Amsterdam 2009, Day 8-20

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
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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

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

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

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?