4 December 2004

All of the sessions scheduled for specific release TERRITORY BAND-4 (Okka Disk, fall 2005), FME (Okka Disk, summer 2005), BROTZMANN CHICAGO TENTET (spring, 2005), FREE FALL (smalltownsuperjazz, summer 2005)], and for possible production [SONORE and Lytton/Vandermark/Waschmann], are documents that I am particularly proud of. Working with all of these musicians and developing the material, whether completely improvised (SONORE, LVW) or based on compositional frameworks, performing the music, recording with these superior engineers (Weston, Stryppe, Vagnsson), has made this fall one of the most productive and gratifying in my life. So where do I go from here?

November ends with a “third stream” concert put together by composer Andrew Morgan in London. Then I head back to the States for a Northwest tour organized by Torsten Muller involving Paul Rutherford, Dylan van der Schyff, and myself. After that is finished full work begins with a new quartet: Tim Daisy, Nate McBride, Jason Stein, me. Weekly concerts with the group at the Bottle in Chicago until mid January to find out if the cooperative approach will work (all members composing, all members developing the group aesthetics with an equal hand). A couple of one-off performances with SPACEWAYS INC. and a quartet with Brötzmann, Kessler, Drake (also at the Empty Bottle). Mixing the VANDERMARK 5 and TENTET studio sessions. And then a month break from performing- time to practice, compose, consider, and do some sessions with Joe Morris and Luther Gray out East…