Psychic Temple III, Psychic Temple Plays Eno

Psychic Temple Plays Music for Airports

Two – two! – new records from Psychic Temple are set to drop in the next few weeks, and I’m happy to once again be included in Mr. Schlarb’s plan for global music domination. Psychic Temple Plays Music for Airports comes first, later this month on Joyful Noise Recordings…

Psychic Temple, led by band/cult leader Chris Schlarb and featuring Mike Watt (Minutemen), Sheridan Riley (Avi Buffalo), Paul Masvidal (Cynic, Death), jazz trumpeter Kris Tiner and more, has reimagined Brian Eno’s 1979 ambient landmark Music For Airports. The group’s own version of “Music for Airports 1/1” was recorded in one afternoon, live in the studio without headphones, overdubs, edits or effects.

The album’s flip side features the fiery original “Music for Bus Stops,” conceived as a working class commentary on Eno’s preferred method of transportation.

From Greg Burk’s liner notes: “Psychic Temple approaches Airports from a fresh angle, rescuing it from its ‘dark, boring fate’ of becoming a museum piece to be analyzed by select musicians inside expensive concert halls. Where Eno’s distant, static masterpiece doesn’t seem to fit the real-life chaos of what goes on in an airport, Psychic Temple’s version adds a human touch and a dose of reality, showing that we’re all in it together, we can make room for one another, and we’re calm.”

This was such a fun and beautiful session with a stellar lineup of mostly LA-based musicians, some of my favorite people around. Here’s a trailer for a quick taste:



Psychic Temple III Gatefold

Psychic Temple III is out in May on Asthmatic Kitty Records, and it will be epic – check out that “Deluxe Altar Edition” LP gatefold above…

Psychic Temple ‘III’ completes the transition from avant-jazz solo project to a working band constructed around timeless songs that draw upon the rich history of classic American soul, blues, and folk. Equally immersed in the sound of California’s canyons and the swamps of the deep South, Psychic Temple’s cult leader/guitarist Chris Schlarb steps out of the shadows and up to the microphone for the first time with astonishing results.

Maintaining Psychic Temple’s affinity for nuance and delicate minimalism, ‘III’ exhibits a new directness centered around Schlarb’s agile guiding voice. While the album places his unfolding vocal melodies and narratives in the foreground, ‘III’ subverts easy categorization by sustaining the collaborative, exploratory spirit of ‘Psychic Temple’ and ‘II’.

Culled from sessions recorded at home in Los Angeles and the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama – ‘III’ includes contributions and performances from Spooner Oldham (Neil Young, Bob Dylan), David Hood (J.J. Cale, Aretha Franklin), Mike Watt (Minutemen, The Stooges), Avi Buffalo, Nedelle Torrisi (Sufjan Stevens), Elliot Bergman (Wild Belle, NOMO), Dave Easley (Brian Blade Fellowship) and many more. Coming together quickly and intuitively, the album was mixed over three days with Ronan Chris Murphy (King Crimson).

It also comes with a recipe for pancakes:



Recently…

Cathlene Pineda Quartet – Passing: A California Suite

passing

Cathlene Pineda Quartet CD Release Tour for Passing: A California Suite

Cathlene Pineda, piano, compositions
Kris Tiner, trumpet
Tina Raymond, drums
David Tranchina, bass



Passing: A California Suite was written after a commission received by the Los Angeles Jazz Society to compose a piece about Los Angeles for the Angel City Jazz Festival in 2014. The music is inspired by the poetry of LA’s first poet-laureate, Eloise Klein-Healy, and each piece is based on an excerpt of her work.

For more info: www.cathlenepineda.com

More about Orenda Records: www.orendarecords.com

January 26 – Cathlene Pineda QuartetBlue Whale | Los Angeles | 9pm | fb

January 28 – Cathlene Pineda Quartet | Col. MaCaw’s Magical Cure-All | Grass Valley, CA | 7:30pm | fb

January 29 – Cathlene Pineda Quartet | UNR | Reno, NV

January 30 – Cathlene Pineda QuartetDagny’s | Bakersfield | 5pm | fb

IAHRQ “2” Preorder

iahrq2

The four members of The Invisible Astro Healing Rhythm Quartet formed in 2010 while studying music at Bakersfield College in sunny Bakersfield, California; a region known (musically) for the twangy, steel-guitar sound popularized by hometown heroes Buck Owens & Merle Haggard. IAHRQ take a decidedly different approach, reaching skyward toward the cosmos & the outer reaches of cosmic, spiritual jazz & Ethio-centric long-form jams.

“2” is the aptly named second album from the quartet (the first was released in late 2013 on noted composer & trumpet player Kris Tiner’s Epigraph Records) was recorded & produced by Chris Schlarb (Psychic Temple). “2” finds the ensemble digging deeper and reaching further out than before, honing their mixture of Ethiopian funk, spiritual jazz & cosmic psychedelia to a finer point. The album starts with “Praise One” & “Praise Two”, a pair of complimentary jams that begin in a free & loose cloud of cosmic dust, before honing in on a loping mellow groove that would fit perfectly next to tunes by Mulatau Astatke or Hailu Mergia. The rest of “2” populates the same headspace, pulling funky drum breaks (”Lifetime”), heady brass arrangements (”Headways”) & proggy psychedelia (”Cosmic Loneliness”) toward and over the event horizon.

This record is going to really blow some minds. I’m glad to have contributed to the brass arrangements along with saxophone hero Phillip Greenlief and Bako trombonist Omar Murillo. It’s not out till November 13, but you can preorder the very limited edition vinyl now at Trouble in Mind Records.



Lucas Artist Fellow Profile

This past summer I spent a week at Montalvo Arts Center to finish recording a set of solo trumpet compositions I wrote during my first residency in 2012. I love this place, and it was wonderful to be back. During my stay I did a video interview with photographer Tina Case about the solo project, some general feelings about the residency program, and a bit about my background in music. You’ll see a shot of my daughters’ artwork covering the walls of the studio as well…

Empty Cage at Angel City

2015 Angel City Jazz Festival poster by Kio Griffith

2015 Angel City Jazz Festival poster by Kio Griffith

This week the Empty Cage Quartet reconvenes for performances at the Angel City Jazz Festival in Los Angeles (with Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri), Studio Grand in Oakland (with The Lost Trio), and Dagny’s Coffee Co. in Bakersfield. From there we head into the studio to work on material for our next album.

More info on the events page at emptycagequartet.com.

Tin/Bag Southwest Tour Photos

Tin/Bag Southwest Tour 2015

Tin/Bag at UNM Arts Lab, 2013 - photo by Mark Weber
 
“Exquisite music just flows from these serious cats, flows like the skies & rivers…”
–ABQ poet Mark Weber

 
For more info visit www.tinbag.net