Ken Vandermark presents The Field Kitchen Uptown Orchestra & Poets

The “Ken Vandermark plays Field Kitchen/Field Kitchen plays Ken Vandermark” collaboration that began with two concerts in Detroit during June expands to performances by “The Field Kitchen Uptown Orchestra & Poets” project held at The Green Mill in Chicago on Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st.

The Field Kitchen ensemble has been organized by Ben Hall, and the band manifests as a hybrid of Hall’s contemporary classical writing, his rhythmic Detroit roots and the group’s range of experience- from free improvisation to punk to Pentecostal church.  He asked Vandermark to contribute material to pieces composed by the foundation group of  Hall (surdo/conga), Indira Edwards & Mike Khoury (violas), Cyrus Pireh (guitar), and Sharon Udoh (organ) for those Detroit appearances.  These Chicago events will incorporate more elements composed by Vandermark.  The ensemble has now been augmented to a nonet that includes internationally renowned musicians based in both Chicago and Detroit, representatives of the “New Midwest School”:

Josh Berman: cornet

Indira Edwards: viola

Garrett Frees: reeds

Ben Hall: surdo/conga

Mike Khoury: viola

Nick Macri: electric bass/electronics

Beth McDonald: tuba/electronics

Sharon Udoh: organ

Ken Vandermark: reeds

In addition, on July 31st the poets, Kai Ihns and Ken Taylor, will read some of their work as an introduction to two of the sets; and on August 31st the poets Ed Roberson and John Yau will present some of their material.  All four are critically acclaimed as among the best writers in the field of contemporary poetry.

Both of these spectacular concerts of three sets a night by “The Field Kitchen Uptown Orchestra & Poets” will be recorded for a future release on Audiographic Records.

[poster by Ben Hall]