Amy Kohn’s highly charged, intricate art songs meld with The Life of Onions: Black Arrow Productions videos of objects and actions, created for this night. Inspired by a recent Italian tour, she alternates her new “extra-lusso” arrangements from her album-to-be with songs from her more serene first album The Glass Laughs Back, & her 2006 release I’m in Crinoline (aired on BBC Radio 6’s Freak Zone and Radio 3’s Mixing It, WNYC’s Spinning on Air, Kyle Gann’s Postclassic Radio, the Netherlands’ Concertzender, and beyond). With a voice as “idiosyncratic as they come…which is all part of the fun” (Pitchfork Media Feature), Amy gives us songs that are “not like much else you’ve ever heard” (Three Weeks, Scotland). She’s working on a commission from the string quartet ETHEL, and her piece Corset for pianist Guy Livingston’s 60-seconds project just premiered in Paris.www.amymusic.com
Amy Kohn - piano, accordion, voice
Luca Dipierro - video, black arrow productions
Rachel Bradley - video, black arrow productions
Peter Hess - flute, clarinet, saxophone
Greg Glassman - trumpet
Karen LeBlanc - saw
Tom Gavin - guitar, banjo
Ben Rubin - bass
Jeff Davis - drums
Peter Hess (flute, clarinet, saxophone) plays woodwinds in Brooklyn, NY. He tours the world with Balkan Beat Box, Barbez, and the World/Inferno Friendship Society, coleads the neo-balkan quartet Guignol and the Collide Saxophone Quartet. He is also a member of AntiSocial Music, Steve Griesgraber’s Redhooker, and the Justin Mullens Delphian Jazz Orchestra, and collaborates with the indie bands the Hold Steady and Son Volt.
Greg Glassman (trumpet) is emerging as one of NYC’s hottest creative young jazz artists. He has chalked up over 1000 performances over 4 continents; Not bad for a 30 yr. old. Greg has shared the stage and studio with some of the world’s great musical voices including Clark Terry, Roswell Rudd, Marcus Belgrave, Sheila Jordan, Jane Monheit, Oliver Lake, Sherman Irby, as well as The Skatalites, Bad Brains, The Strokes and more. His playing puts forth what he stands for as an artist and human: freedom, compassion, joy and truth.
Karen LeBlanc (saw) has been playing the saw for five or so odd years. Its sweet and haunting wails resonate in her soul and soothe her world-weary senses. She hopes it does the same for all who hear its bewitching song. She is delighted and honored to be playing tonight with Amy Kohn and her band.
Tom Gavin (guitar, banjo) The worst musician in the Amy Kohn band, Tom also performs on a variety of fretted instruments with Moore and Sons, Pete Galub and the Annuals, Ro Agents, Lee Feldman, Dina Dean, Erin O’Hara, and his own group. His newest album, “Into the Weeds”, has just been released this fall. Other recent projects include the films “Sicko” and “Day Zero”.
Ben Rubin (bass) Over the past decade, Brooklyn-based bassist and producer Benny Cha Cha (aka Ben Rubin) has played and recorded with a who’s who of music greats in many musical styles. From Wu-Tang Clan rapper Killah Priest to legendary singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw to jazz greats like Ronnie Cuber, Bill Frisell and Herb Geller, Benny demonstrates an expansive musical depth and knowledge that he brings to all genres. Whether playing upright bass with the Dred Scott Trio or Michael Blake or remixing tracks for international recording artists like Karsh Kale and Brazilian Girls, Benny creates organic music accessible to all. With singer Marilyn Carino, Benny leads the genre-bending Brooklyn band Mudville. Their brand-new record, Iris Nova, produced by Benny, boasts a diverse cast of guests including R.E.M’s Mike Mills, Karsh Kale, the maverick string quartet Ethel (with arrangements by Ben), pedal-steel guitar great Buddy Cage, and Forro in the Dark percussionist Mauro Refosco.
Jeff Davis (drums) is an energetic and spirited player who, since moving to New York in 1999, has been making a name for himself on the local and international Jazz scene. His drumming has been described by reviewers as ‘textural’ and ‘effortless’ in such hailed ensembles as Fresh Sound recording artists Eivind Opsvik Overseas and Kris Davis’ The Slightest Shift. Jeff has performed with such artists as Tony Malaby, Chris Speed, Gebhard Ullmann, Brad Shepik, and Reggie Workman. Jeff has toured Europe and China and has performed at several prominent jazz festivals, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, and the Ear Shot Jazz Festival. Jeff performs and has recorded with a number of creative ensembles in New York, including the Kris Davis Quartet, Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas, Tone Collector, the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, the Jesse Stacken trio, the Peter Van Huffel Quintet, the Jostein Gulbrandsen Quartet, RIDD Quartet, and Jon Irabagon’s OUTRIGHT! Davis is currently leading and composing for his own ensemble, the Jeff Davis Band, featuring Tony Barba, Kirk Knuffke, Jon Goldberger, Kris Davis and Eivind Opsvik.
Black Arrow is an independent press and studio created by Luca Dipierro & Rachel Bradley. Black Arrow’s films start from curiosity for people, books and objects. Whether it is a writer speaking about his work, a seventy year-old dancer dancing, a typewriter, or an old photograph, the subject is always the surface of things. “It is only after you have come to know the surface of things that you can venture to seek what is underneath. But the surface of things is inexhaustible” -Italo Calvino www.blackarrowpress.com.
Luca Dipierro is a writer, filmmaker and illustrator. Born in the Alps in Northern Italy, Luca now lives and works in the U.S. After many years of independent publishing, in 2007 he created Black Arrow Studio & press with his wife Rachel Bradley. He edited the anthology Santi: Lives of Modern Saints. A collection of his short stories, Breakfast in America will be published in 2008. I Probably Should Have Changed My Shirt, a DVD collecting his first short films, is available through Black Arrow. He is currently working on two full-length films, Cheese & Cranes, a visual essay about drawing, and And He Died With His Eyes Open, a documentary about crime fiction writer Derek Raymond.www.lucadipierro.com
Rachel Bradley is a visual artist, designer and photographer. Departing from a background of traditional b/w photography, her work has evolved into more complex multimedia forms involving found objects, assemblage and handcraft. Rachel’s art playfully explores the concepts of identity and intimacy, combining objects and images to form provocative landscapes. Rachel recently curated an exhibition Objects of Adoration at MAP in Baltimore, MD and is currently illustrating and designing Santi: Lives of Modern Saints, published by Black Arrow. www.rachelbradley.net