The 2006 EDGETONE MUSIC SUMIT
Sonic Foundry, A night of inventions played by the inventors
Bob Marsh - performing on Silver Park,
Steven Baker - performing on The Ring,
Tom Nunn - performing on his unique inventions
E. "Doc" Smith &
Eric Dahlman, performing on The Drumstick & Tritone Trumpet
Krystyna Bobrowski - presenting Kelp Call, new works for multiple Kelp Horn quartets
Larnie Fox & The Crank Ensemble ----------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Marsh is a well seasoned improviser whose work has involved shaping sounds words images ideas. Originally from Detroit, Marsh arrived in the Bay Area in 2000 after ten years in Chicago where he played with most of the avant improvisers in that rich and varied scene. Since his arrival on the west coast, multi-instrumentalist and composer Marsh has been busy with several projects. He currently leads or directs String Theory, a string ensemble focusing on textures and microtonics; the Che Guevarra Memorial Marching (and Stationary) Accordion Band, structured and free improv for six to fifteen accordions; Robot Martians, electronics and processed voice; the Out of the Blue Chamber Ensemble, a mixture of reeds and strings; Opera Viva, voiced physical theater; the Quintessentials, a quintet specializing in interpreting graphic compositions based on alterations to the Michelin Road Guide to France; and the Illuminated Orchestra, structured improves for large ensemble. Marsh is also an inventor of sound devices including the Silver Park shown on the left.
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Steven Baker was born May 31, 1960 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He earned a BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1983. He moved to Los Angeles in 1988 and to the bay area in 2002 where he currently lives and works in Pacifica. Steven has worked on projects collaboratively and solo in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Mexico, and across the United States.
Recently Steven played his other instrument the bowed bellows on three tracks of the Rent Romus and Thollem McDonas recording project “Bloom”, and will soon work with Thollem on another CD project. In 2005 he lent his oil well head bell tree to CRWK Music Company to record samples to be used as part of a public interactive music installation in Hong Kong.
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Tom Nunn has designed, built and performed with original musical instruments since 1975, having received a B.Mus. and M.A. in music composition from the University of Texas at Austin and S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook. His instruments typically utilize commonly available materials, are sculptural in appearance, utilize contact microphones for amplification, and are designed specifically for improvisation with elements of ambiguity, unpredictability and nonlinearity. In addition to the more than 50 instruments he has made, Tom has performed extensively throughout the San Francisco Bay Area over the last 20 years, and in Canada and Europe, both as soloist and with other musicians, including the groups ROTODOTI and OFF RAMP, and has appeared on a number of recordings (see DISCOGRAPHY). In 1998, Tom completed writing and self-published WISDOM OF THE IMPULSE: ON THE NATURE OF FREE IMPROVISATION, a book that examines various aspects of this illusive art and presents a theoretical foundation for creative listening, analysis and discussion. Tom has also written a number of articles about the use of experimental instruments and improvisation in publications such as EXPERIMENTAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, MUSICWORKS and LEONARDO.
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Krystyna Bobrowski is a sound artist, composer and musician living in Oakland, California. In addition to French horn she plays acoustic and electronic instruments of her own design. Her collection of original instruments includes prepared amplified rocking chairs, bull kelp horns, Leaf Speakers, Gliss Glass and the Harmonic Slide.
Bobrowski received her M.F.A. in Electronic Music and Recording Media from Mills College and her B.A. in Computers and Music from Dartmouth College. She has presented her work in a number of music festivals throughout the US, Europe and Mexico. In addition to performing her own work, Bobrowski plays with the Bay Area-based, improvisation ensemble, Vorticella.
She will be presenting Kelp Call, new works for multiple Kelp Horn quartets. Kelp, technically known as Nereocystis luetkeana, is a large, hollow, naturally conical-shaped seaweed found along the Northern California coast. After drying for several weeks, the kelp may be cut and played in a similar fashion to a brass instrument: bugle, trumpet, French horn, trombone or tuba. Bobrowski has made a habit of of gathering Kelp on occasional trips to the beach - and some of her friends have started doing the same. She has amassed a collection which will be featured during her set.
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Drummer and percussionist
E. "Doc" Smith has been performing and recording since 1973. His impressive performance history has brought him to record with pop icons Bryan Eno & Madonna while keeping to the roots of sonic exploration with local groups and artists such as Henry Kaiser, Charles Unger, and Feat of Clay.
His invention, The Drummstick is a percussion controller that he invented in June of 1995. It utilizes his patented design created with drumming and percussion in mind. With the Drummstick and a MIDI drum module, he is able to access a variety of musical, and digital sounds including Samples, Chords, Drum kits, World Instruments, Sound Effects, and more.
In 2002 he moved to San Francisco, and today performs with a variety of eclectic musicians; Bay Area saxophonist Charles Unger, hip-hop artists Nyambezi Holman, the electronic hip-hop combo, Triple Ave., Montana's Wilbur Rehmann Quartet, Mathias Mederer and Ubi Whitaker's Blues 9000, a reformation of his Drummstick and Feat of Clay groups with John Moremen, as well as his ongoing projects with writer and poet Robert Anbian.
Eric Dahlman, studied trumpet with the likes of Steve Hendricksen, Principle Trumpet of the National Symphony, and spent time in Chicago playing with the late great Hal Russell and his NRG Ensemble. Dahlman grew up in New England with long time musical chum Steve Ellison, and in the 1980's joined along with
E. Doctor Smith and Seth Elgart, Ellison's Bangtime, the last incarnation of the Texas based group Flash to Bangtime, (with Joseph Brenna)! In 1990, inspired by the David Torn-Bill Bruford album "Cloud About Mercury", Dahlman and Doc formed a Boston based, jazz/rock quartet called Feat of Clay, with bassist Mike Terry and guitarist Tom Hevey.
His Miles Davis and Mark Isham influences, and the use of effects like the Lexicon Jamman, IVL Pitchrider 2000, and his latest creation, the Trident Trumpet, has won him many fans around the USA! He has recently recorded for films with Brendan Canty of Fugazi for the Discovery Channel, and with
E. Doctor Smith.
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Larnie Fox & The Crank Ensemble perform using hand-cranked instruments created by Larnie. Each has a contact microphone (piezo) mounted on it so it can be amplified. The crank is the mechanical version of a loop. By using cranks, we are able to create rhythmic and repetitive patterns easily. We can alter the sound by altering the crank's speed and direction, and we can also use plucking and scratching. By working in an ensemble, we can create layers of sound.
The resulting sounds are surprisingly pleasing. They can range from sparse new-music style "plinking" to melodic loopiness to hardcore noise.
The Crank Ensemble has performed at the Garden of Memory, the Luggage Store, and for Other Minds' BRINK series at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco. We two very good CDs and you can listen to a nice chunk online. At last count, The Crank Ensemble included Bodil Fox, Lena Strayhorn, Chris Miller, Keith Nomura, Patricia Ravara, Eugene Chen, Adam Shraft,
Matt Davignon, Mark Brest van Kempen, Aaron Ximm, Brownwyn Ximm, Kevin Mathieu, Vicki Olds, Molli Simon, Mary Behm, and Hugh Steinberg.
Cost: $10-15