thanks: Parker-Park (The Stone, NYC), Park-Sikora-Sinton (DSMC, Brooklyn) and Park-Parkins (The Living Gallery, Brooklyn)

Three gigs; and I couldn’t ask for a more varied and musically valuable seven days.

I learned a heck of a lot (about my capabilities as an improviser, and about the social dynamics of interactive play) performing with Evan Parker. Still reeling from the experience, I’m grateful for the opportunity to play with Mr Parker again, and to have sat in with the Bleeding Edge Trio.

The performance with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton was the most craftily accomplished. We’ve been engineering, navigating and negotiating these improvisative, tactical considerations since February, and it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to be working with two imaginative and gutsy performers. I expect our performance at Harvestworks in October will be something else. (Plus thanks to Josh for the post-gig reflections.)

If I had to choose just one of these gigs as a stand-out though, it might have to be the duo with the stupendously creative Andrea Parkins. Insanely fun! Despite (or perhaps becuase of) severe technical limitations, I found myself in some very odd places. (Andrea was one of the first NYC people I contacted before moving here, so this performance was looong overdue.) Let’s play again. I had a blast.

Big thanks to coconspirators Michael Foster and Lisa Mezzacappa, to Mike Pride for the funniest post-gig story telling, and to the documetarists Don Mount and Jeremiah Cymerman. Finally, special thanks to Louise and Tom for bringing their new family to The Stone.

Next up: performances coming up in October as part of Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora), and with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton for another round with Metis 9. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

performance diary 09-27-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
October 27, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002
6:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones). Also performing: Samm Bennett. Free admission.
[Details…] [DMG page…]
October 29, 2013 Harvestworks
596 Broadway #602
New York, NY 10012
7:00pm Performance of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet).
Free admission.
[Details…] [Harvestworks page…]
November 7, 2013 ModernFormations
4919 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
8:00pm (doors: 7:30pm) Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and other as part of Crucible Sound. Details to follow…
Suggested donation: $7.
November 17, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002
6:00pm Performance by Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Details to follow…
Free admission.
November 21, 2013 Andrew Drury’s home
[Contact for location…]
Lefferts Gardens
Brooklyn, NY
7:00pm Soup and Sound House Concert with Jack Wright (saxophones) and Ben Wright (double bass) with Andrew Drury (percussion), Joe Moffett (trumpet), Dan Peck (tuba), Han-earl Park (guitar), Michael Evans (percussion) and others. Details to follow…
Recommended donation: $10.
2014– Europe I will be moving back to Europe at the start of 2014, and I am seeking performance opportunities for, in particular, my Europe-based projects including Numbers (with Richard Barrett), Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith), and io 0.0.1 beta++ (with Bruce Coates and Franziska Schroeder). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 09-27-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)”

reminder: Han-earl Park and Andrea Parkins at The Living Gallery, Brooklyn

Han-earl Park and Andrea Parkins
This Wednesday (September 25, 2013), at 9:00pm: a performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and Andrea Parkins (accordion and electronics), plus Marc Edwards/Ernest Anderson III and Tristan Shepherd/Michael Foster, at The Living Gallery (1094 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11221) [map and directions…]. Recommended donation: $8.

reminder: Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

This Sunday (September 22, 2013), at 8:00pm: a real-time rendering of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet), plus a performance by the Lisa Mezzacappa Trio (Chris Welcome: guitar and voice; Lisa Mezzacappa: double bass; and Mike Pride: drums), Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

reminder: Evan Parker and Han-earl Park at The Stone, New York

Evan Parker and Han-earl Park

The British saxophonist Evan Parker, 69, has been a major figure in free improvisation since the late 1960s. That’s not only because of his sound and style, which starts from late Coltrane and pushes ahead—turning the process of circular breathing into a supercollider of tones and overtones—but also because of his sociability. The best free improvisers are drawn to him, and he to them, and his weeklong residency at the Stone corrals the best of the New York-based ones across three generations. [Read the rest…]

Ben Ratliff (The New York Times)

This Thursday (September 19, 2013), at 10:00pm: a performance by Evan Parker (saxophones) and Han-earl Park (guitar) takes place at takes place at The Stone (16 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009). Admission: $20 (students 13–19: $10; children <12: free).

Evan’s residency at The Stone will feature some amazing musicians (check The Stone calendar for the full program) including the Bleeding Edge Trio (with Peter Evans and Okkyung Lee) performing the 8pm set on Thursday.

performance: Han-earl Park and Andrea Parkins at The Living Gallery, Brooklyn

Han-earl Park and Andrea Parkins
Wednesday, September 25, 2013, at 9:00pm: an evening of duos including a performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and Andrea Parkins (accordion and electronics), plus Marc Edwards (drums) and Ernest Anderson III (guitar), and Tristan Shepherd (turntables) and Michael Foster (saxophone), takes place at The Living Gallery (1094 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11221) [map and directions…]. Recommended donation: $8.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

performance diary 08-31-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)

upcoming performances
date venue time details
September 19, 2013 The Stone
16 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009
10:00pm Performance by Evan Parker (saxophones) and Han-earl Park (guitar).
Admission: $20 (students 13–19: $10; children <12: free).
[Details…]
[The Stone calendar…]
September 22, 2013 Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass Street
Gowanus
Brooklyn, NY 11217
8:00pm Performance of Metis 9 by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet). Also performing: Lisa Mezzacappa Trio (Chris Welcome: guitar and voice; Lisa Mezzacappa: double bass; and Mike Pride: drums). Recommended donation: $10.
[Details…]
[DSMC page…]
September 25, 2013 The Living Gallery
1094 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
9:00pm Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and Andrea Parkins (accordion and electronics). Also performing: Marc Edwards (drums) and Ernest Anderson III (guitar), and Tristan Shepherd (turntables) and Michael Foster (saxophone). Recommended donation: $8.
[Details…]
October 27, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002
6:00pm Performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones). Details to follow…
Free admission.
November 7, 2013 ModernFormations
4919 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
8:00pm (doors: 7:30pm) Performance by Han-earl Park (guitar) and other as part of Crucible Sound. Details to follow…
Suggested donation: $7.
November 17, 2013 Downtown Music Gallery
13 Monroe Street
New York, NY 10002
6:00pm Performance by Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Han-earl Park (guitar). Details to follow…
Free admission.
October 2013 New York and surrounding areas I am seeking opportunities to perform Metis 9 in small and large ensemble contexts with, at its core, the trio of Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton. In particular, I am seeking performance opportunities for Gargantius Effect +4 (Murray Campbell and Randy McKean with Gino Robair, Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Details…]
2013– North America Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky: guitar; Han-earl Park: guitar; and Catherine Sikora: saxophones) is seeking performance opportunities in North America, and, in 2014, elsewhere in the world.
Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch! [Detailed proposal…]
2014– Europe I will be moving back to Europe at the start of 2014, and I am seeking performance opportunities for, in particular, my Europe-based projects including Numbers (with Richard Barrett), Mathilde 253 (with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith), and io 0.0.1 beta++ (with Bruce Coates and Franziska Schroeder). Interested promoters, venues and sponsors, please get in touch!

Continue reading “performance diary 08-31-13 (Brooklyn, New York, Pittsburgh)”

video: Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

I’ve uploaded the video of ‘Monopod’ from the June 5 performance by Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora). With the second improvisation, already uploaded back in June, you can now hear/watch the entire set. Thanks again to Scott Friedlander for the videography. ‘Monopod’ is dedicated to Don Mount.

Whether it’s the most creative interjections from Catherine, the merging of Nick and Catherine’s sounds, the moments of Roscoe-Mitchell-plays-the-music-of-Napalm-Death, or something akin to the sound of a broken ECM record, I’m enormously proud of this performance and this ensemble.

Eris 136199 is next performing on October 27, 2013 at Downtown Music Gallery, NYC. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

performance: Evan Parker and Han-earl Park at The Stone, New York

Evan Parker and Han-earl Park
Thursday, September 19, 2013, at 10:00pm: a performance by Evan Parker (saxophones) and Han-earl Park (guitar), as part of Parker’s residency (September 17–22), takes place at The Stone (16 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009). Admission: $15 $20 (students 13–19: $10; children <12: free).

With the change in the curatorial policy, I didn’t think I’d get back onstage at The Stone for a long while, never mind being asked to play by Mr Parker. I feel enormously privileged to have the opportunity to play a duo set with—the singular, remarkable, incomparable—Evan Parker.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [The Stone calendar…]

performance: Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Sunday, September 22, 2013, at 8:00pm: Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophones) and Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet) explore interactive noise and improvisative complexity via Metis 9. Also performing: Lisa Mezzacappa Trio (Chris Welcome: guitar and voice; Lisa Mezzacappa: double bass; and Mike Pride: drums). The event takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

See the performance diary for up-to-date info. [DSMC page…] [facebook event…]

about Metis 9

Metis 9 is a collection of improvisative tactics, and higher-level interactive macros for ensemble performance designed, designated and specified by Han-earl Park.

Metis 9 has ‘glorious noise’ or ‘frenzy’ at its root, yet it is not so much structuring the noise as it is a meta-layer of complexity that performers can introduce at will. Metis 9 does not tell the performer what to play, or provide all the details of how to interact, but it is an additional network protocol for interactive possibilities. Group improvisation is always the primary protocol; Metis 9 provides secondary or tertiary tactics that create an additional focused complexity. The decision for each bloop and bleep is still retained by the ensemble. These macros enable specific interactionist schemes to be expressed in an open improvisative context; it is improvisative play channeled by group consent.

thanks: Gerald Cleaver and Han-earl Park at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Like I said last time, necessity is the mother of invention. Two things sparked this second duo*3 event at DSMC: Gerald Cleaver was going to be available (been trying to corner him with a gig since January), and Viv Corringham had just moved to New York. I then asked Chris Pitsiokos if he’d like to contribute a set after Anna Webber had to drop out (as much as I enjoyed Chris and Philip White’s set, and I wouldn’t substitute it for anything else, would loved to have heard what Anna might have brought to the table—next time). And like the last duo*3 event, because of the performers, the results were unimaginably better than the minimal curatorial hand I played.

So big, big thanks to all the performers at the August 13 event: to Chris and Philip White for their sense of play (and for consistently hitting the resonance frequency of the DSMC buzzer); to Viv and Andrea Parkins for a performance full of humor, and a kind of cargo-cult elegance; and to Gerald for his limitless imagination, for the 45 minute creative, musical and physical workout, and for making the set sound just that much better. And kudos again to Don Mount for the indefatigable work as video documentarist [watch/listen…].

Next up: performances coming up in September with Evan Parker as part of his residency at The Stone, and with Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton playing Metis 9. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

reminder: Gerald Cleaver and Han-earl Park at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Tomorrow (Tuesday, August 13, 2013), at 8:00pm (our set is c. 9:00pm): Gerald Cleaver (drums) and Han-earl Park (guitar) perform as part of an evening of duo improvisations. Also performing are Chris Pitsiokos (saxophone) and Philip White (electronics), and Viv Corringham (voice and electronics) and Andrea Parkins (accordion and electronics). The event takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

I’m looking forward to, in particular, hearing Viv, who’s recently relocated to NYC, with Andrea, and of course playing with Gerald Cleaver for the first time. If you only come to… two of my gigs this year, make this one of them!

Above video, with Ingrid Laubrock, from the previous duo event at DSMC. Videography by Don Mount.