Okka Disk
Okka Disk is an independent American free jazz record label founded in Chicago in 1994 by Bruno Johnson. Originally started as a rock label, Johnson quickly shifted focus to document the vibrant and under-recorded Chicago free jazz scene.
The label’s first two releases set its course: Vintage Duets, featuring unreleased 1980 tapes by saxophonist Fred Anderson with drummer Steve McCall, and Caffeine, a trio led by a young Ken Vandermark. Okka Disk became instrumental in Anderson’s late-career renaissance and released many key early works by Vandermark. The label also extensively documented European free jazz giants like Peter Brötzmann, releasing over ten albums by his transatlantic Chicago Tentet. Built on handshake agreements and artist-friendly policies, Okka Disk established itself as a cornerstone of the international free jazz community, eventually relocating to Milwaukee and organizing the annual Okka Fest.
Wels / Chicago
Wels / Chicago
“These live recordings document some of the exciting – and engaging – live improvisations that make the DKV Trio one of the top groups in free jazz of the late 1990s and beyond.” -Joslyn Layne, AllMusic
“the Wels set, basically framed around Don Cherry’s ‘Complete Communion Suite’, is a stunning example of free repertory, the original materials ingeniously transplanted to this situation.” -The Penguin Guide to Jazz
“Since Vandermark is perpetually searching for ideas to precipitate inspired improvisation, Cherry’s masterpiece makes plenty of sense; it was essentially the first extended work of multi-thematic free jazz.” -Peter Margasak, The JazzTimes
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Hamid Drake – drums
Kent Kessler – bass
Ken Vandermark – tenor sax
Wels CD recorded Novemer 8th, 1998, at the “Music Unlimited 98” festival, Wels, Alter Sch8hof. Thanks to Wolfgang Wasswebauer.
Mastered at Airwave Recording Studios, September 23rd, 1999.
Chicago CD recorded November 20th & 21st, 1998, at the Velvet Lounge, Chicago. Thanks to Fred Anderson.
Mixed and mastered at Airwave Recording Studios, September 23rd, 1999.
The theme “Complete Communion” was composed by Don Cherry. All other themes and materials were improvised at the time of recording by Drake/Kessler/Vandermark.
Tracks on Disc 1 comprise the “Complete Communion Suite.”
Design – L.E. Molnar
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Mastered By – John McCortney
Painting [“The Train”] – Adrienne Pierluissi
Photography – Rebecca Gleason
Recorded – Franz Prummer (tracks: 1-1 to 1-6), John McCortney (tracks: 2-1 to 2-3)
Trigonometry
Trigonometry
“Don Cherry, an admitted favorite of Vandermark’s and a former employer of Drake’s, serves as the primary source of thematic material, but anthems by Ellington and Ayler also make fleeting appearances. The reedman is careful to point out in his liners that the outside composers’ works are really only transitory springboards for internal improvisation. As a result, though they share obvious programmatic correlates both dates yield decidedly different renditions. On the initial sally through three Cherry classics the trio sounds off emphatically with Vandermark’s economical tenor leading the charge. He later loses some steam and resorts to stock phrasings, but Kessler and Drake refuse to let him rest. On the closing section of “The Thing” and the initial minutes of “Brown Rice” Kessler’s bow shears a shifting swathe of mahogany textures that expands in the wake of an uneasy start. Disc one holds slight edge if only for the inspired inclusion of Joe McPhee’s haunting “Good-Bye Tom B,” but each one effectively presents the trio doing what it does best. Perhaps even more useful this set acts an ideal litmus test for those definition-obsessed listeners searching for the perfect encapsulation of free jazz, a medium that like all incarnations of living, breathing music cannot be contained by convenient terminology or precept.” -Derek Taylor, All About Jazz
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Bass – Kent Kessler
Reeds – Ken Vandermark
Drums – Hamid Drake
Recorded in March 24, 2001, at the Bug Jar, Rochester, NY. (disc one)
and March 31, 2001, at Harvey’s On The Mall, Kalamazoo, MI. (disc two) by Bill Olsen.
Mixed and mastered by John McCortney
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Cover [Cover Art] – Adrienne Pierluissi
Graphic Design – Louise Molnar
Producer – DKV Trio
Transatlantic Bridge
Transatlantic Bridge
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Dave Rempis
Bass – Kent Kessler
Cello – Fred Lonberg-Holm
Drums – Paul Lytton, Tim Mulvenna
Piano – Jim Baker
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet [Bb], Bass Clarinet – Ken Vandermark
Trombone – Jeb Bishop
Trumpet, Trumpet [Slide Trumpet] – Axel Dörner
Engineer – John McCortney
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Graphic Design – Louise E. Molnar
Mixed by John McCortney, Ken Vandermark
Painting [Cover Paintings] – Van Walker
Photography by Joel Wanek
Recorded February 3 & 4, 2000 at Airwave Studios, Chigaco.
The Engines
The Engines
“The Engines was a collaborative quartet founded in the spring of 2005. The group began as trio, featuring several mainstays of the Chicago improvised music scene: Dave Rempis on saxophones, Nate McBride on bass, and Tim Daisy on drums. In the spring of 2006, trombonist Jeb Bishop was added to the group for one concert. The dynamic of this lineup worked so well that Bishop immediately became a regular member of the band. The band performed regularly across Chicago at many of the venues associated with creative music including the Empty Bottle, Hideout, Elastic, Hungry Brain, and the Velvet Lounge, and they also toured extensively in the US and Europe from 2006-2013.
All of these musicians distinguished themselves as leaders with their own groups, but formed this band to purposely shirk that duty in favor of a more equal musical relationship that better reflects the nature of their improvisations. Each member contributed original compositions to the group, providing a wide range of expression from high energy jousting over driving bass vamps to quieter moments of melodic exploration. With McBride on both acoustic and electric bass, the band explored some of the sonic textures associated with the early AACM, or could also launch into hard-hitting Zeppelin-like grooves, and they used this range of possibilities to its fullest.
In the fall of 2007, their first self-titled cd was released on Okkadisk. The group toured the US and Canada in December of that year, and followed up with a European tour in the fall of 2008. Their second release, Wire and Brass was a live recording made at Chicago’s Hungry Brain in April of 2008, and released by Okkadisk in February of 2010. The band finished a second tour of Europe in support of that release in March 2010. Their third cd, Other Violets was released in March of 2013 on Not Two, and features the legendary saxophonist John Tchicai as a special guest with the group. The band finished a two week, 13-concert tour of North America in April of 2013 in support of that release. After Bishop and McBride both relocated away from Chicago in 2012 and 2013, the band released one more digital-only recording titled Green Knights on Aerophonic Records in late 2015.”
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Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Dave Rempis
Bass – Nate McBride
Drums – Tim Daisy
Trombone – Jeb Bishop
Recorded on 8 & 9 July 2006 in Chicago at Vivian’s Palace by Amos Scattergood
Cover – Dan Grzeca
Design – Louise Molnar
The Chicago Octet / Tentet
The Chicago Octet / Tentet
“With a creative rhythm section anchoring and coloring the compositions, these brass- and woodwind-heavy outfits are simply amazing and, in some cases, nearly essential for fans of modern jazz.” —Joshua Klein, The Onion, 4-10 March 1999
“Should be fairly described as a landmark recording on several levels: a major documentation of Brötzmann on an American label, a rare instance of his large-group music, and a definitive meeting of himself with some of the many American masters –from McPhee to Vandermark– who’ve been influenced by him.” —Richard Cook & Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz
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Octet:
Peter Brötzmann: reeds & tarogato
Mars Williams: reeds
Ken Vandermark: reeds
Jeb Bishop: trombone
Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello
Kent Kessler: bass
Michael Zerang: drums & percussion
Hamid Drake: drums & percussion
Tentet:
Peter Brötzmann: tenor sax/clarinet/tarogato
Mars Williams: reeds
Ken Vandermark: reeds
Mats Gustafsson: baritone saxophone & fluteophone
Joe McPhee: pocket cornet, valve trombone & soprano saxophone
Jeb Bishop: trombone
Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello
Kent Kessler: bass
Michael Zerang: drums & percussion
Hamid Drake: drums & percussion
Engineered & mixed at Airwave Studio (9/16/97) Tentet & The Empty Bottle (1/29/97) Octet & (9/17/97) Tentet
Engineer and mix: John McCortney
Produced by: Peter Brötzmann, Bruno Johnson & John Corbett
Exec. Producer: Bruno Johnson
Design & Art by: Peter Brötzmann
Photos by: John Corbett
Additional Design & Production by: Louise Molnar
Stone/Water
Stone/Water
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded the album a full 4 stars, and stated: “For all the extraordinary volume on show, this is a remarkable feat of engineering and one that tends to suggest that Brötz has all too rarely had his music documented with this level of accuracy… This leaves the listener breathless.”
Writing for The New York Times, Ben Ratliff included the album in his “Critics’ Choices” column, and commented: “The greatest hope for free jazz is form. Not to worry: it won’t make cultural conservatives out of musicians like Mr. Brotzmann, the brilliant electronics-mad trumpeter Toshinori Kondo and the bassist William Parker. The structuring of this woolly music into contrasting sections and its double rhythmic kick from the drummers Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake provide the album’s power.”
Michael A. Parker of All About Jazz remarked: “this music reaches points of terrifying intensity at times, although it also balanced by a great deal of more subdued exploration. It seems to alternate between these extremes every few minutes or so, making for a very satisfying experience.”
JazzWord’s Ken Waxman called the album a “fine session,” and wrote: “with a veteran’s maturity, the saxophonist now knows exactly when to let ‘er rip and when to keep things on a quieter level.” However, he noted that “with nearly everyone allowed solo space, focus is sometimes lost.”
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Peter Brötzmann – tenor saxophone, clarinet
Mats Gustafsson – tenor saxophone, flutophone
Ken Vandermark – tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Toshinori Kondo – trumpet, electronics
Jeb Bishop – trombone
Fred Lonberg-Holm – cello, violin
Kent Kessler – double bass
William Parker – double bass
Hamid Drake – drums, percussion
Michael Zerang – drums
Recorded in May 23, 1999, at the Festival de Musique de Actuelle Victoriaville, Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada.
Solid Action
Solid Action
In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek states: “Listening to this music now is breathtaking; it feels shamanic and brave and it engages the listener immediately with the force of both conviction and humor.”
The Penguin Guide to Jazz claims that “Solid Action is Vandermark’s first shot at greatness, with Scanlan a tremendously exciting figure on all of three of his instruments.”
The DownBeat review by Bill Shoemaker states: “This band’s second outing is a persuasive statement of Vandermark’s ability to harness rock’s gut-rending intensity to post-Coleman jazz’s quest for liberating new structures.”
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Bass – Kent Kessler
Drums – Michael Zerang
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Ken Vandermark
Violin, Guitar, Cornet – Daniel Scanlan
Recorded at Acme Recording Studio, Chicago, May 29 & 30, 1994
Mixed at TONE ZONE by Blaise Barton
Design – Ross Pierson
Executive-Producer – Mason Taylor
Cover Photo – Michael Lapin
Producer – The Vandermark Quartet
Signs
Signs
A masterful statement from the Peter Brotzmann Tentet – a large group, but one that’s capable of a rich array of sounds and sentiments – maybe given best exposure here in this key recording from the prime years of the ensemble! Ten players can be a huge number, especially when improvising so much – but these guys all have ears that are beautifully tuned to each other, and which really seems to not only bring out the best in each member, but also push the whole group together with a style that none of them could have hit on their own. Reeds are handled by the heavyweight quartet of Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark, Mats Gustafsson, and Mars Williams – and other group members include Joe McPhee on trumpet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, and both Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. Titles include “Bird Notes”, “Six Gun Territory”, and “Signs” – the last of which is live.
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Joe McPhee — trumpet
Jeb Bishop — trombone
Ken Vandermark — tenor / baritone sax, b-flat-clarinet
Mats Gustafsson — tenor / baritone sax
Mars Williams — alto / tenor / sopranino sax
Peter Brötzmann — alto / tenor sax, a-clarinet, tarogato
Fred Lonberg-Holm — cello
Kent Kessler — bass
Michael Zerang — drums
Hamid Drake — drums
Six Gun Territory and Signs
Recorded at Airwave Studios / Chicago
17th and 18th of June 2002 by John McCortney
Images
Recorded at Vasteras Konserthus / Vasteras Sweden
3rd of November 2003 by Maurice Mogaard
Recording Producer: Lars-Göran Ulander Swedish Radio P2
Concert Produced by Lennart Nilsson / New Perspectives
Mastered by John McCourtney
Produced by Peter Brötzman / 19th of December 2003
Design: Brötzmann
Additional Design and Production: Louise Molnar
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Short Visit To Nowhere
Short Visit To Nowhere
A set that’s a bit of a companion to the Brotzmann Chicago Tentet album Broken English – as it was recorded with the same lineup, on the same days – but a record that’s also got a very different vibe of its own, thanks to the never-ending imagination of all the members of the group! As on the afore-mentioned record, the group here is expanded by two key guests – bassist William Parker and trumpeter Roy Campbell – east coast heavyweights brought in to an already great lineup that features reeds from Peter Brotzmann, Mars Williams, Mats Gustafsson, and Ken Vandermark – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, and both Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. Yet even with the two guests musicians, the Tentet manages to really feel the space around each individual musician in the lineup – working with amazing sensitivity, instead of overdone bombastic energy – creating sounds of chance and change on titles that include “Lightbox”, “Short Visit To Nowhere”, “Ellington”, and “Hold That Thought”
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Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Mars Williams
Bass – Kent Kessler
Bass, Slit Drum – William Parker
Cello, Violin – Fred Lonberg-Holm
Drums – Michael Zerang
Drums, Frame Drum, Vocals – Hamid Drake
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Mats Gustafsson
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Ken Vandermark
Tenor Saxophone, Tárogató, Clarinet – Peter Brötzmann
Trombone – Jeb Bishop
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Roy Campbell
Trumpet, Valve Trombone – Joe McPhee
Recorded at Airwave Studios on July 3rd & 4th, 2000 in Chicago, IL. and mastered in December of 2001 by John McCortney.
Cover – Brötzm
Design – Louise Molnar
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Producer – Ken Vandermark, Peter Brötzmann
No One Ever Works Alone
No One Ever Works Alone
Mats Gustafsson: tenor & baritone saxophone
Ken Vandermark: b-flat-clarinet, tenor & baritone saxophone
Peter Brötzmann: a-clarinet, tarogato, alto, tenor & bass saxophone
Graphic Design : Brötzmann
Executive Designer: Louise Molnar
Recorded and Mastered by Stefan Deistler
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Thanks to Hans-Martin Müller ‘Loft’ Köln
New Horse For The White House
New Horse For The White House
Johannes Bauer (trombone)
Axel Doerner (trumpets)
Per-Ake Holmlander (tuba)
Lasse Marhaug (Electronics)
Paul Lytton (Percussion)
Paul Nilssen-Love (Percussion)
Jim Baker (Piano)
Fredrik Ljungkvist (tenor and clarinet)
Dave Rempis (alto and tenor saxophones)
Ken Vandermark (baritone sax, B flat and bass clarient)
Kent Kessler (bass)
Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello)
CDs 1 & 2 recorded at fattoria musica,Osnabruck, by Bob Weston on October 18 and 19, 2005. Mixed by Weston with help from Fred Longberg-Holm at Semaphore in Chicago. Mastered at John Golden Mastering.
CD 3 “Live” recorded in concert at the Donaueschingen Festival by Manfred Seiler from SWR on October 15, 2005. Mixed by Seiler and Vandermark at SWR studios in Baden-Baden. Mastered by Bob Weston.
Cover Painting by “Suddenly Murmurs”by Dan Grzeca and Richard Hull
Design by Louise Molnar.
Map Theory
Map Theory
“The large group format (twelve musicians strong) and the crew’s like-minded atmosphere make for ample freedoms, producing refreshing music most of the time, with occasional lapses into noise and chaos.” -Germein Linares. All About Jazz
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Jeb Bishop — trombone
Axel Dörner — trumpets
Per-Åke Holmlander — tuba
Kent Kessler — bass
Fred Lonberg-Holm — cello
Fredrik Ljungkvist — saxophones/clarinet
Dave Rempis — saxophones
Ken Vandermark — saxophones/clarinets
Paul Lytton: Percussion
Paal Nilssen-Love: Percussion
Kevin Drumm: Electronics
Jim Baker – piano
Recorded on September 23 and 24, 2002 by John McCortney at Airwave Recording Studios, Chicago.
Mixed by John McCortney and Ken Vandermark with assistance from Kevin Drumm.
Executive producers: Bruno Johnson and Ken Vandermark.
Artwork: Richard Hull
Design: Louise Molnar
Thanks to the MacArthur Foundation.
Special thanks to Okka Disk, the musicians, Richard Hull, and Ellen Major.
Live
Live
Bass – Kent Kessler
Reeds – Ken Vandermark
Percussion – Hamid Drake
Recorded live December 26, 1996, second set at the Lunar Cabaret, Chicago.
Cover – William Mohline
Engineer – John McCortney
Producer – Bruno Johnson
Recorded By – Malachi Ritsche
International Front
International Front
“‘The Steelwood Trio, with long-time compadre Kessler in great fettle, is a roughly shod power-trio that finds each man vying for attention: muscular, exhilarating, unrepentant.”
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Ken Vandermark: reeds
Kent Kessler: bass
Curt Newton: percussion
Recorded at PBS, Westwood, MA, September 5 & 6, 1994
Producer: Ken Vandermark
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Engineer: Peter Kontrimas
Mixed by: Brendan Burke (Loose Booty, Chicago, IL)
Graphic Designer: Louise Molnar
Photographer: Marty Perez
Okka Disk 12005
In Our Times
In Our Times
“A musical dedication can mean a lot of different things. In the liner notes to the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra’s first release, Sunrise in the Tone World, William Parker discusses how the spirit rather than the actual sound of one’s inspiration might inform a dedication piece. On the other hand, in the case of someone like Steve Lacy, who has dedicated countless projects to Thelonious Monk, it’s obvious that his compositions have a direct sonic relationship to the work that gave rise to them.
Ken Vandermark, a tireless practitioner of the dedication piece, walks the line between these two approaches on In Our Times, the new disc by his School Days quintet. I don’t hear Miles Davis in Vandermark’s “Shift,” dedicated to the Dark Prince, but I definitely hear dedicatee Bobby Hutcherson on “What About” and throughout the record. Specifically, In Our Times refers, both in its instrumentation and in its sound, to classic hard bop-avant garde hybrid records featuring Hutcherson, such as Jackie McLean’s One Step Beyond, recorded in 1963 for Blue Note. (Both records feature a sax and a trombone up front and vibes in place of piano.)
Curiously, the sonic parallels between School Days and those formidable Blue Note ensembles are most evident on one of only two non-Vandermark compositions here, trombonist Jeb Bishop’s “Octopus.” The tune’s fleet, jerky head, which would not sound out of place on One Step Beyond, moves quickly into a Bishop solo, with drummer Paal Nilssen-Love darting Tony Williams-style underneath. The performance retains a fairly comfortable mid-60s feel until Vandermark enters. During his solo, he rocks in a way that (no offense to the master) McLean never has. As Vandermark fans know, the burly Chicagoan loves to structure his improvisations around steaming riffs, and he carves off a choice one here, tormenting it from every angle.
These sorts of individual approaches are what make School Days a vital project rather than just an idiomatic exercise. One aspect of the group that sets it apart is its funkiness. On “Off the Top,” written for organist Larry Young (a Blue Note stable-mate of Hutcherson’s), the soloists lope over a tasty 9/4 vamp played by bassist Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten. Nilssen-Love is the star of this particular performance, syncopating like Elvin Jones even as he sits in a deep pocket. His hypnotic solos here and on “What About” demonstrate an amazing sense of bounce and groove. Bishop, Håker-Flaten, and Kjell Nordeson (on vibes) are marvelous as well, reminding the listener what a talented bandleader Vandermark is. He is omnivorous yet picky in his playing partners; they don’t have to be well known, but they must bring serious chops and fully formed instrumental concepts to the table.
In Our Times undoubtedly recalls the masters who inspired it, but it takes their raw materials and ventures forward. Reckoning with tradition is the number one challenge for a contemporary jazzman, and Ken Vandermark has shown, here and elsewhere, that he can stand up to this challenge in any number of rewarding ways.”
By Hank Shteamer, Dusted Mag
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Ken Vandermark : reeds
Jeb Bishop : trombone
Kjell Nordeson : vibraphone
Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten : bass
Paal Nilssen-Love : drums
Produced by: School Days
Executive producer: Bruno Johnson
Recorded: live in performance at Blå in Oslo, Norway on November 24th–26th, 2001
Mixed: on February 10th, 2002 by Thomas Hukkelberg
Cover photo: Joel Wanek
Graphic design: Louise E. Molnar
Okka Disk 12041
Impressions of Po Music
Impressions of Po Music
“On “Impressions Of Future Retrospective” the Nonet exercises a pulsing blues ringing with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz’s metallurgy and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm’s relentless attack. Vandermark weaves the music with searing solos from cornetist Josh Berman, saxophonist Dave Rempis and McPhee himself.” -Mark Corroto, All About Jazz, 2013
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Joe McPhee: tenor saxophone
Jason Adasiewicz: vibraphone
Josh Berman: cornet
Jeb Bishop: trombone
Tim Daisy: drums
Kent Kessler: bass
Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello and electronics
Dave Rempis: saxophones
Ken Vandermark: clarinets and tenor saxophone
Images
Images
“A fantastic testament to the genius of the transatlantic meeting that is the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet – a group that manages to bridge the sometimes-unwieldy modes of the improvising orchestra, and the energy of a smaller free jazz combo! All the players seem tied together perfectly – both at an emotional level, and a musical one – so that the combination of energy is way more than the sum of its mighty parts – a real accomplishment, given that the “parts” include Ken Vandermark, Peter Brotzmann, Marts Gustafsson, and Mars Williams on reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, and both Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. The set begins with a searing 37 minute piece dedicated to Robert Rauschenberg – Vandermark’s “All Things Being Equal”, which almost has a Mingus-like combination of structure and solo. “Images” follows, and is a more freewheeling piece – but completely wonderful too!”
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Joe McPhee — trumpet
Jeb Bishop — trombone
Ken Vandermark — tenor / baritone sax, b-flat-clarinet
Mats Gustafsson — tenor / baritone sax
Mars Williams — alto / tenor / sopranino sax
Peter Brötzmann — alto / tenor sax, a-clarinet, tarogato
Fred Lonberg-Holm — cello
Kent Kessler — bass
Michael Zerang — drums
Hamid Drake — drums
All Things Being Equal
Recorded at Airwave Studios / Chicago
17th and 18th of June 2002 by John McCortney
Images
Recorded at Vasteras Konserthus / Vasteras Sweden
3rd of November 2003 by Maurice Mogaard
Recording Producer: Lars-Göran Ulander Swedish Radio P2
Concert Produced by Lennart Nilsson / New Perspectives
Mastered by John McCourtney
Produced by Peter Brötzman / 19th of December 2003
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Design: Brötzmann
Additional Design and Production: Louise Molnar
Guts
Guts
“The quartet of reedmen Joe McPhee and Peter Brötzmann, bassist Kent Kessler and drummer Michael Zerang have come together in a recording called Guts (Okka, 2007) to honor Malachai Ritscher, who died of self-immolation on November 3, 2006, in protest of the war in Iraq.” -Lynn Horton, All About Jazz
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Recorded on 3 August 2005 by at Empty Bottle, Chicago
Mastered at Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Tárogató – Peter Brötzmann
Double Bass – Kent Kessler
Drums – Michael Zerang
Trumpet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Joe McPhee
Fred Anderson & DKV Trio
Fred Anderson & DKV Trio
The Penguin Guide to Jazz states: “The DKV Trio collaboration was an important turning point in perceptions of Fred Anderson’s music, since these younger player were leading something of a charge in contemporary Chicagoan jazz.”
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Fred Anderson — tenor sax
Hamid Drake — percussion
Kent Kessler — bass
Ken Vandermark — reeds
Recorded at Airwave Studios, Chicago, IL, December 3, 1996
Graphic design: Louise Molnar
Photos (outside): Glenda Kapsalis
Photos (inside): Marty Perez
Produced by: Ken Vandermark & Bruno Johnson
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Engineer: John McCortney
Emancipation Proclamation: A Real Statement Of Freedom
Emancipation Proclamation: A Real Statement Of Freedom
“The exchange shows both the communication between these two musicians and that they were continuously pushing the music to create something new and more powerful than they had ever done before. This drive for excellence permeates Emancipation Proclamation and the wise listener will imbibe every drop of sound.” -Micah Holmquist, All About Jazz
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Joe McPhee: Tenor Saxophone, Pocket Trumpet
Hamid Drake: Percussion
Recorded June 25 1999 at the Empty Bottle Chicago
Recorded and Mastered by: Malachi Ritscher
Produced by: McPhee, Drake, Johnson
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Photo by: John Corbett
Graphics by: Louis Molnar
Okka Disk 12036
Released 2000
Double or Nothing
Double or Nothing
AALY Trio (Gustafsson, Nordeson, Flaten) on left channel; DKV Trio (Vandermark, Kessler, Drake) on right channel.
Recorded September 23, 1999 at Airwave Studios, Chicago.
Track 2 is a long performance with an index point at the start of the Awake Nu theme.
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Mats Gustafsson
Clarinet [Bb], Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Mixed By – Ken Vandermark
Double Bass – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Kent Kessler
Drums – Hamid Drake, Kjell Nordeson
Artwork [Cover Art] – Peter Brötzmann
Engineer, Mixed By – John McCortney
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Graphic Design – Louise Molnar
Distil
Distil
This is wonderful fun to hear. This is not boundary-shifting music, nor does it aspire to great artistic achievements. But it’s a great performance by a band (or is it two bands?) that really starts benefiting from playing a lot together. I would love to see this band perform live.” -Stef, Free Jazz Blog
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Jeb Bishop – trombone
Magnus Broo – trumpet
Ingebrigt Haker Flaten – bass
Fredrik Ljungkvist – tenor sax, Bb clarinet
Paal Nilssen-Love – drums
Kjell Nordeson – vibraphone
Ken Vandermark – baritone sax, Bb and bass clarinet
Havard Wiik – piano
Recorded live in Chicago at The Green Mill, April 21 & 22, 2006 by Bob Weston
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Okka Disk 12073
Deep Telling
Deep Telling
In her review for AllMusic, Joslyn Layne claims “There is a natural intuition and understanding between Morris, percussionist Hamid Drake, bassist Kent Kessler, and tenor saxophonist Ken Vandermark that belies the fact that the Chicago group and Morris played together only twice before stepping into the studio in spring 1998.”
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Hamid Drake – drums
Kent Kessler – bass
Ken Vandermark – tenor sax
Joe Morris – guitar
Design – L.E. Molnar
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Photography – Rebecca Gleason
Producer – Joe Morris, Ken Vandermark
Recorded on 30 April 1998 at Überstudio / Chicago by Brendan Burke
Mixed Sept. 6, 1999 by Brendan Burke, Ken Vandermark & Kent Kessler
Company Switch
Company Switch
Saxophone, Clarinet: Ken Vandermark
Bass: Kent Kessler
Cello: Fred Lonberg-Holm
Electronics: Lasse Marhaug
Percussion: Paal Nilssen-Love
Percussion: Paul Lytton
Piano: Jim Baker
Saxophone: Dave Rempis
Saxophone, Clarinet: Fredrik Ljungkvist
Trombone: Jeb Bishop
Trumpet: Axel Doerner
Photography: Ken Vandermark
Producer: Bruno Johnson
Recording: Bob Weston
Executive-producer: Bruno Johnson
Mixing: Ken Vandermark, Bob Weston
Design: Louise E. Molnar
Recorded on September 27 and 28, 2004 by Bob Weston at Wall To Wall, Chicago.
Mixed by Bob Weston and Ken Vandermark on June 21 and 22, 2005 at Semaphore, Chicago.
Mastered at John Golden Mastering.
Collide
Collide
Axel Doerner: trumpets
Per-Åke Holmlander: tuba
Lasse Marhaug: Electronics
Paul Lytton: Percussion
Paal Nilssen-Love: Percussion
Jim Baker: piano
Fredrik Ljungkvist: baritone, tenor saxophone
Fred Anderson: tenor saxophone
Dave Rempis: alto, tenor saxophone
Ken Vandermark: tenor saxophone, Bb clarinet
Kent Kessler: bass
Fred Longberg-Holm: cello
David Stackenäs: guitars
Black-and white cover photos: Ken Vandermark.
Color Photos: Lisa Chung.
Design: Jon Resh @ Undaunted
Recorded in concert by Bob Weston on August 24th, 2006, at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millwnium Park Chicago, as part of the series, Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz.
Mixed by Weston and Vendermark, and mastered by Weston at Chicago Mastering Service
Collide composed by Ken Vandermark, Twenty First Mobile Music / ASCAP.
Special thanks to Michael Orlove for the gig, Tim Daisy for the drums, Ellen Major, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Simrit Dhesi, Jeb Bishop and Jaki Cellini for the rooms
Collected Fictions
Collected Fictions
“One more important record to the art of the reed & bass duets, now with Vandermark on reeds, and some of today’s greatest modern jazz bassists: Ken Kessler, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Nate McBride and Wilbert De Joode. Not only because of the variety of reeds used, and the different styles of the bass players, but also the approach differs greatly on all these relatively short improvisations. Some are fierce and wild, some boppish, and some are very sensitive and restrained, creating a kind of tenderness which is unusual for the usually muscular Vandermark. The sequence is Kessler (six tracks), Håker Flaten (five tracks) for the first CD, which is called “Day”, and then McBride (five tracks) and De Joode (six tracks) for the “Night” CD. Although the pieces are improvised, they were rehearsed around specific thematic sounds, and the best take made it to the disk. The recordings were made on February 4 and 5 of this year in Chicago, the city where Vandermark, Kessler and McBride reside. The twenty-two tracks show a broad variety of angles for the sax-bass duo, demonstrating not only the skills of the musicians, but also the breadth of the subgenres of modern jazz, the wealth of possibilities of improvisation, using influences from blues over swing to bop and free. From Mingus over Giuffre to the wildest avant-garde, it is always brought with conviction, depth and focus, with Vandermark often a defining element in the music, yet sufficiently adaptable to match the styles of the four bass-players. Rich and subtle.” -Stef, Free Jazz Blog
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Ken Vandermark: Reeds
Kent Kessler: Bass
Nate McBride: Bass
Ingebrigt Haker Flaten: Bass
Wilbert De Joode: Bass
Recorded February 4 & 5, 2008 at Semaphore, Chicago by Bob Weston
Cinc
Cinc
“While it’s a bit of a departure for Vandermark, he easily finds his place amid two innovative improvisers each some twenty years his senior. Lytton and Wachsmann have both played in the London Jazz Composers’ Orchestra, the King Ubü Orchestrü and Evan Parker’s Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. They are proficient in English extended improv of a school perhaps more fluid but no more idiomatic than Derek Bailey’s playing. Vandermark is anything but bashful in his projects, and this would seem to be another sink-or-swim proposition for him, which as usual he pulls off swimmingly.” —Kurt Gottschalk, All About Jazz
Paul Lytton: Percussion
Ken Vandermark: Reeds
Phillipp Wachsmann: Violin, Electronics
Recording Dates:
Track 1: at Carre Bleu, Poitiers, France on Oct. 14, 2004
Tracks 2-5: Caormica, Ljubljana, Slovenia on Oct. 12, 2004
Recorded By – Iztok Zupan (tracks: 2-5)
Mastered By – Bob Weston
Okka Disk 10009
Released 2006
Chicago Tenor Duets
Chicago Tenor Duets
“The American is by nature a much more discursive player, and Parker’s response is to move with him, abandoning large designs and gaining some rhythmic variety. If the disc has meandering passages, there are also plenty of successes in which lyricism and complexity twine (and for all their stylistic extremes, there are lyrical strains in both players).” -John Litweiler, JazzTimes
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Evan Parker: tenor saxophone
Joe McPhee: tenor saxophone
Recorded on 11 May 1998 at Airwave Recording Studio, Chicago
Artwork by Adrienne Pierluissi
Design – Louise Molnar
Engineer – Steve Mezger
Mixed By – Bruno Johnson, John McCortney
Producer – Bruno Johnson
Okka Disk 12033
Released 2003
Call Before You Dig
Call Before You Dig
“Sonore’s 3rd album, recorded at the Loft in Cologne both in concert and “in the studio” during December 2008. 22 pieces of Improvised Music that run the gamut of expressive energy and melodic power, as well as a composition by Brötzmann and Jimmy Giuffre. A thorough and exciting statement about where this trio was then and is heading now.”
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Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [B-flat] – Ken Vandermark
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Flute [Flutophone] – Mats Gustafsson
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Tárogató [Tarogato], Clarinet [B-flat] – Peter Brötzmann
Artwork [Cover Artwork] – Esprit
Design – Brötzm
Design [Executive Design] – Klaus Untiet, Louise Molnar
Mastered By – Himself
Producer – Bruno Johnson, Brötzmann
Recorded By – Stefan Deistler
track title 2-4 misspelled on CD; although obviously referring to the tune’s composer J. (Jimmy) Giuffre, the hand-written track list says “J.Guiffre”
Caffeine
Caffeine
Jim Baker: piano
Steve Hunt: percussion
Ken Vandermark: reeds
Produced by Jim Baker
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Cover Art: William Mohline
Photography: Marty Perez
Design: Louise Molnar
Liner Notes: John Corbett
Recorded at Sparrow Sound Design
Engineer: Bradley Parker-Sparrow
Thank you to the Hot House and its Staff.
1994, OkkaDisk
Broken English
Broken English
There’s nothing broken about this set – as the album’s one of the strongest, most spiritual sessions we’ve ever heard from the Chicago Tentet of Peter Brotzmann – a really great group who gave us some amazing albums on the Okka Disk label! The set features two great guests – trumpeter Roy Campell and bassist William Parker – and at some level, the rest of the lineup seem to be opening up into modes that welcome the territory of both jazz giants – especially on the long first track, which is a very different reworking of a composition the group explored on another album! As usual, reedman Peter Brotzmann is at the helm – on tenor, alto clarinet, and tarogato – with Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, and Mats Gustafsson on other reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang on drums, and Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, plus some great vocalizations. Titles include “Stonewater” and “Broken English”
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Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Mars Williams
Bass – Kent Kessler
Bass, Slit Drum – William Parker
Cello, Violin – Fred Lonberg-Holm
Drums – Michael Zerang
Drums, Frame Drum, Vocals – Hamid Drake
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Mats Gustafsson
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Ken Vandermark
Tenor Saxophone, Tárogató, Clarinet – Peter Brötzmann
Trombone – Jeb Bishop
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Roy Campbell
Trumpet, Valve Trombone – Joe McPhee
Recorded at Airwave Studios on July 3rd & 4th, 2000 in Chicago, IL. and mastered in December of 2001 by John McCortney.
Cover – Brötzm
Design – Louise Molnar
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Producer – Ken Vandermark, Peter Brötzmann
Blow Horn
Blow Horn
“A difficult and energetic work by saxophonists Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafson with Steve Hunt on drums and Kent Kessler on bass. This is improvised music with little form, but plenty of invention. Those who think improvised jazz is anarchy should listen to the concentrated interplay on tracks like “Blow Horn for Service” and “Structure a la Malle.” -Tim Sheridan, All About Jazz
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Mats Gustafsson: tenor sax, baritone sax, french flageolett
Steve Hunt: drums
Kent Kessler: bass
Ken Vandermark: tenor sax, bass clarinet
Recorded at Überstudio, Chicago, IL, October 15, 1995
Produced by: Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, John Corbett
Executive Producer: Bruno Johnson
Engineered and mixed by: Brendan Burke
Photos: John Corbett
Graphics: Louise Molnar
Okka Disk 12019
Be Music, Night – A homage to Kenneth Patchen
Be Music, Night – A homage to Kenneth Patchen
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Mats Gustafsson
Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet [B-flat] – Ken Vandermark
Bass – Kent Kessler
Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [B-flat], Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Peter Brötzmann
Cello – Fred Lonberg-Holm
Drums – Michael Zerang, Paal Nilssen-Love
Trombone – Jeb Bishop
Trumpet, Alto Saxophone – Joe McPhee
Voice – Mike Pearson
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Co-Producer, Design – Brötzmann
Photography – André Lützen
Design – Louise Molnar
Recorded at Wall To Wall, Chicago, on November 5 and 6, 2004 and mixed at Semaphore, Chicago, on January 10 en 11, 2005 by Bob Weston, Peter Brötzmann & Ken Vandermark.
Mastered at John Golden Mastering.
Baraka
Baraka
“In her review for AllMusic, Joslyn Layne states: “Baraka may suffer a bit in comparison to the later, extraordinary Live in Wels & Chicago, but it’s still a terrific showcase of the trio and, overall, a great adventurous jazz album.”
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Hamid Drake – drums
Kent Kessler – bass
Ken Vandermark – reeds
Recorded at Überstudio in February 17 & 19, 1997.
Engineer – Brendan Burke
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Graphics – Louise Molnar
Photography – Marty Perez
Atlas
Atlas
Bass – Kent Kessler
Cello – Fred Lonberg-Holm
Design – Louise Molnar
Drums – Paul Lytton
Electronics – Kevin Drumm
Percussion – Tim Mulvenna
Piano – Jim Baker
Reeds – Fredrik Ljungkvist, Ken Vandermark
Saxophone – Dave Rempis
Trombone – Jeb Bishop
Trumpet – Axel Doerner
Tuba – Per Ake Holmlander
Engineer, Mixed By – John McCortney
Executive-Producer – Bruno Johnson
Mixed By Fred Lonberg-Holm & Kevin Drumm
Mixed By, Producer, Liner Notes, Composed by Ken Vandermark
Photography By [Photos] – Angeline Evans
Recorded at Airwave Recording Studios, Chicago on February 15 & 16, 2001.
At Molde 2007
At Molde 2007
“Logic might tell you that the more free jazz players you have in one spot, the greater the volume and intensity will be, but At Molde 2007 the Chicago Tentet turned in a textured performance that touches on the language of American jazz and European classical forms through the use of multilayered voices and nuanced interplay. In addition to the mainstays on the frontline (Brïtzmann, Ken Vandermark, Gustafsson, Joe McPhee), this edition of the Tentet features electro-cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, who along with bassist Kent Kessler does the work of a symphonic string section. The 40-minute “Ten by Ten” would be a satisfying album on its own, but at Molde the band played two more pieces, both nearly as expansive and spacious as the opener.” –All About Jazz
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Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [Bb] – Peter Brötzmann
Baritone Saxophone, Saxophone [Slide] – Mats Gustafsson
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Ken Vandermark
Bass – Kent Kessler
Cello – Fred Lonberg-Holm
Drums – Paal Nilssen-Love
Percussion, Drums – Michael Zerang
Trombone – Johannes Bauer
Trumpet, Alto Saxophone – Joe McPhee
Tuba – Per Åke Holmlander
Recorded on 20 July 2007 in concert at Molde Jazzfestival, Norway by Thomas Hukkelberg.
Mixed and mastered September 2007 by Paal Nilssen-Love & Thomas Hukkelberg.
Design – Peter Brötzmann
Photography By – Ziga Koritnik
Producer – Bruno Johnson
Co-producer – Paal Nilssen-Love & Peter Brötzmann
Graphics – L.E. Molnar