Ken Vandermark - Momentum 5: Stammer (triptych) December 10, 2021 Catalytic-Sound

Taking Pre-Orders Now! Composer and reedist Ken Vandermark premiers an ambitious new large ensemble project featuring musicians drawn from across a wide swath of the current improvised and experimental music scenes. Called, "Momentum 5: Stammer (triptych)," it is the fifth installment in his ongoing Momentum series, and the first specifically organized to utilize visual materials. The composition is inspired in part by Alvin Lucier's piece, "I Am Sitting in a Room," and Tony Conrad's, "Film Feedback."

In addition to Vandermark, the ensemble features contributions from some of the most exciting musicians and artists working today: Kim Alpert (visuals), Tim Barnes (percussion), Katinka Kleijn (cello), Damon Locks (samples/electronics), Nick Macri (basses), Lou Mallozzi (recordings/electronics), claire rousay (percussion), and Mars Williams (saxophones/little instruments). "Stammer (triptych)" will be officially released in a limited edition by Audiographic Records on December 10th.

1. Track 1

2. Track 2

3. Track 3

4. Track 4

5. Track 5

Composition by Ken Vandermark (Twenty First Mobile Music/ASCAP-Cien Fuegos)

Music performed and improvised by:

Kim Alpert – visuals

Tim Barnes – percussion (left channel)

Katinka Kleijn – cello

Damon Locks – samples/electonics (right channel)

Nick Macri – basses

Lou Mallozzi – recordings/electronics (left channel)

Claire Rousay – percussion (right channel)

Ken Vandermark – reeds (right channel)

Mars Williams – saxophones/little instruments (left channel)

Recorded by Dave Zuchowski at Elastic Arts, Chicago on November 14th, 2019.

Mixed by Dave Zuchowski at One Room Studio.

Mastered by Dave Zuchowski at One Room Studio.

Design by Fede Peñalva

Photographs by Ricardo Adame

Thanks to the musicians; to Dave Rempis and the staff at Elastic Arts; to Fede Peñalva his assistance at Audiographic Records; to Dave Zuchowski for engineering work above and beyond; to Mark Rigley for keeping time; to Sam Clapp for the proofreading skills, to Nate Wooley’s driving, discussion, and DJ skills; and to the listeners.

PRE ORDER

Mars Williams Presents An Ayler Xmas Vol. 5 (December 3, 2021 Astral Spirits)

1. The Divine Peacemaker Plays Dreidel In Frightful Weather

2. The Angels Sing With The Old & New Ghosts In The Manger

3. Did You Hear They Found Light In Darkness

Mars Williams - Sax, Suona, Toy Instruments

Josh Berman - Cornet

Jim Baker - Piano, Viola, Arp Synth

Brian Sandstrom - Bass, Guitar, Trumpet

Steve Hunt - Drums

Peter Maunu - Violin

Kent Kessler - Bass (Tracks 1 & 2)

Krzysztof Pablan - Bass (Track 3)

Track 1 & 2 Recorded by: Dave Zuchowski 7/28/21

Track 3 Recorded Live at Constellation Chicago 12/19/20

Mixed & Mastered by: Hermey at Island Of Misfit Toys Studios

Design by Rich Good

TRACK 1 CONTAINS MUSIC WRITTEN BY ALBERT AYLER (BMI) “Divine Peacemaker” (Railroad Town Music / BMI) Additional Songs: “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” By Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne © Imagem Music /Cahn Music and Chappell and Co. / Producers Music Publishing Co.

TRACK 2 CONTAINS MUSIC WRITTEN BY ALBERT AYLER (BMI) “Ghosts” (Railroad Town Music / BMI) “New Ghosts” © Spurt Music (BMI); Railroad Town Music / BMI) Additional Songs: “Feliz Navidad” By: José Feliciano © BMG Gold Songs / J&H Publishing

TRACK 3 CONTAINS MUSIC WRITTEN BY ALBERT AYLER (BMI) “Light In Darkness” (Railroad Town Music / BMI) Additional Songs: “Do You hear what I Hear” By: Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker (Jewel Music Publishing Co. Inc.)

ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY SONGS: PUBLIC DOMAIN MUSIC ARRANGED BY: MARS WILLIAMS (Music From Mars /BMI)

PREORDER

Mars Williams - Mars Williams presents: An Ayler XMas Vol 2 (2018)

Saxophonist Mars Williams is most famous as a member of The Psychedelic Furs, but has proven his jazz bona fides with Peter Brötzmann and Ken Vandermark, and while guiding Liquid Soul and Hal Russell's NRG Ensemble, to name just a few. (His rock CV is also varied, including Akron New Wave band The Waitresses and work with Billy Idol, Ministry, Massacre, and many more.) He also leads the Albert Ayler tribute band Witches & Devils, and out of their holiday concerts grew a unique tradition.

One look at this album's track titles and you'll understand the concept here. One listen and you'll hear that, as odd as that concept may seem, it's brilliantly effective, with the disparate melodies working together in their common projection of joy and celebration. And it's worth noting that Williams's worlds collide on track 3 here, featuring The Waitresses' biggest hit, "Christmas Wrapping", on which Williams played on the original recording. 
After enjoying “An Ayler Xmas” Vol. 1 last year, ESP invited him to make vol. 2 a co-release of Williams's Soul What label and ESP-Disk', the top Ayler label.

Mars will be supporting the release with both Witches & Devils' annual Xmas show and tours in the U.S. and Europe using renowned local musicians.

Tracks 1, 3, 4 recorded live at The Hungry Brain, Chicago 

Featuring: WITCHES & DEVILS 

Mars Williams – Saxes, Toy Instruments 

Josh Berman – Cornet 

Fred Lonberg-holm - Cello 

Jim Baker – Piano, Arp Synth, Viola 

Kent Kessler - Bass 

Brian Sandstrom – Bass, Guitar, Trumpet 

Steve Hunt – Drums, Percussion 

Jeb Bishop, trombone (track 1 only) 

Tracks 2, 5 recorded live at Porgy & Bess, Vienna, Austria 

Featuring: 

Mars Williams – Sax, Toy Instruments 

Thomas Berghammer - Trumpet 

Hermann Stangassinger - Bass 

Didi Kern – Drums, Percussion 

Christof Kurzmann – lloopp, vocals 

TRACKS 1,2 CONTAIN MUSIC WRITTEN BY: 

ALBERT AYLER (Syndicore/BMI) 

TRACK 3 CONTAINS MUSIC WRITTEN BY: 

ALBERT AYLER (BMI) © Spurt Music (BMI) 

CHRIS BUTLER (Future Fossil Music / BMI) 

TRACKS 4 CONTAINS MUSIC WRITTEN BY: 

ALBERT AYLER (Syndicore/BMI) 

KATHERINE K. DAVIS (EMI MILLS MUSIC / ASCAP) 

TRACK 5 CONTAINS MUSIC WRITTEN BY: 

ALBERT AYLER (ROUND HILL MUSIC / BMI) 

HOLIDAY SONGS: PUBLIC DOMAIN 

ARRANGED BY: MARS WILLIAMS (Music From Mars /BMI) 

TRACKS 1, 3, 4 

RECORDED, MIXED & MASTERED BY: DAVE ZUCHOWSKI 

TRACK 2, 5 

RECORDED BY: Porgy & Bess, Vienna 

DESIGN BY: RICH GOOD 

SOUL WHAT RECORDS / ESP disk'

SWR 0004

1. XMAS MEDLEY 15:15

2. O TANNENBAUM - SPIRITS - 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (VIENNA) 11:35

3. LOVE CRY - CHRISTMAS WRAPPING 04:41

4. CAROL OF THE DRUM - BELLS - O COME EMMANUEL - JOY TO THE WORLD 17:24

5. UNIVERSAL INDIANS - WE WISH YOU A MERRY XMAS (VIENNA) 04:49

www.marswilliams.com

Mars Williams / Tollef Østvang - Painted Pillars (STONE FLOOR RECORDS 2018)

Mars Williams is an open-minded musician, who commutes easily between free jazz, funk, hip-hop and rock. Despite his busy touring schedule with Liquid Soul and The Psychedelic Furs, he is an active collaborator with improvisers such as Ken Vandermark, Jim Baker, Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang, Kent Kessler, Joe McPhee, Dave Rempis and Paal Nilssen-Love.

Norwegian drummer Tollef Østvang is a key figure in Trondheim's jazz environment, and has established himself in recent years as an active musician at home and abroad. He collaborates frequently with improvisers like Joe McPhee, John Dikeman and Martin Küchen. Over the past few years he has established a close connection to the Chicago scene.

In Spring 2017, they teamed up for a series of shows in the US, EU & Scandinavia. Here captured on the live recording “Painted Pillars”, from Artacts ‘17 in St. Johann, Austria.

This collaboration is a powerful, spontaneous and unpredictable duo constantly searching for new and unheard musical landscapes.

1. Mental Chaos (06:52)

2. Painted Pillars (17:48)

3. Wandering Eyes (14:48

Mars Williams - saxophones and toy instruments

Tollef Østvang - drums and percussion

Mars Williams Presents: An Ayler Xmas (2017)

Mars Williams presents: An Ayler Xmas 

(The Music of Albert Ayler & Songs of Chrismas) 

For many years Witches & Devils, the long-running Albert Ayler tribute band led by saxophonist Mars Williams, have existed mostly as an excuse to get together and perform an annual Chicago holiday concert. 

For these memorable concerts, Williams merges a variety of Christmas songs with the indelible repertoire of free-jazz titan Ayler, who brought a scalding intensity to tunes rooted in gospel and spirituals. It may sound silly, but the performances are no joke, and they produce a seriously joyful noise. The band tackles warhorses like “O Tannenbaum” and “12 Days of Christmas” in the same smoldering fashion as their take on Ayler: the rhythm section bubbles and generates a kind of levitating intensity during the wonderfully expressive, multilinear theme statements, while the horns state familiar melodies in loose cries and the embellished lines of each player pull apart and coalesce in a naturalistic frenzy. Williams designs clever medleys that appropriate the pulse and feel of particular Ayler tunes as the band rips through a greatest-hits lineup of holiday tracks. - Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

1. Ma'oz Tzur (Hanukkah) - Truth Is Marching In - Jingle Bells 14:21

2. O Tannenbaum - Spirits - 12 Days Of Xmas 08:34

3. Angels We Have Heard On High - Omega Is Alpha 08:34

Mars Williams – Saxes, Toy Instruments

Josh Berman – Cornet

Fred Lonberg-holm - Cello

Jim Baker – Piano, Arp Synth, Viola

Kent Kessler - Bass

Brian Sandstrom – Bass, Guitar, Trumpet

Steve Hunt – Drums, Percussion

Boneshaker (Williams, Nilssen-Love, Kessler) - Thinking Out Loud (TROST RECORDS 2017)

Boneshaker are Mars Williams (reeds, toy instruments), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums & percussion) and Kent Kessler (bass), three prolific powerhouse musicians, carrying among them a Grammy nomination and decades of experience with the top ensembles in the world. Thinking Out Loud is their third album.

1. Brain Freeze 14:12

2. Puffy Fluffy 06:01

3. Salty Fruity 16:11

4. Wabi Sabi 05:19

Mars Williams : Reeds, Toy Instruments

Paal Nilssen-Love : Drums & Percussion

Kent Kessler: Bass