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Recorded the Vandermark 5 (Tim Daisy-drums, Kent Kessler-bass, Fred Lonberg-Holm-cello, Dave Rempis-saxophone, Ken Vandermark-reeds) at Elastic in Chicago.  This concluded a series of Vandermark 5 shows in the month of August, where new material was debuted to an appreciative and enthusiastic crowd.  This main purpose of this recording is to provide a reference on the new pieces in preparation for upcoming studio work.
www.kenvandermark.com/work.php

Chicago's South Suburbs/Will County lost one of their greatest musicians unexpectedly over the weekend.  Through the years, in various configurations, Larry Anderson entertained thousands of fans as a guitarist, drummer, and vocalist.  His guitar work can be heard on Daver's Not the New Daver, and The Modern Relics' Phonograph.  Deepest condolences to Larry's family.

One of my favorite recorded saxophone sounds is the warm, rich tone achieved in the late 1960s by engineer Rudy VanGelder.  Upon researching what he used for micpres, however, I was disheartened to learn that he actually built them himself.  Hhmmm- the search continues... 

In between sorting through Okka Fest recordings, I am composing and recording piano (acoustic & electric) tracks for some songs by Brad Davis of Lake Holiday.  I've been given a lot of freedom here, which is both a compliment and a vague assignment.  I believe the exact title of the collective files that Brad sent me was "Songs For Daver To Have His Way With".  Dangerous words, my friend...

If you have 16 channels along for the ride, why not use 'em?  Last November, I recorded Ken Vandermark's innovative arrangement of Joe McPhee compositions.  Due to a small stage and some technical difficulties, the recording was a challenge.  Now, in a repeat performance, Topology (Jason Adasiewicz-vibes, Josh Berman-cornet, Jeb Bishop-trombone, Tim Daisy-drums, Kent Kessler-bass, Fred Lonberg-Holm-cello, Joe McPhee-sax, Dave Rempis-sax, Ken Vandermark-reeds) sounded better than ever.  Looking forward to mixing this project in August.

The final day of Okka Fest began with very little sleep but plenty of adrenaline.  Peter Brotzmann opened with a solo set, but that did not stop me from using all five mics that were set up for the brass section of the next set. Though the back room of The Sugar Maple sounds very good, the front room is excellent.    Mixing for this project is scheduled for September.

Saturday night's headliner was GUTS (Peter Brotzmann-sax, Joe McPhee-sax, Kent Kessler-bass, Michael Zerang-drums), who all but blew the roof off of The Sugar Maple.  Mixing for this project is scheduled for August/September.

Saturday night I recorded The Engines (Jeb Bishop-trombone, Tim Daisy-drums, Nate McBride-bass, Dave Rempis-sax).  The only concern in setting up for this recording was allowing for enough 'swing room' for Bishop's trombone.  On bigger, elevated stages, this is not a problem, but when the slide's reach could knock out an audience member, let alone a mic stand, exact placement is crucial.  The eternal quest for balance: capture the full performance and all of its improvisational nuances, while staying out of the way of the creative process.  Mixing for this project is sch

The second day of Okka Fest began with an afternoon performance at The Palm Tavern, also owned by Okka Disk founder Bruno Johnson.  Originally the trio (Kent Kessler-bass, Joe McPhee-sax, Michael Zerang-drums) was to feature the talents of jazz legend Fred Anderson, but Anderson passed away at the age of 81 one month prior.  Stepping up to fill in was Joe McPhee, who aptly captured the bittersweet mood when he stated, "I planned on being here today too, but I was going to be sitting there," indicating the front row. 

Friday night's second set was the intense and much anticipated trio of Peter Brotzmann, Joe McPhee, and Ken Vandermark.  Unfortunately, McPhee's sax suffered from airline abuse and neglect, rendering it unusable.  Armed with a Vandermark loaner, however, he joined Brotzmann and Vandermark in a powerful performance that reminded the packed room exactly what the saxophone is capable of when placed in the right hands and mouths.  Mixing for this project is scheduled for August.