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A Barely updated web presence (8/5/22)
RON WILTROUT is a percussionist based in Charleston, SC. He performs regularly in the
Southeast with ensembles whose styles range from jazz and salsa to free improvisation to
avant-garde and contemporary classical music. As a performer of new music, he has premiered
pieces by Ted Hearne, Michael Pisaro, Sam Sfirri, KCM Walker, Andy Akiho, Sean Friar,
Philip White, and Nathan Koci. His work with Ted Hearne has earned him a Grammy
Nomination (for Place released 2020.) Wiltrout is devoted to exploring the use of
unconventional percussion and extended techniques and integrating the drum set into any
musical scenario. A He co-leads multiple jazz groups and is the leader and originator of the
band Rad Western. Wiltrout has performed with The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, Barrel Proof,
Garage Cuban Band, Harry Allen, Lee Barbour, Tommy Gill, Asphalt Orchestra, Gino Castillo
and the Cuban Cowboys, Duda Lucena, Conor Donohue, Lindsay Holler, Matadero, Katrina
Ballads, Your Bad Self, and the Opposite of a Train.
Ronnus at RonWiltrout dot com
RON WILTROUT is a percussionist based in Charleston, SC. He performs regularly in the
Southeast with ensembles whose styles range from jazz and salsa to free improvisation to
avant-garde and contemporary classical music. As a performer of new music, he has premiered
pieces by Ted Hearne, Michael Pisaro, Sam Sfirri, KCM Walker, Andy Akiho, Sean Friar,
Philip White, and Nathan Koci. His work with Ted Hearne has earned him a Grammy
Nomination (for Place released 2020.) Wiltrout is devoted to exploring the use of
unconventional percussion and extended techniques and integrating the drum set into any
musical scenario. A He co-leads multiple jazz groups and is the leader and originator of the
band Rad Western. Wiltrout has performed with The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, Barrel Proof,
Garage Cuban Band, Harry Allen, Lee Barbour, Tommy Gill, Asphalt Orchestra, Gino Castillo
and the Cuban Cowboys, Duda Lucena, Conor Donohue, Lindsay Holler, Matadero, Katrina
Ballads, Your Bad Self, and the Opposite of a Train.
Ronnus at RonWiltrout dot com
October 12, 2016
Traveling is great. Traveling for music is better. Having a purpose is wonderful when on the other side of
the country.
March 31, 2016
After a busy busy winter it has been nice to get out of town a little. I could get used to getting out of
town... I definitely want to do it more...
May is looking slow, but there's plenty still happening in April, so hope to see people out and about.
February 1, 2016
Groundhog Day coming up! The Holiday, but also the concert!
January 7, 2016
Yeah, it didn't happen. Back into the swing of things trying to be proactive. Looking forward to Palace
Hotel tonight improvising with Mike Quinn and Gerald Gregory. That's a really fun band. Also looking
forward to Rad Western playing for the 2nd annual Charleston Jazz Festival on the 22nd. That's also a
pretty damn fun band. Then playing with the big band the next night with Dianne Schurr singing! And the
band is followed by the one and only Arturo Sandoval!! What a month.
Then right around the corner in February... Groundhog Day IV: The Groundhoggening.
December 10, 2015
Doing it. Lots of music happening. Lots of work, too. Cherishing my downtime pretty hard right now,
looking forward to getting out of town at some point... dunno when that's going to happen.
October 29, 2015
Woot. Come see me play music. Happy to get back to NYC this weekend to celebrate the release of Ted
Hearne's The Source CD. Also happy to squeeze in a show with friends The Hands Free at Shapeshifter.
New Stuff!
October 21, 2015
Thanks to one of my students chastising me on the street I have updated my website. Almost got Carpal
Tunnel inputting all the gigs I'm playing. Not trying to brag or anything... but I'm playing a lot of gigs.
Maybe that's why it's been hard to focus on writing and organizing my life.
Great stuff coming up. Real excited about the CJO show with Wycliffe this weekend. And the Tom
Waits show, also. Jeremy Wolf's music has always made me happy, so that will be fun. Looking forward
to seeing my NYC peeps again and to check the new space National Sawdust that so many people are
raving about. THEN Rad Western opens for Cory Henry at the Pourhouse. Whew! Come out and play.
September 6, 2015
Gotta stay focused. Gotta move mountains.
July 23, 2015
No more heat. No more heat. More music. More sleep.
April 18, 2015
moving forward. keeping busy.
February 23, 2015
Nice couple weeks of music behind. Big band music with CJO and Darius Rucker. Looking forward to
some nice shows first couple weeks of March with some out of town bands coming to Charleston for the
first time. But right now I have to finish packing for the drive to NYC to record with Ted Hearne.
Looking forward.
February 12, 2015
Sheesh. Life is hard.
January 14, 2015
Whoa. What a month. Check the gigs page for all the hot stuff coming up.
November 10, 2014
Lots of great shows coming up. Come out and say hi.
September 9, 2014
Ok. Go. Do it. Now. Guafdi.
August 18, 2014
Big summer of transitions. Settling in, but feeling uncomfortable. Probably for the best. Gotta get working.
Big time fun playing music these past few months. Premiering and workshopping new works by Ted
Hearne. Latin Jazz Collective blowing up. Jeremy Wolf's great new album. Recording videos with
Michael Flynn (and Ted Hearne). Bringing Flynn's solo album to life. Garage Cuban Band sneaking in a
quasi reunion. Conor Donohue, Punks & Snakes... Matadero. Rad Western getting back in the saddle.
And even playing the regular hits at the Charleston Grill has been pretty great.
April 8, 2014
So much for bleak couple of months! I'm busy! Lots of interesting projects coming up. Playing music with
Jack Burg of Punks & Snakes, Michael Flynn, Ted Hearne, Conor Donohue, Jill and Robert Lewis,
Matadero, Dan Voss and Nick Jenkins, plus my regular gigs at the Charleston Grill. Trying to stay
focused!!
Still looking forward to getting the band back together and writing new tunes. Cannot wait until the
summer... must not wait until the summer...
March 11, 2014
Hmmm. Kind of a bleak couple of months coming up. A few nice things, but lots of holes in my schedule.
Time to write and book shows with Rad Western, I think. Or at least practice...
Februay 14, 2014
Looking forward to playing tonight with my quartet at the Charleston Grill. Apparently love is in the air,
but whatever. Music!
Also looking forward to hearing Tim Daisy and Mikolaj Trzaska this Sunday at King Dusko. I haven't
been to this spot, yet, but Nick Jenkins has put on some nice shows there. He's put together an opening
slot for himself, me, Dave Stickel, and something else this Sunday, so come out and listen. Support
experimental music!
January 10, 2014
New Year, same old problems.
Lots of great opportunities coming up to play great interesting music. Charleston Latin Jazz Collective is
branching out and playing more shows for more people following our tour of the Southeast Coast last Fall.
I'm traveling to play music with Ted Hearne a good bit in the next few months, which I have missed doing
greatly. Also, the members of Rad Western are itching to get back in the shed and back on stage in order
to continue what we started almost a year ago.
In sad news Mercato has closed for renovations and rebranding. They'll reopen as a new restaurant in a
couple months and are hopefully (not gauranteed) to have live music. Fingers crossed. I have made such
satisfying music in that room. It is a sad development in the Charleston Jazz scene.
Big news! Groundhog Day show 2014 coming up soon. First rehearsal tomorrow and I'm pretty excited!
Lots to live up to from the first show, but it'd be hard to mess up with the people involved.
December 11, 2013
Holiday season brings no nights off for 3-1/2 weeks! Weeeeeeee...
September 30, 2013
Updated gigs page. Crazy stressed with life and gigs. Just hoping to find time to write music and rehearse
with Rad Western soon so it'll all be worth it.
July 30, 2013
weeeeeee. I had a giddy time playing and listening to 90's music the other night at the Tin Roof. Lindsay
Holler's fundraising events are getting better and better. Tin Roof is always a satisfyingly low-brow good
time. Refreshing to get out of the downtown restaurants.
My new quartet Rad Western played at the Tin Roof last month and it was a blast. We all agreed we
would like another shot at the tunes, though, so I scored us a sweet gig at Voodoo Lounge as part of their
monthly jazz series (thanks, Q). Looking forward to continuing the exploration with these fine folks (Tyler
Ross, Gerald Gregory, and Alex Kellner).
Also doing some recording next week with Ted Hearne, who just released this old gem. Miss those days.
Your Bad Self was a bad ass band.
(updated my discography on the links page)
June 9, 2013
Excited to have been very busy during Spoleto (and the few weeks/months prior) this year. Super excited
to move forward with some new projects now that Spoleto is done. My new quartet playing original
instrumental music that isn't really jazz is debuting at the Tin Roof on the 18th. My existing quartet that
plays original music that is pretty much jazz is playing the Mezz on the 27th. I have a lot to be happy
about, and much work still to do.
April 23, 2013
Updated gigs page with some fun shows in the next few weeks (lots this week). Looking forward to a
few days off next week (2 days, that is), and then hopefully diving back in fully recharged and ready to
go, because it's the long slow build to Spoleto time.
March 31, 2013
New band still in the works. Hard to get the boys together since they're all badasses who play all the
time. It's sounding great, though, and I'm trying to stay focused to make it happen.
Gigs page updated with the first week of Spoleto included. Playing some nice shows during that time with
a good variety of people. Also the upcoming CJO show (in May) will be fine with Robert Lewis having
arranged the entire Porgy and Bess for the big band. Woot!
BUT FIRST! make sure you come and see Ted Hearne and Philip White on April 11th at the Halsey
Institute. R WE WHO R WE will blow your mind.
February 4, 2013
updated the sounds page for the first time in 2-1/2 years. So, there's that.
Pretty excited about a new group I'm putting together to play original instrument music that isn't quite in
the 'jazz' realm, whatever that is. I've been writing chords/melodies/grooves and the band seems to
respond well. After one rehearsal I'm already wondering where we can play out. Fun times.
teaser sample
Had fun playing the CJO concert a week ago (music of John Coltrane) and with Slowrunner at the Holy
City Pop Show on groundhog day (music of Slowrunner). So glad the Charleston Music Hall is committed
to producing concerts now. Thanks, Charles Carmody. We needed you.
January 6, 2012
Happy New Year. weee. Hope it gets better.
Trying to put together a band to play some original instrumental material that is not so much 'the jazz'. It's
been fun making demos of such things to give to people to learn my music. It's also been a wake up that I
need to write more and better and also a bit of a reality check that I need to practice. So, here we go.
2013!
Also, starting the new year with a new Monday routine wherein I'll be playing duos with Gerald Gregory
at Mercato twice a month or so. Looking forward to it.
Happy Birthday, Mike.
October 22, 2012
Whew. Swamped lately.
Looking forward to the John Cage Festival at FSU this weekend. Then taking a few days off (actually
just one day off) before the holiday rush starts setting in.
August 21, 2012
I've updated a few pages on this site. The links page now has a somewhat current discography with links
to hear the music. The projects page has lost some of the projects that no longer exist. More updates to
come.
July 30, 2012
Getting back to the grind of playing in restaurants was a challenge at first, but then I remembered I get to
play with different groups of great musicians on a pretty regular basis. It got easier after that. Also, it has
inspired me to start writing tunes. Some of these tunes will make it in the restaurants, but some of them
will make me start looking for more alternative venues in which to play less 'palatable' music. Not to say it
won't be accessible, because it will be, but to say it might take a little more engagement...
The New Music Collective is finalizing our Fall season, and it looks to be a doozie, with wonderful guests
coming to town and a few instances of us (Sam and I, who are the only ones left in town) going out of
town. Updates on that soon...
July 2, 2012
Finally feels like Spoleto is over. There was a lot of good music made during that time, and I'm inspired to
continue good music-making. Just gotta make the time.
Had a beautiful time in Asheville last week rehearsing and performing with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance
for "The Many Deaths of Edward Gorey". Looking forward to doing the same thing in Winston-Salem
next week. Never been to Winston-Salem. Coffee shop recommendations anyone?
In the meantime I'm playing all over Charleston this week, including Folly Beach Drop-In tonight (last
minute drop-in), Pourhouse tomorrow night with good friend Jessie Pritchard, The Charleston Grill a few
times, and back home at Mercato this Saturday. So come see me and I'll tell you about all the vegitarian
food I ate and local beer I drank last week.
May 1, 2012
No time! Lots of great playing opportunities, as well as art-making opportunities. Let's not forget
sandwich opportunities, too. Sleep opportunities?
I'll be in Los Angeles this weekend. To play music with Andy Akiho at Walt Disney Concert Hall. I
should be telling more people about this.
March 15, 2012
Tons of playing happening around here. New gigs at Fish and the Charleston Grill are helping me stay
motivated, which I need to be to learn the music for so many upcoming shows. The CJO Swingin' Soul
show should be a blast. Pretty funky for a big band. Also very excited for the New Music Collective
show next month. There are probably too many John Cage tribute shows happening around the country
this year, but we're still excited about presenting selections from 44 Harmonies from Apartment House
1776. Beautiful stuff.
also, allergies. blech.
January 15, 2012
New Year, same story: trying to get music out of me and into the world. Both parts of that have proven
disappointingly complex in the first few weeks of 2012, but things are looking up. Maybe it was just
necessry to be forced to reflect on all the things that happened in 2011 before the next thing could be
brought out.
Onward!
November 25, 2011
Recipe for Chickpeas Wiltrout
Ingredients:
-2 cups garbanzo beans rinsed (best results from dried beans cooked in a slow cooker until soft, but not
falling apart)
-1 large red (or yellow)onion coarsely chopped (I like big pieces, I cannot lie)
-2-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
-3 tbspns olive oil
-3 tbspns cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
-2 tbspns dill weed
-1tbspn crushed red pepper
-salt, pepper to taste
to cook:
heat olive oil in large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add minced garlic and crushed pepper, cook
until soft ,around 1 minute. Add the onion and cook 3-5 minutes until the onion is softening a bit. Add the
chickpeas and the Bragg's, stirring until heated through (I usually throw some black pepper in at this point,
too). Add the dill and stir a bit. Turn off the heat, throw in the feta and stir it up. If you want the feta to be
melty you can throw it in with the dill, but that's not really how I roll. ALSO, you can throw in a bunch of
baby spinach toward the end (for 2-3 minutes) if that's how you roll.
Super easy dish that is great as a side, snack, or accompanied by a salad and some toasted sourdough for
a light meal. Garbanzo!
November 18, 2011
Frantic few weeks coming to a close soon. And I thought it was going to be a slow month!
Next week I spend relaxing and eating turkey, but I will also be learning music! Ted Hearne's Delusion
Story has a show at Public Assembly in Williamsburg on the 29th. Then there's the Christmas Special
(which should provide some unique challenges this year since the MD is asking me to use a sampler in
addition to the drumset), and also the next New Music New Charleston show presented by the NMC.
recipe suggestions? send 'em to me at the address above. music suggestions? do the same.
September 30, 2011
It's great when friends make the world the better place without even realizing it.
practicin' practicin' practicin' practicin'
September 14, 2011
Recipe for Quinoa Wiltrout
Ingredients:
-1 cup dry quinoa
-1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
-1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
-1 large bell pepper, coarsely chopped
-1 fistful of baby spinach (or 2 fistfuls)
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 cup almonds (roasted, lightly salted), coarsely chopped
-1 cup dried cranberries
-1 tbspn crushed red pepper (seems like a lot... it is)
-2 tbspn olive oil
-1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (soy sauce substitute)
to cook:
cook the quinoa per package instructions, making sure to rinse well if indicated. I cook it in the rice
cooker using half water and half vegetable broth. set aside.
In large sauce pan or wok heat the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 1
minute or so ( I hate burnt garlic). Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes or until
they start to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the Bragg's and stir in the fistful of spinach. Cover and
cook for 2 minutes to barely wilt the spinach. Uncover and add the quinoa, chopped almonds, dried
cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese. Stir to heat and homogenize and serve in a bowl with a big spoon.
with all the goodness in this dish you could live off this as a meal alone for weeks. leftovers are great, too.
August 20, 2011
Had a great time with Ted Hearne in a sweaty sweaty space last month, and then with Asphalt Orchestra
in a very northern place. Now I'm sweating a hurricane in the South and trying to make sure I can keep
paying for my car by playing at Mercato 5 times this week. Could be much worse, for sure.
Playing a nice show in Wilmington, NC next weekend with Kim Pacheco and the Rudy Waltz. Great
singer, great band (if I do say so), hopefully some good food (I don't know WIlmington).
July 5, 2011
well, ok. let's get back on track here.
May 10, 2011
Woooo! Spring! Allergies! Music!
Tons of stuff happening. Playing a bunch for the JAC Jazz Series in May and June, and then running back
to New York to learn some new music by Ted Hearne and play with the Asphalt Orchestra at the Bang
On A Can Summer Marathon Concert. It's gonna be a good time, as long as I get some sleep at some
point.
I got to see many great friends in New York last week, as well as see some new friends play some great
music. Still love visiting that city. Still love coming home after about a week.
March 3, 2011
Garage Cuban Band is learning new stuff for our relatively busy Spring. The Tin Roof and Voodoo get to
have us over the next montha and a half. Will you have us?
Excited to be playing marimba and percussion on Slow Runner's CD Release show next weekend. Great
band putting on a great show that you should see.
Also excited about the New Music Collective Spring season which is about to start. We're presenting a
concert for Receiver Fest that includes great works of experimental music that are a challenge,
butsurprisingly fun to play.
Spring is welcome here.
January 30, 2011
Soldiering into the new year. Eh, what do I know about being a soldier.
Much music happening, and I've been writing more and forcing my tunes in front of musicians on the job.
They seem to like it, though. That's how I've been dealing with being "back to the grind" after the end of a
whirlwid 2010.
Recording some music for the Opposite of a Train's 2nd album, as well. Working title of the album is The
Metal Album, but I'm fairly sure that's just a joke (never know with these guys).
Garage Cuban Band is finally feeling real good as a quartet. Whenever we can have Nathan Koci with us
it's ideal, but that's not always possible since money is a huge object.
December 14, 2010
Eh. Let's go get a whiskey and some soup. Then we can talk about life, or just sit there and be happy to
be alive.
September 27, 2010
Working hard lately.
Good Latin Jazz gigs recently, and more to come: Gino Castillo and Tumbao are playing for the Moja
Festival finale Sunday in Hampton Park. Nice to play music a block from my house. Next Sunday Garage
Cuban Band returns to the Pourhouse. It's been a long time coming, and we think you won't have waited
in vain. Come early for pig roast and Johns Island Nortena bands on the deck.
More soon, but I need some rest.
September 4, 2010
Whew. Getting back to a relatively normal schedule after a summer of much traveling and fluctuation.
The Katrina Ballads tour was a great joy, and was received well (new york times review!). I can't
imagine what my life would be like without the opportunities to play music with those wonderful people.
Don't want to, either.
Before that the Bossa Bossa show with Leah and Duda Lucena was beautiful. I'd play anything with that
band. Beautiful players all.
Now I'm just trying to stay focused and inspired. Autumn temperatures will help...
Upcoming concerts include a Conspectus of Michael Pisaro's work with the New Music Collective,
Charleston Jazz Orchestra's Latin Night, Tumbao at Eye Level Art, and in October a glorious return of
the Garage Cuban Band to the Pourhouse. This time with roast pig!
August 4, 2010
Music is taking me places again. Some places less hot than Charleston (Western Massachusetts with the
Opposite of a Train) and other places potentially hotter than Charleston (Houston, Texas with Katrina
Ballads). I'll do whatever it takes to get to play this music with these people, though. And I'm lucky
enough to still get the chance to play great music locally as well. See you out there.
May 25, 2010
Tons of great gigs coming up which have been posted. The most urgent of which is the New Music
Collective's 5th Anniversary Concert this Saturday at Redux. It will be epic.
Also coming up are great shows for the Piccolo Spoleto Jazz Series presented by the Jazz Artists of
Charleston (Kopaja, Tommy Gill Trio, and Tumbao (an 8-piece salsa band)). The a great show in New
York at Merkin Hall with Ted Hearne, a weekend in Norfolk subbing with the Asphalt Orchestra, and
finally a week of recording Ted's music in New York. What a June, what a life.
May 14, 2010
I spent some time yesterday writing music with Bill Carson and Nick Jenkins for a show tonight at Redux.
23 Eyeballs and 1 Asshole... and Nick Jenkins is opening up for Vialka and Oicho Kabu and it should
be a rockin good time. We'll probably start around 8:30 so get there early for some seats.
April 28, 2010
Lots of exciting gigs coming up. The New Music Collective Fundraiser is this weekend, and then begins
the long buildup to Spoleto. And quickly after that I'm out of town a lot for shows. It's gonna be a wild
summer.
More news soon on the CD recently recorded with Robert Lewis and Gerald Gregory. We should be
touring soon. Really, we should.
April 3, 2010
I was fortunate to get to play for a couple Guerrilla Cuisine events in March. I highly recommend these
events to anyone interested in local foodie culture. It's a great vibe, and usually interesting people from all
over Charleston. Unfortunately for me at one of the events I lost some cymbals and a bag of percussion.
Boneheaded move on my part and I'm still kicking myself because some of the items in my bag of
percussion are irreplaceable... so it goes.
In other news I played a great show with the Tyler Ross Double Trio last week. Lee Barbour, Gerald
Gregory, and I are rehearsing some originals for a show in Columbia opening for the Specs. And I'm off
to New York next week briefly to present some of Ted Hearne's new songs at Le Poisson Rouge.
The New Music Collective Fundraiser is right around the corner. April 30th at Eye Level Art.
March 17, 2010
Also, there's a video archived on the Kennedy Center website of the Opposite of a Train's Performance
on the Millenium Stage last February. check it out
March 12, 2010
Also, some new audio available on the sounds page.
March 11, 2010
Whirlwind traveling lately. Being out of town so much the last few months has left me a little unsettled,
but I've had a great time playing music in so many new places (and ways). I'll get used to it, though,
because it's not going to stop. I don't want it to.
Good shows coming up including a Silent Music show tomorrow night, a show with Tyler Ross on March
25th, a show in New York with Ted Hearne next month.
Also, I recently recorded an album's worth of material with Robert Lewis and Gerald Gregory. It's half
originals and half standards and we're pretty happy about, so we're probably going to release it to the
public. This is the same trio that plays (mostly regularly) at Mercato, so if you've been to see us you know
how much fun we have and how the chemistry is something pretty unique.
January 10, 2010
Spent a nice chilly week in New York last week rehearsing some new music of Ted Hearne's. Always a
pleasure and a challenge with that guy. And met some new people with whom I look forward to playing
music again soon.
Voodoo Winter Jazz Series is happening soon, and the Rudy Waltz is playing on the 26th. Good fun!!
February brings much playing with the Opposite of a Train. We're playing a big show for the Halsey
Gallery on the 2nd which will have Nathan Koci, Bill Carson, and I joined by Kevin Hamilton, Clint Fore,
Wilton Elder, and Charlton Singleton, as well as Lindsay Holler, Joel Hamilton, Stefanie Underhill, Michael
Trent, and Cary Ann Hearst. The next day we're off as a trio to bring our chamber-folk-jazz to other
cities that have yet to know just what is the Opposite of a Train...
Here's to winter chills and unexpected thrills
October 15, 2009
I got to play a nice collaborative show last weekend with Jacob Wick for a project he's doing while
traveling around the country (It's called ROAD TRIP). A couple other of my Charleston friends were
involved, and we were all pretty happy about what happened. Before that (and on a totally different note)
I played with Bobby Alvarez and a band called Para Ti which was also fun. We played before a great
Richmond-based band called Bio Ritmo which is an incredibly tight and danceable band.
The Rudy Waltz is looking for a new place to play. I've played with those guys for so long it's weird not
having a gig any more.
There's a couple new things posted throughout the website. Check it out.
I need to clean my room and hang some art. Will you help me?
September 20, 2009
I'm playing a solo opening set and hopefully collaborating with my good friend Philip White for a concert
at 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, SC this coming Monday. I don't do solo sets often, so I
always look forward to the challenge of it. Plus I love seeing what Philip does, and this is another chance
for that.
September 15. 2009
The gigs get shuffled. I'm doing a show starting soon at a new restuarant/supper club called Vue with a
singer named Bob Anderson. I'm playing occasionally at Alluette's, but it's loose right now; no set group.
Things are gonna happen.
Also, I updated the "what I'm listening to" portion of my links page, for those that read such things
(thanks, mom!)
September 3, 2009
Gigs are slow, so i'm practicing and doing sessions with people to keep the juices flowing. How do you
feel about that? huh?
August 7, 2009
Here comes the Fall, and hopefully some cool weather soon. I'm looking forward to getting back to
playing with my peeps in Charleston. It's been a long summer, and I've got some ideas for what to do now
(if I can only get motivated).
July 25, 2009
Before I go on vacation I'm playing a concert in Columbia at 701CCA (for the third time this year). This
time it's a concert put together by Jason Brogan and Sam Sfirri and it's called Several Silences. I always
enjoy playing music with these guys, so I'm happy to put off vacation for one little day. The concert has
already gotten good press, partly because this music is not played very often and there are genuine
followers. Sequenza21 even gave a shout out. If you're in the area it would really be a beautiful evening
for you to show up and listen.
July 3, 2009
The heat will stop me from being me.
Lots of around town gigs coming up this month. Also, doing a show at the Charleston Music Hall. Garage
Cuban Band is playing at Voodoo Lounge on July 21st, which will be lots of fun. Just ask anyone.
Also, the Opposite of a Train CD has finally made it to iTunes! Search for it in the iTunes Store. Buy it,
review it, tell your friends, tell your enemies. Also try CD Baby (it's fun!). We're hoping to do a tour of
the East Coast in the late Fall.
June 11, 2009
oof. this has been a long few weeks, and now I've got a cold. probably due to exhaustion...
The Voodoo Lounge Jazz Series is happening again, and I will be playing with numerous groups for that
(to be finalized soon) so go check that out.
Also, I got a great book from Nathan Koci a while ago called All Over Coffee by Paul Madonna. I've just
started reading it, and love some of the poignant, yet simple, writings he throws together unrelatedly with
pencil drawings of the bay area.
"The hardest part for the living is feeling dead
And that those whom we're dead to
Keep on living."
and
"Everything takes more time, money, and effort than you think it will
Plus something you could never imagine, until you're completely immersed"
These seem to resonate with me these days...
June 1, 2009
BANG ON A CAN MARATHON OMG OMG OMG!!!!
JAC JAZZ SERIES OMG OMG OMG!!!
YOUR BAD SELF ON TOUR OMG OMG OMG!!!
i'm a little busy right now, but if you'd like to leave a message just wait for the tone...
April 14, 2009
well, my mother complained, but I just haven't had the time to do major changes here. I've been busy
co-hosting a fundraiser for the NMC, writing and playing new music in Columbia, watching friends get
married (from right behind them), releasing a CD with the Opposite of a Train, and playing a lot of gigs.
In upcoming news I'll be playing a few concerts with guitarist Tom Noren this weekend. We're playing
some Lou Harrison works for guitar and percussion, and it's great great stuff. After that I'm in Savannah
playing with the Savannah Jazz Orchestra which is always fun. Next month, I'm excited to say, Your Bad
Self will be playing at the Bang on a Can Marathon in New York. BOAC is an organization that, when I
was fresh in college, radically changed my ideas of what music could be. I'm excited to get a chance to
be a small part of that great community now.
March 1, 2009
I've played a lot the last month for the various jazz series going on around Charleston and I've had a great
time doing it all. Trying to balance that with organizational responsibilities has not been so much fun, but I
think I'm getting the hang of it.
There are some minor layout updates to this site as well as some new pictures posted here and there.
I'm still far too lazy for a complete overhaul of the site. I'll wait until my mother complains.
February 3, 2009
the Rudy Waltz totally rocked the Voodoo Jazz Series last Saturday. It was ridiculous. Women were
fighting over us, and I kid you not.
I am happy to be playing quite a bit for the local jazz series this winter. I play at either the Voodoo or
Mellow Mushroom Jazz Series or both every week for the next month. I'm looking forward to all of them,
but this coming Monday, the 9th, will be a unique group that I've not performed with before with Charlton
Singleton, Gerald Gregory, and Ben Wells. I like that kind of thing!
Thanks to everyone who came out to the NMC's presentation of Beatrix*Jar. I think everyone can agree
it was a good time. Make sure you check out White Rocket who will also be doing a workshop and
masterclass at the college on Feb 19.
January was long and difficult, and I hope everyone made it through... I also hope the prospects for life
improvement are good for youse guys (it's got to get good at some point, right?)
January 6, 2009
After a whirlwind end to 2008 that included a frantic two months culminating in a New York City
performance at the Stone with Nathan Koci and Nathan moving to that city I find myself with a lot of
time on my hands (aka very few gigs) and a lot of business to take care of (aka more responsibilities). It's
hard to stay focused. It's also hard to look forward when so many friends are moving away to bigger
things...
On January 17th Jason Brogan, Sam Sfirri and I will drive to Asheville to play a concert at Flood Gallery.
We will perform works by Mark So, Antoine Beuger, Michael Pisarro, Joe Kudirka and others. I'm
looking forward to playing at this space, which I hear is wonderful, and with these people, who I know are
wonderful.
Otherwise I'm spending most of January getting ready for the months to come with New Music
Collective events right around the corner and CD releases to be anounced soon.
December 1, 2008
Well. I recorded two albums over the weekend: One with Kim Pacheco (the Rudy Waltz as the rhythm
section) and the other with The Opposite Of A Train. The Opposite Of A Train is myself, Bill Carson,
and Nathan Koci doing original ditties that we all had wrote... well, I only had wrote one tune and that
only happened when prompted beautifully by Bill. But anyway, I'm excited about that record for sure. It's
gonna have it all.
The New Music Collective put on a great concert a few weeks ago of many world premieres and some
old classics. I made my compositional debut on the concert with a short piece for two antiphonal bass
drums, french horn, and tape and it was lots of fun. I also got to play in premieres by Sam Sfirri, Nathan
Koci, and Mustafa Walker. On top of that I got to play Nagoya Marimbas, which I really like doing. The
NMC is presenting Gutbucket this Thursday for their CD Release tour. I am in one of the opening bands
called Lavalas with Jason Brogan and Mustafa Walker. We play kind of loud and you'll love it. Also, this
sunday is the last of the Silent Music Series Concerts. I am performing a piece by James Tenney as well
as some other beautifully sparse works.
I have been busy, and busy is good. I'm pleased that there have been many recording opportunities in the
past few months. Besides the recent studio sessions there are also a couple of live recordings which are
in the process of being mixed which should be at least a little exciting. Maybe people can take me home in
recorded format soon...
October 1, 2008
It's really been a month... weird.
Just got back from New York where Nathan Koci, Bill Carson and I performed some music of Ted
Hearne at The Stone. Also performing were Eileen Mack, Chris Coletti, Taylor Levine, Matt Wright,
Miki-Sofia Cloud, and Ted himself on piano. It was a great show of brand new music that was
challenging for the listeners as well as the performers and I was glad to see familiar faces in the
audience. What a pleasure. Oh yeah, and we're called Your Bad Self.
Also last month was the culmination of a somewhat ambiguous project called The Future Is On The
Table. This has been a few years in the making, and though I never took the time to fully understand the
scope of the project I did have a fantastic time improvising with Nathan Koci, Bill Carson, and Sam Sfirri
while Aurore Gruel danced with blocks of ice. It was mesmerizing, I tell you. And there's a good chance
it will happen again in 2009.
I'm in Savannah this Friday with Dave Kain. Then Sunday Havanason is making a rare appearance at the
Hispanic Festival in North Charleston. Also Sunday is the first of the Silent Music Concerts presented by
the NMC and curated by Jason Brogan. Brogan, Koci, Sfirri, and myself will perform an hour of sparse
music which often surprises even me with its simple beauty.
AND I'm playing the South Carolina Jazz Festival again. This time with a quartet led by Robert Lewis.
WOO!!
August 27, 2008
OK!!
There is a Katrina Ballads CD Release party this Sunday at Robert Lange Studios. The CD is being
released as a digital download from New Amsterdam Records this weekend and we will be playing the
recording of the piece and having an informal chat and hang with wine and snacks starting around 7PM.
Come out and listen to the wonderful work of wonderful people (watch out, though, East Bay Street can
be a weird scene).
Also, I am on another CD that is being digitally released this week. It's called "by virtue of the fact" and
it's a bunch of improvisations by a loose collective of musicians called 'non'. Ray Evanoff organized the
group, and got the internet label Insides Music to release it on their website. You can listen to it for free
on their website.
August 14, 2008
The summer's ups and downs are almost over, giving way quietly to the fall's ups and downs. It's a good
thing I never aspired much toward a steady schedule of meaningless work. I get neither steady nor
meaningless work lately.
Voodoo Lounge's Jazz and Blues Series seemed to be well booked and well-received. Kopaja played and
the garage Cuban Band played and both were good times had by all. Voodoo has been a popular bar for a
few years, and I can say that it could easily become a popular concert venue. It's cozy enough, and the
sound is good. The bar crowd can be noisy, but hey, they're just trying to get crunk.
NMC is bringing and performing with Kenosha Kid on September 18. They are an Athens-based group
that have scored a soundtrack for a Buster Keaton silent film. It's a little bit jazz, little bit rock, whole lotta
fun.
That weekend Nathan Koci and I once again get in my car and drive to New York to play the music of
Ted Hearne. This time it's an hour-long new work for sextet and we get to perform at The Stone. I'm
excited.
July 18, 2008
R.I.P. Taras Kovayl. I can't comprehend, yet. All I can do is remember how much he loved playing
music.
July 9, 2008
Maybe it's just that it's summer, and irreverence is expected. Or maybe it's that I was so busy during
April, May, and June (not to mention March). Or maybe it's something else entirely that I'm unwilling to
admit in public, but I have been lazy lately. Well, not so much lazy as floating. I guess it's to be expected.
Spoleto was a blast. I had opportunities to play with a ton of groups, and it all went well. I was proud of
my diversity and ability to be myself in a dozen different situations. But what next?
Well, for one: I'm going to Pickens, SC at the end of the month to do some sort of collaborative
multi-disciplinary art hang at the home and studios of some great upstate artists.
Also, a bunch of the concerts for Piccolo were recorded and might be good enough to sell. Also, I
recorded an album with Robert Lewis & Fearless Jones, and that should be a lot of fun, too. Details later.
May 25, 2008
SPOLETO. I have no time to write now. Check gig updates please.
May 11, 2008
Nathan Koci recently bought a Clarinet. And I pulled out an old cymbal I thought I would never use.
Hilarity Ensued.
April 29, 2008
I Have daytimes free again! No more early mornings and late nights! Now just late nights!
Check out the play Eurydice up in North Charleston. It opened over the weekend, and I think it's gonna
be a good run. There is a full schedule up here. I'm playing the Loud Stone as well as music with Nathan
Koci and Bill Carson. If I'm not there then the great Nick Jenkins will be in my place.
Also check out the lineup for the Piccolo Spoleto Jazz Series Upstairs at Mistral. I get to play on four
different occasions with four different groups and I'm looking forward to all of them. May 27 is the Rudy
Waltz; May 29 is with David Heywood, Bert Ligon, and Craig Butterfield; June 1 is with Robert Lewis &
Fearless Jones; and June 5 is with Kopaja.
I'm also playing with two groups on the Piccolo Spoleto Cuban Block Party. Garage Cuban Band opens,
and Havanason is playing with some special guests from miami. All in all the next month and a half is
going to be a great showcase for much of the talent in Charleston, and I'm glad to be a part of that right
now. P.S. there will be another Tom Waits Show in June!
April 6, 2008
oof, it's been a long two months since last update.
Tatsuya Nakatani was here for a couple of days. He is a great cook, and a great guy... plus he's an
amazing percussionist. I spent the first two weeks of March in New York and New Haven playing
concerts of Katrina Ballads. That was an amazing experience I'll never forget. So many great people, and
such wonderful music. How does Ted Hearne do it? The recording session at Avatar Studios was
incredibly intense, but well worth the effort. Sometime soon there will be a CD of this music so everyone
can hear something that means so much to those involved.
The NMC hosted Red Light New Music two weeks ago. They were a great bunch of people that I'm
glad to have met, and their music was well received. Red Light can crash at my house any time.
There is a Fundraiser for the NMC and Theatre 99 coming up soon. Please check it out here and come
support! We need it, and you'll love it.
Lastly: Nathan Koci, Bill Carson, Nick Jenkins, and I are in the midst of rehearsing a play with Pure
Theatre. It's called Eurydice and we are playing the role of the Stones (modernized Greek Chorus) as
well writing music for the play. The play opens on April 25th and it should be wonderful.
oh wait one more: the Illuminati Outro is scheduled to play for the Charleston Jazz Society on April 27th.
Last time we were supposed to play for this organization it washed out and we lost our chance. This time
we'll make up for it. Come out (as soon as I know the venue I'll let you know.)
February 10, 2008
trying to keep it going here. Lot's of stuff coming up, but not really many regular gigs, which I like to use
as a kind of home base for my playing. I'll need to practice more...
Soon I travel to New York and New Haven for more Katrina Ballads performances and also a recording
session. Recording this great music with these great people will be an experience I don't have a precedent
for, but to which I am looking forward very much. (I'm excited)
for those of you that do read this stuff, first of all: thanks, and second of all: I'm slack and haven't updated
much in a while. Let's all pretend I'm as busy as I keep thinking I am.
January 2, 2008
a new year, yay.
I travel to Chiacago this weekend (by car, for I play drums...) to play some concerts for Ted Hearne, a
composer for whom I have much respect, and a guy for whom I have much love. We will be performing
a chamber version of Katrina Ballads, as well as another full concert for his organization Yes Is A World.
This organization is committed to bringing about social change through music, and I have no problem with
that. If you happen to be in Chicago... please come and change the world with your support.
In Charleston, I'll still be at Mistral on Tuesdays and Mercato on Fridays (when I'm not in Chicago,
anyway) and I'll also be back at Porgy's Other Place with Robert Lewis and Fearless Jones a couple
times this month and again in February and March. Fun groups all, and unique, too.
There are some videos of me floating around out there, too. Two are on YouTube Here and Here. A
couple more are on the website of a good friend, and great musician Duda Lucena. Hooray for the
interweb. Al Gore did us right on that one.
I'll look for you out there, and let's try and make this one better than the last one.
November 26, 2007
Tons of great concerts coming up this weekend. the New Music Collective is playing two concerts two
nights in a row that are completely different. Needless to say, my rehearsal schedule for this week is
fairly consuming. I've also got a gig on the 10th at Porgy's with Dave Linaburg that should be a lot of fun.
Ummm... okay, that's all I got really. Come to the concerts, they will prove to best thing you've ever
done... ever. I'll bet you money.
November 10, 2007
'Tis the Season!! No more Mondays on the beach for me. Station 22 Restaurant on Sullivan's Island has
noticed the slight slowdown in patronage from tourists and we no longer have a place to play on
Mondays. Dave Linaburg, Ben Wells, and I had a good time playing there, forging a new musical
relationship as well as eating some tasty, tasty food. On to the next thing, I suppose.
Look out for many special events in the next month. Numerous concerts including a re-emergence of the
Illuminati Outro for the CJS, back-to-back and unique concerts from the New Music Collective, and the
continuation of a new gig at Porgy's Other Place with Robert Lewis and Fearless Jones.
October 31, 2007
Well, this is the first Wednesday since July, 2006 that I am not playing at Cordavi with Kopaja (Kevin
Hamilton, Nathan Koci, and I). Unfortunately, this great restaurant on the Ass-East side of town will be
closing soon, so we're looking for a new place to call our weekly home. For now, I am somewhat content
to have a few nights off. And there's much to be preparing for in my newfound spare time. in the next
months are two shows with Brad Moranz, two shows with the New Music Collective (on back to back
nights), a concert with Frank Duvall, a concert with Kevin Hackler, a concert with the Illuminati/Outro,
and I'm starting a new gig at Porgy's Other Place with Robert Lewis. All in all, busy times. Come out and
see me, and let me know that my hair is getting too long. (yes, Kari, I'm talking to you.)
October 1, 2007
Just got back from the Savannah Jazz Festival where I got to play after Rashied Ali's Quintet (!!) with the
Savannah Jazz Orchestra featuring Vincent Herring. Vincent's a killing player and we all had a lot of fun.
Savannah's a beautiful city with a vibrant art scene, but I haven't seen much of the music scene beyond
straight-ahead jazz. Hopefully I'll get a chance to explore it more in the near future.
Next Tuesday, Oct 9th, everyone in Charleston should come to the College of Charleston and see the
Claudia Quintet. This band is the future in my opinion and I'm excited to be a part of the reason they're
coming to town. check newmusiccollective.org for more info.
Also, later this month I've got the first of what will hopefully be many gigs with robert Lewis and Frank
Duvall in a trio situation. Come out and listen.
September 21, 2007
Well, The sounds page has finally been updated. After about two years of old stuff there will now
commence a period of about two years featuring less old stuff. By the time this new stuff gets to be old
as the old stuff is now hopefully I will have a slew of other recordings that I'm proud of, or I just think are
interesting, or were fun to make.
I'm playing a concert with Bobbie Storm this Sunday. She's a great singer. I'm playing with the Savannah
Jazz Orchestra for the Savannah Jazz Festival next Saturday. The guest is saxophonist Vincent Herring.
From what I hear he's really good. It's always fun to get out of town for music, and Savannah is beautiful.
And there's a coffee shop I kind of like, too.
September 1, 2007
I'm playing a few more special concerts this month. Monday the 3rd at the communications museum
behind a man named Killick. Wednesday the 12th with Havanason at MUSC. Thursday the 13th at the
College of Charleston for Robert Lewis' faculty jazz recital. But you can still see me most nights at my
regular gigs.
I've had a chance to make numerous recordings lately with various groups, and it's kind of exciting that
some of it sounds pretty good! I'm considering compiling a few of the better moments and making it
available. It will be affordable, I assure.
Come see the NMC sponsored event on Sept 11 featuring Keefe Jackson's Fast Citizens from Chicago.
Supa great music from the heartland.
August 11, 2007
Okay: Driving to Asheville tomorrow to play for the Western North Carolina Jazz Society with Duda
Lucena. I have a couple friends who rave about playing music in Asheville, but I have yet to have those
experiences, so I'm looking forward to the trip. Also in the band is Kevin Hamilton on bass and Gerald
Gregory on piano. Some naturally musical cats, you know?
Next week is Charleston's First Annual Improvised Music Festival. Ray Evanoff has put together two
nights of a good blend of out-of-towners and local talent starting at 6PM August 17th and 18th. Come to
St Mark's on Thomas Street downtown Charleston to witness the magic... or the mayhem, depending on
how everyone feels that night.
Later this month Rich White, Jake Holwegner, and I (often referred to as the Rudy Waltz) will be playing
for the Charleston Jazz Society's monthly concert. Check the gigs page for more info on these and other
opportunities to hear me play music. Thanks.
ever wonder what people do when a gig starts much later than expected? it usually involves drinking and
occasionally involves dancing.
July 5, 2007
Well, done with Spoleto; done with vacation... now back to the grind. Luckily I love what I do. I've got
numerous steady gigs that I'm looking forward to honing over the next month: rehearsals are in order.
Kopaja is in the process of adding five or six new tunes to our book for Cordavi. It will be fun to see how
they develop over the next few weeks.
okay that's all for now. keep looking for short audio experiments on this page... if you're into that sort of
thing.... or maybe you prefer myspace.
June 14, 2007
When digging through the past one can occasionally find a gem.<>
June 11, 2007
Spoleto has come and gone again and I feel like I missed a lot. Having to work all day most days was the
culprit, which my friend Wayne Mitchum reminded me is a good thing. I always look forward to the
modern dance companies, but I am never able to make it to the performances. I did get to see Joey Baron
who has been a huge influence on my playing for about 6 years. And it was a great honor for Guy
Klucevsek, another hero of mine, to introduce me to Joey as "another great drummer." I think I even
blushed...
The premiere performance of Ted Hearne's Katrina Ballads was a powerful experience that I won't soon
forget. I felt honored to be able to play such moving music with such a wonderful group of musicians. I
look forward to being able to do it again.
I'll be around most of the summer still playing as much as I can with as much love as I can. Look for me;
I need your support.
March 27, 2007
Moving right along here.
Good times are had Tuesdays at Mistral, Wednesdays at Cordavi, and soon to be Fridays at Upstairs.
Havanason will be playing every Friday of April at this new bar above Joe Pasta. Come out and dance.
NMC Fundraiser Thursday the 5th of April. Come see the Kopaja Quintet with Bill Carson as well as the
Wiltrout/Evanoff Duo. Also come check out friends like Morimoto, Cary Ann Hearst, Quentin Baxter,
and Unbegrenzt. All have donated their talents for this night to raise money for music. YEAH!
March 2, 2007
The NMC had a concert last friday, and it went really well. The crowd was definitely appreciative of our
modest presentation of 20th century avant-garde compositions. Dulcie Livingston, Dave Linaburg and I
also performed Ray Evanoff's new composition The Scale of an Object is Relative to Perspective for
oboe, electric guitar, and marimba. It went well, but the record labels were not in attendance, and
now we'll have to wait until next concert for our big chance.
Sunday past was a second showing of the Illuminati Outro, a group comprised of Lee Barbour,
Jeremy Wolf, Nathan Koci, and myself. We played for an hour at 52.5 record shop to celebrate
their 10 years of being open. I hope for ten more, and maybe another chance to play there... it's a
great place.
Havanason will be trying to make a comeback this spring starting with a short gig at the CCPL for
their Local Blend series. Hopefully we can find a steady gig somewhere so the salsa community of
Charleston can see a live band every now and then. Also at the Local Blend series will be the
premier of Buenos Hermanos. check it out.
and check this out ).....<.>.....(
February 2, 2007
Cars are the ultimate damper on spiritual happiness. I love my car; I love to drive my car. I drive it
pretty often which means I'm using a lot of fuel... good for the economy, bad for the future. Plus
it's expensive. But the biggest expense is when you have to sink a load into repairs just so you can
continue to buy fuel and drive around happily. My car has a new engine now... and to remind me
of this my check engine light keeps coming on. "I know," I say to my car, "It's very pretty. I'm glad
you want me to look at it, but I'm driving to a gig right now." If only cars could be vain. Then all
the warning lights could be an appeal for more affection rather than to my wallet.
January 6, 2007
The holidays have ended and I have time to rethink much in my life. Music, like people, must
change, and I am endeavouring to understand the next necessary step in my life as a musician as
well as the next step in my life in general. Stubbornness will not get me through this time.
I also plan to change, or just add to, this website with more up-to-date sound files and streamline
the projects page so that some of the groups that haven't played for more than two years can be
made more difficult to find. I've also updated the little tidbits here and there. In the meantime I am
also more or less in charge of updating the content on the New Music Collective's website, so you
can find out more about me there. Numerous big concerts are planned for the rest of our season
and you should come to all of them, if possible.
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a great band called Dragons 1976. Their music made me
excited about the possibilities of the world, and I hope the inspiration will not soon wear off.
Impermanence is something that many musicians battle either consciously (with recordings) or
subconsciously (with anxiety and the need to constantly be playing) and the past year has shown
me that dealing with it consciously can be much more rewarding... so I'm going to record more,
dig? see you out there.
October 25, 2006
Cordavi was recently featured in Esquire Magazine as one of the top 20 new restaurants in the
country. Check it out, and check out the fact that Kopaja plays there every Wednesday evening at
9 o'clock. Cordavi uses this night to present special prices on a selection of their wonderful food,
so everyone wins.
Last weekend I played with Dave Linaburg at the first annual South Carolina Jazz Festival. We
played away from the main stage, however, in a restaurant that used to be a Quincy's. Though we
were technically playing for the festival it felt more like we were playing for the regular Saturday
night buffet customers... Hopefully Dave's tunes helped with their digestion (I believe they would
need the help.) Jake Holwegner agreed that it was the most bizarre gig we've played.
New Music Collective concert November 3rd. Be there. For me?
October 1, 2006
I saw a group called the Young and the Restless last night (which consists of Dave Linaburg,
Gerald Gregory, and Nick Jenkins) and I loved it. Everyone should see them, because they are
making new music in Charleston, and it's great.
I am getting ready for a fairly busy fall, but I can't help but to relax every now and then and enjoy
this beautiful weather. When I am working, though, I am playing with Kopaja (with Kevin
Hamilton and Nathan Koci) and the Rudy Waltz (with Rich White and Jake Holwegner) and getting
ready for the New Music Collective's next concert at Redux on November 3rd. drop me a line and
ask me what's what: ronnus@RonWiltrout.com
August 25, 2006
A life in transition leads to interesting music. I've got many new musical prospects on the horizon,
including a few improvised gigs with Dave linaburg, Jason Brogan, Michael Hanf, and Keiran
Daly. Kopaja is still playing at Cordavi on Wednesdays. The Rudy Waltz is still playing at Mistral
on Tuesdays, and the line-up for that has been changing weekly and including such local
luminaries as Taras Kovayl, Rich White, Jeremy Wolf, and Jake Holwegner. I'm working on new
techniques for playing percussion/drums with and without electronics, and I'm trying to figure out
how to efficiently wire my computer and recording interface equiplment for ease-of-use (and to get
rid of the sympathetic pops from the dryer.) Good times all-around.
July 2, 2006
The summer has brought me quite a bit of time for reflection and practice. More than anything,
though, I want to get out and play music. This month will see the debut of a new project with Kevin
Hamilton and Nathan Koci called Kopaja (Koe-pah'-jah). Wednesday, July 5th we'll be at Cordavi
on North Market near the Customs House, downtown Charleston, SC. Hopefully, this will be a
regular Wednesday night thing, but the first night will be a good time no matter what, so please
come out and hear what we've been working on. In other news, the New Music Collective will be
participating in an art show/event in the upstate of SC in the first week of August. This will be at
the childhood home of Shelby Davis, and will coincide with the last week Shelby and NMC
founder Philip White will be on the East Coast. Philip White, NMC co-founder, will be attending
Mills College in the fall. You might not make it to this show, but you should say 'hi' to Philip before
he leaves.
June 5, 2006
A month of chaos has ended and left me wandering around my house anxiously trying to focus on
the next thing. One of the next things is Nathan Koci and I playing at the CCPL Local Blend series
Sunday June 11th at 3pm. Should be a good combination of improvised goodness and worked out
minimalistic schtuff and possibly a backwards loop or two. In the meantime I'm spending all my
money and thinking about how to get more, and also playing music.
May 12, 2006
The endless string of ridiculous gig cancellations continues. These people don't seem to know how to even
act professional. Since when did music become such a throw away commodity that musicians can be
given no notice (!) and never a good reason for cancelling a gig?
In the meantime, on with the show: Tonight, Friday the 12th of May, Havanason is playing for the North
Charleston Arts Festival/Latin American festival in Mead/Westvaco Park. Free block party with lots of
food. This Sunday the New Music Collective hosts the Nomos String Trio from NYC at the Halsey
Gallery of CofC.
-April 30, 2006
May's gigs posted. Bunch of stuff coming up this month. Please come to the New Music Collective's
various concerts throughout the month. Also, on May 11th check out some friends of mine playing at
Redux: Ruby Rosa, and Bill Carson. Ruby Rosa is the project of Clay Ross and Krystle Warren... hey, I'll
be there!
-April 19, 2006
Oak Steakhouse no longer requires the services of my Cuban band Havanason, but we will be looking for
a new, better place to play soon. With all these gig cancellations I have to wonder if maybe some kind of
change is due for my lifestyle. Maybe now is the time to start hustling a little harder for better gigs, and
trying to keep them longer (with methods in addition to playing good music.) Or maybe now is the time to
start pushing specific projects harder for bigger gigs and touring. Or maybe now is the time to get a job
with a little bit more security and use the little time I will have on the side to push one or two projects
hard. Either way, this has a been a stressful month and I will be glad when it's over.
-April 9, 2006
lots of news: Wedensdays at J.Paul'z and Sundays at Lite Affair have both been "temporarily" put on hold
until crowds get bigger and people buy more drinks... Not many people in Charleston, SC come out to
hear good music and spend a lot of money, so what are we to do? we'll cope somehow.
The New Music Collective has finally settled on a date and venue for our upcoming String Trio concert.
May 14th at the Halsey Institute of CofC we will be hosting a trio out of NYC headed by David Medine.
They will play some, and we will play some with them.
In the meantime I am going to Las Vegas with jake Holwegner to play some Bulgarian fusion music with
Angel Gadzhev. Next Friday, April 21, Lee Barbour and I will be opening for Cyro Baptista's Beat The
Donkey at the Pour House in Charleston. I doubt I'll see any familiar faces in Vegas, but please come to
the show at the Pour House.
-Febreuary 25, 2006
Video page updated. Gigs added to gigs page. Projects are getting individual pages with lots of info
(maybe). More updates coming this weekend, but I'm about to be late to a rehearsal, so I'll write more
later. ciao.
-January 22, 2006
A ton of new gigs added to my schedule for the upcoming months. February will bring the onset of steady
wendesdays at J.Paul's on Maybank Highway with Lee Barbour and Jeremy Wolf as well steady
Thursdays with singer Quiana Parlor at Toucan Reef; and the debut of the Easy Way To Quit Smoking
sundays at Lite Affair (on the square). Right away in February, though, the New Music Collective will
start the 2006 concert/event season with a huge concert on February 3rd. see below and the NMC
website for more info. Come out and see some music, people...
-January 9, 2006
Okay the holidays are gone and now sets in the long hard doldrums of January... call me anytime, odds
are good I won't be on a gig. But I will be preacticing, for there is much excitement on the horizon.
February 3rd is the next big concert for the New Music Collective. Guests from NYC as well as two
pieces written for the NMC, one of which a world premiere!!
In the meantime, Cuban music still happens at Oak on Fridays and the Rudy Waltz, that not-so-famous
not-so-jazz power trio, continues to play at Mistral every Tuesday. Also soon to debut publicly is the duo
project with Lee Barbour that is The Easy Way To Quit Smoking.
-December 2, 2005
Holiday times are busy times... and it takes so long to get anywhere due to consumerism run rampant.
But that is a forum for some other place. Christmas Special is underway. Get tickets and bring the family.
The New Music Collective is planning a fundraiser at Redux on December 16th to help bring some
fantastic musicians to town for our February concert (tentatively Feb 3) including David Cossin and Jody
Redhage.
In other news: Havanason every Friday night at Oak! They have opened up the second floor for dancing,
and have even brought in dance instructors to help those interested in learning to dance Salsa and
Cha-Cha and other Cuban favorites... Look for some new video soon of the Empty Words Ensemble's
first gig. Embrace the cold, it's good for you.
-October 30, 2005
Philip White's event, A Separate Reality, at the Humanities Center last Friday was a success. Thanks to
all who came to the show (there a lot of you) and thanks to Quentin Baxter for being a beautiful person
and a non-stop giver of much appreciated support.
On a different note: the Tea Cult of Japan, comprised of Kevin Hamilton, Lee Barbour, and myself, has
lost its gig at Meritage. This wednesday, November 2, will be the last time we play at Meritage. We see
this as a chance to move on to bigger and better things, so never fear, you die hard fans (you know who
you are), we will play again. But in the meantime, please come out and support us for our last show at the
spot in which the band was born.
-September 20, 2005
The New Music Collective concerts of the past week went very well. Thanks to all who came out on the
15th. It was small crowd, but an attentive crowd, and that's what we like.
Also of note: Kevin Hamilton's name suggestion for the band on Wednesdays at Meritage has stuck; we
are now called the Tea Cult of Japan. Our crowd is growing, and there are more familiar faces every
week. Keep coming back! We try to add a new song every week, and it looks like Kevin is bringing
electronics now!!
also: There is now a video page!! You should go there now!
-September 5, 2005
I've been driving too much lately... need to stay in town more. Big news is the upcoming concerts of the
New Music Collective. Three in less than a week's time! Saturday the 10th at the Gibbes Museum's
birthday bash; Sunday the 11th at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Avondale; and Thursday the
15th at the College of Charleston Recital Hall. Each concert program builds on the one before it, so you
can come to all three and support new music in Charleston.
-August 18, 2005
Somewhat overdue updates happening over this weekend. The gigs page is up to date with a new page of
archives. The sounds page still needs to be redone, but I have yet to get motivated to do that. A ton of
New Music Collective shows coming up in the next few months. Numerous requests have come in and
that makes us feel confident that we are getting new music out there (exciting.) Still haven't heard about
it? Check their website and my own projects and sounds page for more info.
Also: please come see my friends and I play music!! We may not ask you in person, but we would
very much like it to be an implicit invitation no matter who you are.
-July 23, 2005
Minor updates to the links, projects, and gigs page today. I plan on redoing the sounds page in the coming
weeks, but first I have t figure out where I will be for the next few months of my life. All is well, though.
T
he New Music Collective's next concert will be September 15th at the College of Charleston Recital Hall.
Works by Alvin Lucier, Steve Reich, Ted Hearne, Philip White, Takemitsu, and more. Also look for
information about an October concert at the Humanities Center with music by Philip White: The Army of
Darkness.
-July 8, 2005
Last night was another successful gig for the Empty Words Ensemble. Nothing but positive feedback so
far makes me wonder if maybe we should be a little more active in booking this group... Thanks to Ray
Evanoff for inviting us to play and playing with us. Thanks to Rick Zender at the John Rivers
Communications Museum for giving us a space to play. Thanks to Lee Barbour and Joseph Peaks for the
support and kind words. Tony Prete, you are the man.
-July 1, 2005
Summer is here, and it's time to reflect. Now that Spoleto is over and done I've got more time than I
know what to do with... well, actually I've got plenty to do. The new gig with Kevin and Lee is working
towards a cohesive sound (we're actually rehearsing now.) The Empty Words Ensemble has its second
gig coming up on the 7th. The New Music Collective is in the process of becoming Not For Profit, as well
as planning and programming the fall concerts (check for info on those in the near future.) And on top of
all this: I get to practice!
Philip White is right now mixing a higher quality recording we did of his fifteen part suite "A Dream
Sequence." The plan is to create a DVD with Kevin Taylor's film. Information is forthcoming.
Thanks to all my friends in NYC. Your hospitality was appreciated and will not be forgotten.
-June 12, 2005
The Empty Words Ensemble's premiere performance went really well. It was a small but receptive
audience at the Library's auditorium. It was great to play spontaneous music in a small, clean, controlled
environment. It made every note and gesture we played that much more important (because it could
actually be heard). And we could do so much with the nuances of sound. We're going to look into doing
more concerts there with the New Music Collective.
Thanks to Kevin Crothers for his help. Thanks to Pierre from Quebec City for his kind words about our
music. practicin' practicin' practicin' practicin' to Rani Boyle for being supportive and just downright cool.
The heat will stop me from being me.
-June 2, 2005
Spoleto is here, and I've never been as busy. Check out the gigs page to see where I'll be.
My new gig at Meritage with Kevin Hamilton and Lee Barbour is a blast! We never quite know what's
going to happen which keeps us on our toes. Playing with these guys is a challenge and a joy. And it can
only get better.
More music has been posted on the Sounds page!! Recordings from recent concerts with the New Music
Collective. The concerts went great and were received better than we imagined.The heat will stop me
from being me.The heat will stop me from being me.
Traveling is great. Traveling for music is better. Having a purpose is wonderful when on the other side of
the country.
March 31, 2016
After a busy busy winter it has been nice to get out of town a little. I could get used to getting out of
town... I definitely want to do it more...
May is looking slow, but there's plenty still happening in April, so hope to see people out and about.
February 1, 2016
Groundhog Day coming up! The Holiday, but also the concert!
January 7, 2016
Yeah, it didn't happen. Back into the swing of things trying to be proactive. Looking forward to Palace
Hotel tonight improvising with Mike Quinn and Gerald Gregory. That's a really fun band. Also looking
forward to Rad Western playing for the 2nd annual Charleston Jazz Festival on the 22nd. That's also a
pretty damn fun band. Then playing with the big band the next night with Dianne Schurr singing! And the
band is followed by the one and only Arturo Sandoval!! What a month.
Then right around the corner in February... Groundhog Day IV: The Groundhoggening.
December 10, 2015
Doing it. Lots of music happening. Lots of work, too. Cherishing my downtime pretty hard right now,
looking forward to getting out of town at some point... dunno when that's going to happen.
October 29, 2015
Woot. Come see me play music. Happy to get back to NYC this weekend to celebrate the release of Ted
Hearne's The Source CD. Also happy to squeeze in a show with friends The Hands Free at Shapeshifter.
New Stuff!
October 21, 2015
Thanks to one of my students chastising me on the street I have updated my website. Almost got Carpal
Tunnel inputting all the gigs I'm playing. Not trying to brag or anything... but I'm playing a lot of gigs.
Maybe that's why it's been hard to focus on writing and organizing my life.
Great stuff coming up. Real excited about the CJO show with Wycliffe this weekend. And the Tom
Waits show, also. Jeremy Wolf's music has always made me happy, so that will be fun. Looking forward
to seeing my NYC peeps again and to check the new space National Sawdust that so many people are
raving about. THEN Rad Western opens for Cory Henry at the Pourhouse. Whew! Come out and play.
September 6, 2015
Gotta stay focused. Gotta move mountains.
July 23, 2015
No more heat. No more heat. More music. More sleep.
April 18, 2015
moving forward. keeping busy.
February 23, 2015
Nice couple weeks of music behind. Big band music with CJO and Darius Rucker. Looking forward to
some nice shows first couple weeks of March with some out of town bands coming to Charleston for the
first time. But right now I have to finish packing for the drive to NYC to record with Ted Hearne.
Looking forward.
February 12, 2015
Sheesh. Life is hard.
January 14, 2015
Whoa. What a month. Check the gigs page for all the hot stuff coming up.
November 10, 2014
Lots of great shows coming up. Come out and say hi.
September 9, 2014
Ok. Go. Do it. Now. Guafdi.
August 18, 2014
Big summer of transitions. Settling in, but feeling uncomfortable. Probably for the best. Gotta get working.
Big time fun playing music these past few months. Premiering and workshopping new works by Ted
Hearne. Latin Jazz Collective blowing up. Jeremy Wolf's great new album. Recording videos with
Michael Flynn (and Ted Hearne). Bringing Flynn's solo album to life. Garage Cuban Band sneaking in a
quasi reunion. Conor Donohue, Punks & Snakes... Matadero. Rad Western getting back in the saddle.
And even playing the regular hits at the Charleston Grill has been pretty great.
April 8, 2014
So much for bleak couple of months! I'm busy! Lots of interesting projects coming up. Playing music with
Jack Burg of Punks & Snakes, Michael Flynn, Ted Hearne, Conor Donohue, Jill and Robert Lewis,
Matadero, Dan Voss and Nick Jenkins, plus my regular gigs at the Charleston Grill. Trying to stay
focused!!
Still looking forward to getting the band back together and writing new tunes. Cannot wait until the
summer... must not wait until the summer...
March 11, 2014
Hmmm. Kind of a bleak couple of months coming up. A few nice things, but lots of holes in my schedule.
Time to write and book shows with Rad Western, I think. Or at least practice...
Februay 14, 2014
Looking forward to playing tonight with my quartet at the Charleston Grill. Apparently love is in the air,
but whatever. Music!
Also looking forward to hearing Tim Daisy and Mikolaj Trzaska this Sunday at King Dusko. I haven't
been to this spot, yet, but Nick Jenkins has put on some nice shows there. He's put together an opening
slot for himself, me, Dave Stickel, and something else this Sunday, so come out and listen. Support
experimental music!
January 10, 2014
New Year, same old problems.
Lots of great opportunities coming up to play great interesting music. Charleston Latin Jazz Collective is
branching out and playing more shows for more people following our tour of the Southeast Coast last Fall.
I'm traveling to play music with Ted Hearne a good bit in the next few months, which I have missed doing
greatly. Also, the members of Rad Western are itching to get back in the shed and back on stage in order
to continue what we started almost a year ago.
In sad news Mercato has closed for renovations and rebranding. They'll reopen as a new restaurant in a
couple months and are hopefully (not gauranteed) to have live music. Fingers crossed. I have made such
satisfying music in that room. It is a sad development in the Charleston Jazz scene.
Big news! Groundhog Day show 2014 coming up soon. First rehearsal tomorrow and I'm pretty excited!
Lots to live up to from the first show, but it'd be hard to mess up with the people involved.
December 11, 2013
Holiday season brings no nights off for 3-1/2 weeks! Weeeeeeee...
September 30, 2013
Updated gigs page. Crazy stressed with life and gigs. Just hoping to find time to write music and rehearse
with Rad Western soon so it'll all be worth it.
July 30, 2013
weeeeeee. I had a giddy time playing and listening to 90's music the other night at the Tin Roof. Lindsay
Holler's fundraising events are getting better and better. Tin Roof is always a satisfyingly low-brow good
time. Refreshing to get out of the downtown restaurants.
My new quartet Rad Western played at the Tin Roof last month and it was a blast. We all agreed we
would like another shot at the tunes, though, so I scored us a sweet gig at Voodoo Lounge as part of their
monthly jazz series (thanks, Q). Looking forward to continuing the exploration with these fine folks (Tyler
Ross, Gerald Gregory, and Alex Kellner).
Also doing some recording next week with Ted Hearne, who just released this old gem. Miss those days.
Your Bad Self was a bad ass band.
(updated my discography on the links page)
June 9, 2013
Excited to have been very busy during Spoleto (and the few weeks/months prior) this year. Super excited
to move forward with some new projects now that Spoleto is done. My new quartet playing original
instrumental music that isn't really jazz is debuting at the Tin Roof on the 18th. My existing quartet that
plays original music that is pretty much jazz is playing the Mezz on the 27th. I have a lot to be happy
about, and much work still to do.
April 23, 2013
Updated gigs page with some fun shows in the next few weeks (lots this week). Looking forward to a
few days off next week (2 days, that is), and then hopefully diving back in fully recharged and ready to
go, because it's the long slow build to Spoleto time.
March 31, 2013
New band still in the works. Hard to get the boys together since they're all badasses who play all the
time. It's sounding great, though, and I'm trying to stay focused to make it happen.
Gigs page updated with the first week of Spoleto included. Playing some nice shows during that time with
a good variety of people. Also the upcoming CJO show (in May) will be fine with Robert Lewis having
arranged the entire Porgy and Bess for the big band. Woot!
BUT FIRST! make sure you come and see Ted Hearne and Philip White on April 11th at the Halsey
Institute. R WE WHO R WE will blow your mind.
February 4, 2013
updated the sounds page for the first time in 2-1/2 years. So, there's that.
Pretty excited about a new group I'm putting together to play original instrument music that isn't quite in
the 'jazz' realm, whatever that is. I've been writing chords/melodies/grooves and the band seems to
respond well. After one rehearsal I'm already wondering where we can play out. Fun times.
teaser sample
Had fun playing the CJO concert a week ago (music of John Coltrane) and with Slowrunner at the Holy
City Pop Show on groundhog day (music of Slowrunner). So glad the Charleston Music Hall is committed
to producing concerts now. Thanks, Charles Carmody. We needed you.
January 6, 2012
Happy New Year. weee. Hope it gets better.
Trying to put together a band to play some original instrumental material that is not so much 'the jazz'. It's
been fun making demos of such things to give to people to learn my music. It's also been a wake up that I
need to write more and better and also a bit of a reality check that I need to practice. So, here we go.
2013!
Also, starting the new year with a new Monday routine wherein I'll be playing duos with Gerald Gregory
at Mercato twice a month or so. Looking forward to it.
Happy Birthday, Mike.
October 22, 2012
Whew. Swamped lately.
Looking forward to the John Cage Festival at FSU this weekend. Then taking a few days off (actually
just one day off) before the holiday rush starts setting in.
August 21, 2012
I've updated a few pages on this site. The links page now has a somewhat current discography with links
to hear the music. The projects page has lost some of the projects that no longer exist. More updates to
come.
July 30, 2012
Getting back to the grind of playing in restaurants was a challenge at first, but then I remembered I get to
play with different groups of great musicians on a pretty regular basis. It got easier after that. Also, it has
inspired me to start writing tunes. Some of these tunes will make it in the restaurants, but some of them
will make me start looking for more alternative venues in which to play less 'palatable' music. Not to say it
won't be accessible, because it will be, but to say it might take a little more engagement...
The New Music Collective is finalizing our Fall season, and it looks to be a doozie, with wonderful guests
coming to town and a few instances of us (Sam and I, who are the only ones left in town) going out of
town. Updates on that soon...
July 2, 2012
Finally feels like Spoleto is over. There was a lot of good music made during that time, and I'm inspired to
continue good music-making. Just gotta make the time.
Had a beautiful time in Asheville last week rehearsing and performing with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance
for "The Many Deaths of Edward Gorey". Looking forward to doing the same thing in Winston-Salem
next week. Never been to Winston-Salem. Coffee shop recommendations anyone?
In the meantime I'm playing all over Charleston this week, including Folly Beach Drop-In tonight (last
minute drop-in), Pourhouse tomorrow night with good friend Jessie Pritchard, The Charleston Grill a few
times, and back home at Mercato this Saturday. So come see me and I'll tell you about all the vegitarian
food I ate and local beer I drank last week.
May 1, 2012
No time! Lots of great playing opportunities, as well as art-making opportunities. Let's not forget
sandwich opportunities, too. Sleep opportunities?
I'll be in Los Angeles this weekend. To play music with Andy Akiho at Walt Disney Concert Hall. I
should be telling more people about this.
March 15, 2012
Tons of playing happening around here. New gigs at Fish and the Charleston Grill are helping me stay
motivated, which I need to be to learn the music for so many upcoming shows. The CJO Swingin' Soul
show should be a blast. Pretty funky for a big band. Also very excited for the New Music Collective
show next month. There are probably too many John Cage tribute shows happening around the country
this year, but we're still excited about presenting selections from 44 Harmonies from Apartment House
1776. Beautiful stuff.
also, allergies. blech.
January 15, 2012
New Year, same story: trying to get music out of me and into the world. Both parts of that have proven
disappointingly complex in the first few weeks of 2012, but things are looking up. Maybe it was just
necessry to be forced to reflect on all the things that happened in 2011 before the next thing could be
brought out.
Onward!
November 25, 2011
Recipe for Chickpeas Wiltrout
Ingredients:
-2 cups garbanzo beans rinsed (best results from dried beans cooked in a slow cooker until soft, but not
falling apart)
-1 large red (or yellow)onion coarsely chopped (I like big pieces, I cannot lie)
-2-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
-3 tbspns olive oil
-3 tbspns cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
-2 tbspns dill weed
-1tbspn crushed red pepper
-salt, pepper to taste
to cook:
heat olive oil in large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add minced garlic and crushed pepper, cook
until soft ,around 1 minute. Add the onion and cook 3-5 minutes until the onion is softening a bit. Add the
chickpeas and the Bragg's, stirring until heated through (I usually throw some black pepper in at this point,
too). Add the dill and stir a bit. Turn off the heat, throw in the feta and stir it up. If you want the feta to be
melty you can throw it in with the dill, but that's not really how I roll. ALSO, you can throw in a bunch of
baby spinach toward the end (for 2-3 minutes) if that's how you roll.
Super easy dish that is great as a side, snack, or accompanied by a salad and some toasted sourdough for
a light meal. Garbanzo!
November 18, 2011
Frantic few weeks coming to a close soon. And I thought it was going to be a slow month!
Next week I spend relaxing and eating turkey, but I will also be learning music! Ted Hearne's Delusion
Story has a show at Public Assembly in Williamsburg on the 29th. Then there's the Christmas Special
(which should provide some unique challenges this year since the MD is asking me to use a sampler in
addition to the drumset), and also the next New Music New Charleston show presented by the NMC.
recipe suggestions? send 'em to me at the address above. music suggestions? do the same.
September 30, 2011
It's great when friends make the world the better place without even realizing it.
practicin' practicin' practicin' practicin'
September 14, 2011
Recipe for Quinoa Wiltrout
Ingredients:
-1 cup dry quinoa
-1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
-1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
-1 large bell pepper, coarsely chopped
-1 fistful of baby spinach (or 2 fistfuls)
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 cup almonds (roasted, lightly salted), coarsely chopped
-1 cup dried cranberries
-1 tbspn crushed red pepper (seems like a lot... it is)
-2 tbspn olive oil
-1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (soy sauce substitute)
to cook:
cook the quinoa per package instructions, making sure to rinse well if indicated. I cook it in the rice
cooker using half water and half vegetable broth. set aside.
In large sauce pan or wok heat the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 1
minute or so ( I hate burnt garlic). Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes or until
they start to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the Bragg's and stir in the fistful of spinach. Cover and
cook for 2 minutes to barely wilt the spinach. Uncover and add the quinoa, chopped almonds, dried
cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese. Stir to heat and homogenize and serve in a bowl with a big spoon.
with all the goodness in this dish you could live off this as a meal alone for weeks. leftovers are great, too.
August 20, 2011
Had a great time with Ted Hearne in a sweaty sweaty space last month, and then with Asphalt Orchestra
in a very northern place. Now I'm sweating a hurricane in the South and trying to make sure I can keep
paying for my car by playing at Mercato 5 times this week. Could be much worse, for sure.
Playing a nice show in Wilmington, NC next weekend with Kim Pacheco and the Rudy Waltz. Great
singer, great band (if I do say so), hopefully some good food (I don't know WIlmington).
July 5, 2011
well, ok. let's get back on track here.
May 10, 2011
Woooo! Spring! Allergies! Music!
Tons of stuff happening. Playing a bunch for the JAC Jazz Series in May and June, and then running back
to New York to learn some new music by Ted Hearne and play with the Asphalt Orchestra at the Bang
On A Can Summer Marathon Concert. It's gonna be a good time, as long as I get some sleep at some
point.
I got to see many great friends in New York last week, as well as see some new friends play some great
music. Still love visiting that city. Still love coming home after about a week.
March 3, 2011
Garage Cuban Band is learning new stuff for our relatively busy Spring. The Tin Roof and Voodoo get to
have us over the next montha and a half. Will you have us?
Excited to be playing marimba and percussion on Slow Runner's CD Release show next weekend. Great
band putting on a great show that you should see.
Also excited about the New Music Collective Spring season which is about to start. We're presenting a
concert for Receiver Fest that includes great works of experimental music that are a challenge,
butsurprisingly fun to play.
Spring is welcome here.
January 30, 2011
Soldiering into the new year. Eh, what do I know about being a soldier.
Much music happening, and I've been writing more and forcing my tunes in front of musicians on the job.
They seem to like it, though. That's how I've been dealing with being "back to the grind" after the end of a
whirlwid 2010.
Recording some music for the Opposite of a Train's 2nd album, as well. Working title of the album is The
Metal Album, but I'm fairly sure that's just a joke (never know with these guys).
Garage Cuban Band is finally feeling real good as a quartet. Whenever we can have Nathan Koci with us
it's ideal, but that's not always possible since money is a huge object.
December 14, 2010
Eh. Let's go get a whiskey and some soup. Then we can talk about life, or just sit there and be happy to
be alive.
September 27, 2010
Working hard lately.
Good Latin Jazz gigs recently, and more to come: Gino Castillo and Tumbao are playing for the Moja
Festival finale Sunday in Hampton Park. Nice to play music a block from my house. Next Sunday Garage
Cuban Band returns to the Pourhouse. It's been a long time coming, and we think you won't have waited
in vain. Come early for pig roast and Johns Island Nortena bands on the deck.
More soon, but I need some rest.
September 4, 2010
Whew. Getting back to a relatively normal schedule after a summer of much traveling and fluctuation.
The Katrina Ballads tour was a great joy, and was received well (new york times review!). I can't
imagine what my life would be like without the opportunities to play music with those wonderful people.
Don't want to, either.
Before that the Bossa Bossa show with Leah and Duda Lucena was beautiful. I'd play anything with that
band. Beautiful players all.
Now I'm just trying to stay focused and inspired. Autumn temperatures will help...
Upcoming concerts include a Conspectus of Michael Pisaro's work with the New Music Collective,
Charleston Jazz Orchestra's Latin Night, Tumbao at Eye Level Art, and in October a glorious return of
the Garage Cuban Band to the Pourhouse. This time with roast pig!
August 4, 2010
Music is taking me places again. Some places less hot than Charleston (Western Massachusetts with the
Opposite of a Train) and other places potentially hotter than Charleston (Houston, Texas with Katrina
Ballads). I'll do whatever it takes to get to play this music with these people, though. And I'm lucky
enough to still get the chance to play great music locally as well. See you out there.
May 25, 2010
Tons of great gigs coming up which have been posted. The most urgent of which is the New Music
Collective's 5th Anniversary Concert this Saturday at Redux. It will be epic.
Also coming up are great shows for the Piccolo Spoleto Jazz Series presented by the Jazz Artists of
Charleston (Kopaja, Tommy Gill Trio, and Tumbao (an 8-piece salsa band)). The a great show in New
York at Merkin Hall with Ted Hearne, a weekend in Norfolk subbing with the Asphalt Orchestra, and
finally a week of recording Ted's music in New York. What a June, what a life.
May 14, 2010
I spent some time yesterday writing music with Bill Carson and Nick Jenkins for a show tonight at Redux.
23 Eyeballs and 1 Asshole... and Nick Jenkins is opening up for Vialka and Oicho Kabu and it should
be a rockin good time. We'll probably start around 8:30 so get there early for some seats.
April 28, 2010
Lots of exciting gigs coming up. The New Music Collective Fundraiser is this weekend, and then begins
the long buildup to Spoleto. And quickly after that I'm out of town a lot for shows. It's gonna be a wild
summer.
More news soon on the CD recently recorded with Robert Lewis and Gerald Gregory. We should be
touring soon. Really, we should.
April 3, 2010
I was fortunate to get to play for a couple Guerrilla Cuisine events in March. I highly recommend these
events to anyone interested in local foodie culture. It's a great vibe, and usually interesting people from all
over Charleston. Unfortunately for me at one of the events I lost some cymbals and a bag of percussion.
Boneheaded move on my part and I'm still kicking myself because some of the items in my bag of
percussion are irreplaceable... so it goes.
In other news I played a great show with the Tyler Ross Double Trio last week. Lee Barbour, Gerald
Gregory, and I are rehearsing some originals for a show in Columbia opening for the Specs. And I'm off
to New York next week briefly to present some of Ted Hearne's new songs at Le Poisson Rouge.
The New Music Collective Fundraiser is right around the corner. April 30th at Eye Level Art.
March 17, 2010
Also, there's a video archived on the Kennedy Center website of the Opposite of a Train's Performance
on the Millenium Stage last February. check it out
March 12, 2010
Also, some new audio available on the sounds page.
March 11, 2010
Whirlwind traveling lately. Being out of town so much the last few months has left me a little unsettled,
but I've had a great time playing music in so many new places (and ways). I'll get used to it, though,
because it's not going to stop. I don't want it to.
Good shows coming up including a Silent Music show tomorrow night, a show with Tyler Ross on March
25th, a show in New York with Ted Hearne next month.
Also, I recently recorded an album's worth of material with Robert Lewis and Gerald Gregory. It's half
originals and half standards and we're pretty happy about, so we're probably going to release it to the
public. This is the same trio that plays (mostly regularly) at Mercato, so if you've been to see us you know
how much fun we have and how the chemistry is something pretty unique.
January 10, 2010
Spent a nice chilly week in New York last week rehearsing some new music of Ted Hearne's. Always a
pleasure and a challenge with that guy. And met some new people with whom I look forward to playing
music again soon.
Voodoo Winter Jazz Series is happening soon, and the Rudy Waltz is playing on the 26th. Good fun!!
February brings much playing with the Opposite of a Train. We're playing a big show for the Halsey
Gallery on the 2nd which will have Nathan Koci, Bill Carson, and I joined by Kevin Hamilton, Clint Fore,
Wilton Elder, and Charlton Singleton, as well as Lindsay Holler, Joel Hamilton, Stefanie Underhill, Michael
Trent, and Cary Ann Hearst. The next day we're off as a trio to bring our chamber-folk-jazz to other
cities that have yet to know just what is the Opposite of a Train...
Here's to winter chills and unexpected thrills
October 15, 2009
I got to play a nice collaborative show last weekend with Jacob Wick for a project he's doing while
traveling around the country (It's called ROAD TRIP). A couple other of my Charleston friends were
involved, and we were all pretty happy about what happened. Before that (and on a totally different note)
I played with Bobby Alvarez and a band called Para Ti which was also fun. We played before a great
Richmond-based band called Bio Ritmo which is an incredibly tight and danceable band.
The Rudy Waltz is looking for a new place to play. I've played with those guys for so long it's weird not
having a gig any more.
There's a couple new things posted throughout the website. Check it out.
I need to clean my room and hang some art. Will you help me?
September 20, 2009
I'm playing a solo opening set and hopefully collaborating with my good friend Philip White for a concert
at 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, SC this coming Monday. I don't do solo sets often, so I
always look forward to the challenge of it. Plus I love seeing what Philip does, and this is another chance
for that.
September 15. 2009
The gigs get shuffled. I'm doing a show starting soon at a new restuarant/supper club called Vue with a
singer named Bob Anderson. I'm playing occasionally at Alluette's, but it's loose right now; no set group.
Things are gonna happen.
Also, I updated the "what I'm listening to" portion of my links page, for those that read such things
(thanks, mom!)
September 3, 2009
Gigs are slow, so i'm practicing and doing sessions with people to keep the juices flowing. How do you
feel about that? huh?
August 7, 2009
Here comes the Fall, and hopefully some cool weather soon. I'm looking forward to getting back to
playing with my peeps in Charleston. It's been a long summer, and I've got some ideas for what to do now
(if I can only get motivated).
July 25, 2009
Before I go on vacation I'm playing a concert in Columbia at 701CCA (for the third time this year). This
time it's a concert put together by Jason Brogan and Sam Sfirri and it's called Several Silences. I always
enjoy playing music with these guys, so I'm happy to put off vacation for one little day. The concert has
already gotten good press, partly because this music is not played very often and there are genuine
followers. Sequenza21 even gave a shout out. If you're in the area it would really be a beautiful evening
for you to show up and listen.
July 3, 2009
The heat will stop me from being me.
Lots of around town gigs coming up this month. Also, doing a show at the Charleston Music Hall. Garage
Cuban Band is playing at Voodoo Lounge on July 21st, which will be lots of fun. Just ask anyone.
Also, the Opposite of a Train CD has finally made it to iTunes! Search for it in the iTunes Store. Buy it,
review it, tell your friends, tell your enemies. Also try CD Baby (it's fun!). We're hoping to do a tour of
the East Coast in the late Fall.
June 11, 2009
oof. this has been a long few weeks, and now I've got a cold. probably due to exhaustion...
The Voodoo Lounge Jazz Series is happening again, and I will be playing with numerous groups for that
(to be finalized soon) so go check that out.
Also, I got a great book from Nathan Koci a while ago called All Over Coffee by Paul Madonna. I've just
started reading it, and love some of the poignant, yet simple, writings he throws together unrelatedly with
pencil drawings of the bay area.
"The hardest part for the living is feeling dead
And that those whom we're dead to
Keep on living."
and
"Everything takes more time, money, and effort than you think it will
Plus something you could never imagine, until you're completely immersed"
These seem to resonate with me these days...
June 1, 2009
BANG ON A CAN MARATHON OMG OMG OMG!!!!
JAC JAZZ SERIES OMG OMG OMG!!!
YOUR BAD SELF ON TOUR OMG OMG OMG!!!
i'm a little busy right now, but if you'd like to leave a message just wait for the tone...
April 14, 2009
well, my mother complained, but I just haven't had the time to do major changes here. I've been busy
co-hosting a fundraiser for the NMC, writing and playing new music in Columbia, watching friends get
married (from right behind them), releasing a CD with the Opposite of a Train, and playing a lot of gigs.
In upcoming news I'll be playing a few concerts with guitarist Tom Noren this weekend. We're playing
some Lou Harrison works for guitar and percussion, and it's great great stuff. After that I'm in Savannah
playing with the Savannah Jazz Orchestra which is always fun. Next month, I'm excited to say, Your Bad
Self will be playing at the Bang on a Can Marathon in New York. BOAC is an organization that, when I
was fresh in college, radically changed my ideas of what music could be. I'm excited to get a chance to
be a small part of that great community now.
March 1, 2009
I've played a lot the last month for the various jazz series going on around Charleston and I've had a great
time doing it all. Trying to balance that with organizational responsibilities has not been so much fun, but I
think I'm getting the hang of it.
There are some minor layout updates to this site as well as some new pictures posted here and there.
I'm still far too lazy for a complete overhaul of the site. I'll wait until my mother complains.
February 3, 2009
the Rudy Waltz totally rocked the Voodoo Jazz Series last Saturday. It was ridiculous. Women were
fighting over us, and I kid you not.
I am happy to be playing quite a bit for the local jazz series this winter. I play at either the Voodoo or
Mellow Mushroom Jazz Series or both every week for the next month. I'm looking forward to all of them,
but this coming Monday, the 9th, will be a unique group that I've not performed with before with Charlton
Singleton, Gerald Gregory, and Ben Wells. I like that kind of thing!
Thanks to everyone who came out to the NMC's presentation of Beatrix*Jar. I think everyone can agree
it was a good time. Make sure you check out White Rocket who will also be doing a workshop and
masterclass at the college on Feb 19.
January was long and difficult, and I hope everyone made it through... I also hope the prospects for life
improvement are good for youse guys (it's got to get good at some point, right?)
January 6, 2009
After a whirlwind end to 2008 that included a frantic two months culminating in a New York City
performance at the Stone with Nathan Koci and Nathan moving to that city I find myself with a lot of
time on my hands (aka very few gigs) and a lot of business to take care of (aka more responsibilities). It's
hard to stay focused. It's also hard to look forward when so many friends are moving away to bigger
things...
On January 17th Jason Brogan, Sam Sfirri and I will drive to Asheville to play a concert at Flood Gallery.
We will perform works by Mark So, Antoine Beuger, Michael Pisarro, Joe Kudirka and others. I'm
looking forward to playing at this space, which I hear is wonderful, and with these people, who I know are
wonderful.
Otherwise I'm spending most of January getting ready for the months to come with New Music
Collective events right around the corner and CD releases to be anounced soon.
December 1, 2008
Well. I recorded two albums over the weekend: One with Kim Pacheco (the Rudy Waltz as the rhythm
section) and the other with The Opposite Of A Train. The Opposite Of A Train is myself, Bill Carson,
and Nathan Koci doing original ditties that we all had wrote... well, I only had wrote one tune and that
only happened when prompted beautifully by Bill. But anyway, I'm excited about that record for sure. It's
gonna have it all.
The New Music Collective put on a great concert a few weeks ago of many world premieres and some
old classics. I made my compositional debut on the concert with a short piece for two antiphonal bass
drums, french horn, and tape and it was lots of fun. I also got to play in premieres by Sam Sfirri, Nathan
Koci, and Mustafa Walker. On top of that I got to play Nagoya Marimbas, which I really like doing. The
NMC is presenting Gutbucket this Thursday for their CD Release tour. I am in one of the opening bands
called Lavalas with Jason Brogan and Mustafa Walker. We play kind of loud and you'll love it. Also, this
sunday is the last of the Silent Music Series Concerts. I am performing a piece by James Tenney as well
as some other beautifully sparse works.
I have been busy, and busy is good. I'm pleased that there have been many recording opportunities in the
past few months. Besides the recent studio sessions there are also a couple of live recordings which are
in the process of being mixed which should be at least a little exciting. Maybe people can take me home in
recorded format soon...
October 1, 2008
It's really been a month... weird.
Just got back from New York where Nathan Koci, Bill Carson and I performed some music of Ted
Hearne at The Stone. Also performing were Eileen Mack, Chris Coletti, Taylor Levine, Matt Wright,
Miki-Sofia Cloud, and Ted himself on piano. It was a great show of brand new music that was
challenging for the listeners as well as the performers and I was glad to see familiar faces in the
audience. What a pleasure. Oh yeah, and we're called Your Bad Self.
Also last month was the culmination of a somewhat ambiguous project called The Future Is On The
Table. This has been a few years in the making, and though I never took the time to fully understand the
scope of the project I did have a fantastic time improvising with Nathan Koci, Bill Carson, and Sam Sfirri
while Aurore Gruel danced with blocks of ice. It was mesmerizing, I tell you. And there's a good chance
it will happen again in 2009.
I'm in Savannah this Friday with Dave Kain. Then Sunday Havanason is making a rare appearance at the
Hispanic Festival in North Charleston. Also Sunday is the first of the Silent Music Concerts presented by
the NMC and curated by Jason Brogan. Brogan, Koci, Sfirri, and myself will perform an hour of sparse
music which often surprises even me with its simple beauty.
AND I'm playing the South Carolina Jazz Festival again. This time with a quartet led by Robert Lewis.
WOO!!
August 27, 2008
OK!!
There is a Katrina Ballads CD Release party this Sunday at Robert Lange Studios. The CD is being
released as a digital download from New Amsterdam Records this weekend and we will be playing the
recording of the piece and having an informal chat and hang with wine and snacks starting around 7PM.
Come out and listen to the wonderful work of wonderful people (watch out, though, East Bay Street can
be a weird scene).
Also, I am on another CD that is being digitally released this week. It's called "by virtue of the fact" and
it's a bunch of improvisations by a loose collective of musicians called 'non'. Ray Evanoff organized the
group, and got the internet label Insides Music to release it on their website. You can listen to it for free
on their website.
August 14, 2008
The summer's ups and downs are almost over, giving way quietly to the fall's ups and downs. It's a good
thing I never aspired much toward a steady schedule of meaningless work. I get neither steady nor
meaningless work lately.
Voodoo Lounge's Jazz and Blues Series seemed to be well booked and well-received. Kopaja played and
the garage Cuban Band played and both were good times had by all. Voodoo has been a popular bar for a
few years, and I can say that it could easily become a popular concert venue. It's cozy enough, and the
sound is good. The bar crowd can be noisy, but hey, they're just trying to get crunk.
NMC is bringing and performing with Kenosha Kid on September 18. They are an Athens-based group
that have scored a soundtrack for a Buster Keaton silent film. It's a little bit jazz, little bit rock, whole lotta
fun.
That weekend Nathan Koci and I once again get in my car and drive to New York to play the music of
Ted Hearne. This time it's an hour-long new work for sextet and we get to perform at The Stone. I'm
excited.
July 18, 2008
R.I.P. Taras Kovayl. I can't comprehend, yet. All I can do is remember how much he loved playing
music.
July 9, 2008
Maybe it's just that it's summer, and irreverence is expected. Or maybe it's that I was so busy during
April, May, and June (not to mention March). Or maybe it's something else entirely that I'm unwilling to
admit in public, but I have been lazy lately. Well, not so much lazy as floating. I guess it's to be expected.
Spoleto was a blast. I had opportunities to play with a ton of groups, and it all went well. I was proud of
my diversity and ability to be myself in a dozen different situations. But what next?
Well, for one: I'm going to Pickens, SC at the end of the month to do some sort of collaborative
multi-disciplinary art hang at the home and studios of some great upstate artists.
Also, a bunch of the concerts for Piccolo were recorded and might be good enough to sell. Also, I
recorded an album with Robert Lewis & Fearless Jones, and that should be a lot of fun, too. Details later.
May 25, 2008
SPOLETO. I have no time to write now. Check gig updates please.
May 11, 2008
Nathan Koci recently bought a Clarinet. And I pulled out an old cymbal I thought I would never use.
Hilarity Ensued.
April 29, 2008
I Have daytimes free again! No more early mornings and late nights! Now just late nights!
Check out the play Eurydice up in North Charleston. It opened over the weekend, and I think it's gonna
be a good run. There is a full schedule up here. I'm playing the Loud Stone as well as music with Nathan
Koci and Bill Carson. If I'm not there then the great Nick Jenkins will be in my place.
Also check out the lineup for the Piccolo Spoleto Jazz Series Upstairs at Mistral. I get to play on four
different occasions with four different groups and I'm looking forward to all of them. May 27 is the Rudy
Waltz; May 29 is with David Heywood, Bert Ligon, and Craig Butterfield; June 1 is with Robert Lewis &
Fearless Jones; and June 5 is with Kopaja.
I'm also playing with two groups on the Piccolo Spoleto Cuban Block Party. Garage Cuban Band opens,
and Havanason is playing with some special guests from miami. All in all the next month and a half is
going to be a great showcase for much of the talent in Charleston, and I'm glad to be a part of that right
now. P.S. there will be another Tom Waits Show in June!
April 6, 2008
oof, it's been a long two months since last update.
Tatsuya Nakatani was here for a couple of days. He is a great cook, and a great guy... plus he's an
amazing percussionist. I spent the first two weeks of March in New York and New Haven playing
concerts of Katrina Ballads. That was an amazing experience I'll never forget. So many great people, and
such wonderful music. How does Ted Hearne do it? The recording session at Avatar Studios was
incredibly intense, but well worth the effort. Sometime soon there will be a CD of this music so everyone
can hear something that means so much to those involved.
The NMC hosted Red Light New Music two weeks ago. They were a great bunch of people that I'm
glad to have met, and their music was well received. Red Light can crash at my house any time.
There is a Fundraiser for the NMC and Theatre 99 coming up soon. Please check it out here and come
support! We need it, and you'll love it.
Lastly: Nathan Koci, Bill Carson, Nick Jenkins, and I are in the midst of rehearsing a play with Pure
Theatre. It's called Eurydice and we are playing the role of the Stones (modernized Greek Chorus) as
well writing music for the play. The play opens on April 25th and it should be wonderful.
oh wait one more: the Illuminati Outro is scheduled to play for the Charleston Jazz Society on April 27th.
Last time we were supposed to play for this organization it washed out and we lost our chance. This time
we'll make up for it. Come out (as soon as I know the venue I'll let you know.)
February 10, 2008
trying to keep it going here. Lot's of stuff coming up, but not really many regular gigs, which I like to use
as a kind of home base for my playing. I'll need to practice more...
Soon I travel to New York and New Haven for more Katrina Ballads performances and also a recording
session. Recording this great music with these great people will be an experience I don't have a precedent
for, but to which I am looking forward very much. (I'm excited)
for those of you that do read this stuff, first of all: thanks, and second of all: I'm slack and haven't updated
much in a while. Let's all pretend I'm as busy as I keep thinking I am.
January 2, 2008
a new year, yay.
I travel to Chiacago this weekend (by car, for I play drums...) to play some concerts for Ted Hearne, a
composer for whom I have much respect, and a guy for whom I have much love. We will be performing
a chamber version of Katrina Ballads, as well as another full concert for his organization Yes Is A World.
This organization is committed to bringing about social change through music, and I have no problem with
that. If you happen to be in Chicago... please come and change the world with your support.
In Charleston, I'll still be at Mistral on Tuesdays and Mercato on Fridays (when I'm not in Chicago,
anyway) and I'll also be back at Porgy's Other Place with Robert Lewis and Fearless Jones a couple
times this month and again in February and March. Fun groups all, and unique, too.
There are some videos of me floating around out there, too. Two are on YouTube Here and Here. A
couple more are on the website of a good friend, and great musician Duda Lucena. Hooray for the
interweb. Al Gore did us right on that one.
I'll look for you out there, and let's try and make this one better than the last one.
November 26, 2007
Tons of great concerts coming up this weekend. the New Music Collective is playing two concerts two
nights in a row that are completely different. Needless to say, my rehearsal schedule for this week is
fairly consuming. I've also got a gig on the 10th at Porgy's with Dave Linaburg that should be a lot of fun.
Ummm... okay, that's all I got really. Come to the concerts, they will prove to best thing you've ever
done... ever. I'll bet you money.
November 10, 2007
'Tis the Season!! No more Mondays on the beach for me. Station 22 Restaurant on Sullivan's Island has
noticed the slight slowdown in patronage from tourists and we no longer have a place to play on
Mondays. Dave Linaburg, Ben Wells, and I had a good time playing there, forging a new musical
relationship as well as eating some tasty, tasty food. On to the next thing, I suppose.
Look out for many special events in the next month. Numerous concerts including a re-emergence of the
Illuminati Outro for the CJS, back-to-back and unique concerts from the New Music Collective, and the
continuation of a new gig at Porgy's Other Place with Robert Lewis and Fearless Jones.
October 31, 2007
Well, this is the first Wednesday since July, 2006 that I am not playing at Cordavi with Kopaja (Kevin
Hamilton, Nathan Koci, and I). Unfortunately, this great restaurant on the Ass-East side of town will be
closing soon, so we're looking for a new place to call our weekly home. For now, I am somewhat content
to have a few nights off. And there's much to be preparing for in my newfound spare time. in the next
months are two shows with Brad Moranz, two shows with the New Music Collective (on back to back
nights), a concert with Frank Duvall, a concert with Kevin Hackler, a concert with the Illuminati/Outro,
and I'm starting a new gig at Porgy's Other Place with Robert Lewis. All in all, busy times. Come out and
see me, and let me know that my hair is getting too long. (yes, Kari, I'm talking to you.)
October 1, 2007
Just got back from the Savannah Jazz Festival where I got to play after Rashied Ali's Quintet (!!) with the
Savannah Jazz Orchestra featuring Vincent Herring. Vincent's a killing player and we all had a lot of fun.
Savannah's a beautiful city with a vibrant art scene, but I haven't seen much of the music scene beyond
straight-ahead jazz. Hopefully I'll get a chance to explore it more in the near future.
Next Tuesday, Oct 9th, everyone in Charleston should come to the College of Charleston and see the
Claudia Quintet. This band is the future in my opinion and I'm excited to be a part of the reason they're
coming to town. check newmusiccollective.org for more info.
Also, later this month I've got the first of what will hopefully be many gigs with robert Lewis and Frank
Duvall in a trio situation. Come out and listen.
September 21, 2007
Well, The sounds page has finally been updated. After about two years of old stuff there will now
commence a period of about two years featuring less old stuff. By the time this new stuff gets to be old
as the old stuff is now hopefully I will have a slew of other recordings that I'm proud of, or I just think are
interesting, or were fun to make.
I'm playing a concert with Bobbie Storm this Sunday. She's a great singer. I'm playing with the Savannah
Jazz Orchestra for the Savannah Jazz Festival next Saturday. The guest is saxophonist Vincent Herring.
From what I hear he's really good. It's always fun to get out of town for music, and Savannah is beautiful.
And there's a coffee shop I kind of like, too.
September 1, 2007
I'm playing a few more special concerts this month. Monday the 3rd at the communications museum
behind a man named Killick. Wednesday the 12th with Havanason at MUSC. Thursday the 13th at the
College of Charleston for Robert Lewis' faculty jazz recital. But you can still see me most nights at my
regular gigs.
I've had a chance to make numerous recordings lately with various groups, and it's kind of exciting that
some of it sounds pretty good! I'm considering compiling a few of the better moments and making it
available. It will be affordable, I assure.
Come see the NMC sponsored event on Sept 11 featuring Keefe Jackson's Fast Citizens from Chicago.
Supa great music from the heartland.
August 11, 2007
Okay: Driving to Asheville tomorrow to play for the Western North Carolina Jazz Society with Duda
Lucena. I have a couple friends who rave about playing music in Asheville, but I have yet to have those
experiences, so I'm looking forward to the trip. Also in the band is Kevin Hamilton on bass and Gerald
Gregory on piano. Some naturally musical cats, you know?
Next week is Charleston's First Annual Improvised Music Festival. Ray Evanoff has put together two
nights of a good blend of out-of-towners and local talent starting at 6PM August 17th and 18th. Come to
St Mark's on Thomas Street downtown Charleston to witness the magic... or the mayhem, depending on
how everyone feels that night.
Later this month Rich White, Jake Holwegner, and I (often referred to as the Rudy Waltz) will be playing
for the Charleston Jazz Society's monthly concert. Check the gigs page for more info on these and other
opportunities to hear me play music. Thanks.
ever wonder what people do when a gig starts much later than expected? it usually involves drinking and
occasionally involves dancing.
July 5, 2007
Well, done with Spoleto; done with vacation... now back to the grind. Luckily I love what I do. I've got
numerous steady gigs that I'm looking forward to honing over the next month: rehearsals are in order.
Kopaja is in the process of adding five or six new tunes to our book for Cordavi. It will be fun to see how
they develop over the next few weeks.
okay that's all for now. keep looking for short audio experiments on this page... if you're into that sort of
thing.... or maybe you prefer myspace.
June 14, 2007
When digging through the past one can occasionally find a gem.<>
June 11, 2007
Spoleto has come and gone again and I feel like I missed a lot. Having to work all day most days was the
culprit, which my friend Wayne Mitchum reminded me is a good thing. I always look forward to the
modern dance companies, but I am never able to make it to the performances. I did get to see Joey Baron
who has been a huge influence on my playing for about 6 years. And it was a great honor for Guy
Klucevsek, another hero of mine, to introduce me to Joey as "another great drummer." I think I even
blushed...
The premiere performance of Ted Hearne's Katrina Ballads was a powerful experience that I won't soon
forget. I felt honored to be able to play such moving music with such a wonderful group of musicians. I
look forward to being able to do it again.
I'll be around most of the summer still playing as much as I can with as much love as I can. Look for me;
I need your support.
March 27, 2007
Moving right along here.
Good times are had Tuesdays at Mistral, Wednesdays at Cordavi, and soon to be Fridays at Upstairs.
Havanason will be playing every Friday of April at this new bar above Joe Pasta. Come out and dance.
NMC Fundraiser Thursday the 5th of April. Come see the Kopaja Quintet with Bill Carson as well as the
Wiltrout/Evanoff Duo. Also come check out friends like Morimoto, Cary Ann Hearst, Quentin Baxter,
and Unbegrenzt. All have donated their talents for this night to raise money for music. YEAH!
March 2, 2007
The NMC had a concert last friday, and it went really well. The crowd was definitely appreciative of our
modest presentation of 20th century avant-garde compositions. Dulcie Livingston, Dave Linaburg and I
also performed Ray Evanoff's new composition The Scale of an Object is Relative to Perspective for
oboe, electric guitar, and marimba. It went well, but the record labels were not in attendance, and
now we'll have to wait until next concert for our big chance.
Sunday past was a second showing of the Illuminati Outro, a group comprised of Lee Barbour,
Jeremy Wolf, Nathan Koci, and myself. We played for an hour at 52.5 record shop to celebrate
their 10 years of being open. I hope for ten more, and maybe another chance to play there... it's a
great place.
Havanason will be trying to make a comeback this spring starting with a short gig at the CCPL for
their Local Blend series. Hopefully we can find a steady gig somewhere so the salsa community of
Charleston can see a live band every now and then. Also at the Local Blend series will be the
premier of Buenos Hermanos. check it out.
and check this out ).....<.>.....(
February 2, 2007
Cars are the ultimate damper on spiritual happiness. I love my car; I love to drive my car. I drive it
pretty often which means I'm using a lot of fuel... good for the economy, bad for the future. Plus
it's expensive. But the biggest expense is when you have to sink a load into repairs just so you can
continue to buy fuel and drive around happily. My car has a new engine now... and to remind me
of this my check engine light keeps coming on. "I know," I say to my car, "It's very pretty. I'm glad
you want me to look at it, but I'm driving to a gig right now." If only cars could be vain. Then all
the warning lights could be an appeal for more affection rather than to my wallet.
January 6, 2007
The holidays have ended and I have time to rethink much in my life. Music, like people, must
change, and I am endeavouring to understand the next necessary step in my life as a musician as
well as the next step in my life in general. Stubbornness will not get me through this time.
I also plan to change, or just add to, this website with more up-to-date sound files and streamline
the projects page so that some of the groups that haven't played for more than two years can be
made more difficult to find. I've also updated the little tidbits here and there. In the meantime I am
also more or less in charge of updating the content on the New Music Collective's website, so you
can find out more about me there. Numerous big concerts are planned for the rest of our season
and you should come to all of them, if possible.
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a great band called Dragons 1976. Their music made me
excited about the possibilities of the world, and I hope the inspiration will not soon wear off.
Impermanence is something that many musicians battle either consciously (with recordings) or
subconsciously (with anxiety and the need to constantly be playing) and the past year has shown
me that dealing with it consciously can be much more rewarding... so I'm going to record more,
dig? see you out there.
October 25, 2006
Cordavi was recently featured in Esquire Magazine as one of the top 20 new restaurants in the
country. Check it out, and check out the fact that Kopaja plays there every Wednesday evening at
9 o'clock. Cordavi uses this night to present special prices on a selection of their wonderful food,
so everyone wins.
Last weekend I played with Dave Linaburg at the first annual South Carolina Jazz Festival. We
played away from the main stage, however, in a restaurant that used to be a Quincy's. Though we
were technically playing for the festival it felt more like we were playing for the regular Saturday
night buffet customers... Hopefully Dave's tunes helped with their digestion (I believe they would
need the help.) Jake Holwegner agreed that it was the most bizarre gig we've played.
New Music Collective concert November 3rd. Be there. For me?
October 1, 2006
I saw a group called the Young and the Restless last night (which consists of Dave Linaburg,
Gerald Gregory, and Nick Jenkins) and I loved it. Everyone should see them, because they are
making new music in Charleston, and it's great.
I am getting ready for a fairly busy fall, but I can't help but to relax every now and then and enjoy
this beautiful weather. When I am working, though, I am playing with Kopaja (with Kevin
Hamilton and Nathan Koci) and the Rudy Waltz (with Rich White and Jake Holwegner) and getting
ready for the New Music Collective's next concert at Redux on November 3rd. drop me a line and
ask me what's what: ronnus@RonWiltrout.com
August 25, 2006
A life in transition leads to interesting music. I've got many new musical prospects on the horizon,
including a few improvised gigs with Dave linaburg, Jason Brogan, Michael Hanf, and Keiran
Daly. Kopaja is still playing at Cordavi on Wednesdays. The Rudy Waltz is still playing at Mistral
on Tuesdays, and the line-up for that has been changing weekly and including such local
luminaries as Taras Kovayl, Rich White, Jeremy Wolf, and Jake Holwegner. I'm working on new
techniques for playing percussion/drums with and without electronics, and I'm trying to figure out
how to efficiently wire my computer and recording interface equiplment for ease-of-use (and to get
rid of the sympathetic pops from the dryer.) Good times all-around.
July 2, 2006
The summer has brought me quite a bit of time for reflection and practice. More than anything,
though, I want to get out and play music. This month will see the debut of a new project with Kevin
Hamilton and Nathan Koci called Kopaja (Koe-pah'-jah). Wednesday, July 5th we'll be at Cordavi
on North Market near the Customs House, downtown Charleston, SC. Hopefully, this will be a
regular Wednesday night thing, but the first night will be a good time no matter what, so please
come out and hear what we've been working on. In other news, the New Music Collective will be
participating in an art show/event in the upstate of SC in the first week of August. This will be at
the childhood home of Shelby Davis, and will coincide with the last week Shelby and NMC
founder Philip White will be on the East Coast. Philip White, NMC co-founder, will be attending
Mills College in the fall. You might not make it to this show, but you should say 'hi' to Philip before
he leaves.
June 5, 2006
A month of chaos has ended and left me wandering around my house anxiously trying to focus on
the next thing. One of the next things is Nathan Koci and I playing at the CCPL Local Blend series
Sunday June 11th at 3pm. Should be a good combination of improvised goodness and worked out
minimalistic schtuff and possibly a backwards loop or two. In the meantime I'm spending all my
money and thinking about how to get more, and also playing music.
May 12, 2006
The endless string of ridiculous gig cancellations continues. These people don't seem to know how to even
act professional. Since when did music become such a throw away commodity that musicians can be
given no notice (!) and never a good reason for cancelling a gig?
In the meantime, on with the show: Tonight, Friday the 12th of May, Havanason is playing for the North
Charleston Arts Festival/Latin American festival in Mead/Westvaco Park. Free block party with lots of
food. This Sunday the New Music Collective hosts the Nomos String Trio from NYC at the Halsey
Gallery of CofC.
-April 30, 2006
May's gigs posted. Bunch of stuff coming up this month. Please come to the New Music Collective's
various concerts throughout the month. Also, on May 11th check out some friends of mine playing at
Redux: Ruby Rosa, and Bill Carson. Ruby Rosa is the project of Clay Ross and Krystle Warren... hey, I'll
be there!
-April 19, 2006
Oak Steakhouse no longer requires the services of my Cuban band Havanason, but we will be looking for
a new, better place to play soon. With all these gig cancellations I have to wonder if maybe some kind of
change is due for my lifestyle. Maybe now is the time to start hustling a little harder for better gigs, and
trying to keep them longer (with methods in addition to playing good music.) Or maybe now is the time to
start pushing specific projects harder for bigger gigs and touring. Or maybe now is the time to get a job
with a little bit more security and use the little time I will have on the side to push one or two projects
hard. Either way, this has a been a stressful month and I will be glad when it's over.
-April 9, 2006
lots of news: Wedensdays at J.Paul'z and Sundays at Lite Affair have both been "temporarily" put on hold
until crowds get bigger and people buy more drinks... Not many people in Charleston, SC come out to
hear good music and spend a lot of money, so what are we to do? we'll cope somehow.
The New Music Collective has finally settled on a date and venue for our upcoming String Trio concert.
May 14th at the Halsey Institute of CofC we will be hosting a trio out of NYC headed by David Medine.
They will play some, and we will play some with them.
In the meantime I am going to Las Vegas with jake Holwegner to play some Bulgarian fusion music with
Angel Gadzhev. Next Friday, April 21, Lee Barbour and I will be opening for Cyro Baptista's Beat The
Donkey at the Pour House in Charleston. I doubt I'll see any familiar faces in Vegas, but please come to
the show at the Pour House.
-Febreuary 25, 2006
Video page updated. Gigs added to gigs page. Projects are getting individual pages with lots of info
(maybe). More updates coming this weekend, but I'm about to be late to a rehearsal, so I'll write more
later. ciao.
-January 22, 2006
A ton of new gigs added to my schedule for the upcoming months. February will bring the onset of steady
wendesdays at J.Paul's on Maybank Highway with Lee Barbour and Jeremy Wolf as well steady
Thursdays with singer Quiana Parlor at Toucan Reef; and the debut of the Easy Way To Quit Smoking
sundays at Lite Affair (on the square). Right away in February, though, the New Music Collective will
start the 2006 concert/event season with a huge concert on February 3rd. see below and the NMC
website for more info. Come out and see some music, people...
-January 9, 2006
Okay the holidays are gone and now sets in the long hard doldrums of January... call me anytime, odds
are good I won't be on a gig. But I will be preacticing, for there is much excitement on the horizon.
February 3rd is the next big concert for the New Music Collective. Guests from NYC as well as two
pieces written for the NMC, one of which a world premiere!!
In the meantime, Cuban music still happens at Oak on Fridays and the Rudy Waltz, that not-so-famous
not-so-jazz power trio, continues to play at Mistral every Tuesday. Also soon to debut publicly is the duo
project with Lee Barbour that is The Easy Way To Quit Smoking.
-December 2, 2005
Holiday times are busy times... and it takes so long to get anywhere due to consumerism run rampant.
But that is a forum for some other place. Christmas Special is underway. Get tickets and bring the family.
The New Music Collective is planning a fundraiser at Redux on December 16th to help bring some
fantastic musicians to town for our February concert (tentatively Feb 3) including David Cossin and Jody
Redhage.
In other news: Havanason every Friday night at Oak! They have opened up the second floor for dancing,
and have even brought in dance instructors to help those interested in learning to dance Salsa and
Cha-Cha and other Cuban favorites... Look for some new video soon of the Empty Words Ensemble's
first gig. Embrace the cold, it's good for you.
-October 30, 2005
Philip White's event, A Separate Reality, at the Humanities Center last Friday was a success. Thanks to
all who came to the show (there a lot of you) and thanks to Quentin Baxter for being a beautiful person
and a non-stop giver of much appreciated support.
On a different note: the Tea Cult of Japan, comprised of Kevin Hamilton, Lee Barbour, and myself, has
lost its gig at Meritage. This wednesday, November 2, will be the last time we play at Meritage. We see
this as a chance to move on to bigger and better things, so never fear, you die hard fans (you know who
you are), we will play again. But in the meantime, please come out and support us for our last show at the
spot in which the band was born.
-September 20, 2005
The New Music Collective concerts of the past week went very well. Thanks to all who came out on the
15th. It was small crowd, but an attentive crowd, and that's what we like.
Also of note: Kevin Hamilton's name suggestion for the band on Wednesdays at Meritage has stuck; we
are now called the Tea Cult of Japan. Our crowd is growing, and there are more familiar faces every
week. Keep coming back! We try to add a new song every week, and it looks like Kevin is bringing
electronics now!!
also: There is now a video page!! You should go there now!
-September 5, 2005
I've been driving too much lately... need to stay in town more. Big news is the upcoming concerts of the
New Music Collective. Three in less than a week's time! Saturday the 10th at the Gibbes Museum's
birthday bash; Sunday the 11th at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Avondale; and Thursday the
15th at the College of Charleston Recital Hall. Each concert program builds on the one before it, so you
can come to all three and support new music in Charleston.
-August 18, 2005
Somewhat overdue updates happening over this weekend. The gigs page is up to date with a new page of
archives. The sounds page still needs to be redone, but I have yet to get motivated to do that. A ton of
New Music Collective shows coming up in the next few months. Numerous requests have come in and
that makes us feel confident that we are getting new music out there (exciting.) Still haven't heard about
it? Check their website and my own projects and sounds page for more info.
Also: please come see my friends and I play music!! We may not ask you in person, but we would
very much like it to be an implicit invitation no matter who you are.
-July 23, 2005
Minor updates to the links, projects, and gigs page today. I plan on redoing the sounds page in the coming
weeks, but first I have t figure out where I will be for the next few months of my life. All is well, though.
T
he New Music Collective's next concert will be September 15th at the College of Charleston Recital Hall.
Works by Alvin Lucier, Steve Reich, Ted Hearne, Philip White, Takemitsu, and more. Also look for
information about an October concert at the Humanities Center with music by Philip White: The Army of
Darkness.
-July 8, 2005
Last night was another successful gig for the Empty Words Ensemble. Nothing but positive feedback so
far makes me wonder if maybe we should be a little more active in booking this group... Thanks to Ray
Evanoff for inviting us to play and playing with us. Thanks to Rick Zender at the John Rivers
Communications Museum for giving us a space to play. Thanks to Lee Barbour and Joseph Peaks for the
support and kind words. Tony Prete, you are the man.
-July 1, 2005
Summer is here, and it's time to reflect. Now that Spoleto is over and done I've got more time than I
know what to do with... well, actually I've got plenty to do. The new gig with Kevin and Lee is working
towards a cohesive sound (we're actually rehearsing now.) The Empty Words Ensemble has its second
gig coming up on the 7th. The New Music Collective is in the process of becoming Not For Profit, as well
as planning and programming the fall concerts (check for info on those in the near future.) And on top of
all this: I get to practice!
Philip White is right now mixing a higher quality recording we did of his fifteen part suite "A Dream
Sequence." The plan is to create a DVD with Kevin Taylor's film. Information is forthcoming.
Thanks to all my friends in NYC. Your hospitality was appreciated and will not be forgotten.
-June 12, 2005
The Empty Words Ensemble's premiere performance went really well. It was a small but receptive
audience at the Library's auditorium. It was great to play spontaneous music in a small, clean, controlled
environment. It made every note and gesture we played that much more important (because it could
actually be heard). And we could do so much with the nuances of sound. We're going to look into doing
more concerts there with the New Music Collective.
Thanks to Kevin Crothers for his help. Thanks to Pierre from Quebec City for his kind words about our
music. practicin' practicin' practicin' practicin' to Rani Boyle for being supportive and just downright cool.
The heat will stop me from being me.
-June 2, 2005
Spoleto is here, and I've never been as busy. Check out the gigs page to see where I'll be.
My new gig at Meritage with Kevin Hamilton and Lee Barbour is a blast! We never quite know what's
going to happen which keeps us on our toes. Playing with these guys is a challenge and a joy. And it can
only get better.
More music has been posted on the Sounds page!! Recordings from recent concerts with the New Music
Collective. The concerts went great and were received better than we imagined.The heat will stop me
from being me.The heat will stop me from being me.
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