uncut

last night i attended a double cd release at the gershwin hotel (contagious sounds series) - andy akiho, a steel panner who graduated with the first class of msm's cpp now on innova, and vicky chow, pianist of bang on a can, on zorn's tzadik label. it was packed (no surprise)-i was particularly taken with the quality of musicianship. andy's band played like a jazz group that has gigged weekly for decades, and vicky ripped through ryan francis's roaringly difficult piano etudes as if hanging a sweater out to dry on a windy day. the film that showed between sets, of andy and cellist mariel roberts, was incredible. the director had an eerie way of spinning the angles (outside, on some rooftop that looked like the bronx on a grey semi-spring sunday) like a wizard. i missed the end of it, but it will be posted next week sometime on andy's website. his music took me to a beach where polyrhythms were mixed into the tequila shots and complex timbres were the salt rimming the margarita glasses. really guys, impressive.

i'm trying to balance my life these days - alternating between downtown shows and quiet brooklyn evenings; my sleep schedule, ever since the cornelia st. gig with neoLIT has been bizarre. i need to get back to this time zone somehow by sunday...