Wednesday, December 23, 2020 Corona Diaries 2 comments
A round-up of Covid related efforts from the writers of the Free Jazz Blog ... please add more in the comments.
In lieu of a 10 concert-per-month concert series, Steve Peters of Nonsquitur (Seattle) has commissioned new work by experimental musicians (75 releases so far) all available free on Soundcloud.
https://www.waywardmusic.org/
https://soundcloud.com/wayward-music
Tom Rainy and Ingrid Laubrock (drums/sax) have released 30 (so far) "stir crazy" duets.
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/album/stir-crazy-episodes-1-15
https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/album/stir-crazy-episodes-16-30
Stephen Gauci has uploaded 19 or so "Gauci duets" between him and lots of wonderful partners, including Matthew Shipp, Gerald Cleaver, Daniel Carter, Wendy Eisenberg and others.
https://gaucimusic.com/
Susana Santos Silvas' album "the same is always different" is a work of COVID-art. Great, intense album. You have to buy it to listen to the complete thing. But there are two tracks on bandcamp.
https://susanasantossilva.bandcamp.com/album/the-same-is-always-different
Mary Staubitz and Russ Waterhouse have curated an intriguing and often amazing set of experimental, usually ambient music by 78 different duos (to date) working remotely. Musicians include Thurston Moore, Greg Kelley, Zach Darrup, Alan F. Jones, Chris Corsano, Jessica Goddard, and 72 others. All the pieces are about 5 minutes in length and "name your price."
https://distantduos.bandcamp.com/
Jon Abbey's AMPLIFY was held virtually this year from March 20th to September 29th and received 240 contributions from over 200 artists. Contributors include Keith Rowe, Michael Pisaro-Liu, Reiner van Houdt, Graham Lambkin, Vanessa Rossetto, Nate Wooley, Otomo Yoshihide, and many, many others. Some people of the best music of 2020 can be found here.
https://amplify2020.bandcamp.com/music
Tim Berne's launched his sub-label 9 Donkey's and released his first solo album, a new David Torn album, and 8 live albums, some from groups that have never recorded
https://screwgunrecords.com/
Cafe Oto (London) launched Takoroku, a download-only label for artists recording while in isolation
https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/shop/category/takuroku/
Experimental Sound Studio The Quarantine Concerts
https://ess.org/the-quarantine-concerts
Jazzfest Berlin presented its program online, in collaboration with Roulette in NYC
https://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/en/jazzfest-berlin/programm/2020/gesamt/termine.html
Roulette NYC continues to present groups live on stage, streaming with optional donations
https://roulette.org/group/livestream/
Boston based saxophonist Jim Hobbs has updated his Bandcamp page and his previously OOP catalog is available at a discount right now
https://fullycelebrated.bandcamp.com/music
Here's a remotely recorded EP of clarinet and guitar duos, from Vancouver.
Poib Fehr & Eli Wallis - Cracked Floodplain
https://ardentepatience.bandcamp.com/album/cracked-floodplain
Stuart Broomer said...
During the pandemic, John Butcher has released seven performances, one per month so far, on https://johnbutcher1.bandcamp.com/ All the performances are exceptional.
Sylvia Hallett has released some great pandemic solo music on Tree Time (https://sylviahallett.bandcamp.com/), as has guitarist N.O. Moore on Dreamt Across Tangled Electron (https://breakingupintheatmosphere.bandcamp.com/)