Outsound Presents: April, 2019

courtesy of Outsound Presents

Next month promises to be a busy one for Outsound Presents. Plans have already been announced for two concerts in the Static Illusion Methodical Madness (SIMM) Series. The LSG (Luggage Store Gallery) Creative Music Series will continue on its usual weekly schedule on Thursday evenings, even if, as of this writing, details have only been announced for the first concert of the month.

All LSG events will begin at (or close to) 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings. LSG is located at 1007 Market Street, across from the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Taylor Street; and admission will be on the usual sliding scale between $8 and $15. In general, the LSG Series provides opportunities for the full diversity of approaches to improvisation.

SIMM Series concerts usually follow a two-set format. However, while LSG tends to focus on improvisation, SIMM usually involves composed works (which may, or may not, involve elements of indeterminacy in performance). They begin at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings. The venue is the Musicians Union Hall, located at 116 9th Street, near the corner of Mission Street. Admission is on a sliding scale between $10 and $20.

Here is an account of the events that have already been scheduled, with the plan that this article will be updated as more information is provided:

Thursday, April 4: This will be a two-set evening. The first set will be solo clarinet improvisations by Matt Ingalls. He will be followed by a quartet led by Heikki Koskinen, whose primary instrument is electric trumpet. He will be joined by Rent Romus on winds and two percussionists, Donald Robinson and Cheryl E. Leonard.

Sunday, April 7: The opening set will be a duo performance featuring Henry Kaiser on guitar and electronics accompanied by Scott R. Looney on piano. This will be followed by Rent Romus’ Lords of Outland. The current incarnation of this group is a trio led (of course) by Romus on a variety of winds. He will be joined by Philip Everett on drums, Ray Schaeffer on bass, and Alex Cohen on guitar.

[added 4/8, 9:50 a.m.:

Thursday, April 11: This will be an evening of two solo sets. The first will be taken by David Leikam, who plays an NS Design CR six-string electric cello with control signals provided by electric pedals. He will be followed by an acoustic set performed by Ross Hammond on slide guitar.] 

Sunday, April 14: The second SIMM Series concert of the month will begin with a set by The Guthrie Project. This will consist of original compositions by Beth Schenck, who will also be playing saxophones of different sizes. Her only accompaniment will be by Matt Wrobel on guitar. She will be followed by the latest incarnation of Noertker’s Moxie, led by composer Bill Noertker on bass. The other performers will be Annelise Zamula on alto saxophone, Brett Carson on piano, and Jason Levis on drums.

[added 4/8, 10 a.m.:

Thursday, April 18: This will be another evening of two solo sets involving cello and guitar. This time the order will be reversed. The opening set will be taken by San(S) Kazakgascar Solo, which is the performing name for guitarist Jed Brewer when he is not performing with the band San Kazakgascar. However, by way of a heads-up, reader should know that guests often show up at these “solo” sets. The second set will be taken by Colleen Kelly T performing as TanukiSpiderCat. She blends her electronic cello work with samples, little drum machines, and synthesizers.]

[added 4/22. 9:40 a.m.:

Thursday, April 25: The final concert of the month will be a two-set evening of vocal music. The first set will be a duo improvisation by Kattt Atchley and Ron Heglin, both of whom have taken inventive approaches to vocal music that integrates language and vocal sung traditions. They will be followed by Norwegian sound-based vocal artist and multivocalist Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer.]