May 2nd, 2012
We are excited to announce Bad Luck’s 2012 tour dates. Feel free to follow them down the West Coast. We know we want to!
Straight from Seattle’s surging avant music scene, Bad Luck tours the West Coast this May in support of their new EP Bloodroot, which will be released on May 4th. Hot on the heals of their 2011 double-album Two, drummer Chris Icasiano and saxophonist Neil Welch have created a 22 minute sonic manifesto. Bloodroot is their most ambitious recorded piece to date, culling up the gravelly saxophone wails and deep drum beats they’ve come to be known for. But Bad Luck continues to explore conventional and unconventional territories in their music. In Bloodroot, heavy-looped chords abruptly cut off, replaced by creaking moans, clicks and clamors. Panicked improvisations become replaced by beautiful, subtle melodies. As one of Seattle’s most creative touring projects, Bad Luck continues to evolve with every show.
Friday, May 4th – UW’s IMPfest IV
Hughes Penthouse Theater
Seattle, WA
7:30 PM
Suggested donation only
with:
George Garzone with UW Jazz Students
Burn List
Sunday, May 6th – Eugene
New Zone Art Collective
164 West Broadway
Eugene, OR
Tuesday, May 8th – Isla Vista
Biko Garage
Isla Vista, CA
7:30pm
$5 Suggested Donation
with:
Whitman
Ezra Bouchla
Wednesday, May 9th – Los Angeles
Human Resources
410 Cottage Home St in Chinatown
Los Angeles, CA
8:30pm
$5 cover
with:
Slumgum
LA Fog
Thursday, May 10th – San Francisco
The Luggage Store Gallery
1007 Market St.
San Francisco, CA
Admission $6-10 sliding scale
with:
Laurie Amat and Cj Borosque
Marco Eneidi
Friday, May 11th – Sacramento
In the Flow Festival
Luna’s Café
1414 16th St
Sacramento, CA
with:
Insuu Bunkai
Dave Lynch Group
Hell Bent in the Pacific
Saturday, May 12th – Berkeley
Free Improvisation Workshop
The Jazzschool
2087 Addison St
Berkeley, CA
3:15 PM
$30 advance purchase/$45 day of the workshop
Sunday, May 13th – Portland
The Blue Monk
3341 Southeast Belmont Street
Portland, OR
7:30 PM
$5-7 suggested donation
— Table & Chairs
April 8th, 2012
Table & Chairs artists have been performing at the Ballard Jazz Festival for a number of years. This year, we’re pleased to announce that the benevolent festival overlords have asked us to put on a showcase entirely devoted to our record label.
At the Salmon Bay Eagles Club, we’re thrilled to be featuring Bad Luck, Chemical Clock, and Neil Welch’s Sleeper. You can RSVP to the event on Facebook, and here are the details for the concert:
Salmon Bay Eagles Club: 5216 20th Ave NW, Seattle 98107
April 20th
8 pm: WA
9 pm: Chemical Clock
10 pm: Bad Luck
11 pm: Sleeper Ensemble
$25 All Access Pass
We’re looking forward to this opportunity to share our jams with new audiences, and we hope to see you folks out there for the show!
-T&C
April 1st, 2012
Improvised music is at its best when all participants intersect by way of a personal, stylized approach. Our aim as improvisers is to collaborate, and I find this to be true regardless of the context of the improvisation. If two improvisers purposefully avoid any interaction with one another, attempting to create a kind of binary sound without any relationship between the two, the improvisation will still be influenced by ideas coming from the other player. Avoiding another’s input elicits a response which was influenced by it. The aim of any improvisation is plain if the focus of collaboration is always at its core.
Individual style is why I listen to music. Whether it’s the writing style of a composer or the labored breathiness in a players sound, I’m always moved by the subtleties of a musician. Much free music maintains the reputation of being overly intellectual and missing the soulful essence of good music. This isn’t an intrinsic problem with free music, but it’s an endemic problem with many of the people who play it. Much of the free music I love, music which makes me feel like I’m a different person—a more interesting and awakened person than I really am—is music most would classify as intellectual. So many free improvisations are stale because players aren’t putting any blood into it. They are unwilling or afraid to take a stand, lead others and have faith in their ideas.
My wife once read that selfish lovers make better lovers. In fulfilling their own needs, their partner often receives the benefit of the elevated excitement and effort. Though, if the selfish needs don’t come with a collaborative spirit, the pitfalls for the partner are obvious. This illustration works well in the context of free music. Many times I’ve been part of an improvisation where each member of the group thoughtfully tip toes around one another, trying not to interrupt and politely responding. Even though the improvisation may turn out to be pleasing, there’s a deeper level of artistry that goes unfulfilled for me. In collaboration there must be leadership. In collaboration there must be moments where one musician takes the lead, comes to the forefront and pushes the others towards something new.
My current music puts me in opposition to many of the musical scenarios I find myself a part of these days. This is exciting for me! My own music has taken a shape which I hadn’t anticipated, and try as I might to fit in with the music around me, I often fail. I’ve come to realize that how I play is how I play. I must respond and evolve in the moment, but a fish out of water is still a fish. I find that I contribute the best when I’m true to my own artistic notions, thoughts and gestures. It’s crucial for my artistic growth to intentionally stray far off from my comfort zone, and to see the music through another’s eyes.
When I improvise with another person, I make an assumption they will meet me half way. Playing thoughtfully is a careful balancing act of the ego. We have to keep ourselves and others in check. Risk taking is at the heart of it, but so is balance. Believing that an individual, stylized approach to improvisation will always lead to a great improvisation is unrealistic. I maintain faith in myself to lead and to follow. I must be aware that every improvisation is important and must come from the deepest part of myself.
—Neil Welch, March 2012
March 30th, 2012
Though we’ve already taken to Twittering and Facebooking about this exciting news, we’d like to take this opportunity to formally laud our own: Andy Clausen’s first release, The Wishbone Suite, was just named eMusic’s pick of the week in Jazz, selected in favor over the likes of ECM artist Billy Hart, and Medeski, Martin, & Wood. We knew what was in store when we decided to put out this record, but it’s gratifying to hear that others are recognizing the greatness of this music, too.
We also would like to thank eMusic for recognizing the fact that thus far, we have been very “adventurous” with our output. We’ll continue putting the T&C name on the records that we believe in, however adventurous they may be.
Congratulations, Andy, Aaron, Gus, Chris, and Ivan!
March 17th, 2012
In precisely one week, Table & Chairs will be releasing a new self-titled record by King Tears Bat Trip. Coinciding with a performance at The Chapel Performance space, KTBT will unleash two massive 18-minute-long compositions in digital form on the T&C web store. This four-drummer-deep ensemble has a sound all its own; unrelenting Voudou dance beats and folksy, Albert-Ayleresque spirit melodies coalesce into all-encompassing clouds of sound, and as a helpless onlooker, it’s all you can do not to dance along. The giant, resonant hall at The Good Shepherd Center is going to be an ideal space to hear this music.
Also, T&C artists Simon Henneman and Gregg Keplinger will be performing at the event with WA. We recently released their record, Cross The Center, during the Racer Sessions festival. You can pick that album up over at their store page in physical or digital formats.
As a preview of what you’re in for, here’s a little live video put together by our friends over at Improvised Music Project from last year’s IMPfest:
Look for King Tears Bat Trip next Saturday in the T&C webstore. Download cards will also be available for purchase at the release show. See you then!
