Jan 25 2018
Jaimie Branch is performing in Lexington this Saturday, so now all you have to do is figure out your Friday plans
It would be a pretty good idea to be in Lexington, KY on Saturday night. Jaimie Branch is gonna be in town for a January 27th show at the Farish Theater. This’ll get framed as a jazz show. I get that. Branch released one of the best albums to hit the scene in 2017. Fly or Die was tagged as a jazz recording, because where else are you going to slot wildly creative and innovative sounds that are mostly instrumental and highly improvisational and don’t quite fit anywhere else? Besides, the trumpeter is of the tradition… she’s certainly cemented her jazz rep on Chicago’s deep music scene, and, now, as an ex-pat in NYC. The point is, this is outstanding stuff, and it’s a great opportunity to catch some tunes that don’t normally float through Kentucky.
Joining Branch, her trumpet and her sonic pyrotechnics is percussionist Jason Nazary. As a duo, they’re Anteloper. What little I’ve heard of this duo doesn’t sound that far removed from Branch’s Fly or Die recording. At least, not in spirit. As a bonus, Josh Berman is also showing up to do a solo cornet thing.
This is the 15-year anniversary, and Event #200, of Ross Compton’s Outside the Spotlight series. Ross is one of those local music scene heroes who devotes a ton of sweatwork bringing great music to his community. There have been a ridiculous wealth of talent from the experimental and jazz pool that has performed in Lexington because of Ross’s efforts. And most of those shows, like this one, is free to the public.
The shows happens this Saturday, January 27th. Doors open at 6:30pm, show starts at 7pm.
Here’s a track off Branch’s excellent 2017 release Fly or Die. We have no way of knowing what any one live show will ultimately sound like, but here’s a sense of what’s what:
You can listen to the whole album, and purchase it, on her Bandcamp page.
Also, a reminder that Fly or Die earned the #2 slot for Album of the Year on this site’s Best of 2017 list.
The show details:
When: Saturday, January 27th, 2018 at 7:00pm
Where: Farish Theater at the Lexington Public Library. 140 East Main St., Lexington, KY.
It’s a free show.
The Farish Theatre’s site-> LINK
The artist’s site-> LINK
Here’s a video from a show last August in Brooklyn featuring the Anteloper duo…
Michael
February 2, 2018 @ 11:38 pm
So how was the show? I found the juxtaposition of the video you posted with an interview I’d seen with the founder of Int. Anthem label to be interesting. His comment was that he encouraged more conservative artists to push their boundaries and more “wild” artists (incl. Jaimie Branch) to make music that is at least reasonably accessible (which is what she did in spades on her “Fly or Die” album. But watching the video (admittedly in duo format and without the cello, etc.), I wondered if her live show was accessible or so “out there” as to make it a tough sell.
davesumner
February 3, 2018 @ 11:58 am
I was a little concerned about that going in, too, but it’s an arguable position that the Anteloper performance I saw was even more accessible than fly or die. The video (if I remember correctly) isn’t far removed with how the show progressed. Nazary and Branch spent a big chunk of time in the beginning of the set preparing their loops and beats, and then eventually Nazary began working his live drums & percussion over the top of it while Branch kept with the keyboards & effects… before she, too, moved on to trumpet. The thing of it is, while I found the video only so-so in terms of enjoyment, hearing (and watching) the whole thing go down live was pretty damn fun. Some of this is attributable to the electricity that flows during a live performance vs. watching something on video. I think part of it also, though, had something to do with how, psychologically, seeing the meal prepared live… all the loops and effects and beats get put into play… is just so much more fascinating “in the moment” than it is watching the same progression of events happen on a recorded medium like a Youtube video. Something about being there as it happens makes the event so much more magical.
I highly recommend catching them live. It was a brilliant (and fun) synthesis of electronic and organic instruments. Branch on trumpet is a delight, both in the strength of her punch but also when she falls back and delivers a melodic phrase with restraint. Nazary was a real revelation to me. The way he utilized his drum set to melt into the fabric of the electronics was extraordinary… especially those moments when he wove in the sound of his sticks… the contrast of wood striking objects against the backdrop of electronic effects were some very cool moments.
Really a fun show. I wanted to get some photos and video, but I really need to upgrade my phone for that sort of thing. I’ve got a cheap-y model, and it only takes usable photos and videos under ideal conditions.
Cheers,
Dave