Posts in Gigs
Ian Carey Quintet @ The Jazzschool, Sat. Sept 4

Ian Carey Quintet @ The JazzschoolHi listeners--I'm really happy to announce a show for the Quintet coming up this Saturday at one of my favorite local venues, The Jazzschool, where Susan Muscarella and a small army of players and instructors have been teaching and presenting great music in the East Bay for over a decade. The performance space is a nice room in downtown Berkeley just steps (and stairs) from Shattuck Avenue, with a cafe for your coffee and vino needs (plus Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" helpfully spelled out in donor plaques on the wall--feel free to start singing it if you get bored).We'll be playing music from our new CD, Contextualizin' ("a digital masters' seminar" −All About Jazz), and 2006's Sink/Swim ("An exciting set of music with a heavy-hitting lineup of musicians" −Greg Bridges, KCSM), plus several brand-new original compositions (no quotes yet but you could be the first!) and new arrangements of music by American greats Charles Ives and Neil Young.Please come out if you can, and tell your friends, enemies, and enemies' friends. Here are the details:WHAT: The Ian Carey QuintetWHO: Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn; Evan Francis, alto saxophone & flute; Adam Shulman, piano and Hammond B3; Fred Randolph, bass; and Jon Arkin, drumsWHEN: Saturday, September 4, 8pmWHERE: The Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., Berkeley; t: (510) 845-5373HOW MUCH: $15 ($5 for Jazzschool students)UPDATE: We're a staff pick this weekend in the East Bay Express! "Album titles might not be a window to the soul, but they can certainly reveal something about intellect. In that sense, Ian Carey's 2010 album, Contextualizin', seems apropos. It's a well-crafted work by an incredibly thinking musician. Carey seems intent on using his trumpet to tell stories and create landscapes, but he's also good on building on other people's ideas. His version of "Just Friends" is about the most inventive you'll find on disc... Bolstered by a talented band -- drummer Jon Arkin, saxophonist Evan Frances, bassist Fred Randolph, and pianist Adam Shulman -- Carey performs Saturday, Sept. 4, at The Jazzschool."

KVLU Interview + 2 Gigs

Hi folks: 2 things--first, want to hear my dulcet tones talking about my CD and my career so far, plus my mumblings about jazz philanthropy and the State of the Gig? Here's an interview I did last week with KVLU's Jason Miller. It also features a live cut from our CD release show with guest vocalist Lorin Benedict. Check it out:

Second, I have a couple of short-notice gigs to tell you about: tonight, I'll be playing and hosting a jam session with drummer Bryan Bowman and bassist Adam Gay (while Ben Stolorow wows them in Japan) at Kaleidoscope in the Mission. Come on by and bring your music-making things!WHAT: The Kaleidoscope SessionWHO: Adam Gay, Bryan Bowman, and Ian CareyWHERE: Kaleidoscope, 3109 24th Street (@ Folsom), SFWHEN: Weds., July 21, 7:30-11:00HOW MUCH: Free!I'm also excited to be playing with the 16-piece Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (the former Pearl's Monday night band) this Sunday at the Benicia Fine Art & Jazz Festival. Come on out for a bonanza of big band bodaciousness!WHAT: The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (led by Tod Dickow)WHERE: The Benicia Fine Art & Jazz Festival, First Street Green, BeniciaWHEN: Sunday, July 25, 5:00pmHOW MUCH: $8 adults, kids free!

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Video: "Sockdolager" (Live @ Coda)

Happy summer! For those of you who weren't able to make it out to our show last week at Coda, here's the first video from that great evening (great for us, anyway--I leave the musical judgments to you).It's the tune which has recently become our favorite opener, "Sockdolager" (ironically defined as "a decisive blow or answer : finisher"), as heard on Contextualizin'. It features solos from me, Fred, Evan, and Adam (getting his Rhodes on), with Jon's tidal groove(s) washing over it all.Ian Carey Quintet - Sockdolager from Ian Carey on Vimeo.Not only was it great to be playing with these guys again, it was also encouraging that we got such a big, enthusiastic crowd out (you can't miss them on the video), some of whom I think are a sign that the club is taking off--definitely refreshing to see after so many closures of jazz-friendly venues in the recent past.Currently, our next scheduled show as a quintet is at Berkeley's Jazzschool in September, but we've got some feelers out for gigs between now and then so I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I've got appearances coming up with the amazing Circus Bella and the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (formerly of Pearl's and Rasselas), so it's looking to be a busy, musical summer.BTW: if you haven't yet, please take a minute to "Like" my jazz page on Facebook ("You like me! You really like me!"), or follow me on Twitter (which I'm really starting to get into, after years of stubborn resistance). Thanks, and stay tuned for some listening recommendations, more gig video, an upcoming radio interview, and some follow-up thoughts on the jazz funding debate. Cheers!

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Thanks + House Concert, 6/19

First of all, thanks a million to everyone who made it out to our Wednesday show at Coda--it was great fun, a good crowd (I think there were more people there than at our CD release show, even!), and the band played its collective ass off, if I may be so bold. (And I may! It's my blog!)I will definitely get some photos & video from the show up here soon, so those of you who missed it can still get in on the action.Speaking of getting in on the action: I wanted to do a last-minute reminder for a show I'll be playing in tomorrow (Saturday)--it's a house concert at the loft of Emeryville resident and Bay Area drumming phenom Bryan Bowman. Originally slated to be the debut of CBVB (Carey Bowman Vogler Benedict), due to some scheduling conflicts it's now going to be a quintet of myself, vocaphonist Lorin Benedict (who sat in during our Wednesday show), the aforementioned Mr. Bowman, Fred Randolph on bass (lately of the IC Quintet!) and the great Grant Levin on piano. There's a $10 suggested donation, but nobody will be turned away (unless they're an executive for BP).For details, visit the show's Facebook event page here.

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Reminder: IC Quintet @ Coda, Weds. 6/16

Listeners: This is just a reminder that the Ian Carey Quintet will be returning to SF's beautiful new club Coda this Wednesday night as part of their "Dinner & A Show" series, for our last scheduled show before September. It's a great place to play, with good food, drinks, sound, and music (if we have anything to say about it).We'll be playing lots of music from our new CD, Contextualizin' ("a digital masters seminar" --All About Jazz) and our previous album, plus several brand-spankin'-new originals which will be performed for the very first time (and possibly the second time as well depending on how well the first time goes).WHAT: The Ian Carey QuintetWHO: Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn; Evan Francis, saxophone/flute; Adam Shulman, Fender Rhodes/Hammond B3; Fred Randolph, bass; Jon Arkin, drums; and special guestsWHEN: Wednesday, June 16, 7:00-11:00pmWHERE: Coda Jazz Supper Club, 1710 Mission St., San FranciscoHOW MUCH: Just $5!So please come on down, bring a friend or 5, and support some live local music!P.S. For a preview, enjoy this video from our previous Coda show below (playing a reboot of a composition from our first album called "Thirteen"), and an interview about the group by Brian McCoy of Examiner.com.Ian Carey Quintet: Thirteen (Live at Coda) from Ian Carey on Vimeo.

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Save the Date: IC Quintet @ Coda, 6/16

Hi Folks, this is just a note to let you know that after a really great CD release show in March, my group has been invited to return to the scene of the crime for another performance next month. We'll be doing music from the CD, plus favorites from the book and several brand-spankin'-new tunes put together specifically for this show. So mark your calendars, tell your friends, family, and pets, and get your bottomless wineglass-lifting muscles warmed up!WHAT: The Ian Carey QuintetWHO: Ian Carey, trumpet & flugelhorn; Evan Francis, saxophone/flute; Adam Shulman, Fender Rhodes/Hammond B3; Fred Randolph, bass; Jon Arkin, drumsWHEN: Wednesday, June 16, 7-11pmWHERE: Coda Jazz Supper Club, 1710 Mission St., San FranciscoHOW MUCH: $5Hope to see you there!

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