monktail creative music concern

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The flagship big band of the Monktail Creative Music Concern, NON GRATA consists of all given members of the MCMC collective at a given point, and relies o­n patterns, textures and forms developed through ensemble practice. It is new composition in a spontaneous music combat zone. There are about 20 of us now, cut from every swath of the American musical quilt, and we don’t really play jazz, but channel surf through whatever genre or context fits a performance. We’re a chamber orchestra that plays jazz, a jazz band that plays metal, a metal band that plays country, a country band that plays funk, a funk band that plays punk, a punk band that plays music, musicians having a good time. Basically, we’re the bastard children of art music and we’re running with scissors.

The Monktail Creative Music Connern recently released its first cd entitled, NON GRATA.

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Special O.P.S.

"Everywhere we look, the monopolization of the broadcast of messages, the control of noise, and the institutionalization of the silence of others assure the duration of power…. Music and the musician essentially become either objects of consumption like everything else, recuperators of subversion, or meaningless noise."
-Jacques Attali, "Noise: The Political Economy of Music”
(written 1977, translation from French 1985). p.8

TROIKA (TROI-kuh) noun:
1. A group of three persons, nations, etc. united in power or acting in unison.
2. A Russian vehicle drawn by three horses harnessed side-by-side.

SPECIAL O.P.S. (Ostrowski-Parris-Seman) is a free improvisation commando unit replete with dark regalia, sonic hand grenades and a warped sense of humor. Their performances draw influence from contemporary chamber composition, small group jazz improvisation, electronic experimentalism, dark metal, droll wit and sonic shenanigans from the subtle to the scabrous. It’s black noise and white noise. It’s cross-genre pollination boiled in ammonia, cured in bleach, dipped in battery acid and ignited with the American flag. It’s a damn good time.

SPECIAL OPS’ inaugural recording, Requiem for NYC, was recorded September 12, 2001, and is available independently through the MCMC.

Mark Ostrowski o­n percussion
Stephen Parris o­n guitar
John Seman o­n double bass

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Deal’s Number

A new music ensemble dedicated to creative lead sheet interpretation and fusing contemporary serious composition with small group improvisation.

Bill Monto - saxophones

Stephen Fandrich - keyboards

Mark Ostrowski - percussion
Stephen Parris o­n guitar
John Seman - double bass

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Shit Orange Horsey

Hyper-political, dada-inspired free metal group with four vocalists and an accordion. LEBANON JESUS BOLOGNA

Scott Adams - vocal, accordian, guitar
Stephen Parris - vocal, guitar
Mark Ostrowski- percussion, vocal
John Seman - vocal, double bass, guitar

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Floss

Wildman saxophonist Izaak Mills leads the formidable bopcore trio Floss featuring MCMC founders John Seman and Mark Ostrowski on bass and drums. Floss draws its sound from the hardcore records of the eighties, but its soul belongs to the free improvisation scene of late sixties Chicago. Captured live in the studio by Zachary Watkins, their 2004 release Unwaxed is a carnival of "frenetic bop lines atop scurrying grooves. Plodding bong-rock beats and spacey flute interludes appear too, but saxophonist Izaak Mills, bassist John Seman, and drummer Mark Ostrowski mostly keep things fast and fun." - The Stranger

One is quick to think of Ken Vandermark, Kidd Jordan, or name another energy-based reed player, when hearing this band work it out. Izaak Mills is a treasure.  There is a quirkiness to him, in his posture, his movements, and even his embouchure that translates cleanly through each note from his horn.  He is a joy to watch and hear. Suffused with funk, R&B, and the rawest methods of American free improv, Floss plays powerful music, the kind by which we should soon identify with the term, "working band." -Alan Jones, Bagatellen

While anarchy is a part of what Floss does, a strange sense of beauty sometimes pervades. The dichotomy of the group only makes them more interesting, and it provides a necessary contrast to make their entire program flow. Floss is an intriguing and, for the most part, successful combination of abandon and restraint, chaos and organization, that will appeal to listeners prepared to be at once shocked and appeased. -John Kelman, All About Jazz

There seems to be a playfulness in their sound, a feeling of communal spirit and fortitude. But there’s a punk sensibility as well - an overall sonic aggressiveness, and a do-it-yourself individualism. - John Ewing, Earshot Jazz

Originators of the Bopcore genre, Miles Gloriosus and His Golden Floss are a band of jazz nazis.

Izaak Mills - woodwinds
Mark Ostrowski - percussion
John Seman - double bass

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The Crazy Halloween Band

An absurdly disguised quartet of freely improvising musicians from various backgrounds and idioms. From Ornette Coleman to Mrs. Pac-Man, The Crazy Halloween Band’s aural landscape is spontaneously painted in brilliant, live color.

Izaak Mills - woodwinds
Stephen Parris - guitar
Mark Ostrowski - percussion
John Seman - double bass

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Weiss + OPS

SPECIAL OPS with tenor saxophonist Adam Weiss. Specializing in hastily constructed short stories gambling on the distinction between ambient groove jazz and skronk.

Adam Weiss on tenor saxophone
Mark Ostrowski o­n percussion
Stephen Parris o­n guitar
John Seman o­n double bass

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Johnny + the Primordial Poo

The record is called Dog Visitations. Featuring the magical Tobi Stone on reeds, effervescent percussionist Johnny Aliano and others. Like playing all your Dexter Gordon records backwards.

John Ewing - drums
John Seman - bass
Stephen Parris - guitar
Stefan Nelson - keyboards
Tobi Stone - reeds
Bill Monto - reeds
Izaak Mills - reeds
Gabriel Herbertson - brass

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Rusty Nail

Avant-folk gypsy klezmer. Bartok’s garage band. Presently consists of Ausberto Acevedo on bass, David Milford on violin, Ryan Murtfeldt on clarinet, Scott Admas on Accordion and Stephen Parris on guitar.

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The Perfunctory Resonance Band

An ensemble to explore the technique of repurpose in an immediate, improvised context. Live musicians sampled and mixed in real time over found sound and live musique concrete. Our homage to Pauline Oliveros and Grand Wizard Theodore. Sort of.

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Flops

Clarinetist Beth Fleenor willingly drags the death-jazz of Special Ops to even further depths of musical depravity.

Beth Fleenor on clarinets
Mark Ostrowski o­n percussion
Stephen Parris o­n guitar
John Seman o­n double bass

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·Sir Julius Pudding & the Cabbage Foundation

Artist, author and percussor Sir Julius Pudding and associates. Featuring Professor Butterlounge.

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The Wookie Dump Shootout

Inauspicious amusement and antediluvian nonsense. A Monktail sing-along.

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Open

The first Monktail ensemble experiments of John Seman and Mark Ostrowski, circa 1990. Recordings include: inner cranial lawn furniture, mother may eye, soothing tea, blatantly flaking, dosage window, tales of monks, special refreshments, mommy urinsteam, a key to the door noone uses, thisthingthat, figure my dismay, and standard absence.

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The Excogitants

Excogitate, v. 1530 [f. L. excogitat-,excogitore to find out by thinking] 1. trans. To think out; to contrive, devise.

Excogitants, n. 2004 1. Cognizant musical explorers. 2. Those who find out by thinking. 3.Tamara Weikel (vocals), Julie Baldridge, David "Skip" Milford & Ben Verdier (strings).

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tp

Stephen Parris (guitar) & Tamara Weikel (voice) take from their environment and invite heroes (see Stuart Dempster), friends (see William Barton, Tari Nelson-Zagar) and espresso machines (see Coffee Messiah) to emit noise at length within the confines of a two-letter infinity.

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Reptet

Reptet is a band of musicians whose statement of purpose is clear: “To compose, interpret and improvise music that inspires growth through freedom and discipline.” Reptet reveals an enthusiastic, and selfless pursuit to expand beyond the confines of popular music’s limitations. http://reptet.com

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Hunt & Peck

Stephen Parris and John Seman on strings and awful dry wit.