The October Revolution in Jazz 60th Anniversary, October 1-5 (Los Angeles)

The October Revolution in Jazz 60th Anniversary Celebration

A night of rare jazz-continuum film and recordings, conversation with music luminaries, and music performance spanning generations of improvisers.  

October 1-4 @ CalArts

Click HERE for the schedule of events.

October 5, 2024 @ 2220 Arts + Archives

2220 Arts + Archives in Los Angeles
2220 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057

Click HERE for the schedule of events. 

The October Revolution in Jazz 60th Anniversary (ORJ 60) is a celebration of the life and legacy of visionary musician-composer, artist, and educator Bill Dixon (1925–2010). It is also a reflection upon the cultural impact of the original October Revolution in Jazz, which Dixon organized at NYC’s Cellar Cafe in 1964. 

The original was blessed with unforeseen successes: four days of packed performances by the second wave of a contemporary musical avant-garde emerging out of the jazz continuum; heated debates about the exploitative commodification of musicians’ labor; and implicit protest of the limiting aesthetic constraints of traditional jazz. The October Revolution in Jazz had an energizing impact on the social and political aims of artists of all kinds, and led to a whirlwind of artist-driven initiatives, including the Jazz Composer’s Guild and the NYC loft scene. 

Like the original, ORJ 60 is simultaneously a summit, a call to action, and an imagining of new futures. ORJ 60 will explore the profound impact of improvisation on culture from the 1960s onward, as well as its influence on various artistic modes beyond music, including pedagogy, collectivity, artist-driven organizing, and creative ways of being.  

Through a multivalent program of workshops, symposia, and performances, ORJ 60 aims to foster a deeper understanding of improvisation as a critical and creative practice, and to contemplate a vivid way forward. It also aims to reinvigorate awareness of Bill Dixon’s enormous contributions to improvised music, and the cultural impact of his pedagogies.

Please check out october-revolution.org for details! 

#calarts #2220arts #orj60 #calartsmusic #OctoberRevolutionInJazz #youmeandthewhales #vinnygolia #kzap.radio #stanleyjasonzappa #catherinesikora #nickskrowaczewski #t.j.borden #kylemotl #bobbybradford #triplepointrecords #hamzawalker #sarahjobeadle

Zappa Plays Los Angeles, Feb. 19

 New Texture recording artists Catherine Sikora, Nick Skrowaczewski, Andrew Wedman, and Stanley J. Zappa will appear at HelMel Studios in Los Angeles, Saturday, February 19 at 8 pm.

$10 suggested admission, cash bar. 

And, as ever, remember to keep it irie.

Hall, Skrowaczewski, Zappa's FREE / REFUSE available NOW

 

The latest digital release in New Texture's Zappacrypha series of recordings by Stanley J. Zappa (and compatriots) is available now! Free / Refuse features Jacob Hall, bass; Nick Skrowaczewski, percussion, vibraphone; Stanley J. Zappa, saxophones. It was recorded by Hall at Audible Alchemy, Portland, Oregon, and mastered by Jeremy Stewart at Swan's Yowl.

Per Zappa:

"Three years after the release of Visions (by Leonard/Skrowaczewski/Zappa), Steve Lobdel was just about done moving his recording empire to his new facility. Jacob Hall was Steve's assistant. Jacob and I played in a group with the rhythm section of Steve's group, The Davis Redford Triad. Nick Skrowaczewski was in Portland at the time, learning the fine art of video editing. No sooner were Nick and Jacob introduced than they were sneaking off to eat chicken fried steak at the Interstate Diner for brunch together.

Lobdel kindly permitted Jacob to use the studio so we could record this Trio—the main attraction of which being a Studer tape deck with pitch control. This recording makes ample use of said pitch control, both to speed up and to slow down. This left a large impression (dent) in my 'sound vision' and only bolstered my vow never to take western harmony seriously ever again."

Buy it/hear it here.

Explore the album's packaging here. Photos and design by Wyatt Doyle.

First Chance, Last Chance for Four New Zappa Discs

 

First Chance, Last Chance. 

We’re releasing four new CDs from Stanley J. Zappa (and friends). They are available right now from Amazon. They will only be available to purchase until June 4th, a matter of days. We had hoped to stagger these releases and keep them in print indefinitely, but our manufacturer has rather suddenly announced other plans about manufacturing them. (It’s Amazon, and they are assholes.) 

These albums will be made available as downloads; this is great music and we want to keep it available. So if you like downloads, you’re in luck. But if you like CDs? If you like physical media? Groovy packaging, designed by New Texture's Wyatt Doyle? Time is short. Very short. So short, that if you want to own copies of these extremely limited pressings, you’d better get cracking. Like, now. 

Know that since it’s Amazon manufacturing the discs to order and filling your order, and they don’t seem to like us much, you can expect fulfillment to take longer than usual. (We don’t like them either.) 

Think of it like those rare Dylan discs, released to maintain copyrights in small "get 'em while you can" quantities. 

Think of it like those recently released Stones outtakes, which seem to be the same kind of thing. 

Think of it like we’re losing our manufacturer, but we still want to release these albums on CD, because that's exactly what's happening. 

Think of it any way you like, but if you want these albums on disc, you’d better move fast. You’ve only got ’til June 4th. 

Buy links and music previews below.

Free/Refuse by Jacob Hall, Nick Skrowaczewski, Stanley J. Zappa 

https://amzn.to/3f52gDV 

Crossing Guards by Daniel Carter, Steven Leffue, Catherine Sikora, Stanley J. Zappa 

https://amzn.to/3tZGLbW 

The Stanley J. Zappa Quartet Plays For The Society of Women Engineers 

(Wyatt Doyle, Mark Leonard, Nick Skrowaczewski, Stanley J. Zappa)

https://amzn.to/342EUZm

Turkey Bacon Donuts Bitches by MANZAP REBORN 

(Andrew Wedman, Stanley J. Zappa) 

https://amzn.to/3f2oxlR

 

Also going out of print (as physical releases): 

Sing-Song Songs by Stanley J. Zappa

https://amzn.to/2SVYB2z

Live a Little by Manzappaczewski 

(Nick Skrowaczewski, Andrew Wedman, Stanley J. Zappa)

https://amzn.to/3wlDEwr

LIVE A LITTLE by MANZAPPACZEWSKI out now!

Stanley J. Zappa, saxophones and clarinets 
Nick Skrowaczewski, percussion  
Andrew Wedman, Rhodes

MANZAPPACZEWSKI is the totality of three semi-wasted lives rolled into one dynamic trio dedicated to the UFDA sound and way. As a group they have no particular musical agenda other than finding the most efficient, effective way to rid our collective improvisation of all accumulated cultural shibboleth. Their debut record Live a Little is, for creators and future listeners alike, a very close brush with the greater "it."

Bandcamp

Buy on Amazon

MANZAPPACZEWSKI HQ: www.UFDA.ca

The Stanley Zappa Trio featuring Catherine Sikora and Nick Skrowaczewski

The Stanley Zappa Trio Featuring Catherine Sikora and Nick Skrowaczewski. Contemporary improvised music in three unique settings with three emerging masters of the craft

June 11^th, Penticton, Elite After 6 at 9pm (event link)

June 12^th, Oliver, Quinta Ferreira Winery (in the Cellar), 7pm (event link)

June 13-15^th, Prince George, The 2^nd Annual Casse-Tête Festival of Experimental and Improvised Music, 8pm (event link)

Catherine Sikora: Saxophonist Catherine Sikora is an improviser and composer originally from West Cork, Ireland and now based in the New York City area. Initially self-taught, Sikora obtained a degree in Jazz Performance in England, and then moved to New York City to study with master improvisers and unlearn most of what she learned in college. She stopped performing entirely for four years to concentrate on rebuilding her approach from the ground up. Since resuming performance has become a very busy and distinctive voice in New York’s downtown scene, performing with a wide variety of musicians including Han-earl Park, Vinnie Golia, Ziv Ravits, Ben Chase and Dr. Franziska Schroeder. In addition, she and her husband, Eric Mingus, have a long-standing ensemble called Clockwork Mercury.

Nick Skrowaczewski: Son of conductor and composer Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, drummer Nick Skrowaczewski has experienced the full spectrum of orchestral literature, from the first beginnings of tonality to the furthest reaches of Avant Garde. This remarkable immersion in orchestral literature is evident in his compositional approach to the drum set and improvisation. Skrowaczewski (along with Zappa) studied music at Bennington College with Bill Dixon and Milford Graves, gaining a deep insight into the drum traditions of other cultures. Skrowaczewski also studied Afro-Cuban percussion at the Harbor School in Spanish Harlem and currently performs in the Sumunar Gamelan ensemble in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Stanley Zappa: Raised a music lover in the fertile environment of Northern New Jersey, Zappa started out playing guitar under the influence of his Uncle Frank, before moving on to the acoustic bass. While at Bennington College (where he met Nick Skrowaczewski) he took up the saxophone. At Bennington, he studied with Bill Dixon and Milford Graves; a seminal experience in Zappa's development as a musician. After that, an unofficial masters degree was earned the hard way, living in New York, performing with many of the leading voices of the day. Now in the Okanagan, Zappa hones his his craft of woodwind performance as he ponders music's logical and social underpinnings. For the last seven years he has been playing in "No Boundaries" a modern classical duo with nonagenarian pianist Agnes Sutherland.

Skrowaczewski and Zappa provideded the inaugural release for Bill Dixon's record label Archive Edition, a cd entitled Visions. Since then, they have performed in Cambridge, MA with the Citizens' Orchestra, in Manhattan at Columbia University's radio station WKCR, at the 21st Annual Zappanale in Bad Doberan, Germany and most recently released a duo recording/DVD entitled The Upside-Down Halloween Sessions.

Sikora, Skrowaczewski and Zappa have studied, performed with and draw considerable inspiration from the seminal figures of Free Jazz and contemporary Post Jazz. With this tour the trio hope to introduce jazz lovers of the BC Interior to a their unique approach to performance and sound.

Recent clips:

Skrowaczewski and Zappa

Zappa and Sikora

Sikora solo

Sikora, Skrowaczewski, Zappa BC Dates

catherine sikora (tenor saxophone), nick skrowaczewski (percussion), stanley zappa (saxophone, clarinet)

june 11 - The Elite in Penticton, 9pm

june 12 - Quinta Ferreira winery in Oliver, 7pm

june 13 - 16 - Casse Tete in Prince George, all day long

"Elf Ricochet" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"Elf Ricochet" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, tenor saxophone.

Video by Zappa.

Watch on YouTube above. 

For higher quality audio and video, watch via Vimeo, below.

© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

"BIGOS" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"BIGOS" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, tenor saxophone.

Video by Zappa.



Watch on YouTube above. For higher quality audio and video, watch via Vimeo, below.



© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

"Duck Duck Goose" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"Duck Duck Goose" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, tenor saxophone.

Video by Zappa.



Watch on YouTube above. For higher quality audio and video, watch via Vimeo, below.



© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

"147 Hit Points" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"147 Hit Points" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, tenor saxophone.

Video by Zappa.



© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

"Rug Burn at Dusk" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"Rug Burn at Dusk" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, tenor saxophone.

Video by Zappa.



© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

"Soil Science" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"Soil Science" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, saxophone.

Video by Zappa.



© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

"Fish Bladder Celebration" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"Fish Bladder Celebration" by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, saxophone. Video by Zappa.


© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

"Storm System," by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

"Storm System," by Skrowaczewski / Zappa

Nick Skrowaczewski, drums; Stanley Zappa, saxophone. Video by Zappa.

To view on YouTube, click above. To watch via Vimeo, see below.

© 2013, 2014 Skrowaczewski / Zappa; all rights reserved

The Tenth of Many Instalments of Me

The tenth, and for now, final instalment of the many instalments of me.  Wow, what a wild ride.  This web 2.0 thing really does add richly to the fabric and quality of our lives.  2011, great to see ya!

This little number was the version 0.9 of the Citizens' Orchestra kernel.  It is a performance by Eric Zinman, Laurence Cook, Jane Wang, Nick Skrowaczewski, on the final piece of the evening Glynis Lowmon, and me.

Citizens Orchestra I - First Piece, Cambridge MA 2007 

This is the first piece of the evening.  The other three have been put together into a "thing" which I am given to understand is currently enjoying the neglect, apathy and disinterest of select music capitalists all over the world!  And that's fine too because it was a gaye olde time that performance.  Yes indeed, all the notes at least twice.  Laurence Cook = national treasure.  I didn't know Jane Wang's music before the performance, and as it turns out I should have as she played great.  (You can also hear her on Sabir Mateen's recording Other Places Other Spaces.)  Eric Zinman is a pan tonal champion and Nick Skrowaczewski, what can you say?  As adept on the vibes as he is on the drums.  Mr. Percussion!

And there you have it.  Ten instalments of me, by me, ultimately for me and the 6 or seven of you who make a point of stopping by on a semi regular basis.

The next instalments of me could potentially be of even less interest, as they are pre-digital relics.  The next instalments might also not appear for a long time as they are cassettes, and I'm not sure yet how to turn them into zeros and ones.

While the lions share of it makes even me cringe, there are some fun unheard cassettes from rehearsals no one heard for gigs that were never played.


Till then!

The Seventh of Many Instalments of Me

Certainly you all remember (and cherish) your time listening to The Sixth of Many Instalments of Me.  In that post, I promised you the duo 2 years later.

And here it is.  The Skrowaczewski Zappa duo, 2008.

Skrowaczewski / Zappa at Zappanale #19, Rehearsal 2008

Zappanale was many things, none the least of which being an opportunity to make more music with the wonderful Nick Skrowaczewski.

This track was recorded in the basement of the Zappanale headquarters right there in beautiful Bad Doberan Germany.  It was recorded using Nick's Edirol hand held recording device.

The basement as I recall was your typical basement rehearsal room, complete with numerous posters and empty bottles of soda strewn everywhere.  (Zappanale was a very soda-forward festival.  Nick and I got 12 2 litre bottles of soda upon arrival.  A mix-n-match pack if you will.  My favorite flavor was the no flavor flavor.  It had quite the sturdy bubble without any color or taste.)  Maybe there was also a small childrens bicycle and a dryer in the rehearsal space?  Anyhow, a real comfortable back-at-home-in-11th-grade kind of feeling.

No one was present for this recording (it was a rehearsal) and in retrospect, this might be some of the strongest work from that wee blip of productive time there in Germany.  Which makes me think about the history of music, particularly how  most of it is only known to the musicians making it.  Rehearsal are often much hipper than the actual performance.  How many rehearsal have you been to?

Yeah.


And with that, we wait with bated breath for the Eighth Instalment of Many Instalments of Me.

The Sixth of Many Installments of Me

Skrowaczewski / Zappa live at WKCR 2007 by Stanley Jason Zappa

Interstellar Space...Papyrus...The Nick Skrowaczewski Stanley Jason Zappa duo? Stakes are pretty high with the duo.  It's an instrumentation that lends itself well to embarrassment and humiliation.  Unlike in the large(r) ensemble, there's no hiding in a duo.

On the flip side, the duo is a great way to share some feelings in no uncertain terms--perhaps even more so than the solo.

This track was recorded live at WKCR by Ben Young in 2007.  The three or four of you who read this blog are no strangers to the joy and awesomeness that is WKCR and it's helmsman Herr Young.  Live to 3 track?  Maybe 1/4" reel to reel tape was involved?  How soon we forget.  What was I saying again?

Music making with Nick Skrowaczewski (drums on this one) is always a pleasurable, continually morphing reality.  Next week (in the seventh of many installments of me) I'll post another duet from 2009.  Will you hear a difference?

Stay tuned to answer that question for yourself!

The Fifth of Many Installments of Me

Hall Skrowaczewski Zappa Trio track one, 2005 by Stanley Jason Zappa

The Hall Skrowaczewski Zappa Trio...kind of rolls of the tongue like Medeski Martin and Wood. Like MMW, the HSZ trio trafficked in rollicking good fun.

Evidence again more Studer trickery. And why not? If it kind of worked once, keep using it again and again until it is tired and old and a nuisance. Culture does the same thing all the time--why shouldn't I?

On this track, Nick Skrowaczewski plays both vibes and drums (though not at the same time). I'm guessing that the vibes were overdubed over the existing trio. There might be two vibes going at once, come to think of it.

As far as I'm aware (and for the 6 to 7 of you who visit this site, please fill in my blanks), multi-tracking hasn't really enjoyed quite the same centrality in "this music" as it has in rock.

I know Dixon used it to great effect on Octette #1 from Vade Mecum II and...that's all I can think of! Who else? Help me here!

The First of Many Installments of Me

Good news and bad news.

Good news: less me using hurt words

Bad News:  more me making hurt sounds--you know, CEF or Shwe owei cwded leehdas or the Hated Music or the Beloved Music or my new favorite "Crazy people music" or what ever it is you want to call it.


Soap and Water Country Boy by the Leonard Skrowaczewski Zappa trio featuring Wyatt Doyle.

Soap and Water Country Boy  features the sadly defunct and sorely missed Leonard Skrowaczewski Zappa trio with the addition of Wyatt Doyle on vocals.  The track was recorded at KEXP in Seattle for a show called Sonarchy hosted by Doug Haire.

The recording was a lot of fun.  Doug Haire was a joy to work with.  A fast set up and a great sound within minutes.  No excruciating microphone gymnastics or endless knob twiddlery.

Much of Wyatt's content is only meaningful to a handfull of people--lines like "That was the Little Man...the Little Man" resonate more fully with some than with others.  The rest of are accessible to all:  "Well, not the Jesus Christ, but a Jesus Christ."

The show was supposed to be for live broadcast.  It was not.  It was eventually broadcast, but according to those listening, as soon as the words started, the live transmission ended.  HA!  I think they went to a baseball game maybe?

More material from this session can be found here.

Stay tuned for more me!