enjoy on this concert celebrating their new CD release.

Transplanted to Brooklyn from New Orleans, Prunka brings together jazz adventurousness, New Orleans rhythm, and years of experience with Arabic music as an essential voice in the band. Aside from leading Nashaz, he has performed internationally with Simon Shaheen, Michael Bates, Ravish Momin, the New York Arabic Orchestra, The Vancouver International Orchestra, Zikrayat, The Near East River Ensemble, and others. Joined by a coterie of top-notch NY jazz and world musicians like Kenny Warren on trumpet (Slavic Soul Party), George Mel and Vin Scialla (Snehasish Mozumder), expect an evening of seductively fascinating music.

Related Post

CD Review: A puzzling and intriguing challenge from an Egyptian cab driver in New Orleans inspires an impulse purchase of an alluring album in a used CD store. The album inspires a search for a difficult to find instrument, which in turn takes a jazz player to a radically different approach…Nashaz  

3. Miki Hirose Quintet

Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Time: 9pm – 10pm
Venue: Smoke (2751 Broadway, NY 10025)
Ticket: $10
Genre: jazz

Miki began playing trumpet in High school in his native city Kobe, Japan. He quickly became a well sought after talent in the Kansai West Japan area. After graduating from high school Miki was one of the youngest recipients to receive several awards for his talent such as the Shoji Nakayama and Naniwa Art Prize awards. Miki arrived in New York in 2003 and has been freelancing here ever since. He has played with many prestigious artist in the New York scene such as Benny Golson, Frank Lacy, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Frank Wess, Billy Harper, Primordial Jazz Funktet, Rick Parker Collective, Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, Valery Ponomarev Big Band, Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, Matt Snow Group and many others. Miki continues to perform internationally.

In 2010 he released his debut album entitled A DAY IN NEW YORK which received critically acclaimed responses and reviews and massive radio plays in Japan. He has currently released his new album SCRATCH which is a reflection of his inspiration of Latin music.

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2013
Time: 7:15pm
Venue: Drom (85 Avenue A, NY, NY 10009, Ph: 212- 777-1157)
Ticket: $15
Genre: Turkish and Balkan sounds to jazz and classical music