Bill Laswell residencey at The Chapel SF

Forums:

https://www.thechapelsf.com/calendar/

 

Feb 4 - Divination, 2 sets

Larajii, Bill Laswell, Hamid Drake

 

Feb 5 - Bass Invaders - 2 sets

Jah Wobble, Bill Laswell, Peter Apfelbaum, Josh Werner, Hamid Drake, 2nd set with Dorian Cheah

 

Feb 6, Set 1 - Sypher

Dave Lombardo, Bill Laswell, Dorian Cheah

Feb 6, Set 2 - Massacre

Fred Frith, Bill Laswell, Charles Hayward

 

Feb 7, Third Rail, 1 set

James Blood Ulmer, Bill Laswell, Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey

 

Feb 8 - Method of Defiance, 1 set

Dr. Isreal, Bill Laswell, DJ Logic, Graham Haynes, Peter Apfelbaum, Josh Werner, Guy Licata

 

Man, looks superb.

I saw Praxis.

Ridiculous

OK zoners, help me out here. I recognize the name but I'm unfamiliar with Bill Laswell.

Why should I be interested in these shows?

Being the jazz guy that you are this should be a no brainer. I'm a bit jealous I don't live down the street anymore. These will be amazing and quite possibly "legendary"

GO TO THE SHOW(S) 

 

 

A hedspace sighting! I'm honored.

I get it, and I've heard of Laswell, but none of us know everything there is to know.

I'm interested, but please folks, continue to tell me why I should be.

(Good to see you on the black screen hed. Hope all is well)

Here's a cool place to start. I love this era of Miles and Bill does a fantastic remix on this album 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpnM2nczctQ

Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974

An ambient, jazz fusion album, Panthalassa is divided into four sections and composed as dark and continuous chronological tone poem of remixed songs recorded by Davis during his "electric" period. Laswell was offered access to the original multi-track tapes and occasionally deleted the rhythm sections, brought up obscured instruments, added Indian and electronic droning sounds, constructed moody transitions, and premiered previously unreleased passages from Davis' sessions. The album's first track was constructed as a reordered and truncated version of Davis' 1969 jazz fusion album In a Silent Way. It is followed by 16 minutes of remixed music from the On the Corner sessions and approximately half-an-hour of music from Get Up with It.

The On the Corner section of Panthalassa showcased two new songs—the elaborate rock and funk of "What If" and the ominous march-like "Agharta Prelude Dub".According to Bob Belden, "What If" was recorded on June 2, 1972, by Davis with a personnel including saxophonist Carlos Garnett, guitarists John McLaughlin and David Creamer, keyboardists Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Harold Williams, sitar player Collin Walcott, bassist Michael Henderson, and percussionists Billy Hart (cowbell), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Don Alias (conga), and Badal Roy (table). Paul Tingen surmised that Creamer, Garnett, and Henderson had their parts overdubbed into the track after it had been recorded. "Agharta Prelude Dub" was titled by Laswell after Davis' 1975 live album Agharta, on which its melody appeared. Davis scholar Jan Lohmann believed the track had been recorded on November 29, 1972, most likely by Davis, Garnett, Henderson, Roy, drummer Al Foster, percussionist James Mtume, keyboardist Cedric Lawson, and electric sitar player Khalil Balakrishna.

 

a little more on Bill: 

William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in hundreds of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, world music, jazz, dub and ambient styles. He has played or produced hardcore punk and heavy metal.

According to music critic Chris Brazier, "Laswell's pet concept is 'collision music' which involves bringing together musicians from wildly divergent but complementary spheres and seeing what comes out." The credo of one record label run by Laswell which typifies much of his work is "Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted". Although his bands may be credited under the same name and often feature the same roster of musicians, the styles and themes explored on different albums can vary dramatically. Materialbegan as a noisy dance music band, but later albums concentrated on hip hop, jazz, or spoken word readings by William S. Burroughs. Most versions of the band Praxishave included guitarist Buckethead, but they have explored different permutations on albums.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Laswell

 

And life is really good these days my friend. All the best you in the new year smiley

 

Laswell is an extremely well connected, eclectic bassist and producer.

as slacker alluded, he founded praxis as well as other projects featuring such heavy hitters as zakir Hussain, John zorn and Pharoah sanders.

i don't think any of these ensembles have performed before, some of them r featuring  legendary musicians that haven't played the bay in years like Jah wobble and James blood ulmer; the prospect of that trio lineup concluding the run featuring the latter and Bigfoot brailey, formerly of p. Funk, is blowing my mind with possibilities.

Holy damn crap

Well OK. Looking more into it, it looks like I'll be at a couple of these.

Fore sure the Frith late show on the 6th that isn't listed on what daylight posted (Massacre - Fred Frith, Bill Laswell, Charles Hayward) and the one on the 7th looks good as well.

Should be quite the scene outside the venue during those early/late shows. People coming out, people going in.

Good times in the Mission!

(Hopefully I won't be walking in the rain)

Jams with Buckethead

Wobble and Laswell together should be pretty amazing.  Also Frith.  JB Ulmer too.  Damn, these shows look good.

Check out the band Material if you want to know about Laswell. Hallucination Engine is a GREAT album.

And now for sure, as I've bought tix for the late show on the 6th and the show on the 7th.

Far out.

Thanks for the heads-up black-screeners. If it wasn't for this thread I would have looked right over these (except maybe the Frith show) but now I have two new cool shows to look forward to. This is the best of a place like this.

(Now these shows better be good... or else!)

You don't catch me saying things like jealous too often.  But, I would be all over this if in the bay area.  If it came down to this vs Terrapin Crossroads for the night.  No question where I would be tripping.

 

>>Hallucination Engine is a GREAT album.

For sure, desert island album.

lance - here is my favorite massacre track - legs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxtSbfpjHE

im hitting massacre for sure, massacre is my favorite laswell project and absolutely right up my alley in every way. going to to sypher the same night, gotta get a solid 2 set evening in.

strongly considering third rail and 1st set bass invaders

live massacre - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMQYpvkGUwo&t=1163s

the incredible album "transmutations" by Praxis, a group conceived by Laswell that is basically Claypool's "Bucket of Bernie Brains" lineup but without Claypool, and with Bootsy Collins added. incredible.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJkdiOeCEjE

painkiller with john zorn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l_md1b4pwI

 

Praxis
September 20, 1998
Slim's
San Francisco, CA


Source:
Unknown audience/soundboard? recording

trade cd-r > EAC .wav > tlh flac level8


CD 1:
01. DISK Intro 4:40
02. Meta-Matic 5:06
03. Jowls 2:25
04. Machete 5:31
05. Slow Jam 5:38
06. Fast Jam 2:43
07. Buckethead solo > Pirate's Life for Me > DISK solo 4:56
08. Brain solo 5:58
09. The Interworld and the New Innocence > Jam 12:53
10. Duck's Decay 5:50
11. Crash Victim/Black Science Navigator 7:24

Total time: 1:03:09

band:
Buckethead- guitar
Bill Laswell - bass
Brain - Drums
DJ Disk - Turntables

NEVER FOR SALE. FREE/TRADE ALWAYS/ONLY.
SUPPORT THE ARTISTS. GO TO SHOWS, BUY OFFICIAL PRODUCTS.

June 2013 - mcchocchoc

If I lived in the Bay Area - I would be there every single night of this run.

Laswell is legend.

8 night pass is $375

sorry, 5 nights...8 sets

We'll be there the night that Jah Wobble guests with Laswell FYI!   Big Jah Wobble fans since the early days...   Two basses will be interesting together!

 

Loved Jah Wobble since I first heard him in early PIL. His bass in the song Albatross is killer. 

I'm going to stalk getting older and follow very long balls

 My musical focus has been too narrow recently 

Hooray.   E?

Recently?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(smiley face)

Yes.   5 to 35 years = recently mr. smarty-pants  .... deflecting......I have a few additional life obligation along the way

 Used to be much more diverse    Dead bus long time either way

U rang?

lltd - third rail and bass invaders would be right up your alley IMO, but my personal recommendation would be for massacre...it will probably be one of the more intense and balls out sets of the run...alot of laswell's work is more ambient, but massacre is very in your face experimental improvisation. if you are looking for something really different that still "checks all the boxes", the massacre set is where its at.

you should also make it a point to see the nels cline 4 at freight and salvage feb 17 if you are not familiar with nels cline...or even if you are. its going to be killer.

I expect to seE you

i'm massacred on the third rail and will likely pick up Nels Cline for tickets tonight as I'm keeping my lamps trimmed and burning

thx.  I will be expecting some silly grin's at some point

Just bought a nose clean or nels Klein ticket boss 

$24

Capture_1.JPG

 

days away. stoked.

Capture2.JPG
 

I'm so pumped for this. I'll be at both Bass Invaders shows, Massacre, and Third Rail

This is my early nomination for "THREAD OF THE YEAR"

you going to any of these JD? i have tickets for sypher, massacre, and am waiting for last min plans to gel before jumping on third rail but i may well be doing third rail also

thread about one of the most unique runs of shows to hit the bay in years put on by one of the greatest improvisors and bass players of our time - 36 posts

thread about insulting each other and commiserating over sock puppets - 433 posts

yay!

rather than start a new thread, i figure everyone into this kind of music around the bay will see this thread anyhow -

02/04/19 - Freight & Salvage - Scott Amendola's 50th Birthday Thing! Featuring Jenny Scheinman, Jeff Parker, Mocean Worker aka Adam Dorn, Wil Blades, Ben Goldberg, John Schott, Zach Ostroff, and More

02/17/19 - Freight & Salvage - Nels Cline 4

02/28/19 -Freight & Salvage - Bill Frisell Trio featuring Tony Scherr & Kenny Wollesen with Special Guest Sam Amidon

03/01/19 - Freight & Salvage - Bill Frisell solo

03/02/19 - Freight & Salvage - Bill Frisell featuring Thomas Morgan & Rudy Royston

03/03/19 - Freight & Salvage - Bill Frisell's Harmony featuring Petra Haden, Hank Roberts, & Luke Bergman

05/17/19 - Chapel SF - John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, 2 sets

05/18/19 - Chapel SF - John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, 2 sets

 

looks like freight & salvage and the chapel are both really stepping up and booking legit experimental improv at a rate i am not accustomed to in the bay area.

 

 

 

 

i am ignorant.

There's room for everything on the black screen daylight.

BTW, I put this out on a thread a while back and I'm sure you're aware of this website, but just in case you're not, for those who like DEEP weirdness in the Bay Area this site puts it out there...

https://www.bayimproviser.com/

Most of the events on the calendar are way out there, but I love that the site promotes the really small, really cool places like The Lab, The Center for New Music, Bird & Beckett Books, The Luggage Store, The Musicians Union Hall, Temescal Arts Center, etc.

If you look under the surface there is LOTS of weird in the BA.

thanks for posting that lance. i remember seeing you post that link awhile back, i got really exited about it, and then forgot about it several days later, likely because i smoke to much marijuana.

bookmarking now!

turts, bill laswell is a part of a very very loose collective of "NYC improvisors" that mostly started coalescing in the late 80's - early 90's that includes guys like marc ribot, bill laswell, bill frisell, joey baron, fred frith, kenny wollesen, and many many more. i first started hearing about them years ago thru lance, but never really checked it out, and then discovered the connections between this scene and mike patton/mr bungle, and really started diving in.

almost all of them have played in at least a handful of john zorn's huge discography, and for alot of fans are all connected thru their associations with john zorn.

the style of improv they play is often a melding of jazz, rock, hardcore punk, noise, and just balls out free improv. their influences and predecessors include jazz greats like ornette coleman and albert ayler.

there are a couple very very loose affiliations to the GD world, mainly thru john medeski, who plays with this group pretty frequently. one of my favorite MMW albums is John Zorn's "Zaebos: Book of Angels Volume 11" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAbXWby68B0

this kind of music has really come to the rescue for me as phil dials things back. my very simple explanation for my favorite kinds of music within this framework is that it kinda sounds like the totally balls out, noisy psychedelic improv that the dead would play at the peaks of jams in songs like TOO or dark star, but they are just playing like that for an entire album or show.

without the leadup to this kind of playing that the dead provide, its generally not as powerful as the peak of a dark star jam the band has been leading up to for an hour, but pound for pound there is alot more adventurous jamming and improv with no wasted time on singing songs.

the scene is generally somewhere between a straight jazz crowd and a metal crowd. virtually zero wooks, talking, drunks, or open drug use.

these days there are lots of incredible younger musicians who were not part of the original "NYC scene" but for my money, the best shows always include at least one veteran of the "NYC scene"/classic zorn collaborator.

>>>virtually zero wooks, talking, drunks, or open drug use<<<

Hmm. I often find myself at these type of events; I'm definitely not a wook and open drug use is not my thing. I do however usually enjoy a drink or three, but I never talk during the music.

One out of four ain't bad.

wow thanks for the explanation!

will investigate.

Does anyone know if the Chapel has a similar policy as Yoshi's. That is, if the 2nd show is not sold out, they invite attendees of the 1st show back for free? Thanks.

Scott Amendola’s birthday party was fantastic. Nels Cline was unannounced but was there all night. The show was a one set, finishing about 9:30. Lots of good musicians in the Bay Area tonight. 

Thanks, daylight, for your 3:40 explanation. That was good.

Daylight,

I've already committed myself to see Phil, Molo, Stu, Lebo @ TXR tonight (would've loved to carpool with PeterT to Jah Wobble).

 

Wondering if I can swing the Massacre and/or Third Rail shows.

I have a bunch of these bands on CD.  Sadly (perhaps), a lot of these can be found in the 25-cent bin.  I always pick up any CD with the thick "+" on the disc or label.

 

PS: I'd really like to attend the hometown Nels Cline 4 gig...

massacre is going to be badass and does not even start till 9:30 - an easy swing if you are ok with a bit of sleep deprivation on thursday, haha

lltd and i fully expect to see you at nels cline.

furious E - you hitting any of these? if so lets burn one. any other zoners going tomorrow? giantrobo?

judit - no problemo. im sure my explanation is filled with inaccuracies and guys like lance or ateix could describe "the scene" alot better than i could but its an AMAZING musical rabbit hole to go down if you are looking for instrumental improv that is really adventurous in a rock music, but non-jamband format. 

By the way, Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, and John Zorn will be performing at the Chapel on May 17-18.

Sad I can't make the Laswell shows but I was at the Tabla Beat Science show at Stern Grove in 2001!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdVdRLohggc

Another great Laswell produced record from the Transmutation/Hallucination Engine era was the Nicky Skopelitis record Ekstasis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfr8PSyPssQ

I'd love to catch any of these and kick it, daylight, but the middle of the week dates combined with the fact I was in sac seeing Richard Thompson on Friday, have a ticket for mazzy star at the end of the month and am considering seeing Steve Gunn next week have convinced me to skip laswell.

i'll probably regret that decision but going into the city proper is really a pain, especially mid week and I try and avoid it if possible.

probably gonna bite the bullet and make the trip for the second day of that flashback fest at the end of March though.

maybe even come down a day early and check out delicate Steve at the independent

I need daylight at night

 

 

 

 

 

 

i'm not particularly Fong of seated shows even tho  I'm an old fart

Crushing

 I don't do reviews, and I cannot write like the Heathen

 Going to give it a shot (I ran into larry at the end of the show and he was wondering if tom was there )

 

Charles Hayward the drummer  

I loved him.  He was so joyous and steady and a joy to watch him play 

 

Fred First was dazzling energy  bombarding us with so many showers music constantly flowing and evolving while playing with his toys. It's seemed to me at one point he had some electric device he would hold in his left hand on the neck he may have changed to an open tuning when using that device would anyone know if I made that up but what the heck is that thing

 

Bill Laswell just cool

Both surreal and funky bobbing and weaving engaging and being quiet enhancing and supporting

 

They were telepathically connected as an organism of unique sound

 

I had never seen nor heard of any of them but needed to expand my musical horizons

 

One flowing set with an enraptured, appreciative and sometimes sleepy audience. I was able to stand in the aisle and perhaps move a little I hope my subtle movement and occasional clapping and little yelps of passion we're not distracting for the mainstream audience

Thank you Daylight for exposing me to the light of night

LONG LIVE MUSIC

I'm under the weather, so looking to sell my single for tonight (2/7)

As of now the show is not sold out, so I'm accepting under face offers.  Let me know if you are interested.

It's a PDF ticket and ready to send.

I had a ticket to last night but couldn't make it, same tonight. Too much life going on right now. Oh well.

So keep those reviews coming!

Interesting to hear these are sit-down shows.

And yeah, Frith can make some strange sounds.

ticket sold - lucky fellow