Charity Chan, Peter Evans, Weasel Walter, & Tom Blancarte to Play Spectrum Tonight

Spectrum proudly presents the American-Canadian quartet of Peter Evans (trumpet), Charity Chan (piano), Weasel Walter (drums) and Tom Blancarte (double bass) on Thursday, May 30th at 7pm as they embrace their multiplicity of roots and influences, deftly subverting prevailing musical conventions. Straddling the worlds of jazz, rock and punk, and skirting against the borders of precision oriented metal and free-noise, this improv-based foursome are not only about being full-throttle. That's just the easy out. Sure, you could stylize this music as aggressive, high-energy and in-your-face; sounds that luxuriate in their own excess and technical prowess (whatever that may be).

In truth though, this is a quartet whose music articulates their uncompromising pursuit of their right to and celebration of the unswervingly individual. This is music that is, at root, a form of the sonically unusual, transcending either mere speed or volume. It's the fervent racket of four folks whose lifelong dream is to make music exactly the way they want. This isn't "experimental music" because a PR blurb told you so, it's experimental because-in full honesty-that's what is lived every moment they're on stage. You walk out after a show liking it (whether you wanted to or not), with the taste furor, sweat, and hypnotic transport lingering from the tip of your tongue to dripping down the back of your throat (whether you want it to or not).

Ranging from the subtle to the not-so-subtle, these four embrace the quicksilver turns between pathos, furious delight, and brutal impulse that lie along the spectrum from aspiration to execution.

Having released their first album on UgExplode records in June 2013, the quartet is currently recording and rehearsing their studio album for release in 2014.

As an American trumpeter currently based in New York City (since 2003), Peter Evans' work touches on a wide range of areas: solo and chamber music, free improvisation, electro-acoustic performance, jazz, early music and composition. His music can be heard on several labels, including Evan Parker's psi. Two of his most well known projects are MOPDTK (Mostly Other People Do the Killing) led by Moppa Elliot and the Peter Evans Quartet (Brandon Seabrook, Tom Blancarte and Kevin Shea), although Evans is involved with numerous other projects. Recent collaborations include performances with Mary Halvorson, Weasel Walter, Barry Guy, Evan Parker, Ned Rothenberg, Okkyung Lee, Fred Frith and Nate Wooley. Along with a number of other guests (including British saxophonist John Butcher), Evans performed as part of the 25th anniversary concert series with The Ex.

The Flying Luttenbachers, Behold...the Arctopus, and Cellular Chaos are all groups where one can hear the prolific and high-octane playing of drummer and multi-instrumentalist WEASEL WALTER. Fresh off of the RETROVIRUS tour with Lydia Lunch, Walter has also collaborated with musicians such as Mary Halvorsen, Vinny Golia, John Butcher, Marshall Allen, Evan Parker, Ken Vandermark, Glenn Branca, AIDS Wolf, Henry Kaiser and Frank Gratkowski. A crucial contributor to the no-wave and punk scenes of Chicago in the 90s and early 00s, Walter was also a key player in the Bay Area music community before relocating in 2009 to New York City. His music can be found on a slew of record labels, most recently on Thirsty Ear (with Peter Evans and Mary Halvorsen) and Bug Incision (with Charity Chan and Damon Smith). Walter has also run his own record label, ugEXPLODE, since1991.

Bassist TOM BLANCARTE originally hails from Austin Texas, but has called New York City home since 2004 where he has been actively implicated within its creative music community. Blancarte's playing and compositions can be hear in the banjo/shred-prog-band Seabrook Power Plant (with Brandon and Jared Seabrook), the Peter Evans Quartet and Quintet (Kevin Shea, Peter Evans, Brandon Seabrook; Evans, Carlos Homs, Jim Black and Sam Pluta), the tuba doom/improv outfit The Gate (with Dan Peck and BrIan Osborne), and in his duo project, The Home of Easy Credit with his wife, Danish saxophonist Louise D.E. Jensen. Blancarte's music can be heard on one of his many extensive tours, as well as on a number of labels, including Northern Spy.

Pianist CHARITY CHAN re-made Montréal her home in 2010 after an extended stint living and performing in the United States. Despite a strong background in classical and contemporary music performance, Chan performs primarily with musicians with a jazz, pop-rock, and electroacoustic orientation. Her music as a performer, improviser and composer can be heard on a mix of labels, including Ambiances Magnétiques, Carrier and Tzadik. Performances have included collaborations with Fred Frith, Joëlle Léandre, Weasel Walter, Lukas Ligeti, DiDi Kern, Ragga Gisla, Bill Nace, Jean Derome, Frank Gratkowski, Lori Freedman, Pauline Oliveros, Roscoe Mitchell, Damon Smith and Nicolas Caloia. Charity also directs Caribou Sonore, a Montreal-based organization that produces workshops and concerts in experimental music. Past and upcoming events feature artists such as Joëlle Léandre, Han Bennink, Wilbert De Joode, Ig Henneman, the Instant Composers Pool and Elliot Sharp.

Photo by: Peter Gannushkin

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