New Music Circle Showcase

Ingrid Laubrock / Tom Rainey (NYC)
German-born saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey are perhaps two of New York City’s most active jazz improvisers and sought after collaborators. Both may be found on any given night performing with names such as Anthony Braxton, William Parker or Mary Halvorson.

Performing last year in a NMC concert featuring pianist Kris Davis, Laubrock/Rainey will make a return to STL amidst a United States tour. Given Tom Rainey’s voluminous recording credits and the artistic caliber of the musicians with whom he has performed (Tim Berne, Craig Taborn, among others), he could easily be placed on the A-list of drummers closely identified with the New York City modern creative jazz scene, from the late ’80s onward. Ingrid Laubrock’s saxophone phrasings swiftly range from pensive melodiousness to the tough muscularity of free-jazz. She is at once capable of recalling the fierce tones of Albert Ayler and the spontaneous tonal sequences of Eric Dolphy.

Tyler Damon / Chris Trull / Kevin Harris (Bloomington, IN/ St. Louis)

Drummer Tyler Damon (Bloomington, Indiana) will also make a return to St. Louis after playing a concert last summer at the St. Louis Art Museum in a power-house trio with Darin Gray and Mars Williams. Tyler has been described by Darin Gray as “the up-and-coming young drummer in the midwest, and a voice that will be active for years to come.” This showcase will see Damon pairing with guitarist Chris Trull and electronic musician Kevin Harris. As a member of local experimental-rock groups such as Yowie and Grand Ulena, Chris Trull’s razor sharp guitar intonations employ unique tunings and scalings with mathematical dexterity. Whether curating this years sound-installation series at CAM, building elaborate audio/visual systems, or performing in countless collaborations and solo performances, Kevin Harris has remained a gem of the the St. Louis experimental community.

Nathan Cook (St. Louis)

St. Louis sound-artist and label proprietor Nathan Cook will round out this event with a performance combining electronic, acoustic, and playback sounds. Since arriving in St. Louis in 2008, Cook has become one of St. Louis’s most prolific artists on the underground experimental scene, consistently performing and collaborating with other artists, composing sound installations (as featured currently at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis) and releasing two volumes to date on his Close-Far label of cassette compilations that exclusively feature local experimental acts.

Plus, Free Workshop!

NMC will host a special community outreach event on the evening prior to this showcase. Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey will collaborate in two short improvised sets with a variety of St. Louis’s diverse music community, and partake in a Q+A session. Confirmed local names include Dave Stone (saxophone), Mabel Suen (guitar/saxophone), and Alex Cunningham (violin).
This event is free and takes place on Monday, May 19th from 7pm – 8:30pm at Blank Space (2847 Cherokee St. — map).