Monday, November 7, 2016

The Bleeding Edge: 11/7/2016

To call this a busy week may be a bit of an understatement. As was already reported, it will conclude with the first “weekend of choices” of the season; and there will also be a generous schedule of activities at the Center for New Music. In addition, as was reported yesterday, the Exploratorium will be hosting the Del Sol String Quartet giving the world premiere of Pamela Z’s “Attention.” However, San Francisco still has a few more options to offer to the truly adventurous listeners as follows:

Wednesday, November 9, 7:30 p.m., Canessa Gallery: This will be the first of the two November shows presented in the Composers in Performance Series. Three composers will be featured, each with a solo set. Bill Baird is currently studying experimental music at Mills College; but, after performing with Sound Team, he began playing solo in 2006, first as {{{Sunset}}} and later under his own name. Jeffrey Alexander began by following the Grateful Dead and taping their concerts, after which he began to establish his own approaches to nonstandard rock and provocative approaches to performance. Finally, Derek Gaines is currently living in Los Angeles performing as half of the psych rock band Jerkagram. As a soloist his interest is in repetitive structures as influenced by Robert Fripp. The Canessa Gallery is located at 708 Montgomery Street, right on the “border” between the Financial District and North Beach. Admission will be between $10 and $20, payable at the door.

Thursday, November 10, 8 p.m., Luggage Store Gallery: This week’s LSC (Luggage Store Creative) Music Series concert will consist of two solo improvisation sets. The first set will be taken by Tom Djll applying extended performance techniques (usually involving electronics) to his trumpet work. He will be followed by Kevin CK Lo, who utilizes a variety of instruments, digital sound processing, and generative programming environments to examine spatial and auditory sensitivities, topological structure, and kinesthetic responses from the audience. The Luggage Store Gallery is at 1007 Market Street, directly across from the Golden Gate Theatre at the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Taylor Street. As always admission will be on a sliding scale between $6 and $15.

Friday, November 11, and Saturday, November 12, 8:30 p.m., The Independent: UnderCover will present a tribute concert in recognition of Bjork’s album Homogenic. Each of the ten tracks on the album will be given a rethinking by a leading soloist or ensemble based in the Bay Area. These will be performed according to the track order of the album. Tracks and performers will be as follows:
  1. Hunter: ANML (formerly Lila Rose)
  2. Jóga: Pamela Z
  3. Unravel: Zena Carlota
  4. Bachelorette: Bells Atlas
  5. All Neon Like: Redwood Tango Ensemble
  6. 5 Years: Jazz Mafia’s NOT a Brass Band, featuring Yvette Pylant
  7. Immature: Madeline Kenney
  8. Alarm Call: Gino Robair
  9. Pluto: Denny Denny Breakfast
  10. All is Full of Love: Sólás Burke-Lalgee and DJ Cecil
Geneva Harrison will serve as Music Director for the entire program, which, as can be seen above, will be given two performances. The Independent is located at 628 Divisadero Street. Tickets will be $28, $23 if purchased in advance. Tickets may be purchased online through separate Ticketfly event pages for the Friday and Saturday performances. Doors will open at 8 p.m.

Sunday, November 13, 8:30 p.m, The Lab: This will be an evening of compositions by Chris Brown that will involve extended free improvisations and interactive computer interventions. Brown will alternate between computer and piano, leading a trio whose other members will be Theresa Wong (cello, voice, and amplification) and Kyle Bruckmann (oboe and analog electronics). The major work on the program will be “First Light,” a setting of poetry by Jackson MacLow and based on Harry Partch’s system of dividing the octave into 43 distinct steps. Brown will also give the premiere of a restoration of his 1988 “Snakecharmer,” composed for soloist and feedback network. The final work will be Brown’s 2015 “Obelisk,” an improvisation structure in a seven-limit tuning system (based entirely on the first seven natural harmonics) in which the trio will perform with interactive electronics.

The Lab is located in the Mission at 2948 16th Street. This is a short walk from the corner of Mission Street, where there is both a BART station and bus stops for both north-south and east-west travel. Admission will be $15 with no charge for members of The Lab. Doors will open at 8 p.m.; and, since there is usually a large turnout for these events, early arrival is highly recommended, particularly since advance registration has now been closed.

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