Steve Smith
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A weekly tally of memorable things Steve Smith has stuck in his ears. Published on National Sawdust Log. Note: YouTube embed codes were not working when this list was made, so links are provided where necessary. Dave Brubeck Quartet – Reflections (Concord Jazz; 1986) William O. Smith – Two Sides of Bill Smith (CRI; 1974)…
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Last week, before I could collect and share my contributions to the Goings On About Town section in the March 16, 2020 issue of The New Yorker, covering the dates March 11-17, the cancellations started to trickle in—and then came the flood. Here are screenshots of my listings for that issue as they appeared online,…
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As has been the case with basically every upcoming concert scheduled to occur during the next six weeks or more, New York new-music institution the S.E.M. Ensemble has announced that its planned concert for April 1 at the Bohemian National Hall has been canceled. In this instance, presenting the concert online for an empty house…
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A weekly tally of memorable things Steve Smith has stuck in his ears. Published on National Sawdust Log. Comet Meta by David Grubbs & Taku Unami David Grubbs & Taku Unami – Comet Meta (Drag City; due May 29, 2020) Ellen Fullman – In the Sea (self-released/Superior Viaduct; 1987/2020) Rachel Beetz // Script – Rescript…
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A weekly tally of memorable things Steve Smith has stuck in his ears.Published on National Sawdust Log. Anastassis Philippakopoulos: piano works by Melaine Dalibert Anastassis Philippakopoulos – piano works – Melaine Dalibert (Elsewhere) MATT LAJOIE – Everlasting Spring by Matt LaJoie Matt LaJoie – Everlasting Spring (Flower Room; due March 14, 2020) Beside Myself by…
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Reading to and with The Girl at bedtime is a constant joy: a time for discovery and sharing and, increasingly, an opportunity to gauge how her ability to read on her own is growing by leaps and bounds. One thing we especially enjoy is books about real-life women who made a substantial impact in science…
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My contributions to the Goings On About Town section in the March 9, 2020 issue of The New Yorker, covering the dates March 4-10. (Links lead to detailed listings on the New Yorker website.) Dai FujikuraMiller Theatre; March 5 at 8 The intrepid musicians of International Contemporary Ensemble present a Composer Portrait showcasing music by…
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We've all got a lot on our minds tonight, it seems safe to guess, so I'll keep this brief: I'd been waiting a long time to hear Liebeslied, a delightfully mysterious, frequently sumptuous piece for amplified vocalist and orchestra by Alex Temple, so thank you, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, for making this something of a super…
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A weekly tally of memorable things Steve Smith has stuck in his ears. Published by National Sawdust Log. Moniek Darge – Sounds of Sacred Places (Igloo/Kye; 1987/2011) Beside Myself by crys cole crys cole – Beside Myself (Students of Decay; 2020) The Taj-Mahal Travelers – July 15, 1972 (CBS Sony/États-Unis; 1972/2019) The Sky Opens by…
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ShotsBlank Forms, Brooklyn, NY February 27, 2020 General admission Personnel: Daniel DiMaggio, amplified objects, recordingsJohn Friberg, amplified objects, recordings Matthew Friberg, amplified objects, movement On Thursday night at Blank Forms, the intimate third-floor walk-up gallery space recently opened in Clinton Hill by the curatorial organization of the same name, the trio Shots played a brief…
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My contributions to the Goings On About Town section in the March 2, 2020 issue of The New Yorker, covering the dates February 26-March 3. (Links lead to detailed listings on the New Yorker website.) BearthovenLe Poisson Rouge; Feb. 27 at 7:30 Yes, this group looks like a jazz piano trio—and, in its way, it…
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Liza Lim (Photograph: Astrid Ackermann) Among the choice items included in today's Winter-Spring 2020 season announcement from The Kitchen was news of the latest installment in Density 2036, the enthralling 23-year commissioning program initiated by the industrious flute genius Claire Chase in 2014. Density 2036, part vii will be presented at Queenslab, a Ridgewood venue…
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Once in a while – more often than I'd like, unfortunately – I'll receive details for an eminently worthy, possibly mind-blowing event juuussstt ever so slightly too late to pitch it for possible inclusion in the Goings On About Town section at the New Yorker, where I beat the drum for such events on a…
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A weekly tally of memorable things Steve Smith has stuck in his ears.Published on National Sawdust Log. Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard, Steve Swallow – Life Goes On (ECM; 2020) Dave Douglas – Marching Music (Greenleaf Music subscriber exclusive; 2020. More information here.) Sofia Gubaidulina – Jetzt Immer Schnee; Perception – Leonid Stasov, Stella Kleindienst, Siegfried…
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Charles Curtis, Abigail Levine, Dancers, and Wind EnsembleIssue Project Room, Brooklyn, NY February 21, 2020 General admission Personnel: Charles Curtis, cello Abigail Levine, dancer, choreographer Amanda Brown, design Rob Besserer, Elena Demyanenko, Kentoria Earle, Ayano Elson, Maho Ogawa, Kristopher K.Q. Pourzal, dancers Michael Matsuno, Teresa Diaz de Cossio, flutes Nicolee Kuester, French horn Rachel Allen,…
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One of the new initiatives the New York Philharmonic rolled out last season, to coincide with the arrival of music director Jaap van Zweden (and Deborah Borda, the institution's president, as well) was "Phil the Hall," an unambiguously populist gesture in which first responders, volunteers, and other public-service professionals were invited to come to Lincoln…
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Monday on Twitter, Dr. Andrea Ramsey posted a straightforward question: Favorite string quartets composed by women? — 𝔻𝕣. 𝔸𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒 ℝ𝕒𝕞𝕤𝕖𝕪 (@ramseyandrea) February 17, 2020 Dr. Ramsey, a composer, conductor, and teacher based in Kansas City (you know, the one in Missouri), received dozens of enthusiastic responses. I won't lie, I definitely jumped in. But I…
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Jon Christensen, a deft, sensitive drummer who embodied the "ECM Sound" and an enormously influential musician, has died at age 76. Read Ethan Iverson's tribute, here, for as beautiful a succinct summary of Christensen's contributions to music as you possibly could want, and then watch this live video of Christensen playing in Keith Jarrett's storied…
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A weekly tally of memorable things Steve Smith has stuck in his ears.Published by National Sawdust Log. Stones/Water/Time/Breath by Dean Rosenthal Dean Rosenthal – Stones/Water/Time/Breath (Edition Wandelweiser; 2019) bin li – i am also here (Edition Wandelweiser; 2019. Audio samples here.) Jürg Frey – fields, traces, clouds – Jürg Frey, Ordinary Affects (Edition Wandelweiser; 2019.…
Night After Night 