MICHAEL
GREGORY JACKSON
Michael
Gregory Jackson-Guitar and Voice
Thursday
12.19.13 @9PM
Cambridge, MA 02139
$10
Michael
Gregory Jackson and Simon Spang-Hanssen initially sparked their musical
connection at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY in the late 1970's.
Jackson was one of the original guiding artists at CMS and Simon was a very
accomplished musician from Denmark studying at CMS. Many years later the two
musicians would meet again in Copenhagen, Denmark to resume their creative
musical explorations. Simon is a multifaceted musician, saxophonist, composer,
improviser and painter. Michael and Simon have developed a profound
communication, camaraderie and musical interplay whenever they perform
together.
At
present Simon is the saxophonist in the MICHAEL GREGORY JACKSON CLARITY
QUARTET, in Europe and plays saxophone and flute on Michael's latest release
"LIBERTY, Art Ensemble Syd with Michael Gregory Jackson" EME 2013.
Michael
Gregory Jackson's "TEXTURE, SIGNAL, STRATA" will result in the
upcoming release of compositions and improvisations for trio, duos and solos
that feature various combinations of musicians and instrumentation exploring
various possibilities, conceptualizations, introspective interpretations and
range of the compositions.
MICHAEL
GREGORY JACKSON
One
of the most influential guitarists to emerge during New York’s avant-garde loft
jazz scene has returned to influence a new generation of edge-pushing,
genre-hopping musicians. He’s also returned, after a few decades’ detour
courtesy of “The King of Pop,” to his original name and performance moniker –
Michael Gregory Jackson.
Michael
has tread a winding musical path over his 30-plus year career, embracing
everything from creative music, jazz, blues, rock and electronica soundscapes
to harmonically rich and lyrically-deep vocal tunes, with the complex
arrangements and subtleties that are a signature of his music. His ability to
span musical genres was best captured by one reviewer’s depiction, “Musical
Mercury.”
Over
the past decade, Jackson has increasingly performed at New York venues like
John Zorn’s Space, Tonic, Roulette, Spectrum and during the annual Visions
Festival, at a much-anticipate reunion of the Oliver Lake Trio alongside his
original cohorts, sax man Lake and drummer Pheeroan aKLaff. Jackson has also
hit the European festival circuit, performing in ensembles led by another
longtime partner in sound, Wadada Leo Smith, for whom he produced two noted
discs, “Spiritual Dimensions,” Cuneiform 2009 and “Heart's Reflections,”
Cuneiform 2011.
Michael's
newest release is a product of his European travels and teachings. “LIBERTY”
(EME Music) features Jackson and the Art Ensemble Syd, a creative ensemble from
Sonderborg a town in southern Denmark. The disc includes seven Jackson
originals including the free-spirited, two- part title track, the touching
vocal ballad “Down” and the wild, improvised “Citi,” compelling jazz author Bob
Gluck to write “The music is deeply touching and even heartbreaking. It defies
category (yay!)…I cannot stop listening to this recording. It is that good…one
part New Orleans early jazz, another part Ornette Coleman ‘harmolodic’
sycronicity, and a third part jam band party.”
Michael’s
ensembles have included musical luminaries Wadada Leo Smith, Marty Ehrlich,
Pheeroan aKLaff, Oliver Lake, Baikida Carroll, Will Calhoun, Anthony Davis,
Julius Hemphill, David Murray, Mark Helias, Jerome Harris and Mark Trayle to
name a few.
PERFORMED
AND / OR RECORDED WITH (SELECTED):
Julius
Hemphill, Mick Jagger, Wadada Leo Smith, Nels Cline, Oliver Lake, Nile Rodgers,
Henry Threadgill, Baikida Carroll, Will Calhoun, David Murray, Steve Winwood,
Walter Becker, Kenwood Dennard, Vernon Reid, Anthony Davis, Jack Dejohnette,
Archie Shepp, Obie Award Winner Ntozake Shange, Amina Claudine Myers, David
Sancious, Marcus Miller, Chaka Khan, Olu Dara, Jimmy Giuffre, John Tchichai,
Niels Praestholm, Karl Berger, Jimmy Guiffe, Will Calhoun, Jerry Marotta, Jay
Hoggard, Stephen Stewart, Lee Konitz, Ed Blackwell, Rodney Holmes, Nona
Hendryx, Pulitzer Prize Winner Paul Muldoon, Omar Hakim, Dwight Andrews,
Jessica Hagedorn, Ed Blackwell, Anthony Jackson, Marty Ehrlich, Karl Berger,
Victor Lewis, Carlos Santana, Anthony Braxton and many more.
Simon
Spang-Hanssen http://www.simonspang.com/
Simon
Spang-Hanssen started out in the mid-seventies in Copenhagen, Denmark as a
member of John Tchicai and "Strange Brothers", which included bassist
Peter Danstrup and drummer Ole Roemer. He also performed with Johhny Dyani,
Jesper Zeuthen, The New Jungle Orchestra, the Brazilian drummer/composer Doug
Raney, Nenê and with his own groups that included Ben Besiakov, Jesper
Lundgaard and Alex Riel.
Simon
lived and worked in Paris, and played with Andy Emler Megaoctet, The Quintet of
Francois and Louis Moutin, Nguyên Lê "Tales of Vietnam," The
Orchestra National de Jazz, Bojan Z., Denis Badault, Anouar Brahem and with his
personal projects featuring musicians such as: Richard Bona, Xavier Desandre,
Mariane Bitran, Mario Canonge.
Returning
to Denmark Simon formed several groups including "Rainbow Spirit"
with Gambian kora-player Dawda Jobarteh, an octet "Alisio Ensemble",
the Paris-based "Ear Witness" with Emil Spányi, Linley Marthe and
Felix-sabal-Lecco and the S.S.H. 5-tet with a.o. Bob Rockwell. Also a member of
"Art Ensemble Syd" and recordings and performances with Michael
Gregory Jackson, Chris Stover and Django Bates.
Since
his beginnings with John Tchicai Simon has experimented in many directions both
as a player and composer and has developed a personal mixture of his many roots
in jazz and across the musical spectrum.
MICHAEL
GREGORY JACKSON
"TEXTURE,
SIGNAL, STRATA"
Michael
Gregory Jackson-Guitar and Voice
Simon
Spang-Hanssen-Saxophone and Flute
and Charlie Kohlhase Explorer's Club
Thursday
12.19.13 @9PM
Outpost 186 Gallery Space
186 1/2 (Rear) Hampshire St,
Cambridge, MA 02139
Cambridge, MA 02139
$10
Michael
Gregory Jackson and Simon Spang-Hanssen initially sparked their musical
connection at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY in the late 1970's.
Jackson was one of the original guiding artists at CMS and Simon was a very
accomplished musician from Denmark studying at CMS. Many years later the two
musicians would meet again in Copenhagen, Denmark to resume their creative
musical explorations. Simon is a multifaceted musician, saxophonist, composer,
improviser and painter. Michael and Simon have developed a profound
communication, camaraderie and musical interplay whenever they perform
together.
At
present Simon is the saxophonist in the MICHAEL GREGORY JACKSON CLARITY
QUARTET, in Europe and plays saxophone and flute on Michael's latest release
"LIBERTY, Art Ensemble Syd with Michael Gregory Jackson" EME 2013.
Michael
Gregory Jackson's "TEXTURE, SIGNAL, STRATA" will result in the
upcoming release of compositions and improvisations for trio, duos and solos
that feature various combinations of musicians and instrumentation exploring
various possibilities, conceptualizations, introspective interpretations and
range of the compositions.
MICHAEL
GREGORY JACKSON
Bio
by Sal Cataldi
One
of the most influential guitarists to emerge during New York’s avant-garde loft
jazz scene has returned to influence a new generation of edge-pushing,
genre-hopping musicians. He’s also returned, after a few decades’ detour
courtesy of “The King of Pop,” to his original name and performance moniker –
Michael Gregory Jackson.
Michael
has tread a winding musical path over his 30-plus year career, embracing
everything from creative music, jazz, blues, rock and electronica soundscapes
to harmonically rich and lyrically-deep vocal tunes, with the complex
arrangements and subtleties that are a signature of his music. His ability to
span musical genres was best captured by one reviewer’s depiction, “Musical
Mercury.”
Over
the past decade, Jackson has increasingly performed at New York venues like
John Zorn’s Space, Tonic, Roulette, Spectrum and during the annual Visions
Festival, at a much-anticipate reunion of the Oliver Lake Trio alongside his
original cohorts, sax man Lake and drummer Pheeroan aKLaff. Jackson has also
hit the European festival circuit, performing in ensembles led by another
longtime partner in sound, Wadada Leo Smith, for whom he produced two noted
discs, “Spiritual Dimensions,” Cuneiform 2009 and “Heart's Reflections,”
Cuneiform 2011.
Michael's
newest release is a product of his European travels and teachings. “LIBERTY”
(EME Music) features Jackson and the Art Ensemble Syd, a creative ensemble from
Sonderborg a town in southern Denmark. The disc includes seven Jackson
originals including the free-spirited, two- part title track, the touching
vocal ballad “Down” and the wild, improvised “Citi,” compelling jazz author Bob
Gluck to write “The music is deeply touching and even heartbreaking. It defies
category (yay!)…I cannot stop listening to this recording. It is that good…one
part New Orleans early jazz, another part Ornette Coleman ‘harmolodic’
sycronicity, and a third part jam band party.”
Michael’s
ensembles have included musical luminaries Wadada Leo Smith, Marty Ehrlich,
Pheeroan aKLaff, Oliver Lake, Baikida Carroll, Will Calhoun, Anthony Davis,
Julius Hemphill, David Murray, Mark Helias, Jerome Harris and Mark Trayle to
name a few.
PERFORMED
AND / OR RECORDED WITH (SELECTED):
Julius
Hemphill, Mick Jagger, Wadada Leo Smith, Nels Cline, Oliver Lake, Nile Rodgers,
Henry Threadgill, Baikida Carroll, Will Calhoun, David Murray, Steve Winwood,
Walter Becker, Kenwood Dennard, Vernon Reid, Anthony Davis, Jack Dejohnette,
Archie Shepp, Obie Award Winner Ntozake Shange, Amina Claudine Myers, David
Sancious, Marcus Miller, Chaka Khan, Olu Dara, Jimmy Giuffre, John Tchichai,
Niels Praestholm, Karl Berger, Jimmy Guiffe, Will Calhoun, Jerry Marotta, Jay
Hoggard, Stephen Stewart, Lee Konitz, Ed Blackwell, Rodney Holmes, Nona
Hendryx, Pulitzer Prize Winner Paul Muldoon, Omar Hakim, Dwight Andrews,
Jessica Hagedorn, Ed Blackwell, Anthony Jackson, Marty Ehrlich, Karl Berger,
Victor Lewis, Carlos Santana, Anthony Braxton and many more.
Simon
Spang-Hanssen http://www.simonspang.com/
Simon
Spang-Hanssen started out in the mid-seventies in Copenhagen, Denmark as a
member of John Tchicai and "Strange Brothers", which included bassist
Peter Danstrup and drummer Ole Roemer. He also performed with Johhny Dyani,
Jesper Zeuthen, The New Jungle Orchestra, the Brazilian drummer/composer Doug
Raney, Nenê and with his own groups that included Ben Besiakov, Jesper
Lundgaard and Alex Riel.
Simon
lived and worked in Paris, and played with Andy Emler Megaoctet, The Quintet of
Francois and Louis Moutin, Nguyên Lê "Tales of Vietnam," The
Orchestra National de Jazz, Bojan Z., Denis Badault, Anouar Brahem and with his
personal projects featuring musicians such as: Richard Bona, Xavier Desandre,
Mariane Bitran, Mario Canonge.
Returning
to Denmark Simon formed several groups including "Rainbow Spirit"
with Gambian kora-player Dawda Jobarteh, an octet "Alisio Ensemble",
the Paris-based "Ear Witness" with Emil Spányi, Linley Marthe and
Felix-sabal-Lecco and the S.S.H. 5-tet with a.o. Bob Rockwell. Also a member of
"Art Ensemble Syd" and recordings and performances with Michael
Gregory Jackson, Chris Stover and Django Bates.
Since
his beginnings with John Tchicai Simon has experimented in many directions both
as a player and composer and has developed a personal mixture of his many roots
in jazz and across the musical spectrum.
