Jeff Kaiser

Ockodektet in San Diego Top Fifteen Jazz Concerts...

2011-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Very nice ranking from critic Robert Bush at the San Diego Reader:

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/jam-session/2011/dec/20/top-15-sd-jazz-concerts-for-2011/

Ockodektet Rehearsal photos....

2011-11-20T15:59:00.000-08:00

Rehearsal
Woodwinds:
David Borgo
Vinny Golia
Emily Hay
Andrew Pask
Tracy McMullen

Trumpets:
Dan Clucas
John Fumo
Brad Henkel
Daniel Rosenboom
Kris Tiner

Trombones:
Michael Dessen
Michael Vlatkovich

Tuba and more:
Jonathan Piper
William Roper

Piano, Keyboards, Theremin:
Wayne Peet

Acoustic Guitars:
Tom McNalley

Electric Contrabass Guitar;
Steuart Liebig

Contrabasses:
Jim Connolly (also: musical saw)
Mark Dresser

Percussion and so much more:
Rich West
Brad Dutz

me and Vinny

setup

Andrew Pask

Solo Session 2

2011-10-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

Solo Session this weekend

2011-10-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

Once again I’m stoked to be at Studio A at UCSD. This time it is to record a solo album this weekend. Setup was today, headed up by engineer Joe Kucera and grad student engineers Scott Worthington and Clint Davis.

This will be an all acoustic session. We have two “areas” set up, one for micro-sounds and one for full-on playing. The microphones are wonderful, for the micro-sound area we have a Schoeps CMC 5 mic amp with a sub-cardioid capsule and a B&K 4006 (omni), both running into an Avalon M2.

For the full-on area we have a Coles 4038 ribbon mic, a Royer SF-12 stereo ribbon mic, and two Sennheiser MKH 40's, all running into a Millennia HV-3R.

The session will be recording into Pro Tools at 96/24.

This should be a fun weekend.

A Very Tall Tree...

2011-08-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

A great time today hiking in the Redwoods at some "secret groves" with my friend Eric Tillinghast...Please click the image to see the Tall version of this tree...More pics to come.

Softstep and Max/MSP...

2011-08-20T00:47:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely loving my Softstep...a very versatile footcontroller...smaller, lighter and does way more than any other foot controller out there at this time that I am aware of. However, in the past it required all users to use a standalone piece of software. Being a Max/MSP user, I like to do everything natively within Max itself...I think this is common with many of us Max users... Thankfully, Keith McMillen Instruments has recently come out with a Max/MSP developers kit that pointed me and several other users in a direction that allowed us to create software that runs on standard objects within Max.

In short, you drop the jk.softstep abstraction in your max patch and give it a number that corresponds to the button you want it to be associated with. Then choose the outlet you want: bangs, toggles, lists, xy data, pressure data, pressure with latching, dials, and with more options on the way. That's it, really *very* simple...even though the example patch has everything going at once...

As a warning, though, it uses common sysex that was sniffed out with a midi monitor. If used incorrectly, sysex can really scramble things. I've even heard stories of sysex permanently "bricking" hardware, although I've never personally experienced it. I've used this software daily since Thursday without any problems, but there are no guarantees.

SO,

Please, until KMI releases this information officially and with more specifics,

***No guarantees, use at your own risk***

Also: I've chosen functionality that pertains to my own use, so, not a lot of LED action. There is information inside of the jk.stepcore abstraction if you want to add this functionality.

A big thanks to my friend Chris Lavender for helping with the output stage.

My version is available here: http://jeffkaiser.com/jk.softstep.zip

Garbanzo Grill in Eugene, OR!

2011-08-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Delicious vegan fare, from Garbanzo Grill in the Whiteaker neighborhood of Eugene, Oregon....
(Click any pic to enlarge)

Garbanzo Grill

Vegan Gyro and Mac

Garbanzo Grill

Vacation, August 2011...

2011-08-14T12:11:00.001-07:00

Currently I'm in Cottage Grove, Oregon trying to write some new music for my Ockodektet concert in November and working on some Max/MSP/Jitter projects. On the way out of town, I participated in a concert at Alex Cline and Will Salmon's wonderful Open Gate Theater at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. The first group was the (acoustic!) trio of myself, Michael Vlatkovich and Tom McNalley, second up was Andrew Pask's rocking quartet with Wayne Peet, Steuart Liebig and Alex Cline. That night I began my drive up to Oregon, accompanied by a thermos of pu-erh and three of my dear friends: Arturo Fuente Hemingway, Oliva Serie V and La Gloria Cubana. (I also had a San Lotano, awful.)

Upon arriving, I received some good news: the score for my Alchemical Mass was accepted into an art show on experimental music notation at the Royal Nonesuch Gallery in Oakland, CA and I received the newest addition to my electro-acoustic rig: the Softstep, from Keth McMillan Instruments. More on both of these in posts to come.

After a few days here, I was treated to a lovely show at the Jazz Station in Eugene, featuring the duos of Jeff Young and Paul Pinto, and Lucio Menegon and Sabrina Siegel. Ted Killian then joined me here for a few days and while discussing Max/Msp and Jitter we feasted on many of the vegan offerings in Eugene at Morning Glory Cafe, Pizza Research Institute, the Cornbread Cafe, while remaining caffeinated by The Wandering Goat, and also attended a noise concert at the New Zone Art Gallery featuring many of my friends here in town....

Following are some pics, CLICK on any of them to see large versions.

Wayne Peet

Andrew Pask

Michael Vlatkovich and Wayne

Tom McNalley

Alex Cline

Andrew, Wayne, Steuart Liebib, Alex Cline

My favorite tea drinking spot.

Wild animals abound...

...

Ted Killian and I at the Pizza Research Institute before the show
Seriously amazing pizza.

Paul Pinto

Paul and Jeff Young

Paul and Jeff

Lucio Menegon and Sabrina Siegel

Lucio

I Died (Chris Gierig)

Che F. Kirk (Roger Smith)

Chris and Roger

INRI

INRI and Radiant Thaw

Radiant Thaw

Curtis Rochambeau with John 7 in the background

View of Curtis from the audience

Marlo Eggplant and Hobby Knife (Marilyn Kent)

Hobby Knife

Cornbread Cafe, vegan "comfort food:

Cornbread Cafe

Old recordings, new places...

2011-07-16T03:17:00.000-07:00

I've uploaded three of my earlier pfMENTUM albums with friends Vinny Golia, Woody Aplanalp and Ernesto Diaz-Infante to bandcamp...the one with Vinny is pfMENTUM CD001...! These albums were originally packaged in colored recycled paper, printed with single color soy-based ink and wrapped, not with plastic, but with hemp or jute...the digital art here tries to recreate that feel...

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jeffkaiser.bandcamp.com/album/ganz-andere"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Ganz Andere by Jeff Kaiser&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jeffkaiser.bandcamp.com/album/asphalt-buddhas"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Asphalt Buddhas by Jeff Kaiser&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jeffkaiser.bandcamp.com/album/pith-balls-and-inclined-planes"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Pith Balls and Inclined Planes by Jeff Kaiser&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Part 2 of 2: Jeff Kaiser, Michael Moore, Michael Vatcher at STEIM

2011-07-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jeff Kaiser, Michael Moore, Michael Vatcher: Live at STEIM

2011-07-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

Jeff Kaiser, quartertone trumpet and laptop
Michael Moore, clarinets
Michael Vatcher, percussion

Jeff Kaiser, Michael Moore, Michael Vatcher: Live at STEIM from pfMENTUM on Vimeo.

John Hirschmann: Iceland vs. Borneo, Volume One

2011-07-12T00:09:00.001-07:00

I'm very excited about this project. My friend John Hirschmann has been talking about it for awhile, and it is now ready to go...Will keep you posted. Meanwhile, CLICK HERE, to listen to a sample. Click on the image to see a large version.

The Desert Fathers, live at STEIM!

2011-07-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Desert Fathers (Jeff Kaiser and Gregory Taylor)
from pfMENTUM on Vimeo.

Russian Television and The Future of Music...

2011-07-05T20:06:00.001-07:00

Jaime Oliver and Tom Erbe setting up

Tom, the Russian film crew, Jaime

My area...and inserting myself in the scene...

The Choir Boys (trippyhorns.com) Play the Steve Allen Theater (ResBox)

2011-07-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

Andrew Pask and his Aardcore+

(Click on any image to enlarge it)

Andrew and Jeff (missing: Joachim Goßmann who did video for us that evening)

Jeff pointing out all the heavy stuff Andrew had to carry

Carole Kim

Carole Kim and Carmina Escobar

Sound person Steve, Carmina, Andrew

Nice to play in a place where you can see the legendary Hollywood sign

AND the Atheists United meet.

Anthony Shadduck, Ken Kawamura, Alan Cook

Gigs this weekend in Ventura and Los Angeles....

2011-06-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Should be a fun weekend, I hope you can join us at some point.

Saturday at Zoey's in Ventura. It is free..! For those of you who haven't been there for a while, remember, new location...
and
Sunday in Los Angeles at Royal/T

**Both** nights will be KaiBorg (David Borgo and myself) http://www.kaiborg.com/ and;

A second set by a trio of legends: William Winant, Frank Gratkowski and Chris Brown!

Ventura Info:
http://www.zoeyscafe.com/calender.aspx

LA Info:
http://www.roccoinla.com/blog/?p=214

Anza-Borrego with Alex Nowitz

2011-05-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

After an excellent concert last night, had a great time today...Alex Nowitz and I had breakfast with Bonnie Wright at Ranchos and then headed off for a day of driving through the desert...beautiful weather...ended up having beers at the Krazy Koyote in Anza, where I also did a lengthy video interview of Alex for my dissertation, that was quite fun and interesting...(Click any image to enlarge.)

Boise: Random Shots from B-CIMF 2011

2011-05-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

(Click any image to enlarge)

First day there, Krispen Hartung, Bob Sterling, Gregory Taylor and Mark Taylor and I went to The Modern...once a year the hotel donates all the rooms to artists and they install visual arts inside of the rooms....quite awesome, and overwhelming!

Kris showing off his new tattoos...

Gregory and fisher

Several meals taken at the Front Door...great pizza and excellent tap selection.

Jim Connolly right before being swept away, Ted Killian observes.

Ted

Last day tea at the fantastic Shangri-La, sampled three different puerhs, the wild mushroom and miso soup, tabouli...good stuff...

Paul, Jim, Jeff, Bob Sterling

Paul and our Shangri-La host

Boise Creative and Improvised Music Festival 2011: Day 2

2011-05-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

Colter Frazier and Mark Soden
(Click any image to enlarge)

Ted Killian and Bob Sterling

Krispen Hartung and Jeff "Mr. Serious" Kaiser

Jim Connolly and Jeff Kaiser

Jeff and Gregory Taylor

Jeff and Rob Wallace

Gregory Taylor and Jim Connolly

Aaron Davis and Heidi Kraay

Ben Burdick

William Alves of Phog Masheen

Mark Soden of Phog Masheen with
heated muffler, welding gloves, dry ice

Kris Hartung and Lila Camille

Kris, Brent Jensen, Bob Sterling

Boise Creative and Improvised Music Festival 2011: DAY 1

2011-05-07T01:01:00.000-07:00

Rob Wallace

(Click image to enlarge)

Ted Killian

Kris Hartung, Jared Hallock, Brent Jensen

Jim Connolly, Colter Frazier, Rob Wallace

In the audience: Mark Soden, Gregory Taylor, Anna Abbey

Live art by Dana Logan

Dangers of asking a stranger to take your photograph

2011-05-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

Steuart Liebig, Jeff Kaiser, Kris Tiner at Influx Cafe

Coffee Pre-Kris Tiner Quintet gig...I asked a guy to take our pic, every one had his finger in it and was blurry. Every one. That IS a gift. :-)

Chess and The Mouth Harp...

2011-03-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

Mig Greengard over at The Daily Dirt (a chess blog) was researching the lesser-known chess Grandmaster Vladimir Potkin. (In Greengard's words, "The 29-year-old Russian is better known for not being better known.") Along the way, he googled for video footage, and came up with something related only by name...that I'd like to share. The first video is from his blog, the rest were linked... More on the mouth harp, a nearly ubiquitous instrument of many names, here on Wikipedia.

For an awesome sound, start them all at once.

Equalizers and Pro Tools 9

2011-03-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

Recently I switched to Pro Tools 9 as my main DAW (from Digital Performer). There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is I like it better. I also find myself using the University of California San Diego recording studios regularly, all of which run on Pro Tools. There are still two areas lacking in Pro Tools for my needs: 1) Non-Real Time Bouncing of mixes (not the point of this blog entry) and 2) A few of the standard plug-ins, in particular the EQs, are not enough for me. So I decided to go shopping for an EQ on my student’s budget.

What I was looking/hoping for was a single EQ that would not only sound great, but one that would function well in many situations from use on individual tracks to mastering. (Note: I already own the Waves Mastering Suite, which I'm fairly happy with, but that interface for their EQ is clunky and it is not appropriate for individual tracks.) And of course I wanted a price that I could afford on a student budget. What I learned was there were a lot of other features, in addition to sound quality, that I would come to value as I demoed all these EQs.

Here is the short list, developed from my reading, work and friends recommendations (in alphabetical order):

DMG Equality
Flux Epure
iZotope Alloy
McDSP Filterbank and NF575
MOTU Masterworks
Sonalksis SV-517
Sonnox Oxford

First off: I think they *all* sounded great. Really, any of these are quality, but different beasts. This really did boil down to features and to my personal preference of how I like to work. Originally, I thought I would just get the Masterworks or the Oxford, but they left the list early. The Masterworks while affordable if I was making more money and having probably the cleanest and easiest interface and a great visualizer, did not offer an academic discount, so it was gone. The Oxford interface was just not happening for me, so it was gone. I know, some people will disagree with basing my decision on this, but when mixing a lot, interface becomes important. McDSP was also excellent, but I found that I would need to get two of theirs to do all of what I wanted (in particular, to do surgical notching of problem frequencies I would need to add the NF575). And also: that retro oscilloscope color scheme was not happening for me. The price is very reasonable, and it is on sale at the moment of this writing as well. Flux Epure is simply glorious, and the interface is unmatched for its beauty, but too expensive for me, so it was off the list early.

At this time, it boiled down to the Sonalksis and the iZotope, I did a lot of A/B’ing the EQ and really liked them both, but for just EQ, the SV-517 edged out the Alloy (the Alloy as a channel strip offers way more than an EQ, but EQ is my focus here) purely on sound preference. THEN, while reading online about EQs, I ran across DMG Audio’s Equality and downloaded it. Now the race was between Sonalksis and the newcomer DMG. I did more research and found that Dave Gamble had worked for several plug-in developers, including Sonalksis. I found this interesting thread at Gear Slutz about the development of Equality: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/product-alerts-older-than-2-months/452980-dmgaudio-equality.html and read a few online reviews.

My preference for the sound was still leaning heavily towards the Sonalksis, but then I emailed Dave Gamble and told him I was trying to get his EQ to sound like the SV-517, probably not the most tactful thing to ask, but he does say it is the only EQ you will need. He promptly emailed me back, had me change the preset (which I hadn’t noticed) and a few other settings (detailed on technical issues, super helpful) and I must say, it sounded like I wanted it to sound. I also emailed him a few other times, and he got right back to me, pretty awesome. Plus: I preferred the interface (larger, easier to read, easy-on-the-eyes colors), the auto-listen makes surgical work easier, large boost/cut range, great visualizer, linear phase option (I like this when mastering), analog and digital options, pretty over-the-top in features. A note on the plethora of features: this is an EQ with a learning curve, but if you use the presets, you will find yourself getting right on it. (I’m so used to presets being on the top of the plug, that I at first missed them on the mid/lower right hand side.)

SO, I go to pay, but before I do, I start to work on a session with acoustic guitar, trumpet, drums...I was looking for some dynamic control on the drums and my demo for the iZotope Alloy plug was functioning so I threw it on there for the dynamics...ended up LOVING it. So I ended up deciding to purchase two plugs...DMG Equality and iZotope Alloy, both of which I’m sure will be a regular part of my arsenal in Pro Tools 9.

****************************************************

A note on sales and support. DMG, admittedly a smaller company, also wins hands down on this. Prompt, knowledgeable and courteous (great combination), Dave Gamble got back to me very quickly answering technical questions and about sales. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting to hear back from iZotope sales after sending them from my school email address, as proof of my student status: a photo of my letter of support, a photo of my school ID and a link at the UCSD music website showing them my active status....waiting....Maybe DMG will have a compressor out by the time I hear from iZotope...
****************************************************

UPDATE:
After hoping to mix with Alloy over the weekend, and in spite of several emails starting early Friday morning (I know, weekend...), I did not hear from iZotope until I emailed yet again late Monday afternoon their time, at which point I did receive the code for the academic discount. I admit, I would've liked to have had it sooner for work.

Kaiser, McNalley, Byrnes Recording Session

2011-03-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Had a VERY enjoyable recording session today, a little different: all acoustic! Tom McNalley on steel string and resonator guitar, Ted Byrnes on drums/percussion and I played Bb trumpet, quartertone trumpet and flugelhorn. Ben Power came to assist me with the session and ended up staying the whole time....really made things go so much smoother.

In the control room: Ted, Ben and Tom
(Click any image to enlarge.)

Ben and Ted

Tom, Jeff and Ted

Tom

Ted

Jeff

The live room

Post session Pizza at Blind Lady Ale House

RIP, Pinetop...

2011-03-21T22:00:00.001-07:00

A student last quarter in my Blues class met and spent some time with Pinetop in Austin, Texas...she brought me back an autographed CD and a verbal invitation to his 100th birthday party, which he was already planning. RIP, Pinetop.

NYT Obituary for Pinetop Perkins...

On KSDS with Miff Mole

2011-03-17T23:28:00.001-07:00

Thursday, March 10, David Borgo and I were interviewed live on KSDS by the wonderful Miff Mole, followed by a lovely Avery DuganA IPA at O'Briens...(in an Alpine glass....)

Pie In Concert...

2011-03-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

Just saw that I had not posted these to the blog...Phil Skaller and I in concert a few months ago....pics include details of the piano preparation.

Look for our upcoming CD....in the mixing stage....

Pamela Z visits UCSD...

2011-03-16T22:05:00.001-07:00

Wonderful show at The Loft, great hang with Pamela Z on Saturday and Sunday....some pics from the show, and having breakfast with the producer Bonnie Wright...

Kaiser, Kronomorfic, Keneally

2011-03-16T20:39:00.001-07:00

Real enjoyable gig last Friday....Porter's Pub at UCSD, produced by the wonderful Brian Ross!

Opening: Jeff Kaiser, solo (photo of Jeff Kaiser by Brian Ross, all others by Jeff Kaiser. Click to enlarge.)

Kronomorfic: David Borgo, Bill Barrett and

Paul Garrison, Gunnar Biggs, Paul Pellegrin, Nathan Hubbard

Marco Minneman, Mike Keneally, Brian Beller

dj sniff (aka, Takuro Mizuta Lippit) visits UCSD...

2011-01-31T16:57:00.000-08:00

And of course I make him pose for a shot for my blog...

Jeff and dj sniff (http://djsniff.com/)

What a great, albeit too brief, visit from Takuro. In addition to being a turntablist, experimental musician/performer...he is also the artistic director for STEIM, one of my favorite places ever, really. He gave a wonderful performance, followed by a lecture that was quite interesting and thought-provoking....particularly for me: "instrument building as musical practice"....great stuff. Not much time to blog, but here are some pics....

International Society for Improvised Music, U Mich, Ann Arbor, Dec 2- 5, 2010

2010-12-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

A great time! Presented on "The Roots of Electro-acoustic Improvised Music in the 1960s"....a blast. Here are a few images:

With drummer Steve Davis
(Click any image to enlarge)

When you order Labatt's with an Irish accent, they bring you Bass.

The John Cage Memorial Suite at Hampton Inn

Robot Supply and Repair

Cracked me up

Gerry Phillips presenting....

David Borgo presenting....

David, Thomas Ciuffo, Tanya Kalmanovitch

Tom Hall

Thomas and Tanya

Tanya and Jeff Roberts

Kaiser/Skaller Recording Session

2010-11-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

Thermos of Pu-erh tea, ready to go...
(Click on any image to enlarge)

Phil Skaller and I had a great two days recording in Studio A at UCSD (Nov. 21-22). It all went quite smoothly after our production meeting with studio head engineer Joe Kucera and our engineer Martin Hiendl. The idea was as follows: I play trumpet, flugelhorn and process it electronically with my laptop (my own software authored in Max/MSP) and Phil Skaller plays prepared piano and I process him as well. What a blast, but what a workout. The sound turned out quite nice! We have a CD release concert in San Diego in January, but there is no way I'll have this mixed....so we will consider it a preview concert...

My area

Royer 121 and Neumann SM69 for the trumpet

Martin Hiendl, our engineer (RA to Joe Kucera)

Phil Skaller

Phil assured me that there was an algorithm to the method of placement....

through my screen

Debris escaped the piano and was all over the studio......

Douglas Detrick: Interview with Jeff Kaiser

2010-11-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

From Douglas Detrick

I had a gig in the summer of 2010 with Jeff Kaiser at the Jazz Station, a gem of a venue in Eugene, Oregon’s music scene. I played the first set, Jeff played the second and Brian McWhorter played the third, running into the venue directly after playing the offstage trumpet part in an Oregon Bach Festival concert.

Two hours before, Jeff and I set up a pair of speakers in the back of the room, then created a four channel sound system using the house’s regular main speakers and a mixer. For those not familiar with what this means, this is a surround-sound system, one that allows sound to be “placed” not just to the left or right, as with a typical stereo sound system, but the sound can be moved all around the audience, from front to back and left to right. Our brains compare the slight differences in volume and frequency content in the sounds received by our ears, and from that can deduce where sound is coming from in relation to our heads. So, in Jeff’s improvisation, he is able to manipulate the position of the sounds he is generating, by changing the level of sound coming out of a particular speaker in relation to the others, so that they appear to move around the listener.

The great thing about this was not really the technical sophistication. (In fact, those other two speakers were very old, bulky speakers from the early 80’s that we borrowed from a friend.) The great thing was that we were able to do this because of informal nature of this particular venue and type of concert we were producing. The speakers were placed around a group of about 25 chairs, so this set-up was intended for a very small audience, and the resulting experience was incredibly intimate and unique. The only other place most people are used to experiencing surround sound systems at the movie theatre. The moving sounds of car crashes and explosions in your typical action movie are certainly sonically dazzling, but the experience isn’t generally an “intimate” one when shared with a large audience of popcorn-eating and soda-spilling movie fans in a big, Hollywood movie theatre, far different from the hushed and attentive audience that we would play to that night.

Something I really liked about Jeff’s set, and about his music in general, was that he used a huge variety of sounds in a free-flowing and spontaneous manner. His trumpet playing and electronics are so naturally connected that one never hears him struggling with his “buttons” as can often be the case with computer music, especially improvised computer music. The result is that the music moves naturally from one idea to the next without any sort of clumsiness. I hear an ease and freedom in his music that I believe comes from its ability to constantly reinvent itself. Jeff has an incredibly well developed palette of sounds that he uses when performing with his laptop, and that concert we played together was no exception.

I wanted to ask Jeff about his development as a trumpet player who uses electronics, and also, building on the topics discussed with Brian McWhorter, about the state the trumpet as it is right now. Something striking to me was that Jeff is very grounded in the tradition of what he is doing. I later was looking up on YouTube the musicians he was talking about, listening to their playing and discovering even more of a tradition for contemporary improvised music on the trumpet than I was familiar with. This has been one of my favorite things about doing these interviews. I’ve learned so much, and I’m very happy to pass it on to others.

Jeff talks about “not thinking too much” about the tradition while he is performing. This doesn’t mean that he hasn’t made a long study of the music through listening to hours and hours of recordings and performances. Developed over many years, his approach is one that honors the best of the tradition: spontaneity, creativity and authenticity are the most important values. We also talked about the state of trumpet playing today and what got us here, the biological implications of surprise in music, the social nature of the improvised music scene and Jeff’s personal history with electronic processing in improvised music.

Jeff’s latest release is “Harvesting Metadata” by KaiBorg, Jeff’s duo with David Borgo. Here excerpts at http://www.pfmentum.com/PFMCD058.html.

****

Jeff Kaiser is a trumpet player, composer, conductor, and music technologist living in La Jolla, California.

While maintaining an active professional career, Jeff is also a music PhD student in Integrative Studies at the University of California, San Diego. Focusing on improvisation and emergent technology, Jeff has a primary specialty of critical studies and secondary of ethnomusicology. Jeff also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition from Westmont College and a Master of Music in Choral and Orchestral Conducting from Azusa Pacific University.

Jeff has played professionally with many different groups and individuals on television, film, radio, and in concert halls throughout the United States and abroad. Artists he has played with include Eugene Chadbourne, Michael Vlatkovich, Brad Dutz, Jim Connolly, The Motor Totemist Guild, Headless Household, The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, The Los Angeles Trumpet Quartet, The Kreative Orchestra of Los Angeles, as well as his own ensembles including his large group The Jeff Kaiser Ockodektet, The Choir Boys (with Andrew Pask), The Desert Fathers (with Gregory Taylor), KaiBorg (with David Borgo) and his duo with Tom McNalley (ZUGZWANG) which played at the Festival of New Trumpet (FONT) in New York. Television trumpet performance credits include the HBO series Deadwood. Recent film performances include The Cave.

He is the recipient of numerous grants, honors and awards. An active member of the artist community in Ventura, California before moving to La Jolla, he is a fourteen-time recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship from the City of Ventura (beginning in 1990) and a three-time recipient of the Forum of the Arts Grant administered by the Ventura County Museum of History and Art. He is also the recipient of ten ASCAP Plus Awards. In addition to the awards, he has received critical praise in the Los Angeles Times, Cadence Magazine, The Wire, Signal-to-Noise, L.A. Weekly and numerous other print and web publications throughout the world.

He is also the founder and owner of the pfMENTUM record label and Angry Vegan Records, both currently growing stronger and adding to their catalogs regularly.

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Douglas Detrick: What do you think about the idea of the “trumpet renaissance”? Everything is changing: there are so many cultural changes going on now, and its all affecting performance practice, in every field. So, what’s different about the trumpet is that we’re seeing a lot of people that are playing the trumpet in a new way. I’m thinking of guys like Nate Wooley and Peter Evans and other players who are developing similar ideas. That’s what brings the question to mind.

Jeff Kaiser: The trumpet is such a special instrument because of the specific physical investment required to play it. All instruments take time and practice to excel at, but the trumpet takes a focused time investment just to be ok at it, let alone to do it well. So, just the sheer investment of time makes it interesting. It does seem to be that more trumpet players are doing this kind of music. In the mid 90’s when I came out with my first album, there was Greg Kelly, Axel Doerner…these were the people that would be mentioned when I would get reviewed. Bill Dixon, of course, was always pushing…and Herb Robertson. But with [people specializing] in the noisier thing there was Axel [Doerner], Greg Kelley and Franz Hautzinger, of course, in Austria.

I’m not so sure that I would call it a Trumpet Revolution, or a Renaissance, as I would say it’s just a change in the way music is being made. Music is becoming more a social act than a professional act, which it usually is in most cultures. I think there was a period of time here in the US that if you weren’t playing professionally than you just shouldn’t play. An amateur was disrespected. “Amateur” was a term of disrespect, where as in many other cultures everybody is just making music and doing it. So, I think that what you and I are doing with the more experimental stuff actually has more in common with Irish traditional music practice than it does with Western experimental music practice, with the European art music tradition, in that we’ll travel all over the place to play a concert to, you know, fifteen or twenty people.

DD: What other similarities are there? Besides the amateur aspect of it…

JK: When I use the term “amateur” I don’t mean the skill level. I just mean a person who does it because he loves it. The social aspect is the commonality, and that’s what drives so many traditional musics that are still being made today. I have a friend in my program that specializes in Irish traditional music. I’ve always liked what he was doing, and then he came and heard what I was doing and thought it was crazy. The first concert he went to he thought it was insane, that I couldn’t even play the trumpet. Like, how did I get into a PhD program, right? [Laughs]

But then we started talking about what we do and it’s really similar. When he travels, he’s looking for a session at a pub where he can sit in and play with people. And it’s the same way when so many of us tour. A great trombone player, Mike Vlatkovich is trying to put together a tour, he’s been trying to put together this tour for a while, and he’s amazed at how many venues don’t even respond to him. He’ll send them a traditional press packet and CDs, and his music is amazing, you know, glorious, but they never get back to him. However, if it’s somebody he knows, that has a venue, you know, they get back to him.

The social thing has taken over the idea of professionalism I think, in terms of what we do. So, I think that’s what feeds this whole idea of the trumpet renaissance, where you don’t have to sound like Jens [Lindemann] or Maurice Andre or any of those guys, you can be creative and have your own voice. So, it’s more of a creativity renaissance. We’re taking control, instead of this idea of a canon that we have to imitate and perpetuate, and hopefully become a part of. That was a goal of so many musicians of previous generations.

Those ideologies were all present, and now there’s something different. We make music because it makes us happy! [Laughs] We get to hang out with people that have similar ideas, similar tastes. It’s a whole different ballpark. I’d much prefer doing pub gigs, and art gallery gigs than doing concert hall gigs. I’m lucky enough that I get to do both pretty regularly, but I actually prefer low-key environments. The fact that we could go into the Jazz Station [A non-profit music venue in Eugene, OR] and set up an ambisonic sound system… I’ve gotten to do that a few times, but before it was in a multi-million dollar hall at UC San Diego, which was a lot of fun, but I really enjoy the small audience, feeling connected to them and seeing people I know out there and people I don’t know out there hanging out and chatting. The wall between the artist and the audience is still being perpetuated in academic environments. That’s something that the new wave is breaking down.

DD: You mean the separation between the audience and the performers?

JK: Yeah, the idea of the “lone genius.” You know, that’s part of the deal too. Sure, modernism gave us a lot of great art, but it also created this myth of the lone genius that we were all supposed to compare ourselves to. These were great musicians and some wonderful people (and also some not so wonderful people that were great musicians)…but we don’t have to do that any more, we realize art isn’t about the lone genius. So, it’s great. What great freedom! I used to put in a Harmon mute, and people used to say, “Who do you think you are? Miles [Davis]?” Because he was the genius, that everybody would compare to.

DD: Brian McWhorter and I were talking about the idea that this music has come into its own as a tradition and is its own scene. People don’t think of it anymore as a reaction to jazz or to avant-garde concert music either. What do you think about that? Not that it’s more sophisticated…or, maybe it is. What do you think?

JK: It’s just different. There is sophistication to all music when done well. However, there is this idea of canonizing certain kinds of sophistication. Like New Complexity, i.e., if it’s complex, then it’s sophisticated. When the idea of the “lower case” emerged, [meaning the idea of lower case “a” as in art as opposed to the concept of “Art”.] I definitely saw that as a reaction. The scene in San Francisco was very fragmented around these ideas. There were the guys that played notes and the guys that didn’t play notes. So, when we did concerts there in the early 90’s, late 80’s, there were strong ideas about what should be done and what shouldn’t be done. I think that’s less so in the newer generation of people that are pursuing this kind of music. I don’t see it as much as a reaction now, though perhaps its birth was in reaction. Now it’s definitely its own thing.

I like the idea of “Emergence”: The scientific concept that something can emerge from a complex environment but not be a replica of that environment; it can be its own thing. So, I think the scene is “emergent” in that sense. It’s pretty hip. And it’s all over; you know what it’s like. I do gigs from Bakersfield to Madison, WI, from Santa Fe to Eugene, there are always gigs. To me it’s awesome. It’s absolutely fulfilling.

So, I wouldn’t see the current scene as a reaction, but certainly, the birthing process involved a reaction. There certainly are ideologues out there. I heard a recent lecture—by someone who will remain nameless—that’s still perpetuating the idea, a very lower case idea, that you can’t play notes; it has to be something other than notes. But I want to do it all: I want to play notes and noise, small sounds and big sounds, I want to play loud and soft, fast and slow and everywhere in between.

DD: Could you explain what you mean by “lower case”?

JK: The lower case musicians emerged in the early to mid 90’s. I was just playing with some guys who called themselves lower case. They meant focusing only on small sounds that, in the Western art music tradition, would be called “extended techniques.” I don’t believe in the idea of extended techniques: It’s all just technique. It’s all trumpet, in the case of what we do. The idea of extended technique is again creating these false divisions of things that can be used against us; these power structures and hierarchies. So, the lower case players, at least the ones that I’ve played with, were into usually small sounds and alternatives to playing notes.

DD: Are we talking about trumpet players here?

JK: Trumpet players and everything else, a whole scene. Many wind players, string players, non-traditional instrument players, people that were making their own instruments. It’s great stuff. I think it’s fantastic. I hope I don’t sound disparaging about it. To me, it’s just too regimented with these walls.

I was lucky; I was working with guys like John Fumo and Rob Blakeslee, trumpet players in the LA area that had a very broad idea of what it mean to be a trumpet player. They would make hissy, small sounds and then squeal out high notes. And that’s more common now. But back then it was much less common. People would freak out.

DD: I’m wondering if you think that the changes in the landscape of the music world affect trumpet players in a different way than other musicians?

JK: I would say that trumpet players in general were slow to opt-in to the whole electronic thing. We’ve had guys in the 60’s, like Nat Adderley, who hooked a Varitone onto his trumpet in 1967. Don Ellis around that time was using an Echoplex and ring modulators. And then Miles in ’70, ’71 was using the wah-wah pedal. So there’s that, but in general they’ve been slow to opt-in to using new technology. There was, and still is, a lot of “purist” feeling. I wouldn’t say it affects us any more than other people, other than, perhaps, a lack of openness to doing anything to the “pure” sound. We’re so indoctrinated into the idea that there is “the” sound: a single trumpet sound that you should get. So, the idea of altering it and messing with it can be seen as bad. I’ve run across that a lot. I think teachers are more hip now, but when I was a student anything but the “orchestral sound” was bad. So, I had to work on that and there was no freedom with my teachers. I know a lot of guys in my generation were that way until we were introduced to guys like Bill Dixon and [Wadada] Leo Smith.

DD: I find myself trying to use more subjective language when I’m talking about sound. Rather than saying that’s a good sound or a bad sound, I say that’s a brilliant sound or that’s a dark sound.

JK: Those terms are a little more open, but at the same time, they don’t offer something solid for the young student to grasp onto. So I think sometimes teachers just say “Oh, that’s good, do that!” when the student is working on getting a sound, and they don’t even mean that its good in the absolute sense, they’re just trying to be encouraging. Terms like “dull,” “bright,” those are good terms, but ill-defined. Timbre is still an indescribable thing. We know what pitch is, we know what loud and soft is, but timbre is all understood through metaphor.

Note: At this point Jeff and I moved to another café to continue the conversation. An event had started at the café at which we were sitting. When we sat down in the second café, we picked up the conversation going back to the idea of the new musical climate’s effect on trumpet players in particular.

DD: We were talking about if the changes in the way music is being made and recorded today affects trumpet players differently than other musicians.

JK: Right. Its so funny, my immediate reaction now is to say yes, in sort of a way, because a trumpet recorded on a $400 microphone might not sound as good as say…when we listen to recordings of Louis Armstrong, or Miles Davis and, oh my god…the microphones they were using! In this day and age, when a trumpet player records on a microphone in his living room on a decent, mid-level microphone, versus a nice Royer in an acoustically controlled environment… Its’ going to be that way with any acoustic instrument. So, I think it does affect acoustic players more than other people. You can create drumbeats in your living room because you’re using pre-existing samples and its okay. But we, as acoustic musicians, still require space if we want the instrument to sound in certain ways. That said, there’s still the other side. If you’re doing all air and noises and close mic’ing you can record in your living room, but not if you want big open sounds. So, we’re still limited in that way. We still require a good acoustic space to record certain things.

I’ve recorded some stuff in my living room. I did a trio with a bass player from San Diego and we recorded a bunch of that in my living room, everything was close mic’d. I don’t think that trumpet players are affected differently, but we are affected in the same way as other acoustic players in that we need a good sounding space to get a well-recorded sound in certain situations.

DD: What are the ideas behind using electronics for you as a performer? Why did you get into it and what keeps you coming back to it?

JK: The first reason that I got into it, and I hate to say this, but it was all about volume. I was playing with a lot of electric guitarists and electric bassists like Steuart Liebig and G.E. Stinson. Those were the guys that I wanted to play with and a microphone alone was interesting, and I could do all the close-mic’d noisy sounds, but I also wanted to be able to get some sound going. That was why I first got into electronics. I’d been using them for a long time on my own. But it was more because I was a guitar player and had played in rock bands: I had pedals and I had a microphone, so I plugged my microphone into the pedals. But in the late 80’s, it became more a more a part of what I was doing. By the mid-90’s I was fully immersed in pedal technology and trumpet stuff.

DD: When did you start using Max/MSP?

(Max/MSP is a computer-based audio processing program that allows the performer to design his own processing system. It can replace an entire set of pedal based processors and also allow a customized user interface.)

JK: I started using Max in 2006, not that long ago. I was on tour in London…I have a paper about this with my buddy Andrew Pask, its called “How I Lost 150 Pounds Thanks to Max/MSP.” We were on tour and we were opening for Evan Parker at the Red Rose, and my ring modulator wasn’t working for some reason and Andrew just had his laptop and plugged it in and it worked. So, that was why: hauling the stuff around on planes, trains and automobiles with all the cables and stuff… So, I started using Max and a laptop in 2006. At first, I was just modeling my pedals, but now I do a lot more with other sound manipulation including spatialization. [The placement of a sound in a typical Left-Right stereo field, or in a surround sound field.]

The first reason, with the modern reincarnation, in the 90’s, of what I’m doing was about volume. But, when I’d play gigs with Vinny Golia he would show up 17 horns, I mean literally, maybe more sometimes, and I had a trumpet and a flugelhorn and that was about it. I just wanted more variety of sounds and more force of sound. Vinny is a big, loud player, also with amazing subtlety and everything else, but when he gets going, it’s loud.

Timbral manipulation, so I could get variety, was important playing with multi-instrumentalists like Vinny. Then I became increasingly intrigued with the idea of spatialization and moving the sound around. That became very important to me. It’s funny because it alienates certain people; they feel the sound is disconnected from the instrument. I don’t see it as disconnected though, which is really strange. People say it’s a disembodied sound, but I still see it as an extension of my body: It’s a sound that I’m moving around, just beyond the physical coordinates of my body.

DD: There were, in the gig that we played, several times that I jumped. There were several times we went from silence to really loud sounds very quickly.

JK: I don’t want to reduce it all to just cognitive science stuff, but there’s this guy David Huron who wrote a book called Sweet Anticipation. I had a chance to hang with him and he was lecturing at our school. I was the guy driving him around, making sure that he got to where he needed to be. So, we had some long talks about this. His book is about the idea that when we hear something that surprises us that its like a warning to us, and it releases a rush of hormones over our amygdala creating a physical response to the surprise. Then there is another part of the brain that clamps down on that and tells us that everything is okay. So, there is the immediate fight-or-flight response, and then the shutting down of that response. The contrast between those—how big the response was initially, then how hard the brain clamped down on that response—is a contrast of valence. And he would say, and I hope I’m not misquoting his book, but that this contrast is attached to the experience of the sublime. So, he creates this biological view of the sublime.

I had a military jet crash near my neighborhood about a year and a half ago. If he had ejected two seconds earlier I would have been dead. I’m on a hill, and the plane crashed about 200 feet down from where I am, and he took out someone’s house. I was in the shower at the time, and I had just the most terrifying experience. The thing blew up and he ejected overhead. It sounded like a garbage truck overhead because metal was rattling. I can honestly say that I felt the fight-or-flight response as I’ve never felt it before and I was scared like crazy. So, I think about that in small doses in the music. I did a concert about a week later with a trombone player and we actually tried to evoke the same sense of the plane with close-mic’d rumbly noises with just mic’d acoustic horns, no laptops.

So, there are the hormones over the amygdala, the clampdown, but I don’t think that’s everything: I think we have the ability to think about it. We’re not just reactive creatures.

DD: There’s a suspension of disbelief.

JK: Yeah, we can sit back and enjoy the physical response because we know the roaring dinosaur in the movie isn’t going to eat us, or that the plane’s not going to crash into us. At a concert, we can enjoy that range of experiences if we let go of it. But we can’t if we have to hold to other ways of thinking about it.

Though, I actually don’t even think about it until afterwards. These words I’m using are constructions after the fact. In the moment, I do things that I like musically, and then afterwards I’ll think about it. I hate to reduce things to pure biology because we interact with the world too. What is startling to one person is not startling to another person.

DD: There were people at our concert who were, maybe not waiting just for the surprise to come, but certainly enjoying it when it did. Maybe half the people would flinch, then the other half would just smile: “Oh, Kaiser’s just playing loud again.”

JK: I do like loud, too. We talk about feeling it, literally. We hear in different ways. One of those ways is called the vestibular system. The vibrations are not coming to us directly through our ears; we are hearing these vibrations as they hit our body. That only happens at a certain level of dBs. That’s why people like rock concerts.

DD: It’s literally a different experience.

JK: So, people that only play soft—and that’s fine—are not having that experience. Sometimes I want to have that experience.

DD: I’m wondering how you personally address the tradition of the instrument from the broadest perspective possibly including the hunting horn, the classical history of the instrument, and the tradition of Bill Dixon and players like him. Is it something you think about at all?

JK: You know, I used to think about it consciously. Sometimes after the fact, but I would think about how I am part of a lineage, I am learning from a line of trumpet players that has gone before me. What have I learned from different ones? I started out on gospel and classical paths, but I found a lot of resistance personally. I just wasn’t digging it. Then I was pointed towards the more experimental practices, eventually ending up listening to Lester Bowie and Herb Robertson. Those were the first guys that I was really listening to that were really pushing it. And then discovering Bill Dixon and some of the LA guys that were doing this music was significant.

The idea of the whole trumpet history…it’s an interesting question, and it’s kind of difficult because I think that we can’t help but be a part of it whether we like it or not: because it’s built into the object itself, the trumpet affords, even prescribes that we behave in a certain way. It tells us how to hold it, so we’re going to be holding it in the same, or similar, way that these other people have, we’re going to use our lips in a similar fashion: so the object itself has agency. It tells us to behave in a historical fashion. So, even though I don’t play like Maurice Andre, even though I’ve practiced the hell out of the Torelli trumpet concerto, or Hummel and the Haydn [trumpet concertos]… I don’t consciously think about it so much any more, at least I haven’t recently. I see myself as part of a certain tradition. If when I look at who inspires me to do what I do, I just don’t see it as much in the classical world. I look more to African-American creative practice, I see Bubber Miley as my first big influence. Talk about an experimental trumpet player! All of Duke Ellington’s trumpet players were so unique.

I’d have to think about this question some more, but when I do look back at the history of the trumpet, I do see a path, I see a lineage, and its coming more through the Bubber Miley’s than the Maurice Andre’s, or whoever it was that were the early classical trumpet virtuosi. Like Vacchiano…

DD: Or Herbert L. Clarke.

JK: Yes, and I practiced that stuff. I wanted to be good at it, the Herbert L. Clarke stuff and the Arban’s stuff, and I did solo festivals when I was in high school, and I still love that music. But, for me sound was something I was more interested in.

I keep thinking about Bubber Miley. When I listen back to those recordings, I hear someone who’s really connected to the instrument: the instrument is connected to him, it’s not something separate. When you hear Clarke, it’s like a Cartesian Mind-Body split. The mind is controlling the body which does this amazing finger technique stuff, instead of this view of the embodied mind, where the body is the mind, where the body is connected.

DD: There does seem to be a thread there. If there is a dividing line, it’s whether or not people are letting their body do something and seeing what happens. It really is more of an experiment, where the outcome is not known, allowing that element into the performance, allowing that to be a part of your technique or not.

JK: It goes back to beginning of this with the idea of emergence. How many times have you been surprised by what you do at a show? That’s the joy of what we’re doing. I wonder how many times Herbert L. Clarke was surprised. It’s a different type of thing. Some music is working at taking all the surprise out of it for the performer. When you’re doing the Carnival of Venice, you might try to do a little twist, something a little different, but you’re spending so much time preparing, that when you go in front of an audience there’s not going to be a surprise. You’re trying to get rid of that. People in the experimental tradition welcome that surprise on stage.

DD: It seems that it’s built into an experimental players embouchure, this idea of not knowing what’s going to happen. They seem to go hand in hand. To go for some of these other sounds, they aren’t as sure, they aren’t as cut and dried, they’re not as predictable.

JK: And the other night you played the first set and you were doing some stuff and I thought, “Oh, I gotta try that.” We both do a thing where we blow restricted air through the horn…I’m not even sure how to describe it, but we’re restricting the air at the embouchure, but blowing it through the horn and getting this almost white noise kind of sound. However, you were also adding some tongue or throat movement in there, and I said, “I got to try that.” So, I got on stage and I tried it.

So, that’s the kind of thing I’m interested in: a lineage that has room for true experimentation.

DD: What do you think is the value of that kind of experimentation for the audience?
Some people are really drawn to it, and some people, obviously, are not. For the people that are, what do you think is the draw of seeing somebody in that act of experimentation and discovery?

JK: There are so many metaphors that experimental musicians have used that I get tired of, like: “It’s like watching us perform on a trapeze without a net.” I get tired of those kinds of metaphors. But, I’ll see what I can come up with. [Laughs]

I think that these are the people that sit back and when the surprise hits: they smile. I think it would be interesting to see—with people that go to these concerts where there is experimentation taking place on stage—how it relates to how their lives are. We have this cliché of what a traditional classical music concert attendee’s life looks like… We don’t want to essentialize or stereotype anybody, but it would be interesting to see how these people [who are interested in experimental music] interact with life. There are people that value the process of improvisation, like George Lewis who says that improvisation is the ubiquity of everyday life. I think they recognize it in their life and they want it in their music too, this sense of having things be made, and being spontaneous.

DD: It’s interesting, I was just thinking about gardening, how it is often a process of discovery, you never know what is going to happen. For me, at my level of gardening, [Laughs] I’m surprised if anything comes out of the ground at all.

JK: But something usually does though, right?

DD: Yeah, but it doesn’t usually look very good. But, you know, it’s tasty and there’s a little bit of fruit, anyway. I like taking my chances with it, and there are other people that do too.

JK: Roger Reynolds at UC San Diego did a piece a few years back, I don’t remember what it was called, but he actually gave the audience potentiometers [a twistable knob that sends a signal that is a certain percentage of a total potential signal.] that they would turn to tell how much they liked certain sections of music. Then they would attempt to quantify what an audience would like from that information. I’m not sure if we can really quantify the audience’s experience in that way. I think we can make some gross assumptions, like people come to experimental concerts because they want to hear something different. They want to be challenged and they want music that is going to provoke and stimulate thought and dialogue.

DD: This type of experiment seems to be interesting because it is so inconclusive. There is quite a lot you can say, but you still can’t answer the question definitively.

JK: The science there is still so coarse. Using a single potentiometer to represent a complex experience…we’d need to do a lot more than that. It’s hard to quantify what we do, and it’s hard to quantify what the audience is doing. They are participants, as you know. Anyone who performs on stage knows how important the audience is. You can usually tell when people hate it or like it, and it can have an effect, one way or the other, on what you are doing.

I’ve actually been booed and hissed at, which was stimulating as well. [Laughs] It was a film festival in Isla Vista some years ago. I was playing through the theatre sound system and I thought it was going really well. I’d done a soundtrack to this movie and I thought it was awesome, and then I heard a sound and it was an entire two rows of people that were booing and hissing. And then they got up and left and filled out response cards telling me how bad I was, how hiring guys like Jeff Kaiser was giving the festival a bad name. I still have the response cards, I want to make t-shirts out of them one of these days.

It’s important to find appropriate audiences for what we do, and not to try to be evangelists or proselytizers. That’s a fight I don’t want to fight any more. Like going to a traditional jazz venue on a night where people are expecting to hear traditional jazz and then doing what I do. I like to be somewhat respectful.

It’s different now than it was ten for fifteen years ago. There weren’t many venues then. I played a venue in Ventura where they literally threw beer bottles at us because they thought it was going to be country night. I felt like I was in the Blues Brothers! We were just shocked. It becomes a battle. Do we want to become evangelicals for the music? Or, do we just want it to develop organically? I had a friend get in a shouting match with an audience member once, and then Vinny Golia said “No, man, you have to woo them, you have to woo them into the fold.” That was about fifteen years ago. I’d say now we’re more into wooing. Wooing: that’s a funny word.

Another beautiful night in San Diego

2010-10-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

Berlin: September 1-4, 2010

2010-09-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

Rosa Luxemburg

Skyline...

Isambard Khroustaliov – computer and Maurizio Ravalico – percussion, found objects at
Club der polnischen Versager

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We can see who is moving the most...

Skyline

With Thea at the World Clock

Axel Dörner - trumpet, Bertrand Gauguet - saxofones, Michael Renkel - guitar

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Liz Allbee at Ausland

Churches late at night on the walk home...

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Brad Henkel and Me....in The Wire....

2010-09-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

Our pic from the B-CIMF...NOTE the "No Stage Diving Sign"

Maria with Jürg Bariletti and Phil Skaller

2010-09-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

I really feel lucky sometimes, to do interesting gigs in equally interesting venues. Life can be so rich, varied and wonderfully surprising. When Phil told me we would be doing a gig in a cargo container by a river, needless to say, I was quite skeptical. But it still sounded interesting, plus the trio would include the wonderful Jürg Bariletti and Phil Skaller on prepared piano. It turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL night by the river, at the former edge of the Berlin wall at Schillingbrücke. Looking as much a squat as a venue for experimental music, the audience was awesome and appreciative and the trio was a blast. I believe some of my friends documented the event on film and video, so will keep you posted. But here are some set up pics.

Jürg setting up

fixing

and preparing the piano with Phil

view from the stage

Jürg, me, Phil

the stage

Sidney Corbett at Hauptbahnhof: September 1, 2010

2010-09-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of hearing several gigs at of all places, Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Wednesday was a lovely piece by Sid Corbett for piano and multi-channel electronic playback. For many of the performances meshing with the environment has been difficult, trying to blend in by matching sounds (imitating trains) or contrasting and conflicting too much. Sid's piece was stunning in both it's sound and the way it would "sit" in the station and not fight, but beautifully mingle...

Sid going over notes with the pianist
(Click to enlarge)

Phil's shoes...

have competition from the pianist's shoes

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Berlin: August 13-31, 2010

2010-08-31T06:06:00.000-07:00

A bunch of random shots from my last few weeks here...food, drink, music, trains....seems to be the theme....Click any picture to enlarge it.

Ariana at Manna

Vego World!

Seitan Currywurst!

Green Bier?

Thea and the trikes...

at the best espresso...

me by the mural...

?

another skyline of Berlin...

Ariana and Carolyn at Madame Claude's ExperiMontag!

The ceiling at MC....very confusing....

empty controller booth

Brendan Daugherty, Magda, Tony Buck at Podewil

Thea and Carolyn

Thea and Carolyn

Creepy doll seen during the walk home

Scratch post

mmmm....

Skyline....

Stu Ritchie and Ariana at Miss Heckers

Miss Heckers

Miss Heckers

trains....

....

...

...

Madame Claude's...Mario De Vega and Oliver DiPlacido

Olivier....

Cafe V!

Cafe V

Skyline

Phil and Ariana

Phil and Ariana...Ariana's last night here...

...

...

Modeling my new hat...

Tango at Hauptbahnhof

Ariana....

Phil and Carolyn

farewell...

Splitter Orchestra at Hbf

...

...

...

Roy, hiding and recording....

Liz!

Checkpoint Charlie

Keith, hair drying post-bike ride in the rain to our recording session....

Roy's espresso

Roy

keith

Keith

Roy

Tobias Delius at Cafe Niessen

...

...

with Christian Lillinger (Drums), Achim Kaufman (piano), Johannes Fink (bass)

Christian Lillinger

A piece of the wall on the walk home

Vanessa and

Phil eating a potato bigger than his head.

A train to ourselves.

Coffee with Chris Heenen, Johnny Chang and Claudia (not pictured)

Paul DeMarinis at the DAAD Gallery in Berlin

2010-08-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

A very beautiful show at the DAAD in Berlin closed on Saturday...Paul DeMarinis' pneuma featured speakers whose cones would rise and fall in sync while playing the sound of an individual (different for each speaker) sleeping and dust would project images onto phosphorescent powder (in a darkened room) that would then remain when the light source was removed...then subjected to low frequency tones causing them to distort, eventually becoming changed like a shaken etch-a-sketch, but actually forming patterns of "abstract light in motion"...a thoughtful meditation on impermanence, even in a way, mortality...I was lucky enough to find out about this from my friend Yutaka, and ended up running into my friend Katharina Rosenberger from UCSD (randomly) in the darkened video room...we ended up having a great time chatting with Makino, DeMarinis and Henderson about everything from audio mastering to the politicization of youth...an excellent time.

pneuma

Yutaka Makino, Douglas Henderson, Paul DeMarinis and (?)
(Click any image to enlarge)

dust

Tristan Honsinger Cello Fundraiser: Friday, August 27, 2010 at Aufsturz

2010-08-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

An evening of amazing music, this concert was hosted by Aufsturz. The house was packed, and I hear the money was close to covering the new instrument to replace a stolen one...

Tristan Honsinger
(All photos by Jeff Kaiser, click to enlarge)

Alexander von Schlippenbach and Tristan

A v.S, Tristan, Axel Dörner, Sven-Ake Johansson

A v.S, Tristan

A v.S, Tristan

Clare Cooper, guzheng; Anthea Caddy, cello; Clayton Thomas, double bass

Antonio Borghini, Hari Sjostrom, Jan Roder

Tristan and Olaf Rupp

Tristan, Axel, Tobias Delius

Bald cats in Berlin?

2010-08-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

Why, when I see the following in an U Bahn station:

Do I think of this....?

(Click to enlarge)

Berlin: August 10-12, 2010

2010-08-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

BBQ at Jürg Bariletti's in Friedrichshain, two days of caffeine fueled recording with Roy Carroll (he makes the best espresso in Wedding, second place is Coffee Star), caught Tom Arthurs' performance at Wendel (smoking), Maria Chavez and Ignaz Schick at NK (smoking), spent time with Keith O'Brien and Roy, plenty of time in Neuköln and Kreuzberg with Jeffrey Trevino, late night African bistro hang with Annette Krebs, Ignaz, Jeffrey and all the apartment mates (woke up to find Ignaz here at the house, went out for a coffee and chatted for two hours about music), ran into Liz Albee and Thea Farhadian and a particularly great afternoon today with the fantastic Robert Henke http://www.monolake.de/ (who had vegan pastries!) talking shop.

(click to enlarge)

The fantastic Roy Carroll making a fine espresso

At Jürg's

An interesting beer at Wendel's

Ariana at the bier garten in Neuköln

Maria Chavez

Ignaz

Maria and Ignaz

At the Bistro...

Jeffrey and Annette

Ignaz, Phil, Ayesha

Carolyn and Jeff

Ignaz and Phil

Transistor Illumicator on Controlvalve....!

2010-08-12T12:19:00.001-07:00

The lovely netlabel "controlvalve," operated by my friend Roger Smith has released a recording of a live performance I did with Don Haugen. It is free to download, and it certainly is worth taking some time to peruse the other offerings.....

http://www.controlvalve.net/

Berlin: August 8-9, 2010

2010-08-10T04:38:00.000-07:00

After a very nice train trip from Amsterdam (first class is worth the extra 10 euro) I arrived in Berlin. We have a lovely apartment in Wedding ("we" being Phil Skaller, Ayesha Khatun, Carolyn Chen, Ariana Lamon Anderson and myself). We went to Mauerpark and watched environmentally friendly karaoke (pedal powered), shops, food...it is described as a sort of "Woodstock" for this area...very many people hanging out there. I then split off and went to Kreuzberg for a hang and later met up with superstar musician/engineer Roy Carroll for a beer, later joined by the other members of the "commune." Monday went off to study in Schöneberg, wandered around with Phil, Ayesha and Ariana to some interesting places...later that evening Carolyn and I walked the length of Tiergarten then had a beer in Alexanderplatz...

Train station...
(Click any image to enlarge)

Ayesha, Ariana and Carolyn (behind pole) on the way to Mauerpark

Ayesha, Phil and me...Mauerpark

me and Carolyn

Mauerpark....

more...

Environmentally friendly karaoke

Phil....!

The real reason I returned: Mac Wheaty Mexican at Yellow Sunshine in Kreuzberg....!

Wandering somewhere...

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...

...

I liked the backdrop pattern...

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Nice mural...

featuring my man

Marx

...

...

Exit at Brandenburger Tor

Brandenburger Tor tourist shot

Brandenburger Tor...I like this angle

and this

The ever looming TV tower

Amsterdam: August 3-8, 2010

2010-08-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

What an incredibly productive and enjoyable stay at STEIM. Gregory Taylor and I recorded more than enough material for an album, I was able to conduct and videotape five interviews for my dissertation and as an added bonus: John Dikeman and I put in two evenings of recording acoustic duets (trumpet and alto/tenor saxophone). Added bonuses: hanging out with Anne La Berge and Joel Ryan is always great, and plenty of time withTakura Mizuta Lippit (dj sniff) was truly enjoyable and inspiring as he challenges me about improvisation and interface. In residence at the same time with Gregory and I: author David Schwarz, performer Lesley Flanigan, PIRX (Marion Wörle aka Frau W (DE) - computer & Maciej Sledziecki) and robot designer Jesse Seay. We all had a great time working and wandering the city. STEIM is always such a joy....Nico, Esther, Case, Jun....so many people to make it the best place.

As usual, click on any image to enlarge.

Rather than learning Dutch, I developed an intricate system of communicating using a series of phrases written on beer coasters...

A rather furious downpour.

Back in the studio.

Panorama of us in the studio.

At one of the best espresso's in the city, "Two for Joy"...phenomenal! And only a few doors from STEIM.

Concert time.

On the stage at STEIM.

Lesley Flanigan

Lesley

PIRX (Marion and Maciej)

Post-gig celebration at Ooiejevar...(L-R) John Dikeman, ?, Jasper Staudhouders, Barret (sp?), me, Andrea Taeggi, Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor, Gregory Taylor, Maciej, Marion, Lesley

Gregory enjoying a post-gig Cubana

David Schwarz and I at Lungocinno

With Jesse at Gollem

With David and Jesse

Lesley at Gollem

Lesley at the Begijnhof

Jesse at the Begijnhof

Jesse looking at shoe display

This beautiful building wonderfully typifies so much interesting about Amsterdam. While it is now a bustling cafe full of people enjoying food and drink, it previously housed the doctors guild AND public executions...

The Desert Fathers in concert tonight at STEIM

2010-08-05T03:44:00.001-07:00

From STEIM:

5 August 2010 | 20:30 hrs. | Concert | 5 euros

STEIM Residency Concert:
The Desert Fathers, PIRX, Lesley Flanigan

Featuring:
The Desert Fathers: Jeff Kaiser (US) - trumpet + computer & Gregory Taylor (US) - computer
PIRX: Marion Wörle aka Frau W (DE) - computer & Maciej Sledziecki (DE) - guitar
Lesley Flanigan (US) - voice + handmade speaker instrument

We return from our summer break with concerts by two residency projects and one touring artist. Electro acoustic trumpeter Jeff Kaiser returns for a 2 week residency with Max/MSP guru Gregory Taylor. Also returning is our favorite group and organizers from Cologne; PIRX locking themselves up in our studios to work on new album material like last time. We are also very happy to have New York based artist Lesley Flanigan who is currently a resident artist at Worm Rotterdam and will show her work Amplifications for voice and handmade instrument. Hope to see you there!

Thursday, Aug 5, 2010
Venue: STEIM, Utrechtsedwarsstraat 134, Amsterdam
Time: 20.30 hrs. (door open: 20:00 hrs.)
Charge: 5 euros

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gregory Taylor
Gregory Taylor is a product of his age – one of that generation of visual artists who discovered that the process of using the recording studio as a compositional tool was more personally rewarding than waiting for the paint to dry and opted for a life creating imaginary cultural artifacts of an audible nature. He has studied central Javanese gamelan and electroacoustic music in the U.S. (Cornell, UW-Madison, New England Conservatory) and the Netherlands (Instituut voor Sonologie), written for publications such as Wired, Recording, Array, and Option, and hosted a radio program of contemporary audio on WORT-FM since 1986 (http://www.rtqe.net/RTQE.html).

He was active in the 1980s in the cassette culture movement, producing several solo recordings during the period (Given Names [1983], The Logic of Possible Worlds [1984], Interregnum [1986], Virtual Terrain [1987], What the Thunder Wrote [1988]) as well as running the Art Level recording label and curating a number of USENET compilations. After a hiatus from performing and releasing music during the 1990s to pursue more formal musical studies, he returned to regular recording and live performances as an improviser in both solo and group contexts in the late 1990s. His solo recordings are available on the c74, Palace of Lights, Flood, and Stasisfield labels and online (http://www.rtqe.net/downloads.html).

In addition to his work with Jeff Kaiser in the Desert Fathers, he has remixed and collaborated with a diverse group of artists (Kim Cascone, BMB.com, Scott Fields, The Yearlings and K. Leimer), performs as an active member of PGT (a dual-laptop and acoustic mandolin trio with Brad Garton and Terry Pender), "the trio" (with percussionist Tom Hamer and visualist Mark Henrickson), and pursues an active solo performing career.

He works for the new media software company Cycling '74 on documentation, plug-in development, and content and curricular development. He is in demand as a workshop facilitator and educator.

Jeff Kaiser
Jeff Kaiser is a trumpet player, composer, conductor, and music technologist living in La Jolla, California.
While maintaining an active professional career, Jeff is also a music PhD student in Integrative Studies at the University of California, San Diego. Focusing on improvisation and emergent technology, Jeff has a primary specialty of critical studies and secondary of ethnomusicology. Jeff also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition and a Master of Music in Choral and Orchestral Conducting.

Jeff has played professionally with many different groups and individuals on television, film, radio, and in concert halls throughout the United States and abroad. Artists he has played with include Michael Moore, Michael Vatcher, Eugene Chadbourne, Michael Vlatkovich, Brad Dutz, Jim Connolly, The Motor Totemist Guild, Headless Household, The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, The Los Angeles Trumpet Quartet, The Kreative Orchestra of Los Angeles, as well as his own ensembles including his large group The Jeff Kaiser Ockodektet, The Choir Boys (with Andrew Pask), The Desert Fathers (with Gregory Taylor), KaiBorg (with David Borgo), his duo with Tom McNalley (ZUGZWANG) which played at the Festival of New Trumpet (FONT) in New York and his duo Pi with Phil Skaller has played at the Vision Festival in New York (improvising to a film collaboration by Bill Brand). Television trumpet performance credits include the HBO series Deadwood. Film performances include The Cave. He has released sixteen CDs as leader/co-leader and has appeared on many others.

He is the recipient of numerous grants, honors and awards, most recently the Freida Daum Urey Academic Fellowship and the Jimmy Cheatham Jazz Scholarship award. An active member of the artist community in Ventura, California before moving to La Jolla, he is a fourteen-time recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship from the City of Ventura (beginning in 1990) and a three-time recipient of the Forum of the Arts Grant administered by the Ventura County Museum of History and Art. He is also the recipient of nine ASCAP Plus Awards. In addition to the awards, he has received critical praise in the Los Angeles Times, Cadence Magazine, The Wire, Signal-to-Noise, L.A. Weekly and numerous other print and web publications throughout the world.

He is also the founder and owner of the pfMENTUM record label and Angry Vegan Records, both currently growing stronger and adding to their catalogs regularly.

He has taught master classes, coached brass, led seminars, and been a guest lecturer at numerous universities, colleges, high schools, and middle schools including visiting artist/lecturer positions at Roosevelt University (Chicago, Illinois), Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA), California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, CA), the University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg, Sweden) and California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, CA). He has taught workshops at various other locations including the Museum of Contemporary Art (San Diego, CA). Recently, he has completed residencies at STEIM, developing spatialization software for solo trumpet and with the duo KaiBorg.
(http://www.jeffkaiser.com/)

-----------------------------------------------------

PIRX
PIRX with Marion Wörle aka Frau W (Laptop) and Maciej Sledziecki (Guitar) uses the vocabulary of sound-art as it does elements from psychedelia, noise and Krautrock. The electronic music of the 90s and 2000s is also bursting through every crack of their music. Refreshingly non-academic and equipped with a fine sense of humor they bring great diversity to the day. In 2008, they released their critically acclaimed debut album Deleted Scenes, which was recorded at STEIM.
(http://www.satelita.de/index.php?PIRX)
(http://www.myspace.com/pirxband)
-----------------------------------------------------

Lesley Flanigan
Lesley Flanigan is a New York-based sound sculptor, composer, vocalist, and performer. Inspired by the physical materiality of sound, she focuses on amplification itself as the subject of her performances, which weave sound from her voice with hand-built feedback electronics.

Her work with speaker feedback explores the physical acoustics of electronic sound by turning basic loudspeakers into musical instruments. ArtsCriticATL writes, "Flanigan's performance comes loaded with philosophical ideas, often blurring the boundaries among music, noise, sculpture and performance art." Crafted from found speaker components and wood, her instruments afford a delicate tangibility to electronic sound. Drawing from her background in sculpture and music, she layers waves of tones from her speakers with her own voice, shaping sound as a fragile mass.

Her feedback compositions are the subject of her 2009 album, "Amplifications", using only the sounds of her voice and speaker instruments. With influences ranging from post-rock and jazz to ambient and noise genres, her music combines a classical approach to composition with an appreciation for the art of melody and song. Music from the album formed the basis for a series of performances around the USA, including The Stone, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, Galapagos Art Space, Wellesley College and Crane Arts.

In addition to her solo work, Lesley Flanigan also performs as a member of Bioluminescence, a collaboration with video artist and composer R. Luke DuBois. Exploring the modality of human voice, DuBois records and rearranges Flanigan's voice and image in real time to shape an immersive environment of video and sound. She has wielded a soldering iron as a guest performer in the circuit constructing noise group, the Loud Objects. She continues to sing in the contemporary music scene, recently as a soprano in Tristan Perich's "Lit".

Her work has been presented in numerous venues, festivals, and art spaces including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), Issue Project Room (Brooklyn), Sonar ('10 Barcelona), Transitio_MX ('09, Mexico City), NIME ('08 Genoa; '09 Pittsburgh), ICMC ('07, Copenhagen), and Bent ('08 Los Angeles; '09 New York). Her art has been exhibited at the ISEA conference in Singapore, Busan International Design Festival in South Korea, Ringling College's Selby Gallery and MCLA's Gallery 51. She has spoken about her work and given workshops at universities, art foundations, and hacker spaces around the country including Harvestworks, Dorkbot NYC, Art Institute of Chicago, Wellesley College and Noisebridge.

Lesley Flanigan studied sculpture at the Ringling College of Art and Design, and received a masters in media technology from the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at New York University.

Amsterdam: August 2, 2010

2010-08-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Desert Father's first day at STEIM was quite exciting....a wonderful recording session immediately followed by a crash...making the 1.68gb seven channel interleaved file recorded in Max/MSP unreadable...THANKFULLY, Audiofile Engineering came to the rescue with their Wave Editor and saved the file. We are so incredibly grateful, and hopefully after you hear it on our next album, you will be as well....

(Click any image to enlarge)
After an excellent first day...

The Desert Fathers: First day in the studio at STEIM

Gregory Taylor

Jeff Kaiser

Amsterdam: July 25-29, 2010

2010-07-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

Another nice week...I hate to be so upbeat about all this...besides a jam session at Zaal 100, and forays for beers, food, laundry and the occasional cigar (cubans have come down in price since my last visit) I spent much of the week at the Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam drinking espresso and tea and working on paper proposals, tours, shepherding new pfMENTUM CDs through the manufacturing process (Vlatkovich and Grossman's new Call and Response, Jim Connolly's new quartet plus, as well as David Borgo/Paul Pellegrin septet..!), preparing a release of my own with Control Valve (a net label run by Roger Smith...it is a 16 minute piece by myself and Don Haugen recorded in Eugene, OR last month...sounds nice if I do say so myself), ordering text books for my students, preparing lecture notes, syllabus, reading list, listening list...besides all that, been a pretty chill week. Loving it.

(Click any image to enlarge)

Cafe De Jaren

Nice that there are enough accordions to warrant this.

Jasper's guitar

John Dikeman, Jeff Kaiser, Jasper Stadhouders at Zaal 100.

Openbare Bibliotheek...

more....

view from the 7th floor...

inside...

...inside...

by the science museum...beautiful sky...

Klaus, quit staring.

Amsterdam: July 20-24, 2010

2010-07-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

Spui with Kevin Whitehead and Michael Moore
(Click any image to enlarge)

What a beautiful week this has been, full of unexpected and delightful surprises. It began with meeting Michael for coffee, his houseguest Kevin joined us. After coffee, we sat around Michael's mind-blowing record collection as he and Kevin helped me research a paper I'm working on. Not only do both of the guys have an encyclopedic knowledge, they were assisted by Kevin's use of Tom Lord's discography...he would mention an album, and Michael had it....unbelievably good time. Spent about six hours post-coffee talking and listening....

Following this, I continued on my search for a Dutch beer that I would enjoy. I've had so many Belgian and other ales here, made me wonder where they were hiding the good Dutch stuff. Brouwerij't IJ turned out to be a great find, I had a sample there...very nice beer, the Struis was excellent. Other pubs visited during the week include 't Arendsnest, specializing and carrying only Dutch beers and of course, Gollem where I had the Hopus, a great beer. The highlight of the week (beer-wise) was at one of my favorite haunts, De Engelbewaarder, an old literary cafe and pub. There, Jasper, John and I enjoyed a Rodenbach Grand Cru...phenomenal world class Flanders red ale....(not Dutch). Truly one of the most enjoyable I've had.

BUT, not to mislead, this week has not been all about beer: Great coffee and ok tea, great food, crazy long walks looking at the city, wonderful time spent hanging at cafes with musicians and artists. Restaurant highlights include some usual suspects for me: The Golden Temple, De Bolhoed, the ever present and always nearby Maoz Falafel. Best coffee in town still is Lungocinno. I even visited the "coffee nazi" on Waterlooplein. Named by friends after the infamous "soup nazi" of Seinfeld, he is basically nuts: You need to know what you want when you walk in, you order in a certain way, he never takes money directly but instead hands you a tray that you put the cash on, and if you get the coffee to go and dare to linger he yells at you to leave. All for a pretty mediocre espresso. Shtick, when it comes to consumables, is never worth it. Lungocinno (and Cafe van Daele, close second) far surpass it.

Hanging with the musicians is always a blast in this town. Last night, I was invited to a locals pub, Cafe Nagel, located in a neighborhood not far from where I'm staying. John, Jasper and Mila were a bit late...and I didn't want to go into to this Dutch pub and stand around not knowing anybody so I waited outside. When they showed up and we went in, turned out I knew several musicians in the place already from my previous visits...! Including Seamus Cater and Viljam Nybacka who I reviewed last year here. Had a great time.

This week will be a bit different, I need to start preparing my syllabus and reading list for a course I'll be lecturing in the Fall at UCSD. The course is titled, "Blues: An Oral Tradition" and is cross-listed as music/ethnic studies and will have around 165 students in it. Should be fun. AND any tips on materials is appreciated...! I also have interviews with artists planned (for my dissertation) and some jam sessions with musicians...one in about an hour.....and of course the STEIM residency and a concert associated with that...more as it approaches.

On a sad note: Dutch legend Willem Breuker passed away this week. What a great and influential musician. He will be missed.

Kevin helping me with my research...

Brouwerij't IJ

With a sampler....

Jasper Staudhouders and John Dikeman

Riding on the back of a bike...

Jasper with Rodenbach Grand Cru...!!! A truly great beer

Hopus at Gollem

Begijnhof...Just love this place...peaceful

The sun stays up so late....you get different colors of the sky longer....

...

Westerkerk on a late night walk....

The weather has been amazing

Classic shot: Dogs at the butcher

't Arendsnest

Skuumkoppe

With Dikeman

Amsterdam: July 17-19, 2010

2010-07-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh...So good to be back in Amsterdam! I'll be here for the next three weeks. The first two are a "vacation" as a bit of a self-reward for making it through my PhD qualifying exams and achieving three letters that make me very happy, ABD. I put the quotes around "vacation" as I'll still be doing some work preparing lectures for the Fall, BUT I'll be doing the work in AMSTERDAM...! The third week will be as an artist in residency at STEIM with my good friend Gregory Taylor. We will be working on our collaboration, "The Desert Fathers" that will become our second full album.

Today (Monday) was my first full day here....and it was very nice. Met Gregory for a hang (he is living in Utrecht with his wife Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor, who is a visiting professor in Dutch Studies), and went to the great Lungoccino for an espresso. You might remember the name, Michael Moore introduced it to me my last trip...simply a fantastic espresso. Afterwords, we went and visited with Michael Moore and Jodi Gilbert, and had a chance to meet and talk with their houseguest, the critic/scholar/author Kevin Whitehead (I highly recommend his book, New Dutch Swing!) then on to lunch in Jordaanplein at De Bolhoed. Afterwards a long walk to Cafe Americain to drink yet another espresso to fend off lag....

Nice to look up from your espresso and see this beautiful city...
(Click on any image to enlarge)

View from my hotel...the canal is Oudeschans (Old Fort), which you can see in the background of the next pic:

...

....

Gregory Taylor and Jeff Kaiser at Lungoccino...phenomenal....!

At Cafe Americain

Dad's 1966 Porsche 912

2010-07-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

My father, Chuck Kaiser, has a habit (along with my mother) of taking old beat-up things and making them into something amazing. Ten years ago he purchased a trailer of rusty steel for a pittance....he saw something in that pile of Porsche. This is not the first time he's done this. Ever since I was a kid I remember helping Dad work on cars, one of my earliest memories with him is with a wrench in my hands. Restoring rare automobiles is a pastime that he takes more seriously and does better work than many professionals. Cars restored in my lifetime by him include a Cord Hupmobile (1929, I believe), Corvettes, Volkswagens and our beloved 1941 Ford Pickup restored from a rusty pile of steel by my father, with my brother and myself doing the engine work in auto shop at high school.

I wish I had some pictures of this Porsche before, I'll try to dig some up....but this thing looked NOTHING like it does now. Dad did all the body work, engine by Shasta Engineers and upholstery by a buddy here in Eugene.

Ten years, and never been on the road...the last problems were with the wiring, something I've had experience with. We spent about six hours and fixed it together, and while still not perfect (switches gone bad with age) we had it functioning and I was thrilled to be able to share the first drive with my father.

Jeff and Chuck
(Click on any pic to enlarge)

Jeff and Chuck

The shop

The shop is behind the barn, so we had to drive it around the property to get to the road

Whoops.....clutch wasn't adjusted properly...

Hook it up....

....towed it back to the shop for a quick adjustment....

five minutes later back on the road

A few more shots...

Returning home

Melford, Dessen, Dresser and Dresser, Nakatani, Turetzky

2010-05-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

Some nice shows in the last week. A SMOKING telematic show with Myra Melford, Michael Dessen and Mark Dresser at UCSD last week. Look closely, you can see Michael in the center there...he performed from UC Irvine, and was projected via high speed internet.

(Click any image to enlarge)

Melford, Dessen, Dresser

Melford, Dessen, Dresser

Tetsuya Nakatani was in town and did a trio tonight with Dresser and Bert Turetzky. I couldn't make it, but caught the sound check....great stuff. And great to see Tetsuya!

Dresser, Nakatani, Turetzky

Bert tries the big bass...Is it me, or does that bass make everything look small....?

Two flutes, two hands...

2010-05-05T22:28:00.001-07:00

Kris Hartung and I in a moment of...uh....I don't know what to call this...Thanks to Tarey for the photo! At B-CIMF.com a few weeks ago. I really like the "Quiet Please" sign The Venue had on the stage. A hint? Click to enlarge, if you dare.

Gig with Phil Skaller and Ignaz Schick...

2010-04-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

Had a great gig with Phil Skaller and the wonderful German turntablist/improviser Ignaz Schick! Special thanks to Josh Weinstein and Joachim Goßmann for sound support.

Phil Skaller, Jeff Kaiser, Ignaz Schick at La Jolla cove pre-gig.
(Click any image to enlarge)

Ignaz and Joachim Goßmann. Thanks Joachim!

Phil, Ignaz, Joachim

Jeff, Ignaz, Phil

Afterwards, a free for all...involved ping pong balls...

...MANY ping pong balls, Matt, Jonathan, Josh, Arianne...

Phil, Matt, Jonathan, Josh, Arianned, Ignaz, Jared...

Boise Creative and Improvised Music Festival 2010 Day 2.....

2010-04-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

Just had coffee with the wonderful vocalist Laurie Amat...now at the Boise Airport waiting for my flight...what a great festival, again. Thanks Krispen Hartung! Maybe I'll say more later....but here are some pics of the final day for now...and I've got to go catch my flight.....

Ben Burdick Trio
(Click any image to enlarge)

Jeff and Brad duo...Note the "No Stage Diving" sign...this venue rocked....

Tom Baker joins in...then David Grollman and Janine Island...

Aaron Davis and Laurie Amat...

Kris Hartung joins in...

Aaron and Kris duo

Live visual art being created around the stage...

Bonefish Sam doing some great Max/MSP...

Jeff Bagato...

My solo set. The soundman Matt was awesome, really had the subs moving some air, one of my favorite venues in years...

Swirm: Laurie, David and Brad

Triptet closed: Tom Baker, Michael Monhart and Greg Campbell.

Boise Creative and Improvised Music Festival 2010

2010-04-24T02:05:00.000-07:00

Having a great time here in Boise, Idaho....Brad Henkel, David Grollman, Laurie Amat and I got here a day early...enjoyed walking around taking in the lovely city....had a nice beer at my favorite: Bitter Creek Alehouse....then went on for pizza at the Front Door....

Brad Henkel, David Grollman, Laurie Amat
(Click any image to enlarge)

The next day we all headed over to the venue, called "The Venue" to set up...nice place with an awesome soundman (Matt!)

Brad and Jeff

Tatsuya Nakatani not stage diving

Tatsuya, Jeff, Janine Island, Darrel, Brad, David

Jeff and festival director Krispen Hartung, NO this is not a doctored image, we did a flute duet for the opening set! (Thanks to David Grollman for the pic.)

Darrel Shawn and Janine

Emily Hay and Motoko Honda

Tatsuya

Tatsuya 2

Tatsuya 3

After the gig, we all went to Old Chicago for a hang...

Janine, Brad, Emily, Laurie, Krispen

Heidi and Jeff

David Grollman and Melissa Wilson

Tatsuya, Idaho Potatoes and Brad

Emily, Darrel, David

David, Laurie, Krispen

March 4, UCSD

2010-03-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

I've posted a set of pics from March 4 at UCSD and in the city. Click the image below to go there.
Also: The professor I TA for, the wonderful Cecil Lytle, has co-authored an informative article HERE on the recent events at UCSD.

Analog/Digital: KaiBorg and Tiner/Glass in Ventura

2010-01-31T21:12:00.001-08:00

We had a blast in Ventura last night, packed house at the San Buenaventura Artists Union Gallery on the ocean in Ventura. (Big thanks, Phil Taggart, for making it happen!) A continuation of our "Analog/Digital" theme from two nights ago. Kris Tiner improvised to film by Allen Glass, followed by KaiBorg with live video improvisations by Joachim Goßmann. This has turned out to be an intriguing pairing (acoustic/celluloid and electro-acoustic/digital video) and we hope to do more together in the future. Afterwards, a FANTASTIC party at Upfront Gallery hosted by Carolyn Friend. A truly enjoyable evening all around and a great time for me to re-connect with friends in Ventura. Pics of Kris and Allen by me, pics of KaiBorg by Kris Tiner. Also, a big thanks to our friends at ICST, Philippe and Jasch, for their fantastic ambisonic objects for Max/MSP....makes improvising spatialization fun.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

Film projections Allen Glass

with Kris Tiner

More Allen and Kris

KaiBorg

KaiBorg with video by Joachim Goßmann

KaiBorg with video by Joachim Goßmann

KaiBorg with video by Joachim Goßmann

KaiBorg with video by Joachim Goßmann

There's something cool about three projectors...

...and Joachim's video stuff all side by side

Analog/Digital: Multi-media in Bakersfield...

2010-01-29T11:15:00.000-08:00

KaiBorg had a great time last night in Bakersfield. Opening set was Kris Tiner on acoustic trumpet with two 16mm (simultaneous) film projections by Allen Glass...wonderful stuff. We then followed and were joined by video artist Joachim Goßmann. A packed house, thanks to Kris Tiner for putting it all together and for Metro Galleries for giving us a place to be.

(Click any image to see full size.)

The Grapevine was beautiful on the way up...

Film artist Allen Glass, video artist Joachim Goßmann

Joachim and Allen

Kris Tiner with film by Allen Glass

More Kris and Allen...

KaiBorg

KaiBorg with video by Joachim Goßmann

KaiBorg with video by Joachim Goßmann

Chatting afterwards...

Milts! with Allen, Kris, James Sproul

Joachim, the always awesome Chris Truitt, Me

Joachim and David

Photo Gallery for KaiBorg CD Release concert, UCSD

2010-01-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

I've uploaded some pics from the KaiBorg CD release concert at UCSD, including some wonderful pics by photographer Sylvia Borgo. Click to see.

Mark Dresser, Han Bennink, Mary Oliver session...

2010-01-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff and Joachim in Studio 269/203, University of California San Diego
(Click any image to enlarge.)

I had the absolute pleasure of recording Mark Dresser, Han Bennink and Mary Oliver last night. My dear friend and tonmeister Joachim Goßmann joined me working the gig. Sitting listening to them improvise and play tunes, including several by Misha Mengelberg was wonderful. A joy when this type of session comes along.

Here are some pics from it.....

Mary Oliver, Mark Dresser, Han Bennink
(In front of them, you see what looks like an old fashioned tv antenna or something....it is a REALLY nice stereo tube omni mic that we used for the room from KMF Audio.) Also, above it, you can see the Neumann's we used for additional room sounds. (Thanks, Tom!)

Mary Oliver, viola and Schoeps

Mark Dresser, bass, Schoeps, Neumann TLM 103, DPA

Han Bennink, snare, paper bags, two Josephson's and a Shure KSM27

Mary and Mark

(Taken from the control room, no flash...)

Han going...

going...

and...

some...

more....

going

KMF Mic...

Joachim Goßmann at the console...

More tea....!

2010-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

A cup of the fantastic Awazon on my balcony...
(click any image to enlarge)

My friend Keith, who is also known to send me some amazing cigars (look earlier on this blog), has just made me a rich man...in tea.

After the wonderful 2008 Menghai Five Colored Peacock, and the über delicious Menghai V93..Keith sent me eight baggies of delight today:

Eight baggies of delight

Closeup of the Awazon

New Angry Vegan release...

2010-01-04T13:48:00.001-08:00

NEW CD!

Grain of the Voice

Corpseboy: voice and laptop
Justin Cassidy: electronics

A labyrinthine exploration of voice, electronics and more electronics.

From bone-crunching agressive noise
to soft and bubbly vocal caressing.
A lovely first album by Corpseboy with
experienced noisester Justin Cassidy.

A co-release of Angry Vegan Records and
Paper Cuts Records.

Click here to look, listen and buy....
http://angryvegan.com/
http://www.papercutsrecords.com/

Fall 2009...gone...

2009-12-15T22:10:00.000-08:00

(Click any image to enlarge)

Fall in San Diego!
(Is gone...)

This quarter flew by...and I still haven't taken my qualifying exams....BUT I had a great time: touring with David Borgo (KaiBorg) with gigs in Santa Barbara at Colter Frazier's series, and UC Santa Cruz at the International Society for Improvised music (joined by video artist Mark Henrickson-thanks for the great photo, Kris Tiner!) and I presented a paper on John Zorn's Arcana series and metaphor. The Desert Fathers (Gregory Taylor and myself) played in Madison, WI. A busy, work filled, and fun quarter. I feel lucky, good friends to be creative and experience life with...

Jann Pasler presenting on her new book, Composing the Citizen.

Clown rappers at Club 721...!

Good food

Beer with my brother at Stone Brewing

With Phil Skaller at Ocean Beach

Flying under a storm to Madison, Wisconsin

The Desert Fathers at Madison Music Collective (Gregory Taylor and myself)

Joanne, Jolande, Patrick, ?, Gregory, Steve, Yi Hong, me

Gregory and I later

the walk home in Madison

with Jeffrey Trevino and Grace Leslie at a local pub in San Diego

Anna, Jim, Jaco, me, David, Colter, Kris, ?, Bob at dinner at Sojourner's in Santa Barbara before the gig.

George Lewis's keynote presentation at ISIM at UC Santa Cruz

Mark Henrickson's video about to eat me...(Media Theater, UC Santa Cruz)

Kris, Ceasar, Charity, Rick at The Rush Inn, Santa Cruz

Dustin and Rick

Rick and me

Zachary Watkins, me

David, Maud, David at Saturn in Santa Cruz

Kris, Allen, me

Allen, Dave, Sherry, Gerry, Kris, David at The Asian Rose in Santa Cruz

Gerry and me

Mark Dresser and Sarah Weaver, ISIM UCSC

Kris Tiner at ISIM...a killer set!

Kris Hartung and Bob Sterling smoking at ISIM, UCSC

Dave Medine and Batya MacAdam-Somer back in San Diego

Ted and Joan at Kelly and Sarah's house in San Diego

Crystal Head!

mmmmm....quarter is over, can enjoy a cigar in La Jolla with

Ben Power and

Jeff Denson

Now winter break is here....time to get some work done.

*****************
ADDENDUM: Found these on my camera...

Me, Borgo, Justin Cassidy, Bob Sterling, Kris Hartung at Muddy Water's in Santa Barbara before the gig...

Tracy McMullen, Rob Wallace

Rob Wallace and KaiBorg poster

Rob and Tracy at Muddy Water's

with Mark Henrickson at UCSC

Mark's rig and mine...set-up pre-gig....

David's...

Sirone

2009-11-07T09:55:00.001-08:00

Received the following from Guerino Mazzola. For those in Berlin:

**********************************
“We Are Not Alone, But We Are Few”

We are gathering together to remember our companion in love and suffering, our soulbrother and friend, a music rebel, a music lover, the jazz bassist, bandleader, composer and actor:

SIRONE

28.9.1940, Atlanta – 21.10.2009, Berlin

We want to remember together how he lived his life in music.
How, with his fat-bellied contrabass (tenderly called "Angel") he plucked his way through the Rhythm-and-Blues of the American South; how, in New York with Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Ornette Coleman, he railed against segregation and racial discrimination, solidifying his protest with Leroy Jenkins and Jerome Cooper in founding the "Revolutionary Ensemble"; that, without Sirone, the freedom won through American Avant-garde jazz in the 70's would never have happened.

We want to remember that devoted man on the contrabass with Afro-American-Indian genes, whose sufferings through segregation and prejudice fused into distinctly individual interpretations and compositions of melody and rhythm. That unique quality of his, which always pushed him, personally and professionally, to cross boundaries. Side by side with Cecil Taylor; later with Billy Bang and Charles Gayle. And with his Berlin formation Concord, in which he found a brand new sound of freedom once again.

We want to remember the Avant-garde jazzman from New York, who, since 1989, sought to conquer new ground in Berlin, and engaged himself in the artistic context of the German speaker. Who composed and acted for theater productions by George Tabori: who, for Werner Schroeter, stood together with his bass on the stage of the Berliner Ensemble. And who, with his wife, Veronika Nowag-Jones, continued to realize collaborative productions at home and abroad - both in Germany and America.

We want to remember that strange, vibrant man next door, a unique character in that Kreuzberg neighborhood, often seen in Görlitzer Park, performing in its clubs and cafés, or on stage at the Eiszeit-Kino.
And that distinctive face in films, seen far too seldom.
We want to remember a man taken from us, whose Buddhist mantra was his refuge.

"We Are Not Alone, But We Are Few"

– Remembering Sirone (Norris Jones) on November 15 at 16:00 in Berliner Friedenszentrum, Tempelhofer Ufer 36, 2HH, 3OG-

STEIM Blog...The Trumpet and Spatialization

2009-10-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

The following is from the STEIM Project Blog

****************************

“Noise Trumpet,” as some of my friends call it, is using extended techniques on the trumpet to make it sound what many people would call un-trumpet-like. The use of air as noise, valve sounds, split-lip multi-phonics, sung multiphonics, throat growls, tongue stops and modulations, changing the resonant shape of the inside of your mouth, playing more with the inside of your lips, playing more with the outside of your lips, playing with less lip pressure, more lip pressure, bouncing the lips of the mouthpiece, opening your teeth more, closing your teeth more, more air, less air, letting air escape, playing very quietly, playing very loudly, very low pitches, very high pitches, circular breathing to make constant harmonic/melodic/rhythmic textures beyond the traditional idiomatic uses of the instruments. Not to mention physically reconfiguring your instrument, taking it apart, adding mutes, tubes and more.

When mixing recordings of myself and others playing trumpet, I noticed while using a FFT visualizer during the EQ stage that, unsurprisingly, when playing notes in a traditional manner, the resonant spikes would fall into a fairly predictable pattern of overtones. And, equally not surprising, when going into extended modes of playing, the patterns of resonant frequencies would become more dynamic and complex. Yet even though it was unsurprising, somehow this was still interesting to me, which made me think, is there a way this can be used in my software patch in an improvised music setting. This question was what I explored during my STEIM residency in September 2009.

The exploration was somewhat frustrating at first, and I won’t go into tedious and somewhat academic details of that, but I did come up with a way of spatializing the resonant bands that I found interesting, and was able to incorporate into my Max/MSP rig.

The first technical question was answered by the use of “sigmund~” by Miller Puckette. I would use this object to track the fundamental frequency of what I was playing. This base pitch would then be used to set a series of seven biquad filters to divide my trumpet sound into discrete frequency bands. (“Sigmund~” is a great tool, and I was very impressed with the speed at which it would track even noisy trumpet sounds.) These discrete bands were routed into seven channels of audio, then sent into ICST’s Ambisonic externals for spatialization. In other words, I’m able to locate these channels into three-dimensional audio space. (These tools are free, so know that I’m not trying to sell you something when I say they are truly fantastic.) The spatial placement was at first pre-determined by sending patterns to the ambisonic controller, but then using amplitude and pitch following on the seven audio channels, decisions can be triggered at certain points by the software as to where the sounds would be placed, either in a pre-determined, random or other generated manner.

The idea was at first that this is something that I could use in an electro-acoustic improvised audio environment, something that would quickly respond to my sound just by playing, without me needing to exert external control over the software with my pedals, buttons, faders et al.

But this become so enjoyable to work with, that now I’m working on routing the bands of data into areas to be controlled and modified by other patches.

My residency at STEIM was a very productive and inspiring time on multiple levels. In addition to the creative/technical work mentioned above and grant writing, I was able to perform a concert with Michael Moore and Michael Vatcher (see video) and had a very nice recording session with Anne LaBerge. I also had some wonderful visitors during my residency, included violinist Johnny Chang, composer Trevor Grahl and was able to spend time working with some young Amsterdam artists and assist them in developing their own software, and talk with them about what I was working on. Dinner with the ICP at BIMHUIS two nights in a rows was a real treat, hanging with Mary Oliver, Han Bennink, Susanna Von Cannon, Thomas Heberer, Carolyn Muntz, Jodi Gilbert and lots of time with Michael Moore...what a treat. Also: big thanks to Esther Roschar for helping me get my grant out among other things, Takuro Mizuta Lippit for software and creative dialogue, Vivian Wenli Lin for the great video, Alex Nowitz for the hang-time and walking long distances to eat vegetarian with me, and Nico Bes for everything he does (which is everything). So many more people to thank for great discussions and food and music…John Dikeman, Mike Straus, Dana Jessen, Taylan Susam. Only one regret: not enough chess time with Michael Vatcher..!

Please visit me, at JeffKaiser.com

New Media Reading Group...

2009-10-06T20:13:00.001-07:00

Friends regularly ask what I am reading here at UCSD, so I thought this might interest some of you. A friend and I started a reading group this quarter for new media theory....here are the texts, they are going to be a lot of fun. (Links take you to the books on Amazon.)

Week 1:
McLuhan, Marshall, and Lewis H. Lapham. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1994.
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

Week 2:
Lister, Martin. New Media: A Critical Introduction. 2nd ed. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon; New
York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2008.
New Media: A Critical Introduction

Week 3:
Manovich, Lev. The Language of New Media. Leonardo. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2002.
The Language of New Media (Leonardo Books)

Week 4:
Thackara, John. In the Bubble: Designing in a Complex World. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2005.
In the Bubble: Designing in a Complex World

Week 5:
Hansen, Mark B. N. Bodies in Code: Interfaces with Digital Media. New York: Routledge, 2006.
Bodies in Code: Interfaces with Digital Media

Week 6:
Munster, Anna. Materializing New Media: Embodiment in Information Aesthetics. University Press of New England, 2006.
Materializing New Media: Embodiment in Information Aesthetics (Interfaces: Studies in Visual Culture)

Week 7:
Clark, Andy. Supersizing the Mind: Embodiment, Action, and Cognitive Extension. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Supersizing the Mind: Embodiment, Action, and Cognitive Extension (Philosophy of the Mind)

Week 8:
Dyson, Frances. Sounding New Media: Immersion and Embodiment in the Arts and Culture. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009.
Sounding New Media: Immersion and Embodiment in the Arts and Culture

Week 9:
Wardrip-Fruin, Noah. Expressive Processing: Digital Fictions, Computer Games, and Software Studies. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2009.
Expressive Processing: Digital Fictions, Computer Games, and Software Studies

Blue Angels in above the house...

2009-10-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

From my balcony...(Click on any image to enlarge)

Amsterdam 2009, Day 8-20

2009-09-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

What an amazing time this has been in Amsterdam. Highlights (but not limited to!): playing and hanging with Michael Moore and Michael Vatcher, playing/recording with Anne La Berge, hanging with Mary Oliver, Trevor Grahl, Susanna Von Canon, Han Bennink, Carolyn Munz, Taylan Susam, Dana Jessen, Mike Straus, Sean Winters, John Dikeman, Johnny Chang, Alex Nowitz, Vivian Wenli Lin...eating at De Waaghals, The Golden Temple, Bolhoed and other great restaurants with vegan options...walking, looking, listening...a beautiful and productive time, even with the bad cold the last few days.

But the biggest thanks go to the generous spirit of Nico Bes and all at STEIM, to chats with Takuro Mizuta Lippit about work, use of the space, housing, life, music, embodiment and improvisation. And a huge continued thanks to David Borgo, for getting me over here last year: a dream made real. A great time again this year, not long enough. (Also note: I should be posting my project blog soon at STEIM on my spectral spatialization patch for improvising with trumpet...)

Jeff Kaiser, Michael Moore, Michael Vatcher @ STEIM from STEIM Amsterdam on Vimeo.

Michael Vatcher and Michael Moore
(CLICK on any image to enlarge.)

Vatcher, Kaiser, Moore

Vatcher and Moore

Vatcher

Moore

Kaiser (non)

Sint Olofskapel

?

???

What about people?

Saw this while looking for tea. Two excellent tea shops in town, Geel's and Wijs and Zonen. I'd give Geels the nod, better selection, price and quality for my taste.

A shopping mall...!

Two men wrapped in cellophane. In Leidseplein, of course.

The blue light is the moon...

At DNK Smart Projects, Yolande Harris...Now Stripe Time...On tropical rain, dolphins echolocation and the pink noise of pleasure yachts in turquoise sea. A lecture / performance with live manipulations of field recording and video. Now Stripe Time. On tropical rain, dolphins echolocation and the pink noise of pleasure yachts in turquoise sea. A lecture / performance with live manipulations of field recording and video. And...

Seamus Cater, Fritz Welch and Viljam Nybacka...The Folk Music, the Whale and the Sea...Seamus Cater - Rhodes, harmonicas, vocals...Fritz Welch - Percussion, vocals...Viljam Nybacka - Percussion, Ukulele, vocals...With songs and music, three musicians deal with the history of whaling in the 18th and 19th century sense, expanding this to include folk music and the sea. Using firsthand musical / anecdotal texts and writings of A.L. Lloyd, Herman Melville and Bas Jan Ader, DNK's Seamus Cater is joined by Fritz Welch (Human Sacrifice / Peeesseye) and Viljam Nybacka (Brown vs Brown / .man).

This was a mesmerizing, engaging set that even while being pretty downtempo totally held my attention.

Viljam Nybacka

Seamus Cater

Fritz Welch

The walk home from DNK

I love regional schnapps, so when Jodi Gilber mentioned oude genever I had to try it. Pictured: Three kopstoot. I also tried jonge, which is also delicious...

Johnny Chang, Taylan Susam and me...having oude genever

BIMHUIS

Guus Janssen and Miriam Overlach

Overlach

Cor Fuhler, Axel Dörner, Clare Cooper

At a famous Oude Genever pub on Begijnensteeg...

Unfortunately, I was still recovering from a cold so I stuck with tea, while Moore had an oude genever

Begijnhof

Begihnhof

Scottish Reformed Church at Begijnhof

Scottish Reformed Church, frequented by Van Gogh

Moore and armor

Armor

I found this interesting....hoisting a grand piano with a crane

De Waaghal's!

Farewell, Amsterdam

Slacktone! Winston, Amsterdam, 9-12-2009

2009-09-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

Slacktone

Michael Moore and I went and saw Slacktone at Winston in Amsterdam on September 12. Sam Bolle is an old friend from Ventura's Instrumental Music. I met Dusty Watson through him some years back when Sam and Dusty were Dick Dale's rhythm section. (A gig that Sam stills holds.) I met Dave Wronski at The Lava Lounge in LA at a Slacktone gig....anyway, these guys are smoking, playing with combination of abandon, passion and great technical skill that makes their shows a blast. Highly recommended...

Dinner with Dave, Sam, Dusty, Jeff

Dave, Sam, Dusty: A portrait in jet lag

Slacktone setting up

setting up

cooking

Dave

Sam

Dusty plays fast...

faster...

even faster...

fastest

Amsterdam 2009, Day 3-6

2009-09-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Me with Dana Jessen and Mike Straus on the roof of their house
(Click on any image to enlarge)

It was very nice to see Dana and Mike, I met them last year at this time, when they were both here as Fulbright Scholars. They came and saw David Borgo and I play at STEIM. Things worked out, they are still here, studying and working away.

It has been a very busy time for me here, contrary to what many of my friends think, I actually did come here to work. I've been writing in the mornings and working in the studio in the afternoons. But I am finding plenty of time to explore and check out this fine city.

Friday I had a great time with the ICP. Mary Oliver invited me to dinner and the shows and I liked it so much, I went again Saturday. Great to see friends that go back ten plus years now. Michael Vatcher showed up both nights and we got lost in a good chess game. Before attending the concert Saturday, I also met my friend and fellow composer Trevor Grahl who is now studying here after completing his Master's at UCSD. Sunday, after writing, I had a nice hang with Jodi Gilbert at the Absinthe store and Michael Moore at his house...and then back to writing. Monday was a blitz day, getting documents and packages that needed to ship immediately, nutty stressful day. Today was a bit more mellow, worked in the studio all day, met with Alex Nowitz and had coffee. Nice time.

Tomorrow will be a wild day, BUT it will be a blast...ends with a trio performance of myself with Michael Moore and Michael Vatcher at STEIM. That should be fun.

More from the roof

From the roof

from the roof

Walking to the Bimhuis

more...

Bimhuis

Dinner with the ICP, that is Susanna and Han.

Michael Moore, Ab Baars, Tobias Delius, Wolter Wierbos, Thomas Heberer

Ernst Glerum, Tristan Honsinger, Mary Oliver, Han Bennink

Misha Mengelberg far left....

Mary Oliver and Han Bennink

Mary and Han

DJ Michael Moore, did a great job as DJ at the post-gig hang at the Bimhuis

Having coffee with Trevor Grahl

Amsterdam 2009, Day 1 and 2

2009-09-02T05:25:00.001-07:00

On Herengracht, walking around the corner from the STEIM's guest house to the studios.
(Click any image to enlarge.)

I made it to Amsterdam, quite comfortably, actually. First class is even different in the trains...it was on sale for an extra twenty euro, so I splurged....well worth it for 6.5 hours...

I'm here at STEIM Laboratories for the next three weeks for an artists residency. I'll elaborate more on my project as it develops. The folks here have been awesome, as they were last year. Nico Bes is incredibly helpful, and pleasant as well. Takuro Mizuta Lippit, the artistic director, is currently in France, but has also been quite helpful via email. I'm moved in to a comfortable room in the guest house, my studio is set up. I've been able to meet and hang with interesting people, both visitors (Joe Deebs), some more involved/employed on a regular basis with STEIM (Daniël Schorno, Esther Roschar, Jorgen Brinkman, Frank Baldé, Robert van Heumen) and Fulbright Scholar John Rauss who is here developing software. Joe Deebsand I (I hope I'm spelling his name correctly) went and walked around town, had a Maoz Falafel and an incredible Belgian IPA from La Chouffe at Cafe Gollem last night...but now it is to work. I spent the morning doing a second draft of my Fulbright application, and now I'm off to meet Dana Jessen
and Michael Straus, former Fulbright recipients who said they'd go over it with me...busy day already...

My studio at STEIM, where I will be spending a lot of time the next three weeks...look at that pose....autotimer should've told me to unclasp my hands...(the large wood speaker cabs are non-functioning, but sure to look cool)

What all my photos on the train ride looked like...should have increaded the shutter speed....maybe?

Berlin 2009, Day 19-25: Farewell!

2009-08-31T02:50:00.000-07:00

Neukölln
(Click on any image to enlarge)

I've had an unbelievable time here, I hope to return for a longer stay next year. Wrapping up with a final few pics to post before off to chess with Roy and Keith....

Great video installation! Wednesday I went and saw one of the coolest uses of space....an underground labyrinth through the large intestine of an unused public swimming pool...with video installations in every nook and cranny. I went to a party there a few weeks ago, but this was opening night for the installations...

Stadtbad Video Festival

Installation in the pool

More: Pool installation

Stadtbad labyrinth....

Stadtbad Video installation

Another shot

The bowels of the pool

The pub in the bowels

more bowels

Afterwards, caught a train to Die Remise...

Walking to Die Remise, poked my head into a skate park through an opening in the wall

At the Shillingbrücke Terrace, Die Remise's summer concert location
Keith O'Brien, Roy Carroll, Ed

Thursday nights concert at Loophole, with the FANTASTIC clarinetist Anat Cohavi, and equally wonderful accordionist Hannes Lingens and laptopist Roy Carroll. It was nice to have friends Joachim Goßmann and Johnny Chang there.

Recording mics on a chandelier at Loophole...which later came tumbling down, with no injuries....

Loophole stage

Loophole stage

Roy Carroll, Hannes Lingens, Anat Cohavi, Jeff Kaiser at Loophole

Friday, visited Ableton's offices, had a great visit with Yukio King, awesome guy who my friend Trevor Henthorn introduced me to, had an excellent chat about education, art, software, life in Berlin. I was also able to meet Jeremy Bernstein, codemeister for Cycling 74 who was also generous by taking time out of his day to chat with me, a great guy...all these folks are so interesting...!

Ableton offices

Leaving the offices, was once again struck by the sky...

Yet another shot getting on to the train at Rosa Luxemburg

Yet another shot getting on to the train at Rosa Luxemburg

Friday night gig with Keith O'Brien and Roy Carroll was SMOKING. Thanks so much to Roy for setting up all these wonderful musical experiences for me. That night also featured Liz Albee (tpt) and Clayton Thomas (contrabass), who put on a killer set, mesmerizing, beautiful stuff. It was nice to finally meet Liz after crossing paths with her for years, we have so many friends in common.

Phil setting up the recording mics at Salon Bruit, Licht Blick, Kino 77...

Roy's hands, me, Keith O'Brien

Roy Carroll

Keith O'Brien

Soundcheck at Salon Bruit

Soundcheck at Salon Bruit

The next day, chilled out with Chess and Keith at Café Manolo...

Chess at Café Manolo with Keith O'Brien

Early Tuesday morning, off to Amsterdam and STEIM. I will miss Berlin, but am looking forward to STEIM, Amsterdam and getting some work done...

Gigs tonight and tomorrow night...

2009-08-27T03:13:00.000-07:00

'Sicilian Kaiser'
Sicilian Dragon with Jeff Kaiser
Jeff Kaiser - 1/4 tone trumpet, electronics
Anat Cohavi - bass clarinet, soprano sax
Hannes Lingens, drums, accordian
Roy Carroll - sampler
Thur 27.08.09, 22:00
Loophole, Boddinstr. 60, 12053 Berlin

'Kaiser Adaptor'
Double Adaptor with Jeff Kaiser
Jeff Kaiser - 1/4 tone trumpet, electronics
Keith O Brien - guitar, computer
Roy Carroll - sampler
Fri 28.08.09 22:00
Salon Bruit, Licht Blick Kino, Kastanien Allee 77

www.jeffkaiser.com
www.myspace.com/anatcohavi
www.myspace.com/hanneslingens
www.myspace.com/royelylyonscarroll
www.myspace.com/doubleadaptor
www.myspace.com/amoebazoid
www.loophole-berlin.com
www.salonbruit.org

Berlin 2009, Day 16-18

2009-08-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

With Roy Carroll, post-caffeine in Prenzlauer Berg. I met Roy when we both were playing at the Sparks Festival at UMN, Minneapolis. An awesome musician from Ireland, who has settled down in Berlin.

Mostly studying, or should I say, trying to study for my qualifying exams...but still getting out and about

I'm still in wonder that walking around randomly...you still see this amazing architecture.

satellite dishes everywhere...

Palindrome from a bridge in Kreuzberg

looking the other direction...

Ausland recording session...This session was a true joy. It is awesome to have this time, to do concerts and record with such fine musicians who are also just plain nice people as well.

Roy setting up for trio recording session with...

Hannes Lingens, snare drum

Roy

Hannes

Hydrating post take one...

Berlin 2009, Day 14-15

2009-08-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Club der Polnischen Versager
(Click any image to enlarge)

Summary of the gig: Awesome! We had a lovely audience, and the guys I played with were smoking. Harald recorded it, so I hope to hear it soon and maybe make it available.

My view from the stage

Jürg and I setting up

Phil Skaller setting up: his rollup keyboard, horns, bells, whistles...

The stage (drums off to the left)

Harald Thieman, percussionist and our host...the drums were in the dark, so no pictures of his beautiful set and random objects...

onstage

Jürg onstage
(Thanks Jason Ponce, for taking the above two photographs)

The day after the gig, I took another full-on tourist day...Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Unter den Linden, Alexander Platz and Neuköln.

Getting off the train at Prenzlauer Berg and asked the question we all want to know the truth about.

My destination (tip from Roy Carroll) was Benjowski Tea, truly fantastic tea shop. Despite the proprietor's immense dislike of Pu-erh, she had a lovely selection, of which I did make a purchase.

Benjowki Tea

Benjowki Tea

Benjowki Tea

Teeater, Phil Skaller's cousin's tea joint

Teeater

Getting on the train to Unter den linden

Should've read the news, got off in the middle of the Marathon...!

Russian Embassy

Russian Embassy

The finsish line: Brandenburg Gate

Reichstag

Reichstag

Building by the Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag

Reichstag with TV tower in background

on the Spree

I ran into a random old time string band...

random architecture in Neukölln

Having a pilsener at Fuchs und Elster

Sowieso, in Neuköln

Mikaele Pellegrino, guitar

Mikaele Pellegrino, guitar

Mark, the proprietor

Watching Crix X and Sarah Dietrich improvise to La Jetée

Jason Ponce and Paris at the Schluck Sprecht

Paris's place, around the corner from my apartment, has been my hang. A great guy, fun to hear his stories of his travels.

Berlin 2009, Day 13

2009-08-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Biergarten, Neukölln
(Click on any image to enlarge)

Wednesday was a chill out day. Phil and I went to pick up our friend Jason Ponce at the train station Tuesday night, but due to a series of miscommunications it was a LONG night...but it is great to see Jason, here from an epic trip climbing mountains. Wednesday, Jason and I walked around Kreuzberg, and then he went on to Friedrichshain and I went and joined Jeff Trevino in Neukölln for some beers and a trip to a few art events.

Neukölln, Near Trevino's Apartment

By all the tall apartment buildings, there are these old blacksmith shops, from Bohemians way back when escaping religious persecution.

A nearby park

A lovely street corner plaza...

Biergarten, Neukölln

13th Century Church by Biergarten...

Irony...

Stadtbad, an unused pool in Wedding, Berlin becomes an art space. Surprisingly, it is not the only swimming pool art space in Berlin...

Stadtbad's three projections: Ceiling, front, side

Trevino at Stadtbad

Stadtbad

Trevino and Kaiser, Stadtbad

Jochen Arbeit performance at The Terrace (by Schillingbrücke)

Jochen Arbeit performance at Maria. That's a video...

Random Shots in Berlin...

2009-08-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

Espresso at Rüdesheim Platz

iPhone and S Bahn

On Akazienstraße

On Akazienstraße

On Akazienstraße

On Akazienstraße

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Berlin 2009, Day 8-9: History, Chickens with wigs, a Juggler, Hooters and a Camel

2009-08-17T01:43:00.000-07:00

Bier at Fuchs und Elster
(Click on any image to enlarge)

After a Saturday alone with my Nut Snack and books, I headed out to meet fellow composer/performer and PhD student at UCSD Jeffrey Trevino for dinner and a tour of Neukölln. Jeffrey has been living here in Berlin for the last year studying German and performing/composing.

Trevino at Dumpling Cafe

After appetizers (vegan dumplings at the FANTASTIC Dumpling Cafe), we moved on to falafel and beverages in Neukölln

Trevino at Fuchs und Elster

Decorated like a house and lit with candles, Fuchs und Elster is a great place to chill and have a bier.

Bier at Fuchs und Elster

Jeffrey Trevino at Kuschlowski

There we moved onto Kuschlowski, specializing in vodka...great vodka selection, and always comes with these miniature Barbie Doll sandwiches...that are tasty!

Kuschlowski

Ending the night at Ä. The story goes that when the owners took over the building, all the letters from the previous owner's business sign were inside. The only functioning letter was the "Ä," and so the pub was named...

Ä

Ä

Ä

We ended the night with a delicious falafel sandwich around 2am. Only a euro for this filling meal. I love Berlin!

Studying at the Cafe with Phil

Sunday, Phil and I hit the books (a daily event), but decided to study at cafes, walk, study at a cafe, walk, cafe, walk...et cetera. By late afternoon, we'd gone from Bundesplatz to the Embassies, Tiergarten, Siegessäule and the Zoologischer Garten. And read works by Foucault, Richard King, Michael Kessler...a productive and fun day.

On the walk.

Some fountain...

The Avantgarde cafe right next to...

The Multi Kulti Sports bar

Beautiful architecture peeking out everywhere

Sculpture garden...

Bridge to the embassies

On the bridge

United Arab Emirates embassy

Japanese embassy

Italian embassy

Running from security cameras...

A bombed out building by the Italian embassy

more...

more...

In Tiergarten

In Tiergarten

In Tiergarten

Siegessäule, approached through Tiergarten

Siegessäule

Siegessäule

Siegessäule

Ok, now after history:

Chickens with wigs (near Hermannplatz)

Siegessäule and Juggler

Hooters (near Tiergarten)

Camel (At the Zoologischer Garten)

Berlin Day 6 and 7

2009-08-15T03:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night, we went to find a gig, but couldn't find it...however, when crossing the river I noticed these brick lines.

(Click any image to enlarge.)

Phil informed me they are markers, of where the wall used to be...very sobering reminders.

The next night, after a day of research, we went to Neuköln (the venue called "Gelegenheiten") to see Jürg Bariletti have the premier performance of his new Klangkoffer.

Rathaus, Neuköln

Jürg Bariletti and the mobile Klangkoffer. The box (seen in closeups here) attaches to the bicycle for riding to the gig. Beautiful music.

Guitarist, Mattias on Trombone (names?)

Jürg in action

Playing the gurgler

Playing the gurgler

Friday was a moving day. We left the punk rock digs in Kreuzberg (sublet via a student website, very reasonably priced, a week costs the same as one night in a hotel). Below is a picture of my room. Decorative notes: Catholic icons, punk posters, leopard print sheets, tulip chandelier. Lava lamp. And Smith and Wesson 45 auto....(!)

Room in Kreuzberg

Room in Kreuzberg

We moved to a lovely apartment in Bundesplatz, sublet from a retired lawyer/law professor friend of Phil's. It is great, a lovely town, not anywhere near the activity level of Kreuzberg, but nice pubs coffee houses and a gourmet vegan restaurant, La Mano Verde, a few blocks away that I will definitely try. In the meantime, it is nice to have a fully functioning, well-equipped kitchen...

Apartment in Bundesplatz

View from the balcony

View from the balcony

Berlin, Day 5

2009-08-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

My friends follow me everywhere, even here in Friedrichshain
(Click any image to enlarge)

After a morning/early afternoon of studying and a late lunch at Cafe V (awesome!) we headed off to Friedrichshain to visit musician Jürg Bariletti.

Lunch at Cafe V

In Berlin, the smaller the dachshund, the bigger the tail.

On the way to Jürg's, at the remnants of the wall in Friedrichshain.

Turns out I own many things in Germany.

Jürg Bariletti and Phil.

In the background you see Jürg's invented instrument, the Klangkoffer. The original version was created for a theater performance about childhood. For various reasons that he explained to us, he felt the need to always be ready to move, to have a packed bag. This amazing instrument grew out of that childhood idea as it folds into the box entirely. Every sound source is acoustic, but then amplified via a series of piezo pickups through a custom amplification system/mixer designed and built by his father.

Jürg Bariletti's Klangkoffer

Jürg Bariletti's Klangkoffer, gurgling water device with double reed system.

Jürg Bariletti's Klangkoffer

Jürg and Phil ran a new music venue for many years, called Stralau 68. We went to see what it looked like now.

Phil and Jürg at their old venue, Stralau 68

Stralau 68

Stralau 68

Stralau 68

Stralau 68

Beach volleyball in Berlin.

The strangest thing, they import sand to create these beach volleyball courts in the city. If you don't look at the surrounding area, you could be in Santa Monica, California.

A whole mini-Santa Monica...

Jürg said this was a special building...I asked why....

the other side shares the story...it survived the war...

After that, we went to Wendel to see some electronic music. Two wonderfully beautiful sets by Ian Rogers and Tom Hall from Brisbane, Australia.

Ian Rogers, at Wendel

Ian Rogers, at Wendel

Tom Hall, at Wendel

Tom Hall, at Wendel

Phil and percussionist Harald Thiemann sitting outside after the show at Wendel. We (Jürg, Harald, Phil and me) will be performing as a quartet on the 21st of August under the band name, "schwarzenegger."

Berlin Day 3 and 4

2009-08-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

In the afternoon of my second day here, we went to Alexanderplatz and surrounding areas (see previous post)...here is some of the stuff I didn't get to...

Art exhibit at former post office.
(Click on any image to enlarge.)

Tacheles

Tacheles is a really interesting place...at the buildings threatened destruction, artists occupied it, took over it, anyway, it is a long story, read the link...funny, in spite of its anarchist like roots, it has a very commercial feel to it!

Stairwell in Tacheles

Phil on the fourth floor, looking out on Tacheles courtyard.

Fourth floor, looking out on Tacheles courtyard.

Phil on the fourth floor, looking out on Tacheles courtyard.

Beautiful sky over Friedrichstraße

Burger at Hans Wurst Vegan Cafe

After a bit of sudying (why I am here!) and running around, I had a burger at a bio cafe, Hans Wurst Vegan Cafe, Phil and I went to Ausland to hear some music, a popular venue for experimental music. You go into this courtyard (former building foundation?), and take a flight of stairs down to this basement. Phil's story is that it is all that remains from a bombed out building. I was unable to confirm this...

Ausland Entrance

I loved this deer horn candelabra at Ausland

The crowd at Ausland. Every gig I've been to has large audiences...!

Artisinal instrument with electronics, at Ausland

Performance at Ausland

Derek Holzer's (spelling?) photo-electric instrument, at Ausland

Table of electronics, Ausland

The next day, more studying, but then went for a walk on Skalitzer Straße, I love stepping out of a train station and seeing the historical architecture jutting out over the apartments and stores.

Oberbaum Brücke, on a walk to Friedrichshain.

Great cafe on Oranienstraße

Drop into the courtyard, looks like a strange cross between a yard sale, pub, miniature golf course and Club Med.

Church of the Blue Neon Christ. (I don't know its real name...)

Closeup of the Church of the Blue Neon Christ

That night, at Madame Claude's basement. In this crowded unlit basement, we saw Ignaz Schick and Mat Pogo performer a mind numbing, AWESOME set to an (uncomfortably) packed crowd in a hot sweaty basement of a nice pub. The pub, Madame Claude's, is great, furniture nailed to the ceiling, good beer...a lot of fun.

Gigs coming up as well...more on that, by will be playing with Roy Carroll, Phil and more...