Ben Stolorow / Ian Carey Duo Returns to Garden Gate, 5/9

Date: 2013.05.06 | Category: Gigs, Video | Response: 0

Hello folks, despite my relative blog-silence for a while, I’ve been keeping busy with things musical, working on new compositions & arrangements for upcoming performances by Takoyaki 3 (5/30 at Yoshi’s Lounge) and Quintet+1 (Chez Hanny). I’m also excited about a return engagement in Berkeley for my new duo project with the great Ben Stolorow this Thursday. (You can get a taste of us in action below, tackling Monk’s thorny “Four in One” at our debut show last month.)

We’ll be bringing an all-new set of music, featuring nearly-forgotten standards, jazz rarities, and even a couple of originals. I’m also excited to announce that Ben & I will be heading into the studio to record a new album in the next month or so! (I’m especially looking forward to a spontaneous and intimate session after the major production that was Roads & Codes.) More details on that to come!

WHAT: Ben Stolorow/Ian Carey Duo
WHO: Ben Stolorow, piano; Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn
WHEN: Thursday, May 9, 8-10pm
WHERE: Garden Gate Creativity Center, 2911 Claremont Ave. (@ Ashby), Berkeley
HOW MUCH: $10-20 sliding scale (wine & cheese served!)

Hope to see you!

Ben Stolorow/Ian Carey Duo Live in Berkeley, April 4

Date: 2013.04.01 | Category: Gigs | Response: 1

Another interesting show coming up this week–the great local pianist Ben Stolorow and I will be performing a duo concert together at a new venue in Berkeley.

We’ve been playing together for years but this will be our first performance as a duo–we’ve been working on some interesting music, including rare standards, jazz originals, and some of our own compositions from each of our recent albums (Ben’s Almost There and my own Roads & Codes). Here’s a sample from one of our rehearsals:

Ian Carey & Ben Stolorow: Cherokee

We’ll be at the Garden Gate Creativity Center, a promising new music and art venue in the shadow of the Claremont Hotel above the Rockridge/Elmwood area.

WHAT: Ben Stolorow/Ian Carey Duo
WHO: Ben Stolorow, piano; Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn
WHEN: Thursday, April 4, 8-10pm
WHERE: Garden Gate Creativity Center, 2911 Claremont Ave. (@ Ashby), Berkeley
HOW MUCH: $10-20 sliding scale (wine & cheese served!)

Hope to see you!

Takoyaki 3 Shows This Week, New ‘Roads & Codes’ Reviews + More CD Release Video

Date: 2013.03.22 | Category: Gigs, Press, Updates, Video | Response: 0

Hi folks, big musical week starting tomorrow:

TAKOYAKI 3, the streamlined, street-food-style version of my Quintet+1, is playing twice in the next week–on Saturday night (3/23) in North Beach at Rose Pistola, and next Wednesday (3/27) at Yoshi’s Lounge in San Francisco. The group features Adam Shulman on organ, Jon Arkin on drums, and myself on trumpet & flugelhorn, and we’ll be playing original music from Roads & Codes, as well as select standards and underappreciated classics by jazz composers like Herbie Nichols, Ornette Coleman, and Lennie Tristano.

WHAT: Ian Carey’s Takoyaki 3
WHERE: Rose Pistola, 532 Columbus Ave., San Francisco
WHEN: Saturday, March 23, 9-11:30pm
HOW MUCH: No cover!

AND

WHAT: Yoshi’s Local Talent Series presents Ian Carey’s Takoyaki 3
WHERE: Yoshi’s Lounge, 1330 Fillmore., San Francisco
WHEN: Wednesday, March 27, 6:30-9:30pm
HOW MUCH: Also no cover!

I’ve also got two other gigs this weekend for those of you of the East Bay persuasion: Saturday (3/23) daytime, I’ll be playing with the Betty Shaw Quartet at the Cheese Board in Berkeley from 11:45am-2:45pm, and Sunday evening I’ll be playing with the Full Count Trio (Ollie Dudek, myself, and Jeffrey Burr) at Cato’s Ale House in Oakland from 5:30-8:30pm.

Next, there have been more reviews for Roads & Codes trickling in, including a very nice one from The Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

Carey is almost as good a cartoonist as he is a musician. The horn man created a comic-book-like cover for his “Roads & Codes” that talks about the difficulty of selling jazz these days. Inside, cartoon depictions of the players in the band decorate his liner notes, set in the same typeface as the word balloons on the cover. While all this cover material is impressive, the music — happy to say — is even better. The tunes are catchy and played by a sextet that, at times, sounds bigger, offering backup statements and horn harmonies that create a rich sound.

… plus a review from Ken Frankling’s Jazz Notes (“a marvel for its lush and intricate music and musical concepts, as well as Carey-designed packaging and illustrations that make it a clear favorite to win the year’s cleverest design”), another mention from James Hale, who wrote my DownBeat review (“one of the freshest albums I’ve heard in a long time”), a spin for “Count Up” and what according to Google Translate is a nice review from Radio France‘s Alex Dutihl (“Parution de «Roads & Codes» du trompettiste Ian Carey chez Kabocha, dont la pochette est illustrée par une bande dessinée qu’il a lui-même créée. Encouragé par Dave Douglas en ce qui concerne la musique, il poursuit parallèlement une carrière d’illustrateur”–couldn’t have said it better myself!), and from one of my favorite jazz blogs, the great Doug Ramsey’s Rifftides (the post title–”Recent Listening: Carey, Mingus, Ellington”–poses a serious threat of causing my brain to explode):

Carey writes lines that flow on astringent harmonies. His trumpet and flugelhorn keep the listener’s attention not through volume, velocity and extended sorties into the stratosphere, but with story telling and a burnished tone. Kasey Knudsen, the +1 of the band’s new name, spells Evan Francis on alto saxophone, leaving Francis to concentrate on tenor sax and flute. With the audacity of her conception and sound, Knudsen is a stimulant. The series of blues choruses and phrases that she and Francis exchange on “Nemuri Kyoshirō” is an album high point. The three-horn front line expands Carey’s arranging palette beyond that of his 2010 CD Contextualizin’, allowing richer ensembles and deeper voicings in figures behind soloists. Pianist Adam Shulman, bassist Fred Randolph and drummer Jon Arkin constitute one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s finest rhythm sections. Carey acknowledges that nearly half of his compositions are under the influence of his heroes Charles Ives (“West London”), Igor Stravinksy (“Andante”), John Coltrane (“Count Up”) and Neil Young (“Dead Man [Theme]”). The influences are points of departure for the individualism of Carey’s writing.

Finally, here’s some new video from our show at the Sound Room last month–this is the aforementioned “Nemuri Kyoshiro,” featuring a live rematch of that epic saxophone battle:

Audio: California Report Reviews “Roads & Codes”

Date: 2013.03.16 | Category: Audio, Press | Response: 0

This week, the California Report (produced right here in SF by our own KQED and broadcast throughout the state) featured local jazz writer Andy Gilbert’s review of Roads & Codes:

Ian Carey possesses a bright, gleaming tone and a knack for attracting similarly accomplished musicians. Featuring material gleaned from sources far beyond jazz’s usual ken, his new album “Roads & Codes” reflects a singular vision, musical and otherwise… Carey turned the CD’s cover into a self-mocking 10-panel comic strip. The art depicts his quandary over how to present a new jazz album so that it might actually find an audience. On the back, his manga-inspired illustrations suggest the mindset with which he approaches each piece. While not presented as a suite, the album flows like an interlaced book of short stories, an impression heightened by his beautifully rendered art work.

You can check out the entire thorough and thoughtful review, which also features audio samples of tunes from the album, here:

Audio: KZSC Interview + Live Takoyaki 3

Date: 2013.03.13 | Category: Audio, Press | Response: 0

Hi folks, I’m continuing to be happy with the good press and airplay Roads & Codes has been getting–it’s in the top 100 in the U.S. jazz charts, and the top ten in Canada, which is more than I expected for an album with no standards and multiple tracks over ten minutes.

Meanwhile, here are two quick audio cuts for you–first, I had a nice chat yesterday with Nicholas Mokover at KZSC (UC Santa Cruz). We talked for about ten minutes about my background, and the old NYC vs. Bay Area question. The entire interview is here:

Ian Carey Interview, KZSC (3/12/13)

Second, here’s another cut from our Takoyaki 3 show last month in Berkeley–this is our version of the classic Ornette Coleman anthem “Lonely Woman” (originally on The Shape of Jazz to Come). Check out the looping effects at the end of the track–that’s something I’ve been experimenting with more & more since originally attempting it to recreate the effects we used on our version of the theme from “Dead Man” (which you can hear a streaming version of here).

Takoyaki 3: Lonely Woman
(Ian Carey, trumpet/effects; Adam Shulman, organ, Jon Arkin, drums)

Video: “Rain Tune,” Live at the Sound Room

Date: 2013.03.08 | Category: Gigs, Video | Response: 0

Hi folks, here’s the first video from our CD release show for Roads & Codes last month at the Sound Room in Oakland. It was taken by saxophonist/video whiz Ben Torres.

Due to some technical difficulties (not Ben’s fault) the trumpet is pretty far down in the mix, but I don’t think that detracts from the music too much. More to come!

Also, if you’re in the Bay Area, I’m going to be playing tomorrow (Saturday, March 9) at the Cheese Board in Berkeley with pianist Betty Shaw‘s Quartet (with Ron Marabuto, Robb Fisher and myself), from 12-3pm. The pizza’s delicious and the music is free, so come on by!

New Reviews for ‘Roads & Codes’ + Bonus Audio

Date: 2013.03.06 | Category: Audio, Gigs, Press | Response: 0

Hello folks, thanks to everyone who made it out to our Takoyaki 3 show last week–if you missed it, we’ve got two more later this month, at Rose Pistola (3/24) and Yoshi’s Lounge (3/27). See the end of this post for a free track from the show!

It’s been really gratifying to see more positive press for Roads & Codes coming in–the most exciting being my first appearance in Downbeat Magazine, where James Hale featured the album in a set of reviews of trumpeters from around the world, and gave it 4 and 1/2 stars:

Bay Area veteran Ian Carey knows it can take creative packaging to get great music noticed these days. Roads & Codes showcases both the trumpeter’s sideline as an illustrator and his primary gig as the leader of a highly skilled band of improvisers. Carey takes advantage of their chops by writing to their strengths–a lesson gleaned from his mentor Maria Schneider–and mixes his own harmonically pleasing compositions with pieces by Neil Young, Igor Stravinsky and Charles Ives. While the combination of graphic art and arty covers might sound contrived, it all works.

Read the rest of this entry »

Announcements: TAKOYAKI 3 Live in Berkeley This Thursday

Date: 2013.02.25 | Category: Gigs | Response: 0

First off, thank you to everyone who came out to our CD release show last week–it was really successful and the band had a great time. (Video to come!) Also: I still have signed limited edition prints of the album art for sale (priced to move at $50-90!), so if you’re interested in potentially picking one up, leave your email in the comments.

But if you weren’t able to make it (or if you were & you just want more), I’m going to be playing this week in Berkeley with Takoyaki 3, the 3-piece streamlined, street-food-style version of our quintet. The group features Adam Shulman on organ and Jon Arkin on drums, each of whom played on our new album, Roads & Codes (“Stellar band… smart and arresting.” –San Francisco Chronicle)

We’ll be playing music from the new record, plus selections from our previous two albums, originals by Adam, and some forgotten gems by great jazz composers including Herbie Nichols, Lennie Tristano, and Ornette Coleman.

The venue is a brand new gallery, school & performance space (with a beautiful piano!) called Garden Gate Creativity Center, now in its first month of performances. Wine & refreshments will be served.

WHAT: Ian Carey’s TAKOYAKI 3
WHO: Adam Shulman, organ & piano; Jon Arkin, drums; Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn
WHEN: Thursday, February 28, 8pm
WHERE: Garden Gate Creativity Center, 2911 Claremont Ave. (@ Ashby), Berkeley
TICKETS: $10-20 sliding scale donation (advance tix available here.)

Thanks, and hope to see you there!

“Roads & Codes” Now Available, Sound Room Tomorrow + First Reviews + Streaming Track

Date: 2013.02.20 | Category: Audio, Gigs, Press | Response: 2

Hi folks, the long-awaited (by me anyway) day has arrived, and our new album, Roads & Codes, is available for purchase (both physically and digitally) at my new web store, as well as on CDBaby (the only place to get the physical CD so far), Amazon, iTunes, and eMusic. Locals can also pick it up at the great Groove Yard in Oakland (additional stores soon to come).

Also, just a quick reminder that tomorrow is our big CD Release & Art show at the Sound Room in Oakland. The band is sounding great and, in addition to all the music from “Roads & Codes,” we’ll be doing two brand new expanded arrangements of favorite originals from previous albums.

WHAT: Kabocha Records and Bay Area Jazz & Arts present The Ian Carey Quintet+1: CD Release & Art Show for Roads & Codes
WHO: Evan Francis, flute & tenor saxophone; Kasey Knudsen, alto saxophone; Adam Shulman, piano; Jon Arkin, drums; Fred Randolph, bass; Ian Carey, trumpet, flugelhorn, illustrations
WHEN: Thursday, February 21, 8pm
WHERE: The Sound Room, 2147 Broadway (@ 22nd St.), Oakland
TICKETS: $15, includes free CD with purchase! (advance tix available here.)

Next, some really nice reviews for the album have started to come in, including one in our very own East Bay Express today:

Besides being a clever graphic artist, Carey is a gifted musician who gets a warm sound out of his trumpet and flugelhorn, his approach suggesting Chet Baker, Miles Davis, and Art Farmer. His six original compositions on Roads & Codes not only draw on post-bop traditions but expand on them, particularly in the way Carey imaginatively harmonizes and layers his horns, Knudsen’s alto sax, and Francis’ tenor sax or flute over pianist Shulman, bassist Randolph, and drummer Arkin’s firm yet floating grooves.

There have also been positive reviews from Midwest Record (“champion of a session… solid stuff that never hits a false note”) and @CriticalJazz (“on the cutting edge of new sounds and exciting compositions for modern jazz… 4 Stars!”).

Finally, Phliip Freeman at the music blog Burning Ambulance put together a great feature about the album, including a slideshow of the cover art comic (I’m flattered that he describes it as “Harvey Pekar-esque”) and a free streaming track–our version of Neil Young’s theme to the movie “Dead Man”. Check it out!

Interview Tuesday + Exclusive Free Bonus Track from “Roads & Codes”

Date: 2013.02.16 | Category: Audio, Press | Response: 0

Hello folks, one quick announcement and then a free bonus download!

First, the announcement: I’m going to be on the Bay Area’s great jazz station, KCSM Jazz 91, this week, talking with Alisa Clancy about Roads & Codes (and playing some tunes from the album, too). Local folks can listen at 91.1 on their FM dial, and out-of-towners can stream live here. Tune in to hear me run my mouth off about any number of things!

WHAT: Ian Carey interview on Morning Cup of Jazz with Alisa Clancy
WHERE: 91.1 FM or kcsm.org
WHEN: Tuesday, February 19, 9am

Next, just as a bonus to everyone out there in internet-land, here’s a free bonus track from my new album, Roads & Codes. It’s an alternate take of my Samurai movie-inspired attempt at a blues Joe Henderson would’ve enjoyed playing, “Nemuri Kyoshiro.”

During mixing, I went back and forth about a million times about which take I preferred–the fast and (very) loose first take, or the slightly more relaxed and swinging second take. After picking the brains of many of my musical friends, I settled on the first take. I then promptly changed my mind after last-minute but convincing feedback from another friend–”I know you think your solo was better on the first take, but you’re wrong, and here’s why”–and put the second one on the album.

But, I thought, why not throw Take 1 out there as a bonus? Then people can make up their own minds! So here it is!

Ian Carey Quintet+1: Nemuri Kyoshiro (Alt. Take)

(w/ Adam Shulman, piano; Ian Carey, trumpet; Fred Randolph, bass; Evan Francis, tenor saxophone; Kasey Knudsen, alto saxophone; Jon Arkin, drums. Recorded 6/5/12 at Studio Trilogy, San Francisco, Dan Feiszli, engineer.)

Don’t forget, Roads & Codes drops this Tuesday on radio & stores, with CD release show Thursday, Feb. 21 at the Sound Room in Oakland!