Hi folks, I wanted to let you know about an exciting show happening this Monday, and encourage you to "save the date" for our CD release show next month.First: This Monday March 13 my new band IJKL will be playing at Studio Grand (just down the block from the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland). I formed IJKL (Ian Carey on trumpet, Jon Arkin on drums, Kasey Knudsen on alto saxophone, and Lisa Mezzacappa on bass) in order to explore the freer side of improvisation, and have written a new book of music inspired by some of my favorite musicians in that genre (including Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Giuffre, John Carter, and Cecil Taylor). It's some of the most adventurous playing I've done in a while and I'm really looking forward to playing it with this great cast of characters.We're sharing the bill with Gold Age (featuring local creative music heavyweights Aram Shelton, Mark Clifford, Safa Shokrai, and Birtt Ciampa). The show starts at 9:45p (I know, it's a late one) and we'll play second (Probably around 10:45). Tickets are $5-15 sliding scale. Hope youcan make it!Second: I wanted to give you a heads-up about the long-awaited CD release show for Interview Music, the new album from my Quintet+1, at The Sound Room in Oakland on Saturday April 9. It's a project that has been in the works for several years and I'm thrilled to have a finished album ready to send out into the world. Stay tuned for more info as the date approaches!
Hi folks, I'm very excited to announce the release of the new album by my Quintet+1, Interview Music, this April. The centerpiece of the record is the 55-minute, four-movement title suite. The video below will tell you more about the album, the piece, and the outstanding band:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UovLNqQiE5U[/embed]The album was made possible by the support of the generous donors to our crowdfunding campaign, to whom I am extremely grateful! Thanks also to San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music and the California Jazz Conservatory for their early support for the composition and premiere of this piece. (You can read an extended article about the album here. )We'll be doing two performances in the Bay Area to celebrate the album's release--the official CD release show at Oakland's great downtown venue The Sound Room on April 9th, and an intimate afternoon performance at Chez Hanny in San Francisco on April 24th. I hope you're able to make it to one or both!
Attention Everyone!This Friday, I'm very excited to be bringing my Quintet+1 (with pianist Adam Shulman, bassist Fred Randolph, drummer Jon Arkin, alto saxophonist Kasey Knudsen, and multi-woodwindist Sheldon Brown) back to that great spot in downtown Oakland, The Sound Room (site of our really enjoyable CD release show for Roads & Codes last year--see some footage here). We've had some great rehearsals and the band is sounding fantastic, especially on the new music. (We'll also be hitting new arrangements of some of our "greatest hits.")That would be exciting in itself--since I really love playing with them and it's not easy to book a six-piece band these days--BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: you'll also get to hear ANOTHER OUTSTANDING SEXTET, the Nathan Clevenger Group ("a sound that stands out from the crowd" - Andrew Gilbert, KQED).Nathan is an outstanding composer/guitarist and his music has been consistently inspiring to me since I first encountered it, not least because we've had a habit of hiring some of the same great musicians. (He also writes for bass clarinet like nobody's business, which inspired me to ask Sheldon to add that big axe to my music as well--come on out to hear the results!)So please don't miss this opportunity to hear TWO six-piece composer-led bands playing new, original music. Each group will be performing one long set--Nathan's group will go first, with my group following around 9:30.WHAT: New Music for Sextets: Ian Carey Quintet+1 & Nathan Clevenger GroupWHEN: Friday, May 23, 8pmWHERE: The Sound Room, 2147 Broadway, OaklandTICKETS: $13 adv., $15 doorHope to see you!
Hello folks, I'm pleased to report that after quite a while spent writing, rehearsing, recording, mixing, and designing the artwork, the CD release show for the Ian Carey Quintet+1's new album, Roads & Codes, will be held February 21 in Oakland! This group has been playing together for close to ten years, but Roads & Codes ("on the cutting edge of new sounds and exciting compositions for modern jazz" --CriticalJazz), represents our most ambitious effort yet.The show will be next Thursday, February 21 at 8pm, at a nice new venue in Oakland’s uptown neighborhood, The Sound Room. It will feature the exact same personnel as the CD, even including Evan Francis, who we’re lucky to have joining us from his new digs in New York, and newest addition to the group, the great Kasey Knudsen, performing all the music from the album (including new arrangements of works by Stravinsky, Ives, and Neil Young) and select "hits" from our previous CDs. The show will also feature the original art which I’ve created for the album in both projected formats and as signed prints for sale.And to sweeten the pot for those on the fence, everyone purchasing a ticket will recieve a FREE COPY of the CD!WHAT: Kabocha Records and Bay Area Jazz & Arts present The Ian Carey Quintet+1: CD Release & Art Show for Roads & CodesWHO: Evan Francis, flute & tenor saxophone; Kasey Knudsen, alto saxophone; Adam Shulman, piano; Jon Arkin, drums; Fred Randolph, bass; Ian Carey, trumpet, flugelhorn, illustrationsWHEN: Thursday, February 21, 8pmWHERE: The Sound Room, 2147 Broadway (@ 22nd St.), OaklandTICKETS: $15, includes free CD with purchase! (advance tix available here.)Next Tuesday (2/19) will be the official "street date" of the album, which means it will be available for purchase at various sites around the web (links to come) and will (knock on wood) be heard on radio stations across the land.Hope to see you Thursday!