avant garde jazz

More commonly know as "new music." Yes, friends, this is really the name of a very interesting genre of music. Much of it is improvised, and it has it's roots in jazz. The outer edges of it is called "noise" (for reals, this is what the musicians call their music. and it really is just noise). One of my housemates is very into this scene, and we have a decent amount of shows of this new music at my house. Generally, I try to work the door for these events, as to not have to sit in the theater and listen/watch. One of the locals that is well known in this genre is also a good friend of mine. Some of you may know him as inappropriately older man. He is a lovely person, and very passionate about his music. However, as one of my lovely housemates put it last night, it makes me want to kill small children. I don't feel that strongly about the sound, but it's certainly not my cup of tea.

So, last night we had one of these new music events. My darling friend, IOM, played in a trio with a visiting musician from New York, and I sat at the door and read Ex Machina. Then there was a little break. And then the "headliner" went on. A cellist/vocalist named Theresa Wong, and a percussionist named Gino Robair. I snuck away from the door to go watch for a minute, several housemates had seen Theresa perform a few weeks back and raved about her. I sat down on the steps to the booth. And. It was amazing. In a way I can't describe at all. It was totally crazy, maybe the music equivalent of Guillermo Gomez Pena, in that same chaotic, somewhat violent, entirely involving and passionate way. I don't know that I would call it music, as much as performance art. The percussionist ripped his drum apart, which was part of the incredible sounds he was making, playing the ripped but still attached pieces with a bow. The cellist complemented, sometimes drowning out, her crazed cello playing with a vocal range of sounds that would make any of us experimental theater fans step back in awe. They worked together with the true partnership of great improvisers, the sound had peaks and valleys, moments of extreme violence and chaos, and gentle saddness and recovery, it told a story (though, I'm not sure of the plot). They effectively played with one another, never competing, just complementing. The amazing thing: this was their first gig together. Anyway. I was really surprised and totally blown away. I was so glad I snuck into the theater for a moment, and saw some off the wall crazy art happen.