Wednesday, 10/16
Turn Turn Turn
$10-20 (sliding), 8:30-10:30pm

Visiting artists PAK (NY) and Shahzad Ismaily (NY) join local Zvi

PAK

PAK based in New York its current lineup containing members of The Molecules, Cleric, Imperial Triumphant, and more. The band is touring the West Coast to promote their new release Bestial on Nefarious Industries.

“For more than fifteen years of touring and recording, PAK has released six recordings on labels including Ra Sounds, Magaibutsu Japan, Tzadik, and others. Combining powerful avant metal, the complexity of prog rock, and inspired moments of improvisation, PAK’s music stands unique. Founder Ron Anderson is back on guitar with a more powerful heavier sound, while new recruits, bassist Steve Blanco (Imperial Triumphant) and drummer Larry Kwartowitz (Cleric) are helping in stretching the band’s previous boundaries, pushing PAK to new sonic directions.” https://ronanderson.bandcamp.com/album/bestial

Ron Anderson was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1959 has been experimenting with new concepts for utilizing rock music with noise, free improvisation since the mid-70’s. In 1980 he was one of the founding members of Rat At Rat R in Philadelphia. He moved to New York City’s Lower East Side in 1982. There he started working in his home recording studio and continued to experiment with tape editing, found sounds, noise and improvisation. He combined these elements with compositions and released his first LP entitled Fever Dream in 1987. Ron moved to Oakland, CA in 1989 were he formed The Molecules. They released a total of six albums. The Molecules were invited to perform at the Musique Action Festival in Nancy, France in 1993, since then Ron has been a regular on the European festival and club circuit, as well as touring in Japan and North America. After living in Geneva, Switzerland for one year he moved back to New York City in 1999 where he formed PAK. He has collaborated with many musicians on numerous projects. He appears on over 70 releases, most recently Oblique Quartet Tlaloc Beat on Alphatauri – Mexico City, Mexico. 

Steve Blanco is a multi-instrumentalist (mainly bass & piano/keys), composer, and filmmaker based in NYC. He is well versed in many styles of music ranging from Jazz to Metal to Ambient, etc. Performing, recording, and touring are a regular part of his creative existence, and he is involved in several projects as leader or sideman. Blanco’s resume also includes composition & film scoring, as well as music instruction. Blanco is the bass player for Imperial Triumphant, PAK, ZRIKU. 

ZVI
ZVI is the eclectic solo project of NYC-based multi-instrumentalist Ron Varod, known for his roles in Kayo Dot, Sabbath Assembly, Psalm Zero, So Is The Tongue,

Tuesday, 10/15
No Fun
$7, 8:30pm-late

Some of the louder and wilder sounds of the CMG community featuring:
Halfbird, Galaxy Research, Social Stomach, Winnie Black, Starship Infinity

Winnie Black
Winnie Black is a multimedia artist in Portland. Her live music performances are improvised manipulation of radio signals to create pulsing textures and melodies.
website – www.winnie.black

Starship Infinity
Eddie Bond is a multi-instrumentalist composer, performer, and teacher based in Portland, Oregon. Bond graduated from the University of Oregon Jazz Studies in 2013 and was named the Outstanding Undergraduate in Jazz in his class. Since moving to Portland, Bond has maintained a busy performance schedule both regionally and nationally across a wide range of style on guitar, bass, synthesizers, keyboards, vocals, and electronics. He has received commissions from the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, Yves St. Laurent, and the Mary Pickford Foundation and he maintains a studio of piano and guitar students through the Eliason School of Music in Portland. He was most recently at the Banff International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music where he studied and performed with Tyshawn Sorey, Vijay Iyer, and many other amazing musicians.
https://starshipinfinity.org/

The Social Stomach
“Theres no better way to experience the pummeling live show of The Social Stomach then in the flesh. As cyborg-like TJ Thompson splits his body and mind between drums and electronics, vocalist Diana Oropeza conducts an exorcism of language, her torrent of words crashing into and arcing above the legible chaos summoned by her bandmate. It’s not noise. It’s not punk. It’s not poetry. It’s not rock ’n’ roll. It’s not dance music. It’s all of those things. It’s none of those things. It’s something else entirely. It’s the Social Stomach.” – Chris Stamm
https://thesocialstomach.bandcamp.com/

Halfbird
Halfbird is an improvising free-jazz/punk/freakout trio from Portland, OR comprised of Ben Kates (alto and baritone sax), Grant Pierce (drums), and Brandon Conway (guitar). Their music is a mix of maximalist squalls of chromaticism, layered tempos, and walls of noise all shaped together into intuitive forms via active listening and luck. The bandmates met while volunteering for the Creative Music Guild and have been playing together for the last five years. Halfbird has released multiple digital albums and has a tape out on SDM Records.
https://halfbird.bandcamp.com/
https://sdmpdx.bandcamp.com/album/halfbird-loomings-sdm-041

Galaxy Research (Dewey Mahood)
Galaxy Research is an instrumental prog/psych rock band formed 2016 by guitarist Dewey Mahood (Plankton Wat, Thrill Jockey Records) and drummer TJ Thompson (The Social Stomach, Multiverse Ensemble, etc). Bassist James Shaver (Abronia) joined the following year. This trio recorded a 5 song EP Kaldi, and has played many shows around the Pacific Northwest opening for Kinski, Moon Duo, Wooden Shjips, Mdou Moctar, Trad Gras och Stenar, and others. 2019 saw the addition of 2nd guitarist Mike Gamble, and percussionist Jason Morales. This current version of the band plans on recording a full length album in the near future.

https://galaxyresearch.bandcamp.com/releases

$7, 21+
Order of Sets:
Halfbird
Galaxy Research
Social Stomach
Winnie Black
Starship Infinity

6 nights at 6 different venues showcasing the many sides of the CMG and featuring visiting and local artists.

Tuesday, 10/15
No Fun
$7
8:30pm-late (21+)
Some wild and local sounds of the CMG community featuring:
Social Stomach, Winnie Black, Galaxy Research, Halfbird, and Starship Infinity

Wednesday, 10/16
Turn! Turn! Turn!
$10-20 (sliding)
8:30-10:30pm (all ages)
PAK (NY, Tzadik recording artists) 
Phobia Outfit (Pdx)
Zvi (Pdx)

Thursday, 10/17
Holocene
Confluence: the Visiting Artist Series
8pm
$15 (21+)
Darius Jones (NY, solo sax)
Embedded Star Ensemble (Pdx) with Shahzad Ismaily (NY)
Saloli (Pdx)

Friday, 10/18 — Early Show and Q&A
Beacon Sound
207 SE Grand Ave (new location!)
5-7pm
Free (donations gladly accepted)
Shahzad Ismaily Q&A with Bob Ham (Portland Mercury, XRAY FM) followed by a performance with Lisa Schonberg, Mike Gamble, Dana Reason, and Paris  Myers

Friday, 10/18
S1 Gallery
$15 ($10 for S1 members)
8pm
Synths, guitars and saxophones oh my!
Featuring:
Shahzad Ismaily (NY), Max Kutner (NY), Jamondria Harris (Pdx), Crystal Cortez (Pdx), Briggan Kraus (NY)
& the Annual Improvised Round Robin Duets!

Saturday, 10/19 —  Afternoon workshop
S1 Gallery
Shahzad Ismaily Workshop: “Merging Composition and Improvisation” 
1-3pm
$20 General ($10 for S1 Members)

Saturday Evening, 10/19
Leaven Community
Extradition Series Fall Concert
$10-20 (sliding)
Doors at 7, music at 7:30pm
Featuring works by Toshi Ichiyanagi,  Sarah Hughes, Matthias Kaul, Luke Nickel, and Daniel James Wolf 

Sunday, 10/20
The 1905
Jazz and free jazz all day long!!

• 11:30-1:30pm: Noah Simpson trio (free)
• 3-5pm: Dan Clucas/Ralph Thomas/Michael  Vlatkovich/Andrew Jones/Tim DuRoche ($5)
• 5-7pm: Rich Halley’s Outside Music Ensemble  ($10)
• 8-11pm: Hearts and Minds  (Chicago) ($15)

The Improvisation Summit of Portland 2019 is supported by the Fred W. Fields Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation.