Hi folks,I wanted to let you know about some exciting events coming up:First, next Friday July 31, I am very happy to be bringing my Quintet+1 to the Presidio Sessions series, which is presented by San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music at the Presidio Officers' Club. The room is beautiful, parking is easy, and best of all, it's FREE! (However, seating is limited and these shows have been popular, so they suggest you reserve a spot through Eventbrite.) As a bonus, I'm very excited to have as a special guest, from New York, the amazing flutist and saxophonist (and alumnus of the Quintet+1) Evan Francis. We'll be playing music from our albums Roads & Codes ("4-1/2 stars" -Downbeat) and my new suite Interview Music (coming to a CD near you in 2016). The series encourages a casual atmosphere and interaction with the musicians (but no stage diving!).WHAT: The Ian Carey Quintet+1 featuring Evan FrancisWHO: Jon Arkin, drums; Sheldon Brown, bass clarinet & saxophone; Ian Carey, trumpet; Fred Randolph, bass; Adam Shulman, piano; and Evan Francis, flute & saxophoneWHEN: Friday, July 31, 6:00pm-7:30pmWHERE: The Presidio Officers' Club, 50 Moraga Ave, San FranciscoHOW MUCH: Free! (Reserve a seat here)The following Sunday (8/2), my partner-in-crime Ben Stolorow and I will be presenting a two-hour workshop for musicians at the California Jazz Conservatory on the Art of the Duo. Drawing from the techniques presented on our 2014 album Duocracy, we will demonstrate the range of possibilities of the duo, outlining the traditional roles of each instrument as well as showing the potential for creating more abstract contrapuntal textures. Special emphasis placed on the importance of rhythmic feel in performing in this fun yet challenging format. Open to all instrumentalists and improvising vocalists.WHAT: The Art of the Duo: a WorkshopWHO: Ian Carey, trumpet; Ben Stolorow, pianoWHEN: Sunday, August 2, 2pm-4pmWHERE: California Jazz Conservatory, 2087 Addison St, BerkeleyHOW MUCH: $30 advance, $45 day of workshopFinally, after the duo workshop, I will be heading to Portola Vineyards for an evening performance with the great bassist Fred Randoph and his Quintet as part of their summer jazz series. We'll be playing music from Fred's great new album Song Without Singing.WHAT: Portola Vineyards Summer Jazz Presents the Fred Randolph QuintetWHO: Fred Randolph, bass; Greg Wyser-Pratt, drums; Matt Clark, piano; Rob Roth, tenor saxophone; Ian Carey, trumpetWHEN: Sunday, August 2, 5:30pm-7pmWHERE: Portola Vineyards, 850 Los Trancos Rd, Portola Valley, CAHOW MUCH: $15 adult, $4 childThanks, and hope to see you at one or more of these events!
Hello folks,I wanted to give you a heads-up about a show next month that I'm very excited about. My group will be giving only the second performance of my new 4-part suite Interview Music (made possible by a grant from the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music). The show will also be our first appearance at the historic Hillside Club, a beautiful Maybeck-designed hall at the foot of the Berkeley Hills.I wrote the piece over the past year and a half, specifically for my Quintet+1 (Adam Shulman on piano, Fred Randolph on bass, Sheldon Brown on bass clarinet, Kasey Knudsen on alto saxophone, Jon Arkin on drums, and myself on trumpet). It's close to an hour long and contains the most involved writing I've ever done. You can read more about it, including what the title means, here.More importantly, we're going to be doing a recording of the performance which will hopefully be released as our fourth album next year--and you have the opportunity to say, in the words of Pee Wee Marquette, "that's my hand on that record!" This is also likely to be your last chance to hear Interview Music in its entirety for quite a while. We'll also be playing other music from our book including music from our album Roads & Codes ("★★★★½ " - DownBeat).The show will be Friday, November 14 at 8pm, and the Hillside Club is located at 2286 Cedar St. in Berkeley. Hope to see you!
I also wanted to let you know about two exciting shows this weekend--the first is Friday 10/24 at 9pm. It's the debut of a brand-new 17-piece big band, the Morchestra, which is led by guitarist/composer/arranger extraordinaire Tony Corman, and features an embarrassment of local riches in the band. We're going to be playing at the newly-relocated Birdland Jazzista Social Club in Oakland and it should be a great time. More info here.Saturday night (10/25), I'm excited to be getting together with my friends Fred Randolph, Adam Shulman, and Bryan Bowman for some good old bar jazz at the Albatross Pub in Berkeley from 9:30-12:30. Just a $3 cover. Come on by and see if we can be louder than the crowd!