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Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN SEMJA UPDATE is published monthly.  It is edited by Lars Björn and Piotr Michalowski with additional assistance from Barton Polot (production editor and Webmaster), Judy Alcock, Margot Campos, Lynn Hobbs, and Marcel Niemiec. Contact: update@semja.org

Piano On the Edge at Edgefest

The 17th annual Edgefest at Kerrytown Concert House features edgy approaches to the piano by the best in the tradition variously referred to as the Avant Garde or Free Form or Creative Improvised Music. The Concert House is a perfect venue for such a festival since it houses one of the grandest pianos in the area (a Steinway).

One of the more established pianists in this genre is Myra Melford (right), who will give a solo concert at 4:00 p.m. on the last day of the festival, Saturday, October 26. Melford hails from Chicago and played with several members of the influential AACM before moving to New York in the mid-80s.
A pianist of the same age who is also known as a composer is Canadian Marilyn Lerner who will perform with an all-star trio including frequent Edgefest performer bassist Ken Filiano on Thursday, October 24 (8:00 p.m.).

Younger piano players are represented by two players with local connections: Jacob Sacks (with bassist Michael Formanek’s Quartet on Saturday at 7 p.m.) and Mike Malis (on Thursday at 7:00).

A unique event will be the performance of University of Michigan Professor and pianist Steve Rush’s Piano Concerto at St Andrew’s Church on Saturday night (8:30).

The unofficial opening of the festival will be a performance by veteran bassist William Parker and local pianist Kenn Thomas at Encore Records on Tuesday, October 22, at 8:00 p.m. Parker’s quintet will perform at Kerrytown Concert House the following night at 9:30.

The official opening of the festival at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday features two duos, one with pianist Lucian Ban and violist Mat Maneri from New York, the other with our own pianist Tad Weed with an old chum from Los Angeles, bassist Ken Filiano (now in New York).

Edgefest has become one of the foremost festivals of its kind in the world, if you go by what critics and musicians have to say about it. For a complete lineup, please see our schedule on page 3. For reservations, please call 734-769-2999 or go to the Concert House website.

2013 EDGEFEST Schedule

All performances at the Kerrytown Concert House, unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, October 22

8:00
William Parker (bass)/Kenn Thomas (keyboard) Duo. Free concert. [ Encore Records, 417 East Liberty ]

Wednesday, October 23

6:30
Lucian Ban (piano) / Mat Maneri (viola) Duo and
Tad Weed (piano) / Ken Filiano (bass) Duo

9:30
William Parker’s “Raining on the Moon” Quintet — with Rob Brown (alto), Lewis Barnes (trumpet), Eri Yamamoto (piano), Parker (bass), Hamid Drake (drums)

Thursday, October 24

7:00
Mike Malis (piano) — with Piotr Michalowski (reeds), Ken Filiano (bass)

8:00
Marilyn Lerner (piano) / Ken Filiano (bass) / Lou Grassi (drums)

9:00
Lark — with Kris Davis (piano), Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Ingrid Laubrock (reeds), Tom Rainey (drums)

Friday, October 25

7:00
Ursel Schlicht (piano) and Robert Dick (flute)

8:00
Gary Versace Trio — with Versace (piano, accordion), Ron Miles (trumpet), Matt Wilson (drums)

9:00
Connie Crothers with Northwoods Improvisors — with Crothers (piano), Mike Carey (reeds), Skeeter Shelton (reeds), Mike Johnston (flute, bass, percussion), Mike Gilmore (percussion), Nick Ashton (drums)

Saturday, October 26

Noon
Edgefest Parade (starts at KCH) bring your instruments!

2:00
Thollem McDonas, with Box Deserter Ensemble & Soar Trio — with Skeeter Shelton and Michael Carey (reeds), James Cornish (trumpet), McDonas (piano), Abby Alwin (cello), Joel Peterson (bass), Kurt Prisbe (drums). This concert is dedicated to Faruq Z. Bey.

4:00
Myra Melford, solo piano

7:00
Michael Formanek Quartet — with Ellery Eskelin (saxes), Jacob Sacks (piano), Formanek (bass), Dan Weiss (drums)

8:30
Steve Rush Piano Concerto — with the University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble, directed by Ellen Rowe. [St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 306 N. Division.

10:00
James Ilgenfritz’ Mind Games — with Angelika Niescrier (alto), Denman Maroney (piano), Ilgenfritz (bass), Andrew Drury (drums)