The Squid's Ear Magazine


Kimmel.Ali.Harris: Vivary (Amalgam)

A diverse set of electroacoustic improvisations, including pointillistic interplay, free explorations merging contemporary compositional cues, pieces composed around specific parameters and evolving experimental soundscapes, from the Michigan trio Kimmel.Ali.Harris of Jeff Kimmel on clarinet & electronics, Ishmael Ali on cello, guitar & electronics, and Bill Harris on drums & synth.
 

Price: $4.00



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 2.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Jeff Kimmel-clarinet, electronics

Ishmael Ali-cello, guitar, electronics

Bill Harris-drums, Microkorg


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




Label: Amalgam
Catalog ID: AMA032
Squidco Product Code: 30605

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2021
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded live at the Best Nest, in White Lake, Michigan, on August 24th, 25th and 26th, 2020, by Bill Harris and Ishmael Ali.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Vivary documents an improvisational performance by Kimmel.Ali.Harris, an improvising trio consisting of Jeff Kimmel (clarinet, electronics), Ishmael Ali (cello, guitar, electronics), and Bill Harris (drums, electronics), recorded during quarantine while locked in a house in Michigan in August of 2020. Some of these pieces were the results of specific parameters discussed prior, and others were improvised more freely, exploring a contemporary and experimental landscape that oscillates between melodious introductions and dynamic, darker crescendos.

Throughout the 11-track album, all three musicians manipulated their acoustic instruments with some form of electronic addition, disrupting the conventional timbral characteristics of their instruments and offering refreshing, sometimes haunting, interpretations of more classical instrumentation."-Amalgam


Artist Biographies

"Jeff Kimmel is a Chicago-based clarinetist whose work encompasses improvisation, new and experimental music, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Jeff is a regular contributor to Chicago's improvised music community, and has performed at Harris Theater, Logan Center for the Arts and the Chicago Cultural Center. He collaborates with Andrew Tham as part of the multimedia concern Current Conditions, has performed with experimental music ensemble a.pe.ri.od.ic, and toured with puppet theatre company Manual Cinema.

Jeff's work has been funded by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and he was awarded a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts to work with Roscoe Mitchell. Originally from Greenville, SC, Jeff holds a B.M. from New England Conservatory."

-Jeff Kimmel Website (http://jeffkimmel.blogspot.com/p/bio.html)
3/27/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Ishmael Ali is a first generation Filipino-Arab-American cellist, guitarist, improviser, composer, and electronic artist currently residing in Chicago. His work centers on exploring sound through improvisation, experimentation, collaboration, as well as a wide array of idiomatic approaches in an ever-changing, always-growing list of projects with diverse focuses and influences.Though varying drastically from group to group, a common thread in his work is the juxtaposition of seemingly disparate elements to create something new: both foreign and familiar.

In addition to performing, Mr. Ali is a co-founder and audio engineer at the recording space Marmalade in Chicago and was the founder and director of the now inoperative music and art space, Orotund Music. He continues to work as an organizer and promoter through the music series OBTC."

-Ishmael Ali Website (https://ishmaelalimusic.com/)
3/27/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Bill Harris is a percussionist, composer, improviser, and audio engineer from Pittsburgh currently based in Chicago. He also operates and produces for Amalgam, a Chicago-based collective.

(B. 1987, Pittsburgh, PA)

Bill has been active in Chicago's music communities since 2011, working at the intersection of free improvisation, jazz, noise, rock, and country. His music has been presented at Constellation, Elastic Arts, The Bop Stop, The Hungry Brain, The Hideout, Experimental Sound Studios, Spot Tavern, Beat Kitchen, Empty Bottle, and Comfort Station.

Bill is humbled to have played or recorded with Jim Baker, Dave Rempis, Kent Kessler, Brian Sandstrom, Ed Wilkerson, Carol Genetti, Angel Bat Dawid, Jeb Bishop, Peter Maunu, Josh Berman, Brandon Lopez, Keefe Jackson, and Jason Roebke, among many other experimental and improvisatory musicians and artists.

Bill is constantly inspired by and thankful to work with his frequent collaborators: Ishmael Ali, Jake Wark, Timothee Quost, PT Bell, Gerrit Hatcher, Eli Namay, Matt Piet, Brianna Tong, Wills McKenna, David Fletcher, Jess McIntosh, Aaron Smith, Jeff Kimmel, Adam Shead, Molly Jones, Jakob Heinemann, and many others...

In 2015 he started Amalgam, a 100% artist-run collective and label dedicated to showcasing works of improvised and experimental music in Chicago. Bill is also an audio engineer working in both studio and live situations, and operates an independent studio in Chicago with engineering, mixing, mastering, and production credits on labels such as Amalgam, Astral Spirits, No Index, 577 Records and Ears&Eyes."

-Bill Harris Website (http://www.billyharris.net/bio)
3/27/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Sett 4:17

2. Rookery 4:37

3. Formicary 2:31

4. Vespiary I 0:50

5. Eyrie 6:21

6. Ranarium 8:28

7. Kraal 3:02

8. Vespiary II 0:35

9. Nide 3:31

10. Vespiary III 0:59

11. Apiary 3:57

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Chicago Jazz & Improvisation
Trio Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Amalgam.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Rempis / Karayorgis / Heinemann / Harris
Truss
(Driff Records)
Three label leaders come together for this extraordinary 2023 concert at Elastic Arts in Chicago--Aerophonic's Dave Rempis on alto, tenor & baritone saxophones; Driff Records' Pandelis Karayorgis on piano; Amalgam Records' Bill Harris on drums--along with bassist Jakob Heinmann, this exceptional free jazz performance cementing the bond between Boston and Chicago with a hope for more!
Berman, Josh / Eli Wallace / Ishmael Ali / Bill Harris
An-Ill Fitting Garment [CASSETTE]
(Amalgam)
Kimmel.Ali.Harris (Jeff Kimmel / Ishmael Ali / Bill Harris)
Flora Oblique [CASSETTE]
(Amalgam)
Harris, Bill
MACRODOSE
(Amalgam)
Combining acoustic drums, percussion and electronics, the third solo album from Chicago drummer Bill Harris delves deeper into the sonic aspects of his improvisations while providing them in discrete segments through eleven succinct recordings, a diverse set demonstrating unique approaches to rhythm and sound, enhanced on some pieces through studio techniques.
Harris, Bill
Blinking Glue
(Amalgam)
An extension of his prior solo record, ONOMAT, Chicago drummer & percussionist Bill Harris also uses a prepared floor tom and feedback in this unedited 25 minute live performance at Music Garage in Illinois, notated for six track section as he explores unique rhythmic concepts augmented with encompassing environmental sonics and unusual disruptive elements.
Baker, Jim / Brandon Lopez / Bill Harris
Dura
(Amalgam)
Recorded while double bassist Brandon Lopez was in Chicago, frequent collaborators from two generations--keyboardist Jim Baker on piano and Arp Synth and drummer/percussionist Bill Harris--joined together to record this live-in-the-studio album of highly interactive, explorative, propulsive and often cathartic free improvisation.
je'raf
Throw Neck
(Amalgam)
Reminding of Downtown NY bands in the vein of No Safety or Curlew, this Chicago/NY 7-piece blurs rock, jazz and funk forms with intelligent and often satirical lyrics, upbeat and joyful music that defies categorization through groove-based songs that playfully critique while keeping it all danceable and fun, in a wonderfully talented and enjoyable album.
Four Letter Words (Piet / Wark / Harris)
Pinch Point
(Amalgam)
The first fully improvised album from the Chicago trio of Jake Wark on tenor saxophone, Matt Piet on piano and Bill Harris on drums, recording at Experimental Sound Studios in 2018 for seven numbered and concise improvisations, running the gamut from rapidly active yet controlled interaction and investigatory conversations of confident expression and creative drive.
Devouring the Guilt (Gerrit Hatcher / Bill Harris / Eli Namay)
Prison Planet
(Kettle Hole Records)
The Chicago collective trio of tenor saxophonist Gerrit Hatcher, Lebanese bassist Eli Namay and drummer/percussionist Bill Harris are captured live at Chicago's The Whistler in the summer of 2019 for two extended and exploratory improvisations, showing both technical mastery and a curiosity for new modes of expression through inspired and intuitive conversation.
Other Recommended Releases:
Heinemann, Jakob
Opacity
(Kashe Editions)
The debut as a leader for Chicago double bassist and composer Jakob Heinemann, in a series of peacefully sophisticate, through-composed compositions of acoustic orchestration with subtle field recording & object accents from Heinemann, each piece leaving room for improvisation, performed in a quartet with Ishmael Ali on cello, Jeff Kimmel on clarinet and Molly Jones on flutes.
Near Miss (MacGill / Hatcher / Harris)
The Natural Regimen
(Kettle Hole Records)
An often raucous and always informed debut from the dual reed & drums Chicago trio Near Miss of Rob Magill on tenor & soprano sax and bass clarinet, Gerrit Hatcher on tenor sax and Bill Harris on drums, Magill and Hatcher having collaborated previously on Triplet Fawns with Patrick Shiroishi, and Whole Abandoned Star, while Hatcher & Harris are a part of Devouring the Guilt.
Cordoba (Brianna Tong / Eric Novak / Cam Cunningham / Zach Bain-Selbo / Khalyle Hagood / Zach Upton-Davis)
Specter
(Amalgam)
Combining elements of neo-soul, jazz fusion and hip hop, the Cordoba genre-bending sextet from Chicago use their warm, slightly off-center grooves to present vocalist Brianna Tong's articulate lyrics that observe and reflect on the state of world, the band's arrangements extended on five songs with the Latin America-influenced Kaia String Quartet.
Harris, Bill
ONOMAT
(Amalgam)
A diverse and confident set of solo drums improvisations, acoustic or in tandem with metal and wooden objects, microphone amplification, drum feedback manipulation and close-microphone use on a detuned floor tom, in the first solo release from Chicago drummer and Amalgam label leader Bill Harris recording live at the Music Garage, in Chicago.
Physique (Sam Scranton / Neil Quigley)
Curve Tote
(Amalgam)
Creating soundscapes from homemade instruments, Text-To-Speech, AI voices, lap steel guitar, found objects, field recording, &c., the duo of sound artists Sam Scranton from Chicago and Neil Quigley from Kilkenny, Ireland, present six unusually unfolding compositions of deceptively relaxed environments layered with mysterious elements and a sly sense of humor.
McKenna, Wills / Norman W. Long / Ishmael Ali / Bill Harris
Anemoi [2 CDs]
(Amalgam)
Part of cellist Ishmael Ali's Chi Away Project recording small ensembles of new collaborations between Chicago musicians of diverse backgrounds, this live recording of energetic and unique free jazz and ea-improv was captured at Marmalade in 2021, bringing together Ali, drummer Bill Harris, saxophonist & flutist Wills McKenna and sound artist Normal W. Long.
Tong, Brianna / Johanna Brock / Andrew Scott Young / Ishmael Ali
Akjai
(Amalgam)
Part of the Chi Away project bringing together new collaborations of Chicago improvisers, Akjai is the unique experimental chamber jazz quartet of Brianna Tong on vocals, Johanna Brock on voice & violin, Ishmael Ali on cello and Andrew Scott Young on double bass, blurring 20th century classical music, art song and free jazz with texts by Brianna Tong, Octavia Butler, and RA Washington.
Moore, Allen / Ishmael Ali / Bill Harris
Hearsay
(Amalgam)
Unusual textures, unlikely orchestration and unconventional rhythmic directions from the Chicago electroacoustic improv trio of Allen Moore on turntables & records casted with various material, Ishmael Ali on cello, guitar & electronics and Bill Harris on drums & percussion, captured live at Marmalade in Chicago in 2021 for a diverse set of experimental and absorbing improvisations.
Success Pistols (Finer / Bevins / Davidovici / Hong)
First Shot
(Amalgam)
Borrowing from jazz/improvised music, new compositional forms and avant reductionist traditions, the Montreal quartet Success Pistol release their debut album of compositions by saxophonist Dustin Finder, oral instructions including game pieces that leave room for improvisation; with Scott Bevins on trumpet, and husband and wife duo Eli Davidovici on bass and Mili Hong on drums.
Harris, Bill
Blinking Glue
(Amalgam)
An extension of his prior solo record, ONOMAT, Chicago drummer & percussionist Bill Harris also uses a prepared floor tom and feedback in this unedited 25 minute live performance at Music Garage in Illinois, notated for six track section as he explores unique rhythmic concepts augmented with encompassing environmental sonics and unusual disruptive elements.
Moore, Chris / Adam Shead
The Flower Of Paradise
(Amalgam)
Two Chicago compatriots--established drummer/percussionist Adam Shead and newcomer to the Chicago improvised scene, saxophonist and multi-reedist Chris Moore, in an expressive album of sax & drum interaction, thoughtful interactions in twelve succinct dialogs that focuses on the depth of their conversation through clear expression and response.
Piet, Matt
(pentimento)
(Amalgam)
Three layers of Chicago pianist & composer Matt Piet (Four Letter Words, Matt Piet Trio) in a virtual trio improvised sequentially in the studio in 2020, the title referring to a visible trace of earlier painting beneath a layer of paint on a canvas, an apt analogy for the keen interactions and wonderful labyrinths Piet performs with himself.
Hatcher, Gerrit
Good Weight [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD]
(Amalgam)
Chicago tenor saxophonist Gerrit Hatcher, known for his duos with Anton Hatwich and with Julian Kirshner, the improvising trio Devouring the Guilt with Eli Namay & Bill Harris and a trio with Mars Williams & Lia Kohl, is heard here in three extended solo improvisations, with strong tone riffing on grooves, exuding warm melodies, and running demanding technical passages on his horn.
Flying Luttenbachers, The
Imminent Death
(ugEXPLODE)
The ever-shifting lineup of jazz/no-wave/avant/aberrant improvisers The Flying Luttenbachers, anchored by drummer Weasel Walters, brings multi-reedist Matt Nelson, two guitarists (Brandon Seabrook & Henry Kaiser), bassist Tim Dahl and Brad Laner on synth for an aggressively informed and excitingly unpredictable album of superb playing and possibly bad intention; recommended!
Chicago Plan, The (Swell / Ullmann / Lonberg-Holdm / Zerang)
The Chicago Plan
(Clean Feed)
Bringing together the core of the Gebhard Ullmann / Steve Swell Quartet in sax and trombone with Chicago mainstay improvisers Fred Longberg-Holm on cello & electronics and Michael Zerang on drums for an album that embraces free jazz, world rhythms, and experimental sound.
Hauf Sextet, Boris
Next Delusion
(Clean Feed)
Berlin-based saxophonist Boris Hauf's sextet with Keefe Jackson (sax), Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Frank Rosaly (drums), Steve Hess (drums & electronics) and Michael Hartman (drums) in 4 extended pieces of boiling intensity.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Gantar, Miha
Amsterdam [5 CD BOX SET]
(Clean Feed)
The second box set from Slovenia-born pianist Miha Gantar, named for his adopted city of Amsterdam, through five CDs presenting the many aspects of chamber-oriented, refined jazz that he composes and improvises around, with one CD each of trio and quartet settings, a CD of duos with Michael Moore, an extended solo improvisation, and a dual piano work.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC