Celebration of Beethoven's birthday.
"Neighborhood Performance Project presents Beethoven's Septet"
7pm to 10pm, 2133 University Ave.
with Gino Robair, John Shiurba and Tania Chen and special guest Frank Gratkowski
This week we're lucky to be graced with a visit from two of Europe's
finest improvisers, Dominic Lash and Frank Gratkowski. They're touring
independently but fortuitously will both be here on the same day.
Daniel Bennett introduces Dominic Lash thus: "Dominic Lash is a
double bassist, improviser, and composer, based in Bristol. Like
most of us he's also a lot of other things, including in his case
a writer, a cat owner, an organiser of concerts, a poor whistler,
and fine company. But keeping just to his music, Lash has performed
in more than a few countries of the world with a huge array of
musicians ranging from Tony Conrad to Steve Reid with detours to
take in the likes of Joe Morris and Evan Parker; in the course of
this he's recorded innumerable records of innumerable sorts, all
of which contain music."
And Jason Bivins has this to say about Gratkowski: "Gratkowski has
long been recognized as one of the finest European reedists of his
generation, and it's now undeniable that he simply owns the small-group
chamber improv idiom. Bringing to the table a battery of non-idiomatic
effects - slurs, chirrups, bleats, and shrikes - he can also make
his horns race through the knottiest of new music passages. Most
exhilaratingly, it's hard to separate the two modes of expression
as you listen to him."
Rounding out the ensemble will be three Bay Area greats:
percussionist Gino Robair, guitarist John Shiurba and pianist Tania
Chen.
7:30pm to 9:30pm, Tom's Place 3111 Deakin Street
$23 advance / $25 door. 644-2020. www.thefreight.org
8pm, Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison Street
Cajun/Zydeco dance lesson at 8 pm. $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com
8:30pm, Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center, 1317 San Pablo Avenue