Vortex Live CD Release Party!!

CD Release Party

Sunday, June 26, from 2:00-5:00

the Cafe at the Somerville Armory,

191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA.

The Vortex Series just released an amazing cd called Vortex Live. It features adventurous performances by some of the best musicians in the New England area. It took 3 years to cultivate and grow into the 9 track cd that it has become. We are very happy to announce our cd release party which will take place Sunday afternoon June 26 starting at 2:00. Some of our best friends will be there to perform live and you can pick up your very own copy in person. Feel free to check out our CD Baby page as well to sample or to even download our music. The link is right here at the top right hand side of our blog. So please save the time and the date and come on down!

Andy Voelker Trio, b.mez, Todd Brunel Trio

Friday June 17 8:30 at Zumix, 260 Sumner st, E. Boston, MA.
The Vortex Series is proud to welcome the Andy Voelker trio with Jeff Galindo on trombone and Jeff Charland on double bass.
The Andy Voelker Trio plays free explorations and Andy's original compositions ranging from tone poems to swinging tours de forces. Andy has been playing in the saxophone trio setting for years born out of the noticeable lack of actual pianos in the clubs and bars around Boston. The AV Trio chooses compositions and approaches that make it differ from other formats Andy plays in even when the players are the same. He will be joined by Jeff Galindo on trombone and Jeff Charland on bass.

Andy Voelker is a Berklee trained jazz musician who has studied bebop, hard bop, modern jazz, free jazz, avant guard jazz, and so called noise music. Having embraced the Boston free music scene early on, Andy has been able to incorporate many of the techniques and morals of the avant guard into a unique approach that stands out on the Boston improvisation scene.

The vortex is also proud to welcome b.mez, an improvisational loop- and fx-based project featuring members of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic plus guests.
Michael Bierylo/guitar/loops/electronics

Ken Field/sax/flute/loops/electronics
Rick Scott/synthesizer/loops
Encanti/electronic beats/loops
Formed in 1980,post-punk,art-rock pioneers Birdsongs of the Mesozoic are known world-wide for their wide-ranging,innovative instrumental constructions."It's as if Ornette Coleman was in a no-rock band with Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny and the Kronos Quartet suddenly stopped by to get drunk with them on Teleman's grave." -Performer Magazine

In contrast to the compositionally-based Birdsongs, b.mez functions as a nimble landing craft, emphasizing spontaneity and improvisational energy, while retaining the structured sensibility that guides the mother ship.
"Totally sublime and deeply moving." - The Noise

The night will also feature an improvisational trio with Todd Brunel on clarinets and soprano sax, Peter Cassino on piano and Pam Marshall on french horn.

John Tchicai's Six Points

John Tchicai's Six Points: Ascension Unending

Friday, May 20 - 8:30 PM @ Zumix, 260 Sumner St, East Boston

performers: John Tchicai, Garrison Fewell, Alex Weiss, Rosi Hertlein, Dmitry Ishenko, Ches Smith,

John Tchicai's Six Points is a collaborative ensemble consisting of the following six sensible musical personalities: Saxophonist/singer John Tchicai, and with sounds ready for Victoriaville and elsewhere, guitarist Garrison Fewell, along with the bass is "the base" bassist Dmitry Ishenko, totally in tune with herself violinist/singer Rosie Hertlein, excuisite drummer companion Ches Smith, and he who always knows when and where to place the next tone, fabulous saxophonist Alex Weiss.

The ensemble paints wonderful inner landscapes, plays compositions by the group members and improvises solo's, duo's, trio's etc. and continues the way of music communication initiated by John Coltrane on his momentous Ascension recordings.

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By approaching jazz from a wide scope, Afro-Danish-American John Tchicai has been continuously progressive throughout his life. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1936, of a Danish mother and a Congolese father and growing up in healthy surroundings, John Martin Tchicai became a leading exponent of the jazz avant-garde in New York in the '60s and a father-figure for the European avant-garde after that. Now based in Davis, California, and Claira, France, by a single-mindedness of purpose and action, his work still reflects what he's always been doing, which is innovate and inspires other people, in a most refreshing way. The Danish ministry of Culture recognized his work by awarding him a lifetime grant.

John Tchicai

Friday May 20, 2011 at Zumix, 260 Sumner St, E. Boston, MA. 8:30, $10 Suggested donation.

The Vortex Series is proud to present John Tchicai as a feature performer at its next concert, to be held May 20 at the beautifully renovated Zumix Firehouse in East Boston. Approaching jazz from a wide scope, Afro-Danish American John Tchicai is a composer & saxophonist whose music is internationally known for its compelling sense of rhythm, drama and humor, its freedom, spirituality, healing qualities and ultimate freshness. He recorded with both John Coltrane (“Ascension”) and John Lennon (“Life with Lions”), founded ensembles like “New York Art Quartet”, “Cadentia Nova Danica” and “John Tchicai & the Archetypes”, he has composed for jazz & classical ensembles and he records, tours and teaches continuously. Based today in Davis, CA and Claira, France, John Tchicai is also the first recipient of a lifetime grant for Jazz performance from the State of Danmark.

He will be working with his New York based project, Six Points which also features bassist Dmitry Ishenko, violinist/singer Rosie Hertlein, drummer Ches Smith and saxophonist Alex Weiss.

The concert will start at 8:30 pm at the Zumix Firehouse, 260 Sumner Street, East Boston, located just around the corner from the Blue Line Maverick T-stop. As a proud recipient of a 2011 Somerville Arts Council Grant, The Vortex Series is also an affiliate of Art Without Borders, based in Harvard Square.

Sunshine Soldier, Saxophone in Machines, Peter Cassino

Friday April 15, 8:30 at Zumix, 260 Sumner St, E. Boston, MA 02128

Saxophone in Machines:

is Michael Dobiel and Kelly Roberge. Their axes of choice are saxophones and laptops. The duo seeks to tame these machines to create a fully integrated improvised music. Mike and Kelly have been playing together since May 2010. This day was characterized by everything from malfunctioning computers, to microphones being beaten against the ground. It was all done against the backdrop of a video of moon landings. They have not looked back
since.

Sunshine Soldier:

It is rare that a new improvising band can walk right pastconvention and into a sonic territory all their own. Sunshine Soldier is doing just that. Whether its the delicious sonic hideousness of Brad Henkel playing a balloon through his mouthpiece, the soft-spoken
melodies on Stardrum's melodica or the crunchy, percussive blasts from Carlson's baritone guitar, these guys are executing their sonic landscapes fearlessly.

Peter Cassino piano:

In 1961 at the young age of 21, Peter was one of a growing number of American jazz players who relocated to Europe. During that time, Peter had the opportunity to play with a number of prominent players who were also living in Europe. Among them were trumpeter Benny Baily, alto saxophonist Leo Wright, and drummer Joe Harris. His life as a full-time jazz musician really started in West Berlin during this time. In 1969 Peter returned to the United States and completed his formal music studies. As an undergraduate piano major at the School for the Arts at Boston University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music, he had the good fortune to study piano with Leon Tumarkin and Anthony di Bonaventura. He received a Master of Music in jazz piano from the New England Conservatory where he studied piano with Jaki Byard and composition with George Russell.

Mr Cassino is head of the Modern American Music Department at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA.

EAR DUO with Robots, Garrison Fewell Trio NYC.

Friday April 1, 8:00 Somerville Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA
The EAR DUO with Robots and The Garrison Fewell trio with Steve Swell trombone and Andrew Raffo Dewar alto sax.

The EAR Duo and Robots!

Founded in 2005 by saxophonist Michael Straus and bassoonist Dana Jessen, the EAR (Electro Acoustic Reed) Duo is dedicated to the performance of new, improvised and experimental electroacoustic music. Recently praised by the Boston Music Intelligencer for performing "with conviction and authenticity," the duo can regularly be seen presenting a variety of works ranging from new commissions written specifically for them, to original arrangements of works by Terry Riley, Steve Reich and James Tenney. Attempting to stretch the limits of duo performance, their concerts include aspects of theater coupled with visual and electronic media. Aside from performing on their respective instruments, EAR Duo has teamed up with the brilliant trio of guys in EMMI (Expressive Machines Musical Instruments) and recently received funding through a Kickstarter campaign. Yes the Ear duo will be playing live with robots at the Vortex!! They have commissioned a series of musical robots to unleash on the U.S. and Europe.

Garrison Fewell Trio with Steve Swell trombone and Andrew Raffo Dewar soprano saxophonist.

Renowned for his mature, melodic sound and elegant, lyrical style of writing, guitarist Garrison Fewell has established himself as a distinctive voice throughout his 30-year career. Critics have called him "one of today’s most personal guitar players" (Boston Phoenix), "an assured stylist with a strong sense of tradition" (The New Yorker), "a player of virtuosity and swinging intensity" (UPI), and "refined, passionate, and inspiring" (Guitar Player).

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Steve Swell has been an active member of the NYC music community since 1975. He has toured and recorded with many artists from main-streamers such as Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich to so called outsiders, Anthony Braxton, Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor and William Parker. He has over 25 Cds as a leader or co-leader and is a featured artist on more than 90 other releases. He runs workshops around the world and is a teaching artist in the NYC public school system focusing on special needs children.

Andrew Raffo Dewar (b.1975 Rosario, Argentina) is a composer, improviser, woodwind instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist. Since 1995, he has been active in the music communities of Minneapolis, New Orleans, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, performing his work in North America, Southeast Asia and Europe. Dewar studied with saxophonist/composers Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton and Phillip Greenlief, composer Alvin Lucier, trumpeter/composer Bill Dixon, and multi-instrumentalist improviser Milo Fine. He has also had a long involvement with Indonesian traditional and experimental music, particularly the Minangkabau music of West Sumatra and Central Javanese gamelan.

Birdsongs and Quantum Trio

The Vortex Series presents: March 18, 8:30 at Zumix, 260 Sumner st, East Boston, MA.

Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic began in 1980 as a side project by half of Boston's now legendary Mission Of Burma, Roger Miller and Martin Swope. Miller and Swope joined forces with Rick Scott and Erik Lindgren for what was originally conceived as a recording project only. In 1983, they released a self-titled EP, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic.

With the demise of Mission Of Burma at about the same time as the EP's release, Birdongs Of The Mesozoic became a full-time band for all members. In 1984 they released another LP, Magnetic Flip, and began extensive touring to support its release. A year later they released another EP, Beat Of The Mesozoic, and again set out on tour.

In 1987, Roger Miller left the group to concentrate on solo projects and was replaced by saxophonist Ken Field. Birdsongs' new lineup recorded Faultline, released on Cuneiform (Rune 19). Their second Cuneiform release, Pyroclastics (Rune 35), appeared in 1992. Shortly afterwards, guitarist Michael Bierylo replaced Martin Swope, who moved to Hawaii. In 1993 a collection of previously unreleased material from 1980-1987 featuring the band's first lineup and accompanied by a written history, The Fossil Record (Rune 55) paid tribute to Birdsongs' early years.

1995's Dancing On A'A (Rune 69) was the first Birdsongs release to feature the current lineup of the group, which has been performing ever since to widespread acclaim.

Birdsongs' instrumentation is as striking as its music: two keyboards, guitar, and saxophone blend with electronic and acoustic percussion (including a Mercury Cougar hubcap and a paint can) to produce sound "...as meditative as it is physical, as rooted in classical structure and jazz improvisation as it is in rock 'n roll." (The Boston Globe)

Since 1994, the members of Birdsongs have been Aritsts-In-Residence at Dartmouth College and Massachusetts College Of Art. Other recent notable performances have included the Knitting Factory in New York City, the Honolulu Academy Of Arts, the Monadnock Music Festival in New Hampshire, and Real Art Ways in Hartford, Connecticut.

Quantum Trio
Michael Shea- piano/electric keyboard
Hilary Noble-tenor saxophone/flute/congas/

percussion
Dennis Warren-drums/timbales/quica/percussion

Michael Shea studied at Karl Berger's Creative Music Studio in
Woodstock NY; he has performed with Raqib Hassan, FMRJE and a wide
swathe of jazz and creative improvisation communities throughout the USA.

Hilary Noble studied congas in Havana with Maximino Duquesne and
saxophone in the USA with Yusef Lateef. He was mentored by in Europe by
the great Afrocentric free jazz bandleader Clifford Thornton. He has played with Bo Diddley, Esperanza Spalding, Eric Crasno, Bobby Sanabria, Ray Vega and others.

Dennis Warren the self described quantum drummer, graduated from Bennington College where he studied with Black music theorists like the late trumpeter Bill Dixon and drummer Milford Graves, he was around to experience the tail end of the Free Jazz psychedelic epoch. Dennis has toured Europe and recorded with trumpeter Raphe Malik and saxophonist Glenn Spearman. He also leads and produces FMRJE.

Hear the Trio at these links:
http://www.fmrje.com/NSW1.mp3
http://www.fmrje.com/NSW2.mp3
http://www.fmrje.com/NSW3.mp3