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Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 8:30 PM
THEO BLECKMANN/BEN MONDER DUO
New
York-based singer, composer and performance artist Theo Bleckmann and guitarist Ben
Monder have been collaborating for over 15 years. Bleckmann and Monder
first started working together in '94 as a duo and have since been playing
together in many different contexts including Mr. Monder's quartet
("Excavation" Arabesque, and "Oceana") and Mr. Bleckmann's
"origami" (Songlines) as well as in trio with Satoshi Takeishi and
with percussionist John Hollenbeck on "no images" (CRI).
As a duo they have toured the US, Europe and Asia. Their
repertoire consists mostly of originals, stretching the boundaries of what is
possible technically, musically, and compositionally. Their first CD as a duo
in 1996, "no boat" (Songlines) was released to critical acclaim by
the Village Voice calling it "...a disc of imperturbable cool worthy of
the Bill Evans Trio" by Kyle Gann.
The emphasis throughout their work is on expression, intensity,
freedom and interdependence: the male voice (sometimes multiplied by live
electronics) is also an instrument, engaged with Mr. Monder in building up
layers and creating textures that blur boundaries between sound and song,
improvisation and composition. Their continued collaborations on both
Bleckmann's "Origami" and Monder's "Excavation" and
"Oceana" have garnered great critical acclaim world-wide.
Phil DiPietro from All About
Jazz wrote about "Excavation": "...a searing unison
interplay between Monder and Bleckmann - either they rehearsed this passage for
months or they have developed a familial telepathy from their years of
collaboration."
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Gowanus Jazz Fest. All Rights Reserved.