2/18: Jazz at Lincoln Center’s “American Songbook” presents Nico Muhly’s Elements of Style among many other lovely things.

I’m doing the really bad thing again, which is to say Posting After the Fact, but I promise that soon I will be caught up and the great Matt Hensrud will have fixed this site once and for all so that each post takes minutes not hours. (above left to right: Thomas, Nico, Me, Sam, Nadia):

Nico had a great show last week at the Allen Room, of Jazz at Lincoln Center, featuring his song cycle based on texts from Maira Kalman’s illustrated version of The Elements Of Style (yes, the Strunk and White grammar textbook). In addition to regular percussive duties, I helped manage the “amateur percussionists,” who hit stuff, blew bubbles, played with squeaky toys, etc. I also accompanied Nico and Thomas aka Peter Pears, and Samamidon.

Squeaks now being tweeted…

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2/13: ACME, Craig Wedren, yesaroun’ duo, and Shudder to Think do a Wordless Music Show at (le) Poisson Rouge.

The combination of a venue like (le) Poisson Rouge, a concert series like Wordless Music, and an advocate (not only for good contemporary music but for all good music) like Ronen Givoney, is awakening an awesome concept for how new music might happen in this city. We are used to giving concerts for a few die-hard new music types at galleries. There was rarely beer, and there were certainly never rock stars. Why not? I don’t know either.

This is the second performance of Jefferson Friedman’s Love Songs, composed for ACME and Craig, and also features Louis Andriessen’s Worker’s Union, and a full set by the band Shudder To Think. Jeff and Craig did this interview for New York Magazine. Be forewarned though, it tries to delineate who is and who isn’t a rock star. Someday we will kill these distinctions. I may have to start wearing aqua-net pink.

2/12: ACME, the yesaroun’ duo, and the Chiara Quartet perform the music of Jefferson Friedman at Miller Theater.

Update: Here is the nytimes review by Allan Kozinn.

Many friends came together at Miller Theater to perform the music of Jefferson Friedman, including the world premier of his Love Songs, featuring former Shudder to Think frontman Craig Wedren. Also notable: nearly the entire Sirota family on stage at some point during this concert!

(From New York Magazine, February 9):

2/12/209 8 pm
Composer Portraits
Miller Theatre | 2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027 | at 116th St. | 212-854-1633
(Critic’s Pick) The series profiling one composer’s work turns its attention to local star Jefferson Friedman. The program is highlighted by the world premiere of On in Love, written for and performed by Shudder to Think singer Craig Wedren; the Chiara String Quartet, Yesaroun’ Duo, and American Contemporary Music Ensemble also play on the program.