Biography
Paul Flaherty has been playing free improv music for the past 40 years. His music is an attempt each time to release to whatever sounds or improvised themes that need to emerge. There are no written tunes , pre-arranged outlines , or group leaders once the music begins. The influences include jazz , noize, classical , rock , blues , eastern , etc. Based in Connecticut for his entire life , there were long periods where ” gigs ‘ were few and far between. A thousand late night solo street playing scenes and and a thousand private / public free-form jam sessions helped bring the music into focus. In the late 80s Flaherty began a collaboration with drummer Randall Colbourne that continues to this day . It’s produced over 15 free jazz albums with musicans that have included Mike Murary , Daniel Carter, Sabir Mateen , Raphe Malik , Richard Downs , Steve Scholz , Froc , and James “Chumley” Hunt among others. In the late 90s Flaherty began touring and recording with elastic drummer Chris Corsano. This connection also continues to this day and has produced over 15 free jazz/noize releases as well. Musicans recording with Paul & Chris include Wally Shoup, C. Spencer Yeh ,Thurston Moore, Bill Nace ,Steve Baczkowski, Greg Kelley , Matt Heyner and Heather Leigh. Other Flaherty recording projects have included 3 solo albums , and records with : Jeff Hartford , Marc Edwards , Lawrence Cook , Weasel Walter , Bill Walach , Joe Mcphee , Steve Swell , Barry Greika , Bob Laramie and Glen “Hobbit ” Peterson. After a years sabbatical , Flaherty begins yet another comeback.
Chris Corsano is a multi-faceted drummer; a list of his collaborations attests to that fact. He’s recorded and gigged with, among others, Paul Flaherty, Michael Flower, Björk, Jim O’Rourke, Thurston Moore, Evan Parker, Nels Cline, Jessica Rylan, Jandek, Six Organs of Admittance, Sunburned Hand Of Man, Okkyung Lee, MV&EE, Keiji Haino, Vampire Belt, Joe McPhee, Christina Carter and Heather Leigh Murray.
First captivated by free improvised music in the mid ’90s after witnessing performances by TEST, William Parker, Cecil Taylor and others, Corsano began a long-standing high-energy partnership with Paul Flaherty in 1998. Moving from western Massachusetts to Manchester, England in 2005 and then Edinburgh, Scotland a year later, Corsano focused on developing an expanded solo percussion music of his own, incorporating sax reeds, violin strings and bows, pot lids, adhesive tape and other household devices into his drumkit. In February 2006 he released his first solo recording, The Young Cricketer. In 2007 and ‘08 he was the drummer on Björk’s Volta world tour. With a move back to Massachusetts, 2009 heralds a return to his own projects, most notably his duo with Michael Flower and solo work, now revamped to include synthesizers and contact mics in addition to his drum kit and home-made acoustic instruments.
A native of Korea, Okkyung Lee has been developing her own voice in a contemporary cello performance, improvisation and composition. using her solid classical training as a springboard, she incorporates jazz, sounds, korean traditional and pop music, noise with extended techniques and create her unique blend of music. She has performed and recorded with numerous artists such as laurie anderson, derek bailey, john butcher, carla bozulich, nels cline, chris corsano, fred frith, carlos giffoni, vijay iyer, andrew lampert, min xiao-fen, thurston moore, ikue mori, lawrence D. “butch” morris, jim o’rourke, evan parker, marina rosenfeld, keith rowe, wadada leo smith, c spencer yeh and john zorn to name a few. Okkyung has released the following albums: Nihm on Tzadik; a duo recording with christian marclay Rubbings on My Cat is an Alien/a Silent Place; a solo cello album I saw the Ghost of an Unknown Soul and it Said… on Ecstatic Peace!; a trio album with steve beresford and peter evans, Check for Monsters on Emanem. currently she is working on her follow up album for Tzadik, limited LP of duo with phil minton for Dancing Wayang, another duo with adam linson for Psi, trio album with evan parker and peter evans and a duo with paul lytton. She has received a composer commission from New York State Council on the Arts in 2007 and Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant in 2010.
Chris Corsano is a multi-faceted drummer; a list of his collaborations attests to that fact. He’s recorded and gigged with, among others, Paul Flaherty, Michael Flower, Björk, Jim O’Rourke, Thurston Moore, Evan Parker, Nels Cline, Jessica Rylan, Jandek, Six Organs of Admittance, Sunburned Hand Of Man, Okkyung Lee, MV&EE, Keiji Haino, Vampire Belt, Joe McPhee, Christina Carter and Heather Leigh Murray.
First captivated by free improvised music in the mid ’90s after witnessing performances by TEST, William Parker, Cecil Taylor and others, Corsano began a long-standing high-energy partnership with Paul Flaherty in 1998. Moving from western Massachusetts to Manchester, England in 2005 and then Edinburgh, Scotland a year later, Corsano focused on developing an expanded solo percussion music of his own, incorporating sax reeds, violin strings and bows, pot lids, adhesive tape and other household devices into his drumkit. In February 2006 he released his first solo recording, The Young Cricketer. In 2007 and ‘08 he was the drummer on Björk’s Volta world tour. With a move back to Massachusetts, 2009 heralds a return to his own projects, most notably his duo with Michael Flower and solo work, now revamped to include synthesizers and contact mics in addition to his drum kit and home-made acoustic instruments.
A native of Korea, Okkyung Lee has been developing her own voice in a contemporary cello performance, improvisation and composition. using her solid classical training as a springboard, she incorporates jazz, sounds, korean traditional and pop music, noise with extended techniques and create her unique blend of music. She has performed and recorded with numerous artists such as laurie anderson, derek bailey, john butcher, carla bozulich, nels cline, chris corsano, fred frith, carlos giffoni, vijay iyer, andrew lampert, min xiao-fen, thurston moore, ikue mori, lawrence D. “butch” morris, jim o’rourke, evan parker, marina rosenfeld, keith rowe, wadada leo smith, c spencer yeh and john zorn to name a few. Okkyung has released the following albums: Nihm on Tzadik; a duo recording with christian marclay Rubbings on My Cat is an Alien/a Silent Place; a solo cello album I saw the Ghost of an Unknown Soul and it Said… on Ecstatic Peace!; a trio album with steve beresford and peter evans, Check for Monsters on Emanem. currently she is working on her follow up album for Tzadik, limited LP of duo with phil minton for Dancing Wayang, another duo with adam linson for Psi, trio album with evan parker and peter evans and a duo with paul lytton. She has received a composer commission from New York State Council on the Arts in 2007 and Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant in 2010.
