COMPOSER, CONDUCTOR, RINGLEADER
Darcy James Argue
Sunday, 14 January 2006. Bowery Poetry Club.
8 PM - Industrial Jazz Group. 9:30 PM - Secret Society.
Two bands, one price -- $12.
I can't believe it's five days before the hit and I've only just now let you know who's playing! But truth be told, the lineup was only finalized this weekend. The Madness is almost upon us (the sheer insanity of which is only partially captured in this piece by Nate Chinen) and everything is in flux as players perform voodoo on their schedules, trying to work out how they can be in two or three places at once in order to accommodate all the projects they are committed to.
At any rate, I'm very excited to announce the triumphant return of co-conspirators Erica vonKleist and Jon Wikan. Both players have been with the Society since the beginning, but their busy schedules have prevented them from appearing on the past few dates. I've been very lucky to have had absolutely amazing players step up in their place, but Erica and Jon are like family and it means a lot to have them return to the fold after all this time.
Of course, I'm excited about the new initiates as well. Trombonist Alex Heitlinger and bassist Thomson Kneeland are not only great players and very active on the local scene, they are both extremely accomplished composers in their own right. The two of them subbed in during rehearsals for the previous Society hit, so they've already had the opportunity to wrap their heads around the music. On Sunday, Thompson will be making his New York debut on electric bass (on the charts what call for it). In fact, while he owns a very nice five-string fretless, Thompson hasn't played electric in public in twelve years. (Acoustic jazz purists, now's your chance to snub him.)
Also joining us for the first time is a guy I've wanted to recruit into the Society for a long time -- trumpeter Shane Endsley. You probably know him from Kneebody, the bicoastal electric jazz supergroup. His presence seems especially appropriate since this Sunday's show is a double-bill will the LA-based Industrial Jazz Group, led by Andrew Durkin (another one of those damn bloggers). I know Andrew's music only through MySpace, but those tracks are killing -- cunningly constructed but totally infectious, and irreverent. A few months ago, Andrew approached me about the possibility of setting up a double-bill while the band was out east for The Madness, and that seemed like a good idea, so I contacted our gracious hosts at the Bowery Poetry Club and they hooked us up. The IJG hits at 8 PM, and the Society strikes at 9:30 sharp.
I hope you can all make it down this Sunday for our big band blowout, especially if you're in town for IAJE. I promise you, after days of shuttling back and forth between hotels, squeezing into overstuffed ballrooms, trying to catch a glimpse of the stage from 500 feet back, surrounded by bored, petulant kids whose band directors require their attendance at the marquee concerts, only to be underwhelmed by empty, ego-driven performances[1]... well, this gig is just what you need. Get the hell out of Midtown -- come down to the Bowery, have some drinks and have some fucking fun while you're in the city, goddammit.
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1. I jest, of course. That sort of thing never happens at IAJE. But listen, if you are going, you should check out the Industrial Jazz Group's IAJE hit, of course -- Jan 11 at noon in the Sherry's Empire Ballroom.) And Pulse is contributing to The Madness as well later that same day -- 5 PM, same space.
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