I was feeling pretty shitty on Sunday. The previous day’s mayhem in Charlottesville was weighing heavily and I couldn’t figure out what to do with myself. A bike ride listening to some early Arkestra wasn’t helping when my phone buzzed with one of those usually-annoying fb event alerts, reminding me that Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society were giving a free sermon in Fred Anderson Park in an hour. I knew what I had to do.



Quick detour for the uninitiated…

Fred Anderson was a legendary Chicago tenor player who helped found the AACM. Both within and outside of his work with the AACM, Fred’s influence and guidance have shaped multiple generations of players (including many of my favorites). A park in the South Loop near his old club The Velvet Lounge now bears his name.



OK back to the ramble at hand…

I see Joshua Abrams whenever I can, regardless of project/lineup, but his NIS sets are becoming increasingly can’t-miss. The band has grown from a way to explore groove-oriented playing on the gumbri into an immersive, zenAF ensemble probing the outer reaches of what a group of aces can do within(/and outside of) a seemingly-simple framework. The band’s new record Simultonality will probably end up being my favorite 2017 release, but they’ve already moved past it to push deeper into zones.



The piece featured here, Finite, is one I’ve caught a few times but had never seen presented in such a thorough, expansive manner.



“It’s a great honor for all of us to play in Fred’s park. For me, and for all of us, he embodied the fact that music can be a great source of peace and sureness. I take a lot of inspiration from his memory and my experiences with him, so it’s wonderful to share this music with you here…at his park.” - Joshua Abrams



Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society

8.13.2017 @ Fred Anderson Park

Chicago, IL



Finite



Joshua Abrams: guimbri

Lisa Alvarado: harmonium and gongs

Mikel Avery: percussion and gongs

Hamid Drake: tabla & frame drum

Ben Lamar Gay: cornet

Nick Mazzarella: alto saxophone

Jason Stein: bass clarinet



stream



download



previously on the blahg: Bitchin Information Society: The Hideout 2016

