Friday19
ChordMario Diaz de LeonJames Falzone’s Allos MusicaBill Frisell’s Disfarmer ProjectIncantationDJ Shadow
Saturday20
CatburglarsMiya MasaokaJoe McPheeMike Reed’s Loose Assembly with Roscoe MitchellTiesto
Sunday21
Barn OwlJoe McPhee
Monday22
Grinderman
Wednesday24
Ballister
MARIO DIAZ DE LEON Electronics have been part of classical music since at least the 1930s, the conservative programming of most mainstream presenters notwithstanding, but aside from Iannis Xenakis I can’t think of a composer who’s pushed harsh noise like young New Yorker Mario Diaz de Leon (he also plays in an experimental metal band called Mirrorgate). On last year’s fantastic Enter Houses Of (Tzadik) he juxtaposes relatively conventional lines played by acoustic instruments—some of which are quite lovely—with abstract electronic sounds that can be confrontational, even brutal. On “Mansion” the gracefully twining alto flutes of Claire Chase and Eric Lamb are surrounded by sputtering low-frequency digital pulses, haunting waves of ambience, lacerating bursts of synthetic shrieking, and explosive drumming by Nathan Davis that alternates between ceremonial gravitas and psych-rock fury. On “The Flesh Needs Fire,” Chase and clarinetist Joshua Rubin engage in swooping, acrobatic interplay while electronic noise builds in force, density, and nastiness. Diaz de Leon’s writing for acoustic instruments tempers dissonance with flashes of serenity, and his rhythmic sensibility likewise balances frenetic intensity with near stillness. The electronic element of his music is much more than merely decorative—it’s fully integrated, and alternately jostles, caresses, and dominates the other voices. The five pieces on tonight’s program—the first local survey of Diaz de Leon’s work—include “Mansion” and “The Flesh Needs Fire” as well as two world premieres. Diaz de Leon will play laptop, joined by Chase, Lamb, Davis, and Rubin, all of whom are members of the International Contemporary Ensemble. On Thursday, November 18, at 7 PM, Diaz de Leon will give a talk and present short demonstrations of his music at Andrew Rafacz Gallery, 835 W. Washington. 9:30 PM, Velvet Lounge, 67 E. Cermak, 312-791-9050, $15. —Peter Margasak
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
JAMES FALZONE’S ALLOS MUSICA Lamentations (Allos Documents), the superb new album by clarinetist James Falzone and his Allos Musica project, diverges dramatically from its classically inspired predecessor, 2007’s The Sign and the Thing Signified. Falzone got the idea for the record four years ago, after exploring the intersection of jazz improvisation and Arabic maqam for a commissioned piece. Initially he worked with Palestinian oud player and composer Issa Boulos, but in 2007 Ronnie Malley of Lamajamal took over on oud; Tim Mulvenna plays hand percussion to round out the trio. In his candid liner notes, Falzone refers to “other” musics (allos means “other” in Greek), by which he means traditions that have influenced him but that remain outside his mastery or at the edges of his experience—and he doesn’t attempt to play pure Arabic music here. Instead he uses Arabic forms as a base for his expert improvisations, clearly referencing the beautiful hybrid developed by Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem and Turkish clarinetist Barbaros Erköse. The album includes several beautiful original pieces by Falzone—he calls many of them “lamentations on time,” and they meditate on its relentlessness, its mercuriality, or the restless human desire to speed it up. There’s also an original by Boulos, an ancient muwashah, and a series of brief clarinet-percussion improvisations. Though the Arabic influence is unmistakable, the music’s emotional clarity and lyrical grace is universal. 7 PM, Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2012 W. Dickens, 773-486-9590, $10. —Peter Margasak
saturday20
JOE MCPHEE See Sunday. McPhee plays a solo set to celebrate the release of Sound on Sound. 5 PM, Corbett vs. Dempsey, 1120 N. Ashland, third floor, 773-278-1664.
