October 12 at the Uptown: Oakland Active Orchestra + Henry Grimes + Weiner Kids

We were also joined by legendary bassist Henry Grimes on this night!

It’s been a full calendar year of monthly performances by the Oakland Active Orchestra! Come help us celebrate with two sets – the first by Jordan Glenn’s infamous Weiner Kids, and the second set comprising of 12 mini compositions by many of the members of the Oakland Active Orchestra including Aram Shelton / Aaron Bennett / Rob Ewing / Kristian Aspelin / Lisa Mezzacappa / Hillary Overberg / Agnes Szelag / Sam Ospovat / Jordan Glenn / Kjell Nordeson / Cory Wright / Erik Jekabson

Opening set by Wiener Kids (Jordan Glenn / Cory Wright / Aram Shelton)

Brainchild of drummer/composer Jordan Glenn, Wiener Kids is inspired by small dogs, old bikes, muppets, cheap Halloween decorations, babies with glasses and other wiener kids. It’s fast and slow, loud and soft. It draws as much from Jan Svankmajer and Hans Bellmer as Peewee Herman and Jim Hensen. It’s music made by ex/current weaklings for everyone!

http://www.myspace.com/thewienerkids

The Uptown
1928 Telegraph Oakland
Music at 9:15
No cover, donations accepted

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September 14 at the Uptown: OAO plays Flockterkit + Dust Jacket

It’s the 12th month of the Oakland Active Orchestra’s residence at the Uptown in downtown Oakland, California. This month, the group plays Flockterkit, a suite of music composed by Aram Shelton that includes  post-ayler melodies, chamber-like sections that are developed through compositional rearrangement, drones and slowly shifting chords, and full harmony orchestrated by the 14 members of the OAO.

1st Set: Dust Jacket

Rob Ewing and Danny Lubin-Laden, trombones; Matt Nelson and Raffi Garabedian, tenor saxophones

September 14th, 2010
the Uptown
1928 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA
Music at 9PM
No cover, donations accepted

May 11th at the Uptown

May 11th at the Uptown:

Oakland Active Orchestra + Myrmyr

Myrmyr will be playing an opening set, followed by the OAO performing Myrmyr’s composition: “Fire Serpent’s Lull”

“Fire Serpent’s Lull” is a piece is from their new album, Fire Star, and is inspired by the folklore of the Wawel dragon and a Latvian shepherd’s song.

Myrmyr is Agnes Szelag & Marielle Jakobsons (aka darwinsbitch) based in Oakland, California. With the violin and cello as their basis, the duo creates an intimate chamber music atmosphere with an arsenal of electronics and instruments. They merge improvisation and experimental song forms to create works often inspired by their common Baltic heritage. Since 2004, they have performed across the West and East Coasts, and in 2009 released their debut album “The Amber Sea” on Digitalis Recordings. They are currently in production with their sophomore album, Fire Star, recorded at Shasta Mountain in April 2010.

The Oakland Active Orchestra holds a residency on the 2nd Tuesdays of every month at the Uptown. To date, they’ve played

No cover, donations accepted.
Uptown, 1928 Telegraph Ave Oakland, CA
Music at 9:15

April 13th at the Uptown

Active Music Series at the Uptown 
with the Oakland Active Orchestra + Jacob Zimmerman’s Lawson Ensemble

Oakland Active Orchestra:

Emily Packard: violin
Hillary Overberg: violin
Agnes Szelag: cello
Aaron Bennett: alto & tenor saxophones
Aram Shelton: clarinet, soprano & alto saxophones
Cory Wright: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Tom Djll: trumpet
Darren Johnston: trumpet
Rob Ewing: trombone
Kristian Aspelin: guitar
Lisa Mezzacappa: bass
Damon Smith: bass
Jordan Glenn: drums

Jacob Zimmerman’s Lawson Ensemble

The newly formed “Lawson” ensemble performs original music inspired by the rich cultural heritage of the Lawsonite people.  Comprised of an exceptional cast of local improvising musicians, the project is focused on the “navigation” of a unique pitch network system recently developed by Zimmerman in his solo work.  Current members include Drew Ceccato, Cory Wright, Matt Nelson (saxes), Rob Ewing (trombone), Michael Coleman, Dan VanHassel (keyboards), and Dan Good (electronics and trumpet).  In performance the Lawson ensemble collectively improvises varying textures of complex, slowly shifting counterpoint.  Through the use of pre-composed material, improvisation, and a specific vocabulary of conducting cues the performers actively engage in the discovery of new formations of melody and phrasing, with an emphasis on shapes and contours.  Notable influences for the project include Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera music, Bill Frisell, Sun Ra, Anthony Braxton, and the improvisations of Lee Konitz and the “Tristano School.”

Uptown
1928 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA

March 9th at the Uptown

Active Music Series at the Uptown
 with the Oakland Active Orchestra + Johnson / Phillips / Glenn

Johnson / Phillips / Glenn

Chuck Johnson: analog electronics
Noah Phillips: guitar & electronics
Jordan Glenn: drums & percussion

Oakland Active Orchestra:

Marielle Jakobsons: violin Hillary Overberg: violin Agnes Szelag: cello Aaron Bennett: alto & tenor saxophones
 Phillip Greenlief: clarinet, tenor saxophone
 Aram Shelton: clarinet, soprano & alto saxophones 
Cory Wright: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet 
Tom Djll: trumpet 
Darren Johnston: trumpet 
Rob Ewing: trombone
 Kristian Aspelin: guitar
 Lisa Mezzacappa: bass
 Damon Smith: bass Jordan Glenn: drums
 Sam Ospovat: drums

March 9 @ 9:00 pm

Uptown
1928 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA
Cost : Donations

February 9th at the Uptown

Jon Raskin’s Birthday! He’ll be writing a new composition to be performed by the Oakland Active Orchestra, plus he’ll be playing in the first set:

The first set will be 2+2, featuring:

Phillip Greenlief and Jon  Raskin, saxophones

Lisa Mezzacappa and Damon Smith, double bass

Oakland Active Orchestra: featuring new compositions by Jon Raskin, Tom Djll and Rob Ewing

Aaron Bennett: alto saxophone;, Phillip Greenlief: tenor saxophone; 
Aram Shelton: soprano saxophone; 
Cory Wright: baritone saxophone
; Tom Djll: trumpet; 
Darren Johnston: trumpet; 
Rob Ewing: trombone
; Kristian Aspelin: guitar
; Marielle Jakobsons, Hillary Overberg: violin
; Agnes Szelag, cello; Lisa Mezzacappa: bass; 
Damon Smith: bass
; Kjell Nordeson: vibraphone; 
Jordan Glenn, drums; Sam Ospovat: drums

.

*****Update!

Here’s the recording of the performance of Jon Raskin’s piece “So That Time is Like a River”:

So That Time Is Like A River by OAO

And a video of 2×2:

2×2 at the Uptown February 9, 2010 from singlespeed music on Vimeo.

January 12th at the Uptown

Active Music Series at the Uptown December Edition 
with the Oakland Active Orchestra + rainchecked Gogo Fightmaster CD Release!!

Oakland Active Orchestra:

Aaron Bennett: alto & tenor saxophones
, Phillip Greenlief: clarinet, tenor saxophone; 
Aram Shelton: clarinet, soprano & alto saxophones; 
Cory Wright: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
; Tom Djll: trumpet; 
Darren Johnston: trumpet; 
Rob Ewing: trombone
; Kristian Aspelin: guitar
; Marielle Jakobsons: violin
; Lisa Mezzacappa: bass; 
Damon Smith: bass
; Kjell Nordeson: vibraphone; 
Sam Ospovat: drums

.

Gogo Fightmaster CD Release for “Sound One” on Edgetone Records.

Aaron Bennett, tenor saxophone
; Aram Shelton, alto saxophone; 
John Finkbeiner, guitar
; Lisa Mezzacappa, bass; 
Vijay Anderson, drums.

***This was supposed to happen in December, but Aaron Bennett came down with a nasty case of H1N1.  He’s feeling better now and we’ll be able to celebrate the release in the proper fashion!

Uptown
1928 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA
Cost : Donations