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RE: 3 Mah-na mah-na MP3s Here



Yes, Boise is on its painful way to become a musically diverse city (now
the third largest city in the NE US, but it still has a long way to go.
In support of your point below, David, we indeed have a fair amount of
folks who appreciate diverse and interesting music (especially at the
university)...the problem is that the venue owners are playing the
conservative route: they go on the safe side with mainstream, monolithic
styles of music like traditional jazz, blues, classic rock, country,
classical, and folk...stuff that will appeal to the "Idaho Conservative
Populous". There is only one venue in town that breaks this rule, and
that is the Kulture Klatsch, which I play at the first Thursdays of
every month. I've heard everything there, and it is always appreciated,
albeit by a very small crowd on occasion. 

There used to be a hip venue called Pi. I played in a fusion/funk/jazz
Scofield like original band there once...it was a cool place, great pro
like stage, amazing lights and sound system, etc. They brought bands in
from out of state, everything from free jazz and acid jazz to trip hop
and adult alternative rock. But the owner couldn't keep the place alive,
and he had to shut it down.  Boise doesn't even have a part time jazz
club...it was proposed by a jazz enthusiast/investor, but shot down in
flames because of the grim prospect on ROI.  During the Gene Harris Jazz
festival, everyone claims to be a jazz fan, but then when the event is
done and the hype is down, folks go back to their normal lack-of-support
behavior. 

So, yes the idea of an avant-garde Cellist here in Boise is borderline
ludicrous. I think most people here think avant-garde is playing an
unplanned solo during a jam session, or a non-rock instrumentalist
sitting in with a pop band.  I once asked a local bass clarinet player
if he was interested in collaborating with me, because I hear he had
played with some rock or alternative groups. I thought, cool....now I
can do the Nordic Quartet thing like Terje Rypdal. His response was that
he had to make money and he wasn't interested in playing with screeching
violins and atonal improv. 

But, maybe there is hope. A lot of it depends on having a large enough
listening base that will support a venue.  In a city of 210,000, 100
people who listen to real avant-garde probably isn't enough...this could
be an exaggeration. Perhaps I should place an ad...it's worked for me
before. I found bass player her interested in playing jazz like John
Abercrombie. 1 response, and we've been great friends since.

Cheers,

Kris


-----Original Message-----
From: David Trenkel [mailto:improv@peak.org] 
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2005 4:03 PM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: Re: 3 Mah-na mah-na MP3s Here

On Saturday, June 4, 2005, at 06:37 AM, Hartung, Kris wrote:

> You're leaning cello? Move to Boise asap. I can't find a cello player 
> in a 300 miles square radius who is interested in looping and playing 
> avant-garde music...sort of like Kronos Quartet meets Joe Morris.
> Anyone guitar players out there listen to Joe? I have a few of his 
> CDs...he's kind like the Cecil Taylor or Eric Dolphy of 
> guitarists...not for everyone, but seems to be where my mind has been 
> drifting these days.
>
> All hail Grover....
>
> Kris out
>
> P.S. I had my first gig a few days ago with my laptop and virtual VST 
> effect rack. I'll post a soundclip this week of a very experimental 
> tune I recorded.
>
Hey Kris,

Joe Morris is indeed cool, I've seen him a couple of times, and he
always blows me away. He has such a pure conception, everything is
conveyed in his note and harmony choices, his tone and technique seem to
be pretty transparent. Beautiful player.

Good luck on finding an avant-garde cellist in Boise! Until a few months
ago, I would have just laughed at you trying to find any avant players
in Boise, but now I think you might at least have a chance. I grew up in
far-east Oregon and spent a lot of time Boise as a kid/teenager. Seemed
like a real music backwater at the time. But, I played a gig there, as
part of the Gene Harris Jazz fest a few months ago, and, after not being
back for 20 some years, I was really surprised and pleased at how hip
the audience at our show was! Met some very cool people, and felt that
our own outward-leaning jazz-funk was well understood and accepted. Met
a couple of music students from BSU who had huge ears, I believe the
guys we talked to played trumpet and guitar, but the music school might
be an avenue for finding cool players.