Tag Archives: LaDonna Smith

Creative Improvisation Summit: Minimally Disturbing, Lvmber and More

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Minimally Disturbing: Jack Wright and Ron Stabinsky

Tomorrow night Jack Wright rolls through town again with his pants leg rolled up and Ron Stabinsky rolled into the mix. They’re playing together as Minimally Disturbing. Also on the bill is a duo of Scott Bazar with drummer Charles Pagano and a new incarnation of Chris Davenport’s Lvmber project. Lvmber features Davenport on drums; Will McGavin, didgeridoo; LaDonna Smith, strings; and myself, electric guitar and electronics. Opening is modular synthesist and former student, Gabe Rosser.

Saturday January 25 7:00pm
Creative Improvisation Summit – Minimally Disturbing, Lvmber, more
East Village Arts
7611 1st Ave N
Birmingham AL 35206

…about the size of a… Birmingham New Music Festival

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I’ll be performing …about the size of a fist and located slightly to the left of… at the Birmingham New Music Festival electroacoustic concert.

Thursday October 18 7:00pm
Birmingham New Music Festival
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hulsey Recital Hall
950 13th Street South
Birmingham AL

The piece is an improvisation (composed instrument?) using a custom mapping of an off-the-shelf MIDI fader box (the Korg nanokontrol2 pictured above). The typical position information of each fader/knob is ignored in favor of gestural information about how the control is manipulated over time. This transforms the controls into virtual bellows on a pump organ or springs in a wind-up toy.

I’ll also share the stage with Geni Skendo and LaDonna Smith for an improvisation.

Elements Series::Water Compilation and Show Benefits Cahaba River

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I contributed a track to the upcoming Elements Series :: Water compilation put together by Jasper Lee benefiting the Cahaba River. Seasick Records is hosting a release party on Thursday featuring Iron Giant Percussion Ensemble, Brad Davis, Liquid Gems & Jim Jim Bath Myst. Jim Fahy and I will also be playing as a duo.

Thursday June 29
Elements Series :: Water
Seasick Records
5508 Crestwood Blvd
Birmingham AL 35212
$5 donation

The compilation includes music from:

Balcony View
Jasper Lee
Acre Pillows
Brad Davis
Janet Simpson-Templin
LaDonna Smith
Nyx
Joel Nelson
Men’s Renewal
Minerals
& others

PLAY – New and Improved Improv on Saturday

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Thollem McDonas, photo: Peter Gannushkin

LaDonna Smith has organized another jam-packed evening of improvised music with a host of special guests, featuring pianist Thollem McDonas.

Saturday, September 22 7:30pm
PLAY – New and Improved Improv
Homewood Community Center – CDF
1715 27th Court South
Homewood AL
$10/$5 students (sliding scale) kids free

Thollem will perform solo and with Stella Nystrom, dance; Davey Williams, guitar; Craig Hultgren, cello; Andrew DeWar, saxophone. Also on the bill are Hunter Bell, Si Reasoning, myself and LaDonna Smith. Dianne McNaron will preview her upcoming Marlene Dietrich retrospective and Caroline Karson will play Chopin. Come early and stay late, there’ll be lots to take in.