Their repertoire consists of both strictly notated compositions as well as purely improvised music—a repertoire that walks the line between chamber music and extended technique. |
Who: Shelley Burgon & Trevor Dunn, DC Improvisers Collective
What: Harp and Bass duo from New York
When: Saturday, March 5, 8:00pm. $10
Where: Sangha, 7014 Westmoreland Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Venue Phone: 301-891-3214
WHAT THE PLUCK?
You probably have to have a screw loose to take up the pedal harp. You
definitely have to be nuts to go on tour with one. Perhaps it's the
sheer size of their instruments that brought this duo together? Shelley
Burgon (harp) and Trevor Dunn (double bass) bring a taste of the
downtown NYC scene to DC on March 5th.
Originally from San Francisco, harpist Shelley Burgon relocated to New
York in 2002. Since her move Shelley has performed with John Zorn
(Music for films by Joseph Cornell), a quartet with Chris Speed, Ikue Mori
and Skuli Sverrisson, Tin Hat Trio, Marina Rosenfeld and Raz Mesanai.
Trevor Dunn has made a name for himself through relentless touring,
performing, and recording. He has a background in punk and death metal,
contemporary classical, blues, and jazz—both standard and free. Dunn
is co-founder and composer of the avant-rock band Mr. Bungle (with
vocalist Mike Patton), which started in 1985. Through the '90s, Dunn was
active, rock-wise, in the Secret Chiefs 3, a side project with two other
Mr. Bungle members, which released two CDs. In addition to playing in
this group, Dunn is a member of several jazz outfits including various
Ben Goldberg groups. At the end of the '90s, Dunn was working on a
hardcore project called Fantomas with Patton, Slayer's Dave Lombardo, and
Buzz Osbourne of the Melvins. More recently, Dunn has been playing with
John Zorn's Electric Masada, David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness, Susie
Ibarra, Marc Ribot and Jenny Scheinman. He can be heard on over forty
recordings including his own Trio-Convulsant whose new CD "Sister Phantom
Owl Fish" was released on Ipecac Recordings in July, 2004. The trio
completed a six-week tour opening for The Melvins in the Fall of 2004.
This unique, totally acoustic duo of bass and harp have been a part of
the downtown music scene in New York City since 2001, playing venues
such as Tonic, Barbes, The Issue Project Room and The Brooklyn
Conservatory. Their repertoire consists of both strictly notated compositions
as well as purely improvised music—a repertoire that walks the line
between chamber music and extended technique. Utilizing instruments that
are typically buried by thick orchestration, Burgon and Dunn make the
most of their distinct setting by exploring subtle and sometimes barely
audible properties of sound. Their dynamic range is as vast as their
sonic palette. Between haunting, minor melodies one may hear bass
strings played with mallets and harp strings pummeled with a metal rod.
In the Summer of 2004 the duo toured the North East U.S playing venues
from Portland, ME to Hampton, VA. Later, in the Fall, they toured the
West Coast appearing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, BC and
the Oregon Festival of American Music in Eugene. In December the duo
performed world premiers of pieces from John Zorn's Masada: Book Two in
NYC. They have plans to release a recording in 2005.
Don't believe the hype. Read this review of a previous performance:
http://www.track0.com/japh/archive/000583.html
Opening the show will be the DC Improvisers Collective: a quartet
exploring the intersection of jazz, contemporary composition and
experimental music. Their current lineup features Ben Azzara (drums), Daniel
Barbiero (bass), Jonathan Matis (guitar), and Mike Sebastian (reeds).
PHOTOS AVAILABLE
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