SATURDAY, MAY 12TH, 7PM
@ Exapno: 33 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn [Nevins St. 2/3/4/5, Atlantic Terminal B/D/N/Q/R, Fulton Av. G, Lafayette Av. A/C]
featuring:
LITTLE WORLDS
Little Worlds is a trio from Brooklyn, NY composed of guitarist Ryan Mackstaller, trombonist Rick Parker, and drummer Tim Kuhl, dedicated to innovative reinterpretations of the Mikrokosmos collection. Written by 20th century Hungarian composer Bela Bartok, Mikrokosmos, or Little Worlds, was originally intended as a progressive study of piano technique. Since its completion in 1939, the study and performance of these 153 etudes have become standard in the classical music community. Offering insight into Bartok’s innovative use of rhythm, harmony and musicality, the pieces are often cited as the master composer’s most important musical testament. Book One, is the debut EP by Little Worlds, and includes 5 selections from 20th century master composer Bela Barkok’s Mikrokosmos piano music. Having worked with renowned musicians such as Tim Berne, Michael Formanek, Gerald Cleaver and a multitude of rock bands, the trio draws from their broad musical experiences in the rock, jazz, avant garde and improvised music scenes in order to offer a dynamic performance of these classical etudes.
“Others have put their own individual spin on the collection, none as radically and bravely as Little Worlds.”
- Lucid Culture
“Neat little tune, fusing some indie rock elements into their jazz framework. Fans of Ben Allison might take a shine to this album.”
- All About Jazz
Little Worlds share their thoughts on the presentation:
We will present our arrangements of Bela Bartok’s Mikrokosmos piano music and discuss our methods for expanding on these solo piano pieces, making longer arrangements, and the various musical rolls each musician takes with their less-than-traditional instrumentation of guitar, drums and trombone with electronics. The band will also discuss our concept for improvising as an ensemble around the various harmonic and rhythmic frameworks presented in each etude.
Click here for selections from Little Worlds’ debut EP Book One:
Catch them live at these upcoming events:
July 5th
@ An Die Musik, Baltimore MD
July 7th
@ Firehouse Records, Philadelphia PA
TOM SWAFFORD
Tom Swafford is a Brooklyn based composer and violinist. In 2010 Tom presented his themed composition concert The Real (?) Me at Roulette and in 2011 he presented 9 solo pieces (and 1 duet) for different instruments at The Stone. He wrote two chamber orchestra pieces for the Detour New Music ensemble, both performed at Galapagos in 2011. He recently returned from a successful European tour with Aram Bajakian’s Kef, whose CD was released last year on Tzadik. This year he recorded the album Brood of Bau with $.99 Dreams. He leads the 15-piece string ensemble String Power which performs Tom’s originals as well as arrangements of jazz, folk and popular music; he plays fiddle with Andrew James, Jr.’s Great Yankee Hove and he can often be heard busking solo in the NY subway stations.
Tom studied composition at Tufts U. with John McDonald and received a Ph.D. in composition from University of California, Berkeley where his principal teacher was Olly Wilson. After Berkeley he studied with Louis Andriessen for a year in Amsterdam. He then returned to his home town of Seattle where was very active in the creative music community. He moved to New York in 2007.
Tom shares some thoughts on his upcoming presentation:
I will present music from my upcoming autobiographical concert Becoming Human. The pieces are theatrical, with a healthy amount of humor, and deal with the life issues that I’ve been facing over the past few years: mainly the search for a genuine, unshakable sense of self-worth. I will talk about how I use music to reflect various conflicts going on in my mind: sopranos vying for who has the higher status (lead versus supporting role), a virtuoso percussionist wowing the audience while a non-plussed soprano offers glib, backhanded compliments; an ensemble forming and dissolving alliances, fighting and ostracizing one another and attempting to come to some sort of agreement; and a violinist working out his self esteem issues. The concert will feature singers Gelsey Bell and Amirtha Kidambi, The Cadillac Moon Ensemble and myself on solo violin. I will also talk about my life as a subway musician, something that I have some conflicted feelings about…
Check out Tom’s latest work at this upcoming event:
Sunday, May 20, 3pm
BECOMING HUMAN
@ PS 217: 1110 Newkirk Ave, Brooklyn
$15 suggested donation
Themed composition concert featuring singers Amirtha Kidambi, Gelsey Bell and the Cadillac Moon Ensemble.
Project sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).