I N - T H I S - I S S U E :

ISIM Returns to A2 for Year V

BY MICHAEL G. NASTOS

The International Society For Improvised Music (ISIM) presented its fifth annual convention and festival at the University of Michigan in the Rackham Building and the Canterbury House, December 2-5, 2010. President Ed Sarath, event coordinator Kate Olson, and a team of volunteers conducted the event on the sites where the inaugural conference was held in 2006. A line-up comprising some sixty different presentations, concerts, workshops and panel discussions, featured musicians from all over the U.S. and the world.

Headliners included South African saxophonist/flutist Zim Ngqawana (LEFT) fronting a band with pianist Geri Allen, bassist Kurt Krahnke, drummer Sean Dobbins and Sarath on flugelhorn; the University of Michigan Creative Arts Orchestra directed by Mark Kirschenmann featured the original music of guest conductor/AACM (Chicago) founder Douglas Ewart (TOP); and an Asian improvisers concert with xheng player Mei Han (China via Vancouver), Korean/Americans Wonil, Song Jung Min and Pak Bom Tae.

Many stirring showcases of creative improvised music were staged in the East or West Conference Rooms, the Assembly Hall and Ampitheatre on the fourth floor of Rackham:

• Frank Clare (CENTER) "Blatant Piano"
• Pendulum (saxophonist Randall Hall & Jonathan Kirk on laptop)
• the Art Trio, featuring viola player Christian Asplund
• Chris Chalfant's "Polycyclic Collage" workshop
• Space Genetics, with Paul Scea and Eric Haltmeier on laptops
• viola players Stephanie Phillips and Color Of Sound (with Olson on soprano sax)
• Tanya Kalmanovich and Stephen Nachmanovitch (on viola d'amour with shakuhachi flute player Mark Miller)
• guitarists Steve Grismore (with saxophonist Scea and drummer Damon Short) and Thomas Ciufo
• Kirschenmann on solo trumpet/electronics
• Adam Osmianski's Ophidian Ensemble performing John Zorn's "Cobra" (at Canterbury House)
• SBS (Sarath, Thomas Buckner and Roman Stolyar)
• saxophonist Karlton Hester's Divine Particles
• Payton MacDonald's "Super Marimba"
• the Stritt-Sudan piano/drums duet from Switzerland
• Dawn Of Midi (from India, Pakistan & Morocco)
• Stolyar (from Siberia) on solo piano
• saxophonist Tom Hall (RIGHT)
• percussionist/drummer/vibraphonist Roger Braun's "Unprepared Music" with pianist Andre Gribou

Musicians from the continental U.S. based in Texas, Colorado, Missouri, Utah, Los Angeles, Virginia, Oberlin OH and the northeastern seaboard came to Ann Arbor, as well as local groups like KGMT (with Olson and Matt Endahl), Electric Blue Elevator, and Karate Jones both featuring CAO alum and harpist Michelle Horvath.

photographs by Michael G. Nastos

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