Ode to inspiration of Burnt Sugar Arkestra on ISWHAT?!
Around late 2004 Matthew started speaking of this ensemble he'd read about called Burnt Sugar.
As we were looking for A-alikes to build with he thought that ISWHAT?! should reach out to the founder, Greg Tate or friends of (our then friend/guest, later to become bandmate) Hamid Drake to connect, commune with Burnt Sugar.
Months went past, during which my visits to NYC became more frequent to collaborate with other artists and blaze trails, connect the dots for ISWHAT?!... The mad science of band life took its toll and Matthew decided to leave ISWHAT?!, which by that time was signed to a label, had a booking agent and was touring nationally on a regular basis. However, somewhere between Matthew's mention of Burnt Sugar (2004), and his departure (2005) I'd gone to a series for improvisers/free jazz hosted by drummer, DeePop at CBGB's (RIP, the club not the man)... on the Lower East Side, NYC. There I went to hear and introduced myself to trumpet player, Lewis Barnes, whom I had listened to on William Parker Quartet records playing with Hamid Drake and sax player, Rob Brown.
Barnes was very cool, very kind and invited me to the next Burnt Sugar Arkestra show which was going to take place at the (now also closed) original NY Knitting Factory. There is more to the story including my first trip to Italy which was with Burnt Sugar, as well as shows in NY and Paris.
The way to make music, make noise, improvise and compose spontaneously, rebel and reconstruct sound was RE-PRESENTED to me by Burnt Sugar and its council/community of provocative leaders. In 2006 ISWHAT?! hosted Burnt Sugar Arkestra in the Midwest and near South for 2 shows at the Southgate House (Newport) and 1 and the Dame (Lexington) ... 8 years later it is an honor to welcome Burnt Sugar Arkestra splinter cell, REBELLUM to the area for an awesome evening of Hip Punk Funk & Roll at the All Nighter Studio B ... 4833 Greentree Road ~ Lebanon, OH 45036 w/ ISWHAT?!, Analog Panda and Brian Greer
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