video: Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Scott Friedlander has uploaded video recordings of Gowanus Company (November 26, 2013). As I wrote previously:

Big, heart-felt thanks to Kyoko and Josh for organizing the event. I’m touched, and could not have asked for a better send-off. Thanks to everyone who made music, and for creating that welcoming, friendly vibe. (And a particular pleasure to finally perform with Kyoko, Ken and Fay!) And thanks again to Scott Friedlander for the documentation.

From that vocal/guitar chorus (Kyoko, Viv, Fay, Nick and I) to the jazz racket of Ken and I joined by Tom and Ingrid… my spirits have been lifted!

Gowanus Company was curated by Kyoko Kitamura, Josh Sinton and Han-earl Park. Performers were Dan Blake (saxophones), Olie Brice (double bass), Viv Corringham (voice), Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Michael Evans (drums), Ken Filiano (double bass), Christopher Hoffman (’cello), Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone), Jeremiah Lockwood (voice and guitar), Russ Lossing (piano), Han-earl Park (guitar), Tom Rainey (drums), Josh Sinton (saxophone) and Fay Victor (voice). [Details…]

farewell, Brooklyn, it’s been a blast

Let’s start with a kind of personal Top Ten. In no particular order: Han-earl Park with Ingrid Laubrock; with Tim Perkis and Harris Eisenstadt; as part of Eris 136199 with Nick Didkovsky and Catherine Sikora; with Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen and Michael Evans; Gerald Cleaver; Tom Blancarte; Dominic Lash; Catherine Sikora and Josh Sinton; and with Evan Parker, Brooklyn and New York, 2012–2013. Videos by Scott Friedlander, Don Mount and Kevin Reilly.

I moved to Brooklyn back in December 2011, and I’m grateful and privileged to have been part of, even briefly, such a gracious, vibrant, creative, fun and welcoming community.

I’m particularly indebted to Andrew, Jesse, Michael, Adam, Anna and Andrea for introducing me to the (cultural) geography/neighborhood(s); to Bruce, Wadada and Ras who gave me my first few gigs; and to Tim and Evan for offering me sideman gigs. And a very big thanks to Josh, Catherine and Nick for much of the above, and for collaborating on some long-term projects. To everyone, I hope to repay the your generosity (and hope to catch up when I’m back in Brooklyn/NYC).

Now back in Cork, and, for what feel like the first time in a long time, I’m arriving without a gig in town (and, to my surprise, I’m not too unhappy about that). Some plans ahead (solo performance at SARC for starters), fingers crossed, something will work out.

Anyway, as posted earlier, I’m seeking performances for Numbers (Richard Barrett and Han-earl Park), Eris 136199 (Nick Didkovsky, Han-earl Park and Catherine Sikora) and Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward, Han-earl Park and Ian Smith). Interested promoters, venues, festivals and sponsors, please get in touch! [Details…]

seeking performances (Europe, 2014)

I will be moving back to Cork this month, and I am seeking performances for the following projects/ensembles in Europe, 2014. Interested promoters, venues, festivals and sponsors, please get in touch!

In addition, I (Han-earl Park) will be available for performances in solo or (ad-hoc) ensemble contexts.

Contact me for further information, audio recordings, etc. (some material only available to promoters).

thanks: Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Ingrid Laubrock, Ken Filiano and Olie Brice (Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn, November 26, 2013)
I’m honored to have been part of a fantastic iteration of Gowanus Company (November 26), and feel enormously blessed to have been welcomed into such an incredible community. Big, heart-felt thanks to Kyoko and Josh for organizing the event. I’m touched, and could not have asked for a better send-off. Thanks to everyone who made music, and for creating that welcoming, friendly vibe. (And a particular pleasure to finally perform with Kyoko, Ken and Fay!) And thanks again to Scott Friedlander for the documentation.

From that vocal/guitar chorus (Kyoko, Viv, Fay, Nick and I) to the jazz racket of Ken and I joined by Tom and Ingrid… my spirits have been lifted!

reminder: Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective
This Tuesday (November 26, 2013), at 7:00pm: My last gig in Brooklyn before the Big Move!

In the spirit of Derek Bailey’s Company week, the evening will feature a series of never-before-seen and never-to-be-seen-again groups. [Read the rest…]

Gowanus Company with Dan Blake (saxophone), Olie Brice (double bass), Viv Corringham (voice and electronics), Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Michael Evans (drums), Ken Filiano (double bass), Christopher Hoffman (’cello), Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone), Jeremiah Lockwood (voice and guitar), Russ Lossing (piano), Han-earl Park (guitar), Tom Rainey (drums), Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet), Fay Victor (voice) and others takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

tonight: Jack Wright, Ben Wright, Andrew Drury, Joe Moffett, Dan Peck, Han-earl Park and Michael Evans, Brooklyn

Tonight (November 21, 2013), at 7:00pm: a performance by 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 as part of Soup and Sound House Concert takes place at Andrew Drury’s home in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn (contact him for the location). Recommended donation: $10.

Above video: last time I performed with Jack Wright. With Jonathan Moritz at one of Andrew’s events. Video by Kevin Reilly. [Watch the rest…]

reminder: Anna Webber and Han-earl Park at IBeam, Brooklyn

Anna Webber and Han-earl Park
This Wednesday (November 20, 2013), at 8:30pm: a performance by Anna Webber (saxophone) and Han-earl Park (guitar), plus Joe Moffett (trumpet), Carlo Costa (drums) and Dan Peck (tuba), takes place at IBeam (168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

performance: Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective, Brooklyn

Gowanus Company at Douglass Street Music Collective
Tuesday, November 26, 2013, at 7:00pm: Gowanus Company with Dan Blake (saxophone), Olie Brice (double bass), Viv Corringham (voice and electronics), Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Michael Evans (drums), Ken Filiano (double bass), Christopher Hoffman (’cello), Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Kyoko Kitamura (voice), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone), Jeremiah Lockwood (voice and guitar), Russ Lossing (piano), Han-earl Park (guitar), Tom Rainey (drums), Josh Sinton (saxophone and clarinet), Fay Victor (voice) and others. Curated by Kyoko Kitamura, Josh Sinton and Han-earl Park, the event takes place at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass Street, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217) [map and directions…]. $10 suggested donation.

My last gig in Brooklyn, New York, and, for me, it’s my leaving party. I’m honored to be part of this event instigated by Kyoko and Josh.

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

performance: Jack Wright, Ben Wright, Andrew Drury, Joe Moffett, Dan Peck, Han-earl Park and Michael Evans, Brooklyn

Thursday, November 21, 2013, at 7:00pm: a performance by 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 as part of Soup and Sound House Concert. The event takes place at Andrew Drury’s home in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn (contact him for the location). Recommended donation: $10.

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

Above video: last time I performed with Jack Wright. With Jonathan Moritz at one of Andrew’s events. Video by Kevin Reilly. [Watch the rest…]

performance: Anna Webber and Han-earl Park at IBeam, Brooklyn

Anna Webber and Han-earl Park
Wednesday, November 20, 2013, at 8:30pm: a performance by Anna Webber (saxophone) and Han-earl Park (guitar) takes place at IBeam (168 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215) [map and directions…]. Also performing: Joe Moffett (trumpet), Carlo Costa (drums) and Dan Peck (tuba). $10 suggested donation.

Super excited! Played a few sessions with Anna, but this will be the long overdue public performance with the stupendously creative Anna Webber.

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

canceled: Viv Corringham and Han-earl Park at Downtown Music Gallery, New York

Unfortunately the performance by Viv Corringham and Han-earl Park that was to take place on November 17, 2013 at Downtown Music Gallery, New York has been canceled.

Sorry about that. I’m offering the video clips of the August 13 performances by Gerald Cleaver and Han-earl Park, and Viv Corringham and Andrea Parkins as a kind of consolation (the time Viv and I almost performed together).

Next up: performance in Pittsburgh (November 7) as part of Crucible Sound, then back to Brooklyn (November 20) for a duo performance with Anna Webber. See the performance diary for up-to-date info.

Crucible Sound: interview with Han-earl Park

Crucible Sound (Pittsburgh, 11-07-13)
Over at Crucible Sound, Anthony Levin-Decanini interviews Han-earl Park about idiom, identity, collaborators, teaching and a-ha moments:

Idiom, tradition, identity, history (personal or collective) are things that I value. I tend not to subscribe to the vanilla notion of a pure, non-idiomatic state. I value the meeting: I want to know who you are, who I am, and that fascinating stuff is when those things collide—what we have in common, and what separates us. Border crossings are always fascinating; full of contradictions and (potential) misunderstandings….

…Meetings and border crossings make me think of brief encounters, limited investment, not long-arc relationships. Is that what free improvisers are left with: connecting only in that moment? Is that initial collision potentially more interesting to hear than when musicians get to know each other intimately (and calculate accordingly)?

…I do value the band, of long-term collaborations. It allows for greater complexity of interaction, greater speeds of decision making, more oblique, unexpected, choices. We, Eris 136199, coined a new term—‘weirderation’—after our last performance, to denote something—a set of relationships, decision making process—getting just that little bit weirder with each iteration.

On the other hand, spaces such as Crucible Sound have their own value. I’m not sure ‘brief encounters’ necessarily equates to ‘limited investment’ in those relationships.

[Read the rest…]

On Thursday (November 7, 2013), at 8:00pm (doors: 7:30pm): Han-earl Park will be performing with David Bernabo, Edgar Um Bucholtz, J Wayne Clinton and Lenny Young as part of Crucible Sound at ModernFormations (4919 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224) [map…]. Suggested donation: $7. [Details…]