New ensembles formed by improv musicians associated with Doek and Anthony Braxton’s Tri-Centric, plus new music by Eric Boeren, Kaja Draksler, Taylor Ho Bynum and Carl Testa.

20 musicians associated with the collectives Doek (Amsterdam) en Tri-Centric (New York) will spend a lot of time with each other this week in Amsterdam, rehearsing, improvising and discussing. On Friday evening at the Bimhuis they will reveal their collaborative projects, a unique opportunity to witness these new ensembles for the very first time. Pure improvisations are alternated with performances by new compositions by Doek founder Eric Boeren, rising star Kaja Draksler and Tri-Centric’s Taylor Ho Bynum and Carl Testa. Writer, academic and radio presenter Kevin Whitehead will have short conversations with some of the musicians during the evening.

DOEK FESTIVAL 2015

DOEK MEETS TRI-CENTRIC: IMPROVISATION & COMPOSITION

This
year the musicians of the Amsterdam musician’s collective Doek join
forces with like-minded musicians of the Tri-Centric Foundation from New
York, for a festival dedicated to two of the most influential
composers/improvisers, American reeds player Anthony Braxton and Dutch
pianist Misha Mengelberg. Braxton will perform with a 20-piece ensemble,
among others.

The 13th Doek Festival investigates the area
between composition and improvisation from the perspective of Anthony
Braxton’s musical systems on the one hand and Misha Mengelberg’s
‘instant composing’ on the other. Both composers celebrate their
birthday during the festival: Braxton will turn 70 and Mengelberg 80.

Anthony
Braxton will attend with a group of 10 musicians who are known to
perform his challenging scores very well. Doek will also bring in a
group of 10 musicians including the 6 core members of the collective.
Each of these musicians cannot be categorized, like Braxton himself who
has said: ‘I know I’m an African-American, and I know I play the
saxophone, but I’m not a jazz musician. I’m not a classical musician,
either. My music is like my life: It’s in between these areas.’

Saxophonist,
clarinet player and composer Anthony Braxton is highly esteemed in the
creative music community for the revolutionary quality of his work.
Drawing upon a disparate mix of influences from John Coltrane to
Karlheinz Stockhausen to Native American music, Braxton has created a
unique musical system. His Tri-Centric Foundation provides mentorship
and inspiration to younger musicians. The name Tri-Centric indicates
that, according to Braxton, creative thinking cannot be reduced to
dichotomies, but must embrace multiple perspectives.

Click here for a background article about Doek Festival by jazz journalist Vera Vingerhoeds.

The Bimhuis restaurant is open prior to the concert from 6 til 8.30PM (reservations via 020-7882158). After the concert, the Bimhuis Café is open (free entrance).

DOEK MEETS TRI-CENTRIC
The Now and How
Michael Moore sax/klarinet, Ingrid Laubrock sopraan-/tenorsax, John Dikeman tenor-/baritonsax, James Fei sax/elektronica, Taylor Ho Bynum, Eric Boeren cornet, Vincent Chancey hoorn, Nate Wooley trompet, Wolter Wierbos trombone, Mary Halvorson gitaar, Brandon Seabrook gitaar/banjo, Mary Oliver (alt)viool, Kaja Draksler piano, Oscar Jan Hoogland piano/clavichord, Tomeka Reid cello, Carl Testa bas/ elektronica, Wilbert de Joode bas, Onno Govaert, Michael Vatcher drums