Artists
"The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery." ~ Francis Bacon
Brandon Seabrook of Seabrook Powerplant
Brandon Seabrook writes all the music for Seabrook Powerplant. His brother, Jared Seabrook is on drums and Tom Blancarte plays bass.
The influence of fleet-fingered Guitar Gods was part of Seabrook’s make-up from the beginning. He first picked up the instrument, as did so many other 8-year-olds, due to the inspiration of Eddie Van Halen. And also like so many before him, he soon found that his own hands couldn’t manage those same gymnastics, and he began casting around for other idols. The path led through Jimmy Page, to Jim Hall, to D. Boon of punk pioneers The Minutemen and finally around to Van Halen again.
It was a love of this sort of percussive sound that led Seabrook to the banjo in the first place, when he borrowed one from the Conservatory’s instrument library.
I’m really into drums,” he explains, “and the banjo was the closest thing I could get to a drum with strings. I was into it as a dead instrument, with not much sustain, which was kind of attractive to me since it was the opposite of the guitar.”
Seabrook Powerplant - SEABROOK POWERPLANT
Eivind Opsvik
Eivind Opsvik is a Norwegian musician who’s been living in New York for over 10 years.
His main instrument is the bass, but he also thoroughly enjoys experiments with recording and mixing, playing lap steel guitar, old organs, drums, composing music, and running his own little record label .
His main projects are Overseas, Opsvik & Jennings and his solo project.
He has released three records with Overseas, and his chamber-pop duo Opsvik & Jennings recently released their third album on CD and Vinyl; “A Dream I Used to Remember” (Loyal Label).
Eivind is currently working on a solo album, it will be an audio/visual release in collaboration with photographer Michelle Arcila where each song will be accompanied by a photograph.
Eivind Opsvik - OVERSEAS III
also appearing on:
Jeff Davis - WE SLEEP OUTSIDE
Opsvik & Jennings - A DREAM I USED TO REMEMBER
Rocket Engine - WHAT IS THIS THAT STANDS BEFORE ME?
Sacks/Opsvik/Maneri/Motian - TWO MILES A DAY
Jacob Sacks
Jacob Sacks plays the piano and on occasion also organs, harpsichord and old electric pianos. He grew up in Monroe, Michigan, but moved to New York right out of high school in the late 90's, since then he's made music with, among others, Clark Terry, Paul Motian, Joe Maneri, Charles Gayle, Eddie Henderson, Brian Blade, Tony Malaby, David Binney, Craig Taborn, Dan Weiss, Ben Monder, Kenny Wollesen, and Matt Wilson.
Jacob is also a magnificent teacher of music and bakes a mean cake!
Sacks/Opsvik/Maneri/Motian - TWO MILES A DAY
also appearing on:
Eivind Opsvik - OVERSEAS III
Jeff Davis
Drummer Jeff Davis hails from Greeley, Colorado, but has been living and making music in New York for the past 10 years. You might know him from such groups as Tone Collector, Pedro Giraudo's Jazz Orchestra, Michael Bates' Outside Sources, Jon Irabagon's Outright or Kirk Knuffke's band.
He has been described by critics both as a force of nature and as a textural accompanist and his debut record as a leader; We Sleep Outside, is both maximalist and minimalist, go figure.
Jeff Davis - WE SLEEP OUTSIDE
also appearing on:
Eivind Opsvik - OVERSEAS III
Rocket Engine - WHAT IS THIS THAT STANDS BEFORE ME?
Jon Irabagon
Chicagoan Jon Irabagon, winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, has performed extensively as both a sideman and as a leader in an ever-expanding range of projects, from the most straight ahead to the most searching. Jon has performed and/or recorded with musical luminaries such as Bright Eyes, Wynton Marsalis, Tommy Iago, Joe Lovano, Billy Joel, Deborah Gibson, John Abercrombie, Frank Wess, Renee Fleming, Lou Reed, Jenny Lewis, Ron Sexsmith, and Ken Vandermark.
Jon’s conception of complete musical inclusion in his improvisation and composition is apparent in the wide-ranging body of work he has compiled in his young career: his quintet Outright! (Innova) that embraces the complete history of jazz while wrapping it up in group improvisation, his continuous additive duo project with drummer Mike Pride “I Don’t Hear Nothin’ But the Blues” (Loyal Label), his unapologetic 80s cover band, his Sonny Rollins Tribute, the freely-improvising RIDD Quartet (Clean Feed), as well as his long-time tenure in the self-destructing bebop cyborg terrorist band Mostly Other People do the Killing (Hot Cup).
Jon Irabagon with Mike Pride - I DON'T HEAR NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES
Mike Pride
"Local hero Mike Pride is no doubt the only musician to ever play with Anthony Braxton and tour with punk legends MDC (Millions of Dead Cops)." - Bruce Lee Gallenter (Downtown Music Gallery)
Percussionist/composer Mike Pride was born and raised in the Portland, Maine area. He has been playing & composing music since he was a child.
Since his move to NYC, Mike has performed and recorded throughout the U.S. and North America, Europe, Asia, & Australia with many wonderful musicians including: Aarktica, Boredoms, Karen Borca, Tyondai Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Califone, Eugene Chadbourne, Nels Cline, Jim Denley, Trevor Dunn, Marc Gartman (of Low), Milford Graves, Vijay Iyer, Haino Keiji's FUSHITSUSHA, Mat Maneri, punk-rock legends MDC (Millions Of Dead Cops), Pale Horse & Rider, William Parker, Matana Roberts, Jamie Saft, Jack Wright, Otomo Yoshihide & John Zorn.
Mike Pride has been featured on over 50 recordings, many which he is a leader, co-leader or composer.
Mike also currently runs Funhole live Recording in Brooklyn, NY, and is an active painter/visual artist/designer.
Jon Irabagon with Mike Pride - I DON'T HEAR NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES
also appearing on:
Rocket Engine - WHAT IS THIS THAT STANDS BEFORE ME?
Opsvik & Jennings
A New York-based experimental chamber-pop twosome formed in 2003.
Jennings, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, focuses
his energy mainly on song-writing and unusual guitar and banjo parts for the band. Opsvik, who grew up in Oslo, Norway, has made a name for himself primarily as a bassist in NYC, but also as
a composer, record producer, and general multi-instrumentalist. Perhaps, in part, their
unique sound is a result of their very different backgrounds and inspirations - Jennings has a quirky melodic
sensibility stemming from his interest in a wide range of old and new pop music, while Opsvik is heavily
involved in the improvised music scene and finds inspiration in his classical training. But they feed off each
other in creative ways and use these differences to their advantage.
While most of their working time is spent exploring in the studio, they can frequently be heard doing intimate
performances around New York City; and the occasional
summer show overseas.
Opsvik & Jennings - A DREAM I USED TO REMEMBER
Rich Johnson
A trumpeter by trade, Johnson also works with acoustic guitars and pianos which he blends in with electronics and samples. With influences stretching from Bob Dylan to Low and Fugazi, the scope of his work could only be wide.
Beyond his solo work with Up the Turret Mil, Johnson has contributed as a sideman to a number of projects. He also curates a music series at the Brooklyn performance space IBeam and is heavily involved in the Font Festival. Mr. Johnson grew up in Knife River in Minnesota.
Rich Johnson - UP THE TURRET MIL
also appearing on:
Opsvik & Jennings - A DREAM I USED TO REMEMBER
Rocket Engine
A bunch of friends from the experimental, indie rock and jazz scenes in New York interpret the songs of the originators of heavy metal ; Black Sabbath.
A marriage of sorts of metal and free impro.
Rocket Engine’s members has been creating music with such other bands as Dynamite Club, TV on the Radio, Antibalas, Opsvik & Jennings, The Monkees, Fat Mama, Beyondo and The UP.
Rocket Engine - WHAT IS THIS THAT STANDS BEFORE ME?