Adam Rudolph's GO Organic Orchestra @ Roulette 2/23/09

I finally was able to make it to another workshop/performance of Adam Rudolph's GO Orchestra at Roulette. I have the possible performers in the NY orchestra at the bottom. Not all of them were there last night, but about 25-30 of them were. I did recognize Marc Capelli, Leni Stern, Ned Rothhenberg, Brahim Frigbane, Sharon Shhoenberg, Harris Eisenstadt, Jason Kao Hwang as well as some others that I don't know their names.

This was 2 sets of really stellar music that crossed a lot of genre borders. In spite of crossing genre borders, it seemed seemless and just a style of it's own. I bet this would appeal to almost anyone. I'm so impressed that Adam can manage such a large group and make it all work so well.
I must get to 55 Bar to see Leni Stern. She was amazing and so soulful. Brahim Frigbane had me amazed at his oud playing. There was a cello solo that was incredibly beautiful. There seemed to be a large part of the world representing in various instruments. It's so nice to see so many drums from around the world all blend so nicely. I'm so glad Ned Rothenberg mainly played the bass clarinet.

There was one piece where most of the artists put down their regular instruments and played wooden recorders or flutes. It was so nice. The percussionists kept their instruments.

They will be there again in May and I highly recommend it. It started a little after 8:30, they took a short break (10-20 min) at around 9:20ish and then ended at around 10:45.

Adam Rudolph\'s GO Organic Orchestra
Mon Feb 23 - 8:30 PM
performer: Adam Rudolph,
Composer and Artistic Director Adam Rudolph has constructed music using innovative and experimental means without the use of western music notation. Rudolph will conduct the woodwind players through music/letter grids, language themes, Indian Ragas and song forms to create the moods, movement and sonic gestures.

The percussionists have been learning Rudolph's rhythm concept:"Cyclic Verticalism", whereby polyrhythms (used in African music) are combined with rhythms cycles (used in Indian music). Utilizing these elements in an spontaneous way, elements will weave what Rudolph calls an "audio syncretic music fabric" that serves as a platform for improvisation and self expression.

Go: Organic Orchestra is an ensemble (with both Los Angeles and New York based groups) and a conducting/performance concept that can be taught and peformed anywhere. The musicians listed below will be appearing in performance with Go: Organic Orchestra on one or all of the Monday evening concerts. Additional musicians will be performing: the exact line-up and instrumentation will be determined the night of the performance.


Unique in the realm of approaches to improvisational conducting, Go: Organic Orchestra utilizes a composed non-linear score consisting of sound and motion elements. These include tone rows, synthetic scales, melodies, linguistic shapes, intervallic patterns, textural gestures, modes, ragas, maqams, and plainchant. The score serves to provide material for both the improvisations and the orchestrations. Motion and forms and are generated through the application of the composer’s rhythm concept "Cyclic Verticalism" whereby polymeters are combined with additive rhythm cycles. In concert, the composer conducts the musicians in a spontaneous way by using a variety of hand signals to cue and orchestrate the score and direct the improvisations. He seeks to generate unusual relationships of sound against sound, form against form, and rhythm against rhythm in a non-linear, ever shifting kaleidoscope of music images: weaving an "audio syncretic music fabric". The music is "organic" in the sense that the compositions and conducting serve as inspiration and context for the musicians to express themselves in the moment by using their instruments as an amplifier for their inner voice. Through listening and imagination the conductor and performers inspire one another to create emotional colorations of sound. Rather than the score being a set of instructions of what, how and when to play, the non-linear semiotic (symbols) of the written music are an invitation to discover the potentialities of what can happen when transformed into syntax as expressed through the hands and breath of a group of virtuosic, imaginative, and soulful improvisers.

Performing artists:
Sylvain Leroux –Tambin
Fulani Flute, C Flute
Ze Luis – C flute, Bamboo Flute
Michel Gentile – C and Alto Flute, Bamboo Flute
Kaoru Watanabe – Noh Kan, Fue, C Flute
Steve Gorn - Bansuri Flute, Hichiriki
Pyotr Gazarov– C flute, Bamboo Flute
Batya Sobel – Oboe
Sara Schoenbeck – Bassoon, Sona
Ned Rothenberg - Bass Clarinet, Shakuhachi
Charles Waters – B flat Clarinet
David Rothenberg - B flat Clarinet, Seljefløytes
Avram Fefer - B flat Clarinet
JD Parran - Contra Alto Clarinet, Kalimbas
Graham Haynes – Cornet, Bamboo Horn
Amir Elsaffar – Trumpet, Santoor, Bamboo Horn
Stephen Haynes – Trumpet, Conch, Didjiridoo
Steve Swell – Trombone, Bamboo Horn
Peter Zummo – Trombone, Didjiridoo
Charles Burnham – Violin
Sarah Bernstein – Violin
Trina Basu – Violin
Jason Hwang – Violin
Mark Chung– Violin
Tom Swafford – Violin
Curtis Stewart – Violin
Melanie Dyer – Viola
Stephanie Griffin – Viola
Kirsten Jerme – Cello
Kenny Wessel – Electric Guitar, Banjo
Leni Stern – Electric Guitar, Ngoni
Marco Cappelli - Acoustic Guitar
Brahim Fribgane – Oud and Percussion
Harris Eisenstadt – Drum Set, Kutero
Jonathan Singer – Tabla, Mridngam, Percussion
Matt Kilmer – Frame Drums, Percussion
James Hurt – Batajon, Percussion
Chris Dingman – Vibraphone
Stuart Popejoy - Acoustic Bass Guitar
Alex Marcelo – Acoustic Piano

" I caught a performance Go: Organic Orchestra down in SoHo last spring and was swept away by what they were doing. It was fascinating and ahead of its time, in the best possible way. I loved every minute of it. " - Marc Meyers, jazzwax.com " I was fortunate to have attended two nights with Adam Rudolph's Go: Organic Orchestra at Roulette a few months back and was blown away by Adam's distinctive blend of jazz and world music as well as his conducting." - Bruce Lee Gallanter - Downtown Music Gallery "The music, performed by a large ensemble of wind and percussion players, rose like vines from hand drummer Adam Rudolph's written instructions and hand signals. And it truly is organic -- a blend of gentle sustained dissonance, heaven-crashing rhythm jams, and individual improvisations. No joke: a startling and involving development in roots music, with more to follow." - Greg Burk, LA Weekly More info: http://www.metarecords.com/go.html