The Bleeding Edge: 12/10/2019

Once again, this dispatch is being released a day late. This time the conditions were more a matter of personal habits. I was not aware of the weekly BayImproviser Calendar mailing in my Inbox until I had completed and filed an article about the two concert series that San Francisco Performances will launch next month. The delay was not particularly problematic, since the first adventurous program of the week will take place at the Center for New Music tomorrow night, followed by an equally adventurous program on Saturday, December 14. The other event already reported is the Friday the Thirteenth concert that will be presented by The Lost Church. That leaves only two other events for the week, which involve the two concert series presented by Outsound Presents.

The first of these will be the LSG (Luggage Store Gallery) Creative Music Series, which specializes in performances of adventurous improvisations. This week’s concert will consist of two sets. The first will be the latest performance by Philip Everett in his Skullkrusher persona. This involves Everett playing his own hybrid instrument called the xlarinet. He will also play autoharp and control and transform the signals he creates through the use of analog pedals. Everett will be followed by a duo improvisation by André Custodio and Josh Martin performing under the name Conan the Barbiturate.

This concert will begin at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, December 12. LSG is located at 1007 Market Street, across from the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Taylor Street. Admission is on a sliding scale between $8 and $15.

The second performance will be in the Static Illusion Methodical Madness (SIMM) Series. This is the series that prioritizes composed, rather than improvised, music. The first set will be a duo performance by Steve Heckmen on saxophones and flutes and Heikki “Mike” Koskinen playing piano, e-trumpet, and tenor recorder. They will be followed by Free Sax, a jazz trio that specializes in free improvisation (thus departing from the usual SIMM bill of fare). The name refers to the fact that percussionist Brian Rodvien provides the only rhythm for two saxophonists, Aaron Saul on alto and Andrew Ferren on tenor. This concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at The Musicians Union Hall, which is located at 116 9th Street, near the corner of Mission Street in SoMa. Admission is on a sliding scale between $10 and $20.