Long winded spring news update!

Hey there everyone, haven't done the mailing list or posted here or there in quite a while. Hope you've all thawed, if you're an east-coaster. Here's a bunch of dates and news.

Tomorrow! March 24

Slim Bone Head Volt, the brainchild of Dana Lyn and Vincent D'onofrio returns to Joe's Pub. With Vinnie Sperrazza, Mike McGinnis, Simon Jermyn, myself, and Jonathan Goldberger. I'll play alto and baritone saxes, flute and alto flute. Vincent's journals are pretty staggering, and may pull your mind apart. 7:30pm, tickets on sale here.

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Then the travel year ramps back up. Slavic Soul Party is taking our completely re-imagined Far East Suite (yes, the Ellington classic) to Europe for a couple dates.

March 28 Burghausen, Germany: Jazzwoche 2014 www.b-jazz.com

March 29 Rottenmann, Austria: Volkshaus

March 31 Vienna, Austria: Porgy and Bess www.porgy.at

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When I get back, I'll play with Barbez (whose new album Bella Ciao is available now on Tzadik and getting great reviews) performing music for John Jesurun's legendary serial play Chang in a Void Moon. At Incubator Arts Project, upstairs at the St Marks Church, 2nd Ave and 10th St. Barbez will also appear in episode #60 (March 28-30) and episode #62 (April 11-13) but I'll be joining them for:

April 4, 8pm

April 5, 7 and 9pm

April 6, 8pm

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Then back past the Atlantic; Balkan Beat Box kicks off this year in Europe with the following shows!

April 9 La Clef, St Germain, Paris FR

April 10 Les Saulnieres, Le Mans, FR

April 11 Roots n Culture Festival Grenoble, FR

April 12 Basel, SW

Details on all at www.balkanbeatbox.com. We'll be in the states in May!

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I spent a good part of the fall working with Big Lazy mastermind and guitarist/composer deluxe Steve Ulrich on his score for the feature length documentary Art and Craft, about an extremely peculiar art forger. It's in the Tribeca Film Festival and screens 

April 19th at 7pm

April 23rd at 3pm

April 26th at 5:30pm. 

Go see a movie! The score is great and features Steve, me, Mick Rossi, Andrew Hall, Dean Sharenow, John Carlson, Tim Vaughn, Emily Hope Price, and Jean Cook. 

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Tuesday 22 April I'll be at Barbes in Brooklyn, not just for my regular Slavic Soul Party throw down, but playing the early set at 7 with my great friend Ilusha Tzinadze playing music from Georgia. No, the other one. That will be a really fun night, please come hang, neighborhood folks.

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May 3 I'll shuttle down to Mexico City to rock a late show with Curtis Hasselbring dj'ing with live horns from SSP. I'm bringing the clarinet/electronics rig so it's going to get gnarly.

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In other news, the new Asphalt Orchestra record is mixed and awaiting mastering- a complete reworking of the Pixies classic Surfer Rosa. Can't wait for you to hear it: later this year on Cantaloupe Records. Dave Derby's great band Gramercy Arms has a new one coming out too, I did an arrangement for it and played some horns, go find that. Here in the Penny Arcade I'm working on some new arrangements for Fulton Lights, (here we go) the World/Inferno Friendship Society, a pretty exciting mystery one (more later) and quite a few more. Mick Rossi and I have a duo record mostly in the can, some mixes left to do, really excited to share that one with you when it's done. Made some pretty dramatic upgrades to the studio also, that's been cool (thanks to Scott Hollingsworth for the Pultec!)

Sorry this is so long winded, been a while since I've gotten over here to this corner of the internet. My vitamin D has been low. Hope I see you soon, happy spring everyone. Thanks- P

Ok, an update.

It's about time! Back from summer vacation, and some really cool things in the pipeline. Barbez finally releases Bella Ciao on Tzadik! 2000 year old Roman Jewish melodies married to themes and verses of the Italian resistance. Delighted that's finally out. Tomorrow we're at le Poisson Rouge at 7. Coming soon, Balkan Beat Box in France and England the first week of October, check balkanbeatbox.com for that sort of news. Slavic Soul Party continues to hold it down Tuesdays and Barbes. Asphalt Orchestra killed our Pixies set at Lincoln Center Out of Doors this summer, and I'll be with them at Juanita College in Huntingdon, PA later in October. Mike McGinnis's record Roadtrip will be out soon if it's not already, we'll be at the Jazz Gallery and Barbes in October and November. It was recorded live at WNYC and sounds fantastic. Had a blast playing Berio with Kristin Slipp not too long ago. Recording with Dave Derby (ex-Dambuilders) this weekend for a new Gramercy Arms cut. And practicing Ken Thomson's new saxophone quartet, because it's hard as hell. No surprise there. Ok, I know I always promise to come back and update this thing, but I'm not a teenager, and phones are complicated. Later all- let's be in touch. P

It's April already.

Hey there- back from BBB in the US, where we had some killing shows and great times, traveling with DJ's Joro Boro and Who Am I, and our new friends in Delhi to Dublin.  Heading out soon for SSP in Maine, followed by BBB, weirdly, entirely in Switzerland this tour.  Good thing I like tunnels.  The Barbez record is in the can, mixes by the one and only Martin Bisi sound great.  Just tracked some clarinet for Ilusha Tzindadze with Liam Robinson, that was super fun. Just heard a mix of a track from the upcoming My Favorite record with me and Justin Mullens that sounds great too. 

In unhappier news, I was sad to hear about the passing of Jason Molina, an old friend, though with whom I hadn't spoken in years. His music was and is haunting and beautiful, and if you've never heard it, find any Songs:Ohia or Magnolia Electric Company record and get ready to feel the midwest.  You'll keep it on your playlist.  Take care everyone- P

BBB at Webster Hall, St. Patrick's Day.

SSP! at the Golden Fest afterparty.  Dig Tim's fake trombone.

Also, I took Penny to the carousel. 

March!

Hey.  March is looking good.  Getting warmer and the sun comes out once in a while.  Last night's show at Freddy's was awesome and I was starstruck by Bill Stewart, who played on some of my favorite records ever.  So, here we go:

March 7, at Carnegie Hall, playing a Prince song with DeVotchka.

March 14-24, all around these United States with the mighty Balkan Beat Box.  Boston, Burlington, Mass MOCA, NY, Philly, Phoenix and Denver.  If you're looking at this, you have a digital information device, look that shit up.

March 28, Slavic Soul Party plays Duke Ellington's Far East Suite in it's entirety at Joe's Pub.  That's right, the whole thing.  It sounds amazing, and well, you have to come, that's all there is.  I arranged the amazing Jimmy Hamilton feature Ad Lib on Nippon.  And of course, we're at Barbes every Tuesday forever.  

Further recording with Barbez for our forthcoming Tzadik release, of 2000 year old Roman-Jewish melodies, that record is just about done and I couldn't be more psyched.  Also recording with Ilusha Tsinadze's band, transforming traditional music of the former SSR of Georgia.  And nose-down working on my arrangements of the Pixies Surfer Rosa for Asphalt Orchestra for Lincoln Center out of Doors this summer.  And Abby is almost a month old, we're all doing great.  !

Later- P

Tomorrow! Freddy's with Gordon.

here's the blurb right from G's mailer. . .

Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 10pm FOUR PARTS FIVE (2012) premiere preview

FOUR PARTS FIVE is a new half-hour quintet by Gordon Beeferman that takes virtuosic rhythmic ensemble playing to the next level. Imagine György Ligeti, Philip Glass, Igor Stravinsky, Steve Coleman and Conlon Nancarrow having a dance party – with Morton Feldman and Count Basie watching wryly from the corner. Hot off the press (just finished in December 2012), FOUR PARTS FIVE will be performed by Gordon Beeferman with a great band of some of NYC's most talented and creative musicians. It promises to be a thrilling tour de force...! Gordon Beeferman – piano + organ Peter Hess – alto sax, bass clarinet, flute Anders Nilsson – electric guitar James Ilgenfritz – bass Mike Pride – drums

ON THE WAY OUT: MUSIC FROM THE NEW YORK UNDERGROUND Freddy’s Bar and Backroom 627 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, between 17th and 18th Streets (R to Prospect Ave.) Suggested donation $10

Happy New Year Folks

Hey there.  Hibernating here during the cold season.  Heads up, though- Golden Fest is right around the corner.  Jan 19 I'll do a set at 10:15 with Guignol, and then a 1:30am with Slavic Soul Party.  Both debuting some new material, hell, there might be a new Guignol EP by the end of the month.  From Guignol, expect a new Bulgarian gaida tune for clarinet; from SSP, ask for the one we learned in Ekrem Mamutuvic's garage.  

New Balkan Beat Box dates in the US on balkanbeatbox.com.  And SSP in Maine in April. Plenty to do.  Talk soon- P

From the amazing Museum of Macedonian Archeology in Thessaloniki.

Studio, Home, etc!

Hi there everyone, been a minute.  The busy season wrapped up with Balkan Beat Box in Bulgaria, Greece, and Poland, and I've been home ever since.  After such a busy year, it's pretty great to take some time and focus on home.  Slavic Soul Party, still at Barbes every Tuesday going strong, and we're working on a new round of new material for the new year.  Happy to have done some recording for the upcoming Secret History record, and working on something new produced by the terrific Don Godwin.  3 brand new Barbez tracks got cut at Martin Bisi's studio for next year's Tzadik release and the rough mixes sound really good. . . Martin got his Neumann recapped and it's super incredible.  Also heard masters of Amy Kohn's new album Plexi Lusso and I'm very excited for it to come out.  She's been working on it for several years and I was floored.  I've kept the calendar pretty clear for most of the winter (we're expecting our second daughter first week of February, if the grapevine hasn't reached you yet) but looking forward to playing with Bernie Worrell Jan 27 at Mercury, that should be a blast.  Happy holidays- P

The Cube chooses us. 

ASM Cube.

Here's a thing I really should have made more noise about.  I've been waiting for this to come out for years.   Collaborations from Anti-Social Music from several years ago that's finally come to wax.  By that I mean 180-gram vinyl.  The first is an electronic soundscape transcribed for new chamber ensemble written for us by avant-swarmbot-hiphop ensemble Dalek, backed with Warn DeFever's (His Name is Alive) amazing After Devil's Night, a three part suite that's not exactly a suite for me, but I do improvise for most of the thing.  But I'm delighted as hell that it's out there and you can find it here: Sleeps Around.  Our good friend Scrapworm created a record package that kicks the ass of the gatefold: make it into a cube and put it on your coffee table.  Look at it while you crank the subs (I play octave-dropped contra-alto clarinet on the Dalek).  Go get it.  

You can't bring crabs to Japan.

New dates.

Hey: just posted new dates here in the schedule section, and if you happen to come by here, please follow for more updates about my recordings, travels, writing, and occasionally food.  Many thanks- P

Shishito yakitori is reason enough to fly to Tokyo.  Itamar and I win again.

New Records and Old and New News

Had a great trip to Korea and Japan, though our set in Gwangjiu was cancelled due to crazy wind and rain.  But the Tokyo Jazz Festival was a blast and my excursions through the yakitori alleys were even better.  Here are some brand new things that I'm really excited about: new records from Fulton Lights, Ulrich Ziegler, and Franz Nicolay.

Franz Nicolay "Do the Struggle" 

Fulton Lights "Am I Right or Am I Right" 

Ulrich Ziegler (self titled)

Next weekend, Slavic Soul Party at the Chicago World Music Festival and the Lotus Festival in Bloomington, Indiana.  Those will be a lot of fun, and we have smoking new material.

Coming up, record release with Reuben Butchart, Misha Piatagorsky Septet at Zinc Bar,  Justin Mullens Delphian Orchestra at Shapeshifter, and Barbez at Barbes every Thursday in October!

See you soon- P