The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

Peter Evans Being & Becoming (Evans / Ross / Jozwiak / Ode):
Ars Memoria (More Is More)

The second album from New York trumpeter Peter Evan's band Being and Becoming stretches out his concepts in five extended works that dovetails superb contemporary jazz integrating extended techniques and solid vibraphone work with beautifully rich and explorative passages, masterfully performed with Joel Ross (vibes), Nick Jozwiak (bass) and Michael Shekwoaga (drums). ... Click to View


Peter Evans Being & Becoming (Evans / Ross / Jozwiak / Ode):
Ars Memoria [VINYL 180gm] (More Is More)

The second album from New York trumpeter Peter Evan's band Being and Becoming stretches out his concepts in five extended works that dovetails superb contemporary jazz integrating extended techniques and solid vibraphone work with beautifully rich and explorative passages, masterfully performed with Joel Ross (vibes), Nick Jozwiak (bass) and Michael Shekwoaga (drums). ... Click to View


Ivo Perelman (Fowler / Workman / Cyrille):
Embracing the Unknown (Mahakala Music)

Recording with the legendary rhythm section of bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille, tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and stritch & saxello player Chad Fowler perfectly complement each other as they play off and complete each other's lines and phrases under the support of astute foundational support, an exemplary album of collective, cross-generational free improvisation. ... Click to View


Gregorio / Smith / Bryerton:
The Cold Arrow (Balance Point Acoustics)

The second trio release from clarinetist Guillermo Gregorio, double bassist Damon Smith and Jerome Bryerton on gongs, selected metal & cymbals (but no drums), in a sophisticated album of eight collective improvisations numbered as "The Planar Effect" and two Gregorio compositions, an absolutely impressive set that obscures the line between "spontaneous" and "composition". ... Click to View


Andre Duchesne:
Ch'val (Ambiances Magnetiques)

Montreal composer, guitarist and arranger Andre Duchesne developed the pieces on this solo album as a tribute to his sister Carole, "the one who dreamed of horses," who passed in 2010, his pieces incorporating elements of rock, improvisation and compositional forms, a sincere tribute developed by recording daily over a month as a virtual rock band of guitar, bass and drum programming. ... Click to View


Bill Harris:
MACRODOSE (Amalgam)

Combining acoustic drums, percussion and electronics, the third solo album from Chicago drummer Bill Harris delves deeper into the sonic aspects of his improvisations while providing them in discrete segments through eleven succinct recordings, a diverse set demonstrating unique approaches to rhythm and sound, enhanced on some pieces through studio techniques. ... Click to View


Dante Boon (Beuger / Boon / Elina / Holtkamp / Schuppe / Van der Ster):
Duos (Edition Wandelweiser Records)

A collection of works from pianist & composer Dante Boon in diverse duos and virtual duo compositions that reflect on John Cages's "inner clock" concept from "Two2", each of Boon's compositions directing the players through systems of notation and counting unique to each player, varying the rules of how the two players eventually synchronize their performances. ... Click to View


Joane Hetu / Ensemble SuperMusique:
Monnomest (Ambiances Jazz)

A fascinating work dedicated to improvising cellist Remy Belanger de Beauport written by Montreal composer Joane Hétu and performed by the large Ensemble SuperMusique with Jean Derome, Lori Freedman, Scott Thomson, dian Labrosse, Danielle Palardy Roger, Pierre Tanguay, &c. commissioned and perofrmed for the Ensemble's 40th anniversary and expanded for this studio edition. ... Click to View


Joelle Leandre / Pascal Contet:
Miniatures (Trost Records)

A collaboration that goes back 30 years, French improvising bassist Joëlle Léandre and avant accordionist Pascal Contet in their fifth album together, turning from their more typically extended conversations to a series of 10 "Miniatures", shorter and diverse dialogs recorded live in 2022 at the beautiful Arsenal Concert Hall in Metz, France. ... Click to View


Chad Fowler / Shanyse Strickland / Sana Nagano / Melanie Dyer / Ken Filiano / Anders Griffen:
Birdsong (Mahakala Music)

Highlighting the parallel to changes in birdsong in urban areas because of anthropogenic ambient noise, this diverse ensemble demonstrates the evolution of improv approaches through unique origins and backgrounds; with Chad Fowler (stritch, flute), Shanyse Strickland (French Horn), Sana Nagano (violin), Melanie Dyer (viola), Ken Filiano (bass) and Anders Griffen (drums). ... Click to View


Hal Russell NRG Ensemble:
The Hal Russell Story (ECM Records)

This 1996 recording of the Hal Russell NRG Ensemble of Mars Williams (reeds), Brian Sandstrom (bass, guitars, trumpets), Kent Kessler (bass, trombone) and Steve Hunt (drums & percussion) was recorded five week before Russell's passing, a wild parting gift of twenty succinct improvisations covering an incredible amount of territory with power, humor and amazing musical skill. ... Click to View


Ernesto Rodrigues / Dirk Serries / Joao Madeira / Jose Oliveira :
Dripping (Creative Sources)

crackle box, João Madeira on double bass and Jose Oliveira on percussion, extended to a quartet with Netherland's New Wave of Jazz/Vidna Obmama archtop guitarist Dirk Serries, presenting the 9-part "Dripping" series of free chamber-oriented lowercase improvisation. ... Click to View


Friedl / Siewert:
Lichtung (KARLRECORDS)

Zeitkratzer director and pianist Reinhold Friedl meets with Martin Siewert (Radian, Fake the Facts, Dry Thrust) for three improvised explorations on piano, guitar and electronics, through the course of powerful transitions building from deep introspection into prickly, bellicose interaction, yielding to a brooding finale of subtle electronics and punctuation; profound. ... Click to View


Niels Lokkegaard Lyhne / Quatuor Bozzini:
Colliding Bubbles (Important Records)

Copenhagen composer Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard's long form work refers to units of compositional structure and in systems of instruments, each a "bubble" that interacts and collides creating fluctuations, ruptures and tension release in an hypnotic sonic tapestry, performed by Montreal's Quatuor Bozzini on violins, viola, cellos and harmonica; mesmerizing. ... Click to View


Merzbow:
Cafe OTO [2 CDs] (Cold Spring Records)

A live and extended performance of brutal but shifting sonic assault performed before an appreciative audience at London's Cafe OTO in 2016, a solo performance from Japanese noise legend Masami Akita, AKA Merzbow, each of the 2 CDs in this set more than 50 minutes of tightly controlled electronic mayhem from the unremitting determination of one of the globe's masters of noise. ... Click to View


Charles Mingus:
Presents Charles Mingus To Pre Bird, Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Three sides of Charles Mingus in this remastered reissue set: the 1961 Candid album Mingus Presents Mingus with the classic quartet of Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson and Dannie Richmond; then the Mercury release Pre-Bird from the same year, in ensembles performing the music of or influenced by Duke Ellington, along with the ambitious and brilliant through-composed work, "Half Mast Inhibition". ... Click to View


Franz Koglmann:
Near Blue - A Taste of Melancholy (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Presented in two versions--a stereo mix and a binaural mix for headphones--flugelhorn improviser and composer Franz Koglmann leads his septet of exceptional players through 10 original Koglmann compositions, sophisticated works that show influences from Ellington to Franz Joseph Haydn or Johann Strauss, in pieces influenced by or tipping the hat to modern artists, musicians and writers. ... Click to View


Nikolaus Gerszewski :
3 Works For Strings, Giusto Chamber Orchestra (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Giusto Chamber Orchestra performs three works for twelve strings by German composer and visual artist Nikolaus Gerszewski, whose music of shifting pitches, vibrations and volumes--compared with experimental sound & noise work--is influenced by composers Radulescu and Dumitrescu's spectral music, James Tenney's "swell form" and Cornelius Cardew's graphic scores. ... Click to View


Void Patrol (Sharp / Stetson / Martin / MacDonald):
Live @ Victo (Victo)

A wild and adventurous concert and one of the highlights of the 39th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville from the electric improvising quartet of Elliott Sharp on electric guitar & electronics, Colin Stetson on bass, alto & tenor saxophones, Billy Martin on drums & percussion and Payton Macdonald on marimba, vibraphone & African xylophone. ... Click to View


Federico Ughi (w / Leo Genovese / Brandon Lopez):
Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You, Vol. 1 (577 Records)

The first album under 577 label leader and drummer Federico Ughi's name in five years brings together the incredible bass skills of Brandon Lopez and expansive Argentinean keyboard sonics of Leo Genovese, the first of two planned volumes recorded in the studio for a boundary-less album of acoustic and electric improv influenced by the music and philosophy of Sun Ra. ... Click to View


Federico Ughi (w / Leo Genovese / Brandon Lopez):
Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You, Vol. 1 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The first album under 577 label leader and drummer Federico Ughi's name in five years brings together the incredible bass skills of Brandon Lopez and expansive Argentinean keyboard sonics of Leo Genovese, the first of two planned volumes recorded in the studio for a boundary-less album of acoustic and electric improv influenced by the music and philosophy of Sun Ra. ... Click to View


Sven-Ake Johansson / Alexander Von Schlippenbach:
uber Ursache und Wirkung der Meinungsverschiedenheiten beim Turmbau zu Babel [VINYL 2 LPs & PAL DVD] (Trost Records)

Documenting the 1994 avant music drama composed by pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach and accordionist Sven-Ake Johansson, uber Ursache und Wirkung der Meinungsverschiedenheiten beim Turmbau zu Babel (on the cause and effect of the disagreements over the building of the Tower of Babel) through a double LP, DVD, libretto and 16-page booklet in a solid box set. ... Click to View


Musicworks:
#147 Winter 2024 [MAGAZINE + CD] (Musicworks)

Winter 2024 issue of Canada's premiere new music magazine, with Saxophonist Andrew MacKelvie on the cover; plus features on Indonesia's Music Subculture; Sonny-Ray Day Ride; Solidaridad Tango; A History of the Canadian Electronic Ensemble; plus album reviews, essays and a CD of tracks from artists covered in the magazine. ... Click to View


Witches & Devils (Williams / Vandermark / Lonberg-Holm):
At the Empty Bottle (Knitting Factory Works)

Before his ecstatic Xmas series, An Ayler Xmas, Chicago saxophonist Mars Williams led the Witches & Devils quintet of Mars Williams on reeds, Ken Vandermark on reeds, Jim Baker on keyboards, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and Kent Kessler on bass, an incredible and passionate free jazz group paying tribute to the music of Albert Ayler, heard live at The Empty Bottle in 1997. ... Click to View


Simulacrum:
Mechatronics (Evil Clown)

This ensemble features 3 core Evil Clown members--David Peck on reeds, winds, percussion & electronics; Eric Woods on analog synth; and Bob Moores on space trumpet, guitar & electronics--with guests Michael Caglianone on reeds & percussion, Robin Amos on electric zither and keyboards; Faruq Hassan on samplers & keys; Albey OnBass on bass; and Michael Knoblach on military devices. ... Click to View


Peter Brotzmann / Paal Nilssen-Love:
Chicken Shit Bingo (Trost Records)

Often performing together as a duo after their initial 2004 Chicago Tentet encounter, drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen and multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann typically released albums of live performances, this 2015 studio date in Antwerp unique in their catalog, an exemplary set of recordings, particularly with Brötzmann on a new contra-alto clarinet and Paal adding gongs to their improvisations. ... Click to View


Peter Brotzmann / Paal Nilssen-Love:
Chicken Shit Bingo [VINYL] (Trost Records)

Often performing together as a duo after their initial 2004 Chicago Tentet encounter, drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen and multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann typically released albums of live performances, this 2015 studio date in Antwerp unique in their catalog, an exemplary set of recordings, particularly with Brötzmann on a new contra-alto clarinet and Paal adding gongs to their improvisations. ... Click to View


Jean Derome:
La Chaleur De La Pensee (Ambiances Magnetiques)

Concepts of community, dialog, sharing and transmission, or "recontre", are the linking ideas between these four works commissioned of Montreal composer and wind player Jean Derome, developed for four Quebec ensembles, these pieces combine contemporary and improvisational forms, the scores shaped by constraints from the combinatorial mathematics of Marin Mersenne. ... Click to View


Giuseppe Doronzo / Andy Moor / Frank Rosaly:
Futuro Ancestrale (Clean Feed)

Having worked together in other collaborations, this was the first meeting as a trio by Giuseppe Doronzo on baritone sax & Iranian bagpipe, Andy Moor on electric guitar and Frank Rosaly on drums, performing live at BIMHUIS in Amsterdam for a contemplatively charged set of unorthodox instrumental approaches using contemporary improv attitudes through structured and collective playing. ... Click to View


Norbert Pfammatter / Florestan Berset / Francesco Losavio:
A Vol D'Oiseau (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

The Swiss guitar trio of Florestan Berset on electric guitar with Norbert Pfammatter on drums and Francesco Losavio on double bass perform a mix of lyrical compositions from Berset, along with lyrically inclined collective improvisation from the group, each player bringing unique approaches to their instruments in a highly compatible set of conversations. ... Click to View



  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear
Facebook: Squidco Sales

Travelogue


  Okkyung Lee Tour Diary  


[Photo: Peter Gannushkin]
before you go on reading this long travelogue, i have to warn you that you are not going to find out so much about music or other stuff as you might expect... this is about one person's journey who happens to be a working musician and encountered lots of unexpected dramas... also you see, this trip was going to be really special one for me since a part of the trip was going to be my very first gig in europe... but it turned out to be even more than that and a really unforgettable one...

for your better understanding of the whole situation, let me explain a couple of things beforehand... sometime in may this year, it was finalized that i would go to venice, italy in september with lawrence d. "butch" morris as a member of his sheng/skyscraper group to perform at venice biennale... so i had to have my visa revalidated outside the country so i could come back to the states after the performance... yes, i do not have a green card or citizenship... i have something called o-1 visa status, known also as an artist visa... which i didn't get to take care of until mid august, see... meanwhile pianist/composer/friend vijay iyer invited me to go to portland, OR to perform his "in what language" project written with poet mike ladd at time based arts festival in september, right before butch's gig... so being how i am with lots of things, i really thought i could take care of all of this within 11 days... so, i was to leave new york to portland on the 13th of september, then come back to new york on the 17th... then the same day, go to toronto to take care of my visa and come back on the 18th... then finally off to venice on the 19th, do the gig on the 20th and come back on the 21st...

i knew it was a pretty insane schedule but it had to be that way because i put off taking care of things until the very last minute...

so here is how it all really went...

september 12, friday - day minus 1, new york

7:30 am - alright, alright... i'm up... have to be in upper east side by 9... alright...

8:15 am - well, i think i am going to reward myself with a doughnut plant doughnut for getting up so early... some sugar will help me get going...

8:20 am - jesus, how many doughnuts is this guy buying? 24? fine... let's not lose it yet... but then what about this japanese mother & daughter team...? they sure are taking their time... let me take a deep breath... i think I'm going to have both cashew and fresh white peach... yeah, what the hell...

8:32 am - i think i'll be pretty much on time... these doughnuts are good... cannot finish them now though...

9:03 am - where is this italian consulate...? is this the door? looks like it's for, uh-hum, short people...

9:10 am - oops, i forgot to take my box cutter out of my bag this morning... security guard is giving me a funny look... i smile back...

10:32 am - i'm sick of waiting... i have a rehearsal in midtown from 11...

10:43 am - alright... let's not panic... why didn't i think about bringing that goddam INS letter? the one that's been making my life hell... well, nobody told me in advance... why would the italian consulate need to see my INS documentation anyway... this italian lady behind this glass thingy looks tough... she's not going to give me a break, is she... the place closes at 11:30! she tells me to come back by noon... i have about an hour to drop off my cello at the rehearsal place, go home, and come back! great! right... i shove in what was left of the doughnuts...

11:03 am - at carroll studio, told vijay it's an emergency situation... thank god, he is understanding...

11:55 am - i'm at grand central... is it really 11:55 already? ok... next stop, get off and transfer to 6... ah, god...

11:58 am - where the hell is the 6? should i run? should i wait? should i run? ah...

12:06 pm - out of the 68th street station... i'm running, running... fuck...i hope they will let me in... out of breath... today is the only day i can get this done... otherwise... ah, bye bye venice... it has to work! press the buzzer and this voice says it's closed! i yell out "patricia told me to come back!"

12:27 pm - alright... now i have to get somebody to pick up my passport on tuesday because i need it by wednesday when i come back from portland... and of course the consulate has to be closed on wednesdays... ah, erica!

3:30 pm - back home... ah... at least i could do half an hour of the rehearsal for vijay... thank god, he's not pissed... ok... time to go and pick up a flight case from david gage string shop in chinatown...

4:02 pm - noah? what's he doing here...? a friend from NEC... [FOOTNOTE 1: The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston] the first time in 3 years... he says he's doing an internship here... after all he is a bass player...

4:13 pm - i was just told that i need a soft case to use their flight case... i don't have a soft case... i haven't had one for last 15 years... what the hell... they don't have any left at the shop... midtown...? ah... sick of running around the day before i'm leaving...

4:28 pm - what an asshole! this cabbie wouldn't let me put the case in the back of the cab! fine... i gave him a finger... i'll take the subway... this thing weighs about... 40 lbs... and it's big... almost as tall as i am... down the stairs... arg...

4:40 pm - i'm out of breath... this thing is so awkward... how am i going to get home...? i live in a 5th floor walk up...

4:42 pm - maybe jason (viseltear) from the violin shop (viseltear & young) around the corner has a soft case i can borrow! he's an angel... always saves my ass...

4:44 pm - alright... jason is not in but this guy on the phone will trade me a soft case for a cup of tea...! ha!

5:17 pm - ah... i'm dead... cannot believe i schlepped this shit up 5 floors... now i gotta go to mode (records, my part time job) for a second... cannot believe this guy who lend me this soft case didn't even ask my name...

5:58 pm - at mode... have to buy plane tickets to go to toronto next wednesday... the last time i checked, orbitz.com has the best price... should i spend extra $60. to go direct? nah... i choose the one that flies to washington dc first... sounds dumb but hey, i save $60...

7:15 pm - back home... hungry... what should i eat?

9:46 pm - at tonic, talked to erik (friedlander) a little bit... i asked him for advice for flying with my cello for the first time... his advise was get to the airport early and be nice! it's a bit tough for me to be "nice"... but i will do it if i really have to... hope they are not such jerks at the airport...

10:28 pm - zorn's bar kokhba is happening... even though i am quite distracted... see zeena (parkins) in spunky outfit... she looks better and better each time... want to be cool like zeena...

11:32 pm - walking toward to tim (barnes) & erica (bricking)'s house... i have to give erica this letter of permission so she can pick up my passport for me this tuesday...

11:35 pm - forgot to send this deposit slip to motria (sabat) in toronto... i think i must use the one i received from the consulate... i'll fed ex it to her tomorrow morning... yikes...

12:45 am - it's always good to see them... i'm lucky to have them as friends... where is this F train?

1:15 am - i ended up not seeing any of elliott (sharp)'s show... oh, well...

2:10 am - looking for some travel size stuff... a 24-hour rite aid on grand... they don't have the shampoo i want... this one looks alright...

3:30 am - i think i'm pretty much packed... i'm bringing only 2 small bags since i have to carry that giant shit... maybe i can sleep for a few hours... set the alarm for 7:30 again...

september 13th, saturday, day 1, new york to portland, OR

i woke up at 7:40 and went to kinko's on houston... thankfully it was open at 8 and did have a fed ex drop off box... i filled out a fed ex envelop and when just about to drop it off, i saw this sign saying that there's a fed ex location open on saturdays at newark airport... so i thought, great! i can do it at the airport and even make it sure it'll get there by wednesday...

taking a car service from delancey was a good idea... the driver was a lot cooler than that stupid cabbie from the day before... i got there plenty of time ahead as erik suggested... and this lady at check in didn't even charge me anything! wow, i got lucky... it was kinda weird seeing someone else carrying my cello off to somewhere though... i got scared for a second... see, since i was a kid, i have carried my cello...

then i had about an hour to kill so tried to find this fed ex location... nobody seemed to know... i called the fed ex main office and they told me it was in building 155... so...

i asked for the building 155 to this woman in a uniform who told me to go outside and take P5 bus... outside, huh...? then on P5 bus, the driver told me that it's on the other side of his route... ah... he let me get off and told me that about 15-minute walk should get me to the building 155... it was looking pretty gray out... like it was going to rain any minute... but i really had to get this sent... i felt like such an idiot for not dropping it off earlier but what else could i do... so i started to walk... wearing these mesh slippers and carrying two bags... not too heavy but still... after 5 minutes, i realized it was not going to be a 15-minute walk... i do walk slowly and the map i found didn't look that promising... but once i started to walk, it was hard to turn back... i am known to be stubborn... i tried to catch a bus or something but nobody seemed to want to stop for me... then it started to rain a bit... then it started to rain some more... then it really started pouring down and i was getting... soaked... i felt like a real idiot... my feet were all wet... bottom of my pants were getting wet... my fed ex envelop was wet... my bags were wet... i was miserable... finally after almost 30 minutes of walking in rain, i made it to fed ex... dropped it off... the lady at the counter said it would get to toronto by monday... then this nice fed ex truck driver gave me a ride back to the terminal... it took about 5 minutes by truck... ah... i do really walk slowly...

flights went pretty smooth... changed flight at denver... as soon as i got my cello case back from oversized baggage claim area at portland, i opened it up and she was fine! i was so relieved... it was really beautiful out when we finally got outside of portland airport...

i was with 3 other musicians... trevor (shaun holder), drummer, rudresh (mahanthappa), saxophonist and ambrose (akinmusire), trumpeter... we had enough stuff with us... with my flight case and trevor's drum stuff... we were supposed to be picked up by someone from the festival... so... there was this guy showed up with... a jetta... even my regular cello case doesn't fit in the trunk of a jetta! it's a really very nice car but doesn't do me any good! so... there i was... waiting for a van for another 45 minutes... sick of waiting... thank god, trevor waited with me...

finally got to our hotel called mark spencer... a small charming place... and i got to share a room with latasha... i like latasha... we got to relax a bit then went to see donna uchizono, a choreographer from new york... i saw her work some time last year in new york and liked it a lot... i got to the theater a bit late but caught most of it...

stopped by at a whole foods store to pick up some stuff... and it was big! clean! bright! food, food, food everywhere... i felt like a moth drawn to a bright light... got back to the hotel... watched my beloved trading spaces on TLC channel... hadn't seen it since i moved to my recent pad... i love it! they are still doing it... after watching an episode of their new show, clean sweep, i went to sleep...

september 14th, sunday, day 2, portland, OR

woke up at 7... got hungry... went to the whole foods... it's only a couple of blocks away from the hotel... how convenient! i had a feeling i'd be coming there a lot for the rest of the stay... and i was right... walked around for a couple of hours to explore the city... went to this open market where lots of food trucks were... i didn't really get to taste anything but everything looked great... sun was bright and warm... and very dry... after a 7-hour rehearsal, we all went to this amazing thai restaurant called thai peacock... they had tasty spicy papaya salad, great seafood curry... really huge portion... then we went to this nightly party the festival threw to see mike (ladd) performing with tracey morris... also there was this guy selling this fish-shaped bread thingy i grew up with in korea! but instead of sweet red bean filling we have, he filled it up with some odd stuff... like cheese and veggies and ham... phooey... i talked to the guy and he apparently lived in korea for a year... he said he had to alternate the filling to "accommodate" people's taste here in portland... mike decided to get some... wished him luck... he said it wasn't that good... i cannot believe people are not into red bean stuff...! we walked back to our hotel... portland is a really intriguing little town... interesting architecture and some of it is bizarre... this apartment or condo thing we saw had some weird totem pole thingy outside with jagged shaped balconies... then there was this bank that looked like a starbucks or something... lots of windows on all the buildings and it sure gets damn quiet!

we went to the roxy, 24-hour diner a block away from our hotel... where lots of runaway kids hang out outside... inside i noticed this guy with a really awful long blond wig... and the waiter we had was such a jerk... when mike told the guy he wanted to order fast so he could go to bed since he slept only a couple of hours the night before... then the waiter said "oh, well, I got only 4 hours of sleep myself"... and when vijay ordered a piece of double chocolate cake, his response was "you cannot have it because it's too late"... weirdo... not cool... we left him a penny for his lovely service...

september 15th, monday, day 3, portland, OR

got up around 8 again... hung out with latasha a bit... watched some tv... they were talking about this possible hurricane coming toward the new york area... and also this horrible hurricane that hit korea... gotta call my parents... and of course went to the whole foods for breakfast... what can i say... they had good shit! their pumpkin coffee cake rocked... i even ran back there for my lunch... after the sound check, i had a couple hours to kill... went downtown by myself and found a couple of cool vintage stores... for some reason lots of people were buying elvis outfits... found some good deals for myself though... then i was off to find this chocolate place that was on food tv called moonstruck... it was really easy to find... portland is really easy to get around... and they have this area called "fareless square" where you don't have to pay any fare... at the chocolate place, i tried hazelnut and earl gray truffle... well, i was not so convinced... they were expensive and looked good... 2 bucks per piece... but i couldn't stop thinking about jacques torres back in dumbo [FOOTNOTE 2: a section of Brooklyn] ... i got a mocha one just to be sure... and still wasn't happy... oh well... i found this vintage store called magpie... and that was fabulous...!

the concert went pretty well... i liked vijay's music a lot... when we started to rehearse i was a bit intimidated by its rhythmic complexity and juxtapositions but once i got it, it became very enjoyable... working with people who have complete vision in their compositions yet leave enough room for people like me to be able to find a way to add something to it is always great... and all the musicians/actors were great to perform with... and the audience response was great... everything went by so fast...

afterward we all went to this jake's famous crawfish place right behind our hotel... also shelley (hirsch) joined us as well... she had performed a couple nights before... the restaurant was a recommendation of our cab driver from the airport... while following the hostess to our table, i saw this crazy looking desert i absolutely had to have... it was called chocolate bag, dark chocolate shell literally shaped like a rectangular bag, filled with white chocolate, whipped cream and all different kinds of berries... woo... looked fucking awesome... but before i had to have real food... i ordered salmon cake appetizer which was absolutely fabulous... it had such an interesting tasting sauce... with apple and fried leeks... great combination... it's really amazing how creative these chefs can get with mixing up flavors... then ambrose and i ordered a full order of crawfish... yeah, baby... my first crawfish ever... felt like a bit stupid wearing that white bib thingy around my neck but it had to be done...crawfish was good! even though at first it felt weird breaking the crawfish in half with my hands... lots of work to eat such little amounts of meat but it was worth it... ah... how can it go wrong when there is a great food... then the chocolate bag... oh my god...

september 16th, tuesday, day 4, portland, OR

finally, i got to go to this bakery, pearl bakery...in pearl district, respectably... little print out we got from the festival said this bakery won the third place in national baking competition or something... of course i had to go... i had their lemon danish and carrot cake... yes, carrot cake... it was great... ciabatta bread they put out for sampling was fabulous too! crusty and flavorful... then with latasha, we checked out some vintage shops... at buffalo exchange latasha scored this awesome looking coat... beautiful red brick color coat with furry things on its neck and sleeves... and went to powell's bookstore cross the street... the biggest bookstore in the west of mississippi they said... it was overwhelming... i didn't know what to do other than standing in the middle of the store... oh, earlier we saw this young couple on the street... they started a fight... she slapped his face then he grabbed her hair... then she started to kick him... calling names... and it was going pretty violent for a minute... then as this woman approached them from behind, they broke off and gave this person kiss saying hi... as nothing ever happened... out... i also saw the guy from the roxy with the bad blond wig... he was wearing another awful red wig this time... then we went to... huh-hum, the whole foods for the last time... awesome salad section... i loved their roasted carrots... and noodle salad... and mango salsa...

the gig went really well... went by even quicker... then i had to pack and run to the airport... trevor and alison (easter), one of the actors were flying back to new york that night with me...

at the airport, i could sense that i wasn't going to be so lucky with my cello case this time, as soon as i saw those two women at the check in... they looked uptight... you know what i mean... and of course, even though they couldn't find the code to put in to see how much they had to charge my case for oversize, they insisted on charging me something... so i got charged 75 bucks... ah, yah... bitches... then i had to give my cello to a guy at the security so he could scan it... then as soon as he put it through, i heard my cello case tumbling down... ah... ran back to the guy and he said; "don't worry. It just sounded worse than what it was..." jerk... i gave him a look... anyway... trevor and i got some sushi, don't ask me why... people at the counter were a bit off... looked too perky to be at the airport around midnight... hey, people are different... then went through the security area... had to open my bags, emptied my pockets... you know the deal... and right before boarding... i realized my boarding pass had disappeared... so i ran to the security area where i saw it for the last time... but couldn't find it... so rushed back to the gate... then trevor realized that the security people had given my ticket to him by mistake...

ha ha ha... some security...

september 17, wednesday, day 5, new york to toronto, canada

got to newark airport around 10 am... trevor and lisala were generous to give me a ride back... otherwise i would have had to schlep my flight case all the way to lower east side... anyway... got back home around 11:30... took a short break... gathered my papers for my visa stuff... then called tim to get my passport... tim is great... nothing else i can say about this guy... the best thing is that he doesn't freak out like i do... he calms me down... then went to mode to print out some stuff... i decided to return my flight case when i come back the day after... i was ready to be at the newark again by 5:30 pm... then when i checked my email around 4, there was an email saying that my flight to canada got canceled due to the hurricane... i panicked... then the woman on the phone from orbitz.com told me to get to the airport as soon as possible and get on the standby for another flight... i was getting freaked out since my appointment was at 9 in the morning the next day... you have to have an appointment to get in... if i missed the appointment, it meant i could not get my visa revalidated in time to go to italy and come back... ah... it felt like the sky collapsed in front of my eyes (korean expression)...

i took delancey car service again to the airport... another 45 bucks down the drain... traffic going to holland tunnel was nasty... after standing in line to check in at the airport, feeling almost sick, i learned that there was a direct flight i could get on... thank god... it turned out for the better...

i was relieved... even though the plane was delayed for almost an hour and a half, i was happy... it felt a bit weird leaving the airport though... it was the first time I left this country in more than 5 years... i was a bit scared... what if anything goes wrong...

i arrived at toronto airport around 10... and caught a bus to take subway... here all the signs on the highways are in kilometers... all of sudden i got homesick... and somehow started to think in korean... which is really rare for me... their subway looked pretty much like the subway here in new york... but a bit cleaner and wider... then got outside to catch a street car... it was so interesting to see that everything pretty much looked the same in toronto as in new york... but definitely things felt more relaxed... one thing i noticed was their crosswalk sign... the ones they have are the graphic ones... you know, like the ones we started to get more in new york that have graphics of little people, even though i liked letter ones better... anyway the ones they have more details... i mean the figuring had actual feet and hands...



continued...




The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Federico Ughi (
w /
Leo Genovese /
Brandon Lopez):
Infinite Cosmos
Calling You You You,
Vol. 1
(577 Records)



Sven-Ake Johansson /
Alexander Von Schlippenbach:
uber Ursache
und Wirkung der
Meinungsverschiedenheiten
beim Turmbau zu Babel
[VINYL 2 LPs & PAL DVD]
(Trost Records)



Charles Mingus:
Presents Charles Mingus
To
Pre Bird,
Revisited
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Franz Koglmann:
Near Blue -
A Taste of
Melancholy
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Void Patrol (
Sharp /
Stetson /
Martin /
MacDonald):
Live @ Victo
(Victo)



Peter Brotzmann /
Paal Nilssen-Love:
Chicken Shit Bingo
(Trost Records)



Jean Derome:
La Chaleur De La Pensee
(Ambiances Magnetiques)



Giuseppe Doronzo /
Andy Moor /
Frank Rosaly:
Futuro Ancestrale
(Clean Feed)



Hal Russell /
Mars Wiliams:
EFTSOONS
[VINYL]
(NESSA)



Scratching Fork (
Malinowski /
Rychlicki /
Zadruzynski):
Scratching Fork
II
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Ivo Perelman /
Mark Helias /
Tom Rainey:
Truth Seeker
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Elliott Sharp:
The Collapsed Wave
(zOaR Records)



Scheen Jazzorkester
&
Cortex:
Frameworks -
Music by
Thomas Johansson
(Clean Feed)



Quatuor Bozzini:
Jurg Frey: String Quartet
No. 4
(Collection QB)



Ensemble SuperMusique:
Le fil d'Ariane
(Ambiances Magnetiques)



Wadada Smith Leo /
Joe Morris:
Earth's Frequencies
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Paul Dunmall /
Paul Rogers /
Marc Sanders:
Wildlife
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Susanna Hood Trio:
unPacked
(Ambiances Magnetiques)



Jonas Cambien:
Maca Conu
(Clean Feed)



PNY Quintet (
Swell /
Brown /
Edelin /
Giron /
Betsch):
Over The Wall
(RogueArt)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (30610)