In this episode, the ICEcast interviews Eckardt about poet Laura Mullen’s influence on Undersong, how one sets a poem without a strict structure to music, and why he continues to make music in trying times.

• —James Delancey, Sr. was a chief justice and later Lieutenant Governor of colonial New York, and a staunch British loyalist. The Delancey is a gorgeous downtown lounge, spread over three floors, including a rooftop garden.
• —James Delancey presideded over the trial of journalist Peter Zenger, who was tried for libel against New York’s infamously corrupt governor William Cosby. ICE will preside over the hottest party of the summer at The Delancey on Tuesday, June 28.
• —Zenger’s lawyer, Alexander Hamilton, made a passionate argument that it was the jury’s duty to oppose New York’s harsh and oppressive libel law at the time; Hamilton won a not guilty verdict, over Delancey’s objections. You won’t have to fight hard to get libations at our party, because there’ll be four open bars. We’ll also have empanadas.
• —The case set important precedents in U.S. law for the freedom of the press we enjoy today. ICE’s roof party will help support the ICElab program, which premiered this spring with three free concerts.

Thus ends your history lesson for today. Come celebrate freedom of the press (and ICElab, of course) at The Delancey with drinks, empanadas, a set from DJ Phil Moffa, a silent auction, and more on Tuesday, June 28. Tickets are going fast, so get yours now.

Take a listen to this episode of the ICEcast below for a preview of the music (and the empanadas) we’ll share on Tuesday. See you there!

We recently sat down with ICElab composer Nathan Davis to discuss his writing process, on the eve of the release of his new album on New Focus Recordings, The Bright and Hollow Sky.

In this episode of the ICEcast, Nathan tells us about composing for his friends in ICE, pulling inspiration from author Italo Calvino, dadaist Hugo Ball, and Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert, in addition to what it’s like for a professional percussionist & composer to try to make notes on a bassoon.

Hear selections from the new record, as well as New York and World Premiere compositions by Davis, performed live at our next free ICElab concert at (le) Poisson Rouge on May 31, 2011. To make reservations, e-mail ice@lprnyc.com.

We are pleased to announce that our recently recorded ICElab concert will be available via FREE streaming HD video beginning at 2pm tomorrow (Friday, April 29th). Tune in to www.iceorg.org at 2pm tomorrow or anytime after to check it out!

Check out photos from the session here. Program listed below:

Phyllis Chen: Beneath a Trace of Vapor, for flute and electronics (2011)

Eric Lamb, flute

Phyllis Chen: Glass Clouds We Have Known for flute, bass clarinet, sound bowls, toy piano, piano, with electronics and video (2011) WORLD PREMIERE

Eric Lamb
Joshua Rubin
Cory Smythe
Phyllis Chen
Robert Dietz, video

Steve Lehman: Manifold for saxophone, flute, clarinet, and live electronics (2010, Rev. 2011) WORLD PREMIERE

Steve Lehman, saxophone, computer processing
Eric Lamb, flute
Joshua Rubin, clarinets
Nathan Davis, computer processing

Mario Diaz de León: The Flesh Needs Fire for flute, clarinet and electronics (2007)

Claire Chase, flute
Joshua Rubin, clarinet

Mario Diaz de León: Aurum II for guitar, drums and electronics (2010)

Mario Diaz de León, guitar
Nathan Davis, drums

Sound engineering and recording by Joshua Rubin

]]> http://www.iceorg.org/icecast/2011/04/the-show-must-go-on-photos-from-the-recording-session/feed/ 0 http://www.iceorg.org/icecast/2011/04/the-show-must-go-on-ice-streams-starting-friday/ http://www.iceorg.org/icecast/2011/04/the-show-must-go-on-ice-streams-starting-friday/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:17:06 +0000 rafiq http://www.iceorg.org/icecast/?p=763 We were deeply saddened by the news that our performance tonight at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis has been canceled due to severe financial difficulties at the theater. We have a series of brand new works, all commissioned through our ICElab program, that we had planned to perform at The Southern, including what would have been the Minnesota Premieres of Aurum II (2010) and The Flesh Needs Fire (2009) by Mario Diaz de León, Manifold (2011) by Steve Lehman, and the World Premieres of Glass Clouds We Have Known (2011) and Beneath a Trace of Vapor (2011) by Phyllis Chen.

But the show must go on. We’ve partnered with Meerkat Media to bring the music to you, in Minneapolis or wherever you may be. We’re going to be recording in HD tonight from our Brooklyn studio, and plan to release the results for online streaming starting this Friday, April 29th. Details for viewing the performance will be released on our homepage on Thursday, April 28th.

Read about the cancellation at Minnesota Public Radio, and check out this glowing preview (written before the cancellation was announced) in the Star Tribune.

Here are a couple of shots of ICE rehearsing Glass Clouds:

While we are on the subject of Du Yun, you really shouldn’t miss her first release under her pop diva alter ego, duYun; Shark In You is out now on the New Focus Recordings imprint.

Also, here is a video of the ICE flute duo of Claire Chase and Eric Lamb performing Marcos Balter’s Edgewater:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GdtdmG4QIo

…and you want to hear more flute music? Listen to pneApnea by Nathan Davis, as performed by Claire Chase.

Space for Saturday’s event is limited; make your reservations now at the MCA’s website. Hope to see you then!

We’re pumped to continue our #ICElab residency with the world premiere of IMPOSSIBLE FLOW by ICElab composer Steve Lehman, which you can hear at our FREE performance at (le) poisson rouge tonight.

Photo by Willie Davis

We’ve been devoting this blog almost exclusively to related posts for the past month; simply scroll down and check out the interviews, guest posts, photographs, and even the B-movie style trailer.

Again, don’t take our word for it: The New York Times featured this show as a Critic’s Pick! Steve Smith writes:

“This innovative new-music group constantly seeks out both fresh repertory and novel situations in which to showcase it; ICELab, a new incubation program, culminates in free events at a cozy, snazzy Greenwich Village nightclub. This concert features the premiere of “Impossible Flow” by Steve Lehman, a saxophonist and composer whose substantial modern-jazz credentials inform his brainy concert-music creations. ”

Again, this is a FREE event! Simply RSVP to ice@lprnyc.com with your name and the number in your party, and specify that you’d like to attend the April 19th ICElab show.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you tonight!

ICElab: Impossible Flow | Music of Steve Lehman

(le) Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker Street
New York, NY
Free admission; reservations strongly encouraged

This ICElab concert spotlights an evening-length new work by Steve Lehman, Impossible Flow, tailor-made for ICE. Long known as a virtuosic saxophone player at the center of New York’s experimental jazz scene, Steve Lehman has also developed a reputation as a brilliant composer. His 2009 album Travail, Transformation, and Flow was placed on an unprecedented 30 Top-Ten lists of jazz and experimental albums around the world. Meanwhile his work with composers Tristan Murail and Anthony Braxton, and his extensive experience in electroacoustic media, have yielded a musical style at the frontiers of contemporary concert music and experimental jazz.

Steve Lehman (b. 1978): Impossible Flow: for flute, alto saxophone, clarinet, horn, trombone, piano, double bass, drums and percussion (2011) WORLD PREMIERE
1. Impossible Flow: Prologue (2011) for flute, clarinet, horn, trombone, piano, double bass, drum set and percussion
2. Baltimore/Berlin (2008) for clarinet, trombone, piano, double bass, drum set
3. For McCoy Tyner, Tristan Murail, Anthony Braxton and Alexander Scriabin (2011) for alto saxophone and piano
4. Impossible Flow: Epilogue (2011) for alto saxophone

Steve Lehman’s new ICElab work, Impossible Flow, is commissioned jointly by the Manhattan New Music Project and ICE.

About ICElab
ICElab is the International Contemporary Ensemble’s new model for commissioning, developing, and performing new music, designed to nurture the essential composer-performer collaboration through which groundbreaking musical ideas emerge.

ICElab receives leading support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, alongside generous funding from the Greenwall Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Steve Lehman’s new ICElab work,Impossible Flow, is commissioned jointly by the Manhattan New Music Project and ICE.

B-movie style trailer and program info below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m74-DzD0BTQ

ICElab: Impossible Flow | Music of Steve Lehman

(le) Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker Street
New York, NY
Free admission; reservations strongly encouraged

This ICElab concert spotlights an evening-length new work by Steve Lehman, Impossible Flow, tailor-made for ICE. Long known as a virtuosic saxophone player at the center of New York’s experimental jazz scene, Steve Lehman has also developed a reputation as a brilliant composer. His 2009 album Travail, Transformation, and Flow was placed on an unprecedented 30 Top-Ten lists of jazz and experimental albums around the world. Meanwhile his work with composers Tristan Murail and Anthony Braxton, and his extensive experience in electroacoustic media, have yielded a musical style at the frontiers of contemporary concert music and experimental jazz.

Steve Lehman (b. 1978): Impossible Flow: for flute, alto saxophone, clarinet, horn, trombone, piano, double bass, drums and percussion (2011) WORLD PREMIERE

1. Impossible Flow: Prologue (2011) for flute, clarinet, horn, trombone, piano, double bass, drum set and percussion
2. Baltimore/Berlin (2008) for clarinet, trombone, piano, double bass, drum set
3. For McCoy Tyner, Tristan Murail, Anthony Braxton and Alexander Scriabin (2011) for alto saxophone and piano
4. Impossible Flow: Epilogue (2011) for alto saxophone

Steve Lehman’s new ICElab work, Impossible Flow, is commissioned jointly by the Manhattan New Music Project and ICE.

About ICElab
ICElab is the International Contemporary Ensemble’s new model for commissioning, developing, and performing new music, designed to nurture the essential composer-performer collaboration through which groundbreaking musical ideas emerge.

ICElab receives leading support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, alongside generous funding from the Greenwall Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Steve Lehman’s new ICElab work,Impossible Flow, is commissioned jointly by the Manhattan New Music Project and ICE.

photo by Ken Micallef

Our friend, composer Rafiq Bhatia, recently interviewed saxophonist and ICElab composer Steve Lehman (you may have heard of him recently). On this episode of the ICEcast, we feature selections from their conversation about rhythm, time, playing what you write, and writing what you want to play.

Be sure to catch ICE as we perform the world premiere of Steve’s Impossible Flow at (le) Poisson Rouge on April 19, 2011 — tickets are free, send an e-mail to reserve yours!