Crypto Musings

ICP - Runnin' for Merguez

A GIGANTIC Crypto thanks to Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink and all of ICP(Ab, Michael, Thomas, Ernst, Wolter, Tristan, and Mary!) for packing Club Tropical Friday night(3/24/06) and gracing Los Angeles with  2 stunning sets of genius ensemble playing! Mary Oliver's lovely parents made the trek up from San Diego and it was NICE to meet you both! Culver City is HOPPING on Friday night with theater-goers, partiers, movie fans, scenesters, diners and the like AND Club Tropical was the MOST hopping and SO packed that there were 75 food orders already into the kitchen when Misha decided "I want some sausages" 10 minutes before he was to go on stage. CryptoSausage-Boy donned his SB cape and mask and flew down to the French joint and yelled "A GIANT of European Jazz needs sausages NOW!".  Thank goodness CSB scared them! They listened and had some lamb merguezes ready in 4 minutes! Then the mighty Crypto Sausage-Boy dashed back 5 blocks toting a bag o' meat sticks and dumped them right on MM's plate! "The sausages have saved the concert!" MM told his manager, the extremely happening Susannah! Stay tuned for more exploits of Crypto Sausage Boy! Whew! THANK YOU ICP!!!

Goldberg Friedlander Maupin and More!

The Feb. 21 Cryptogramophone releases are out and getting tons of radio ads! Rave to Great reviews are pouring in! San Francisco Bay Guardian writer Eliana Fiore really nailed Ben Goldberg's "the door the hat the chair and the fact" on the head when she said something to the effect that "Ben's ensemble plays with such mastery that the improvisation comes across like beautifully thought-out composition! check it here> http://www.sfbg.com/40/24/x_local_grooves.html
and THANK YOU Eliana and all the other writers who have been digging Ben and Erik! Erik Friedlander reviews are glowing as well and we'll be posting them as soon as we "encapsulate" the often lengthy and wordy praise. Troy Collins from All About Jazz is "feeling" the sultry power of Erik's new "Prowl" cd  and you can check it out by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser !http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=20667 .   Fellow All About Jazz writer Jerry D'Souza digs "Prowl" too! Another worthy review!  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=20936

While Cryptogramophone continues to work these two great releases we had to stop for a second and gasp at the sheer beauty of the packaging mock-ups we just got for the Bennie Maupin Ensemble “Penumbra” and the Jeff Gauthier Goatette "One and the Same” due out May 9^th.  Shazam!

Tonight Wadada Leo Smith is playing our weekly Cryptonight series with Darek Oles Piotr Baron and Mark Ferber and tomorrow Misha Mengelberg and the ICP are here!

Exciting times!!!