Nicole Mitchell photo by Brad Walseth
February 2-4
Chapel Performance Space
Sliding scale $5-15
Nonsequitur, with support from a Neighborhood & Community Arts grant from Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, presents the annual Seattle Improvised Music Festival, February 2-4, 2017, at the Chapel Performance Space in the historic Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.
Now in its 32nd year, the Seattle Improvised Music Festival is the longest-running festival in the US dedicated to music that is completely improvised: no scores, no plans, no safety net. This is truly “music of the moment,” allowing artists from diverse musical backgrounds to meet up in an atmosphere of spontaneity, intuition, playfulness, and surprise.
Three esteemed visiting improvisers – pianist Lisa Cay Miller (Vancouver), flutist Nicole Mitchell (Chicago), multi-instrumentalist Douglas R. Ewart (Minneapolis) – and a selection of performers from Seattle, Olympia, and Portland will meet over the course of the weekend in duo, trio, and quartet configurations. Each evening concert will feature three 20-minute sets and an additional 30-minute set featuring one of the visiting artists playing solo and/or with other musicians of their own choosing. These performances are curated by this year’s festival organizers Greg Campbell, Kate Olson, and Steve Peters.
Almost all of this year’s artists are playing SIMF for the first time. Also new to the festival this year are a workshop for improvising dancers and musicians, facilitated by dancer Sheri Cohen and musician David Knott, at 1pm on Saturday afternoon, followed by a potluck/community discussion from 5-7pm. Another new addition to this year’s festival is an improvised music merch mart: local artists and labels releasing improvised music in any physical format are invited to sell and trade their merchandise starting at 6pm each night of the festival.
Nonsequitur is a non-profit organization dedicated to the presentation of adventurous and experimental music and sound art via live events, exhibitions, and publications. Since 2007, its primary focus has been producing concerts as part of the Wayward Music Series at the Good Shepherd Center Chapel in Wallingford.
For more information on the Seattle Improvised Music Festival and Nonsequitur, visit waywardmusic.org.
–Ed., courtesy of Steve Peters
32nd Seattle Improvised Music Festival
Thursday, February 2, 8pm
Featured Visiting Artist: Lisa Cay Miller
-James Falzone (clarinet) & Bonnie Whiting (percussion)
-Heather Bentley (viola/violin), Robin Holcomb (piano), Nicole Mitchell (flute)
-Brian Chin (trumpet), Natalie Mai Hall (cello), Michaud Savage (classical guitar), Jeff Johnson (bass)
-Lisa Cay Miller (piano) solo & duo with James Falzone (clarinet)
Friday, February 3, 8pm
Featured Visiting Artist: Nicole Mitchell
-Jeff Johnson (bass) & Evan Woodle (drums)
-Douglas Ewart (woodwinds), Robin Holcomb (piano), Catherine Lee (oboe)
-Steve Barsotti (home-mades/field recordings), Brian Chin (trumpet), Arrington de Dionyso (woodwinds), Mike Gamble (electric guitar)
-Nicole Mitchell (flute) solo & duo with Michaud Savage (classical guitar)
Saturday, February 4, 8pm
Featured Visiting Artist: Douglas R. Ewart
-Mike Gamble (electric guitar) & Evan Woodle (drums)
-Steve Barsotti (home-mades/field recordings), James Falzone (clarinet), Arrington de Dionyso (woodwinds)
-Heather Bentley (viola/violin), Catherine Lee (oboe), Lisa Cay Miller (piano), Bonnie Whiting (percussion)
-Douglas Ewart (woodwinds) with Steve Barsotti (home-mades/field recordings), Heather Bentley (viola/violin), Natalie Mai Hall (cello)
