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

$10

http://www.michaelgregoryjackson.com 

http://www.ShapeShifterLab.com/

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

http://www.michaelgregoryjackson.com/

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.