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| Billy Martin Schedules Duets Tour with Grant Calvin Weston  Billy Martin and G. Calvin Weston met in 1988 during a rehearsal with John Lurie's legendary "downtown" band the Lounge Lizards (NYC). That day sealed the percussive rhythm section for the Lounge Lizards and the great -but short lived- avant garde trio, The John Lurie National Orchestra. They toured Europe and Japan as well as some historic performances in NYC. They were featured in Blue in the Face, a Paul Auster/Wayne Wang film a continuation of the feature film project Smoke (Mirimax) both films about a cigar shop in Brooklyn.In 1995 Martin formed his independent label Amulet Records and released Percussion Duets, the highly acclaimed first CD release with Martin and Weston as a duo. Last year they released a second release Live at Houston Hall also on Amulet and was recorded live on the 10th anniversary since the release of Percussion Duets. This 2007 North East US fall tour is a continuation of their ongoing creative explorations as composers and performers. This extraordinary improvisational duo will include new music for gongs, mbiras, balaphones, trumpet, voice, bamboo, wood, metal, drums, found and handmade instruments. Billy Martin is best know for his band Medeski Martin and Wood, and performing/recording with John Zorn, John Scofield, Cibo Mato, Iggy Pop, Cyro Baptista and Chuck Mangione. Grant Calvin Weston has played with many including Ornette Coleman's Prime Time, James Blood Ulmer and James Carter. "..the duo achieve a rare cohesion, fusing jazz, hip-hop, African rhythms and funk into an invigorating and exploratory sound that's both enjoyable and intellectual." -Philadelphia Weekly "A veritable feast of rhythmic improvisation/extrapolation/sensation in the hands of masters who just wanna have fun; two sets of trap drums, hand percussion and vintage drum machines can rock the world-playful go-go swing-to-drum battle-to-funky soft-shoe shuffle." –JazzTimes "Part of the magic of this music is that the melodic aspect of percussion instruments really leaps out...they know how to lock in and pass the baton back and forth effortlessly. A loose vibe, placing feel high above technique, ties it all together." -Modern Drummer "Weston and Martin have turned an ordinary recording date into a percussive shower of light and heat. Outstanding." -Alternative Press write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |