Sergio Piccirilli reviewed the two-day festival I put together.
Scott Yanow reviewed the second day for LA Jazz Scene. Because their website was built by seventeen geese with no feet, I can’t link to the individual review, but I’ve pasted what he wrote below, and here is a generic link so you can see the fruits of geese programmers.
JAZZ AROUND TOWN
by Scott Yanow
THE UNWRINKLED EAR FESTIVAL OF IMPROVISED MUSIC
Andrew Choate and Peter Kolovos have for the past five years booked avant-garde jazz and experimental artists in Los Angeles. Recently they hosted the two-day Unwrinkled Ear Festival Of Improvised Music which was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica. I found out about their festival just two days before and missed the first afternoon which had unaccompanied solo sets by saxophonists Roscoe Mitchell and Evan Parker, and a duet encounter by pianist Sten Sandell and percussionist Kjell Nordeson.
Fortunately all of the musicians were back for the three sets that took place on Sunday afternoon. Roscoe Mitchell (on alto), Evan Parker (sticking to soprano) and cornetist Bobby Bradford started off the day by playing a continuous free improvisation for 32 minutes. The musical conversation by the three horns, which featured giants from Chicago, England and Los Angeles, held one’s interest throughout. The trio of veterans from the 1960s avant-garde jazz scene listened closely to each other, reacted quickly, and was engaged throughout in close interactions. Bradford, who sometimes used a mute, displayed his mellow tone which always makes his playing sound a bit accessible even when he is at his most dissonant. Parker, who could have been miked louder, played unpredictably and with plenty of passion. He had not performed in Los Angeles in quite a few years. But the main star was Mitchell who at 77 never seemed to run out of energy or creative ideas.
The second set had Swedish pianist Sten Sandell at first playing the church organ with a great deal of drama before switching to a piano which was “prepared” with a towel that distorted some of its tones. His improvising, which lasted 28 minutes, was always coherent even when it was at its freest.
The final set had three horns and Sandell returning with the addition of the Swedish percussionist Kjell Nordeson. Similar to the first set in that the 30 minutes of music was all ensemble, the difference this time was that Mitchell played soprano rather than alto and Nordeson’s rumbling drums (mostly using mallets) and vibes added to the performance’s volume and color.
All in all it was a fascinating afternoon of music played before a large and enthusiastic audience. Andrew Choate and Peter Kolovos are to be congratulated for this successful festival. Information about their upcoming events (which deserve to be supported) can be found at www.andrewchoate.us/the-unwrinkled-ear.