Ken Butler Performing at the Orphic Gallery, July 4, 2014
Ken Butler has assembled a truly all-star ensemble for his performance to celebrate his exhibit, Instrumental Desire: Strings Attached, at the Orphic Gallery on Saturday, August 9th . at 7 pm sharp. On that evening Ken will perform with Ed Potokar on Drums and Percussion, Ernie Brooks on Bass Guitar, and Michael Suchorsky on Drums and Percussion.
Ken Butler, A Multitude of Instruments
Ken Butler is an artist and musician whose Hybrid musical instruments, performances, installations, and other works explore the interaction and transformation of common and uncommon objects, altered images, sounds and silence.
Bridging fine art, craft, technology, and music, the hybrids exist as ergonomic functional musical instruments as well as sculpture; they are constructed from readily available consumer objects designed to perform a different function, and when amplified are shaped with cutting-edge sound processing allowing artful musical sounds and expression.
He has performed with John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Butch Morris, The Soldier String Quartet, Matt Darriau's Paradox Trio, The Tonight Show Band, and The Master Gnawa musicians of Morocco. His CD, Voices of Anxious Objects is on Tzadik records.
Ernie Brooks, Bass Guitar
At Harvard University Ernie Brooks played in various bands for mixers and anti-war rallies, and then joined with roommate/keyboardist Jerry Harrison, seminal pre-punk Modern Lovers. Ernie moved to Long Island City, Queens and has since worked with David Johansen, Peter Gordon, Elliott Murphy, Allen Ginsberg, Chris Spedding amongst others. Ernie was half of rhythm section with drummer Jonathan Kane powering large and small guitar ensembles for Rhys Chatham, spent time in Paris, recording "Variete" and free-improvising with French Godfather of Grunge, J.F. Pauvros.
He reconnected with Mr. Harrison as bassist and co-producer for his Casual Gods. Ernie also collaborated extensively with late composer/cellist Arthur Russell in pop and more experimental ventures. He carried on performing and recording his compositions in groups Arthur's Landing and Bear 54 with vocalist Joyce Bowden and trombonist Peter Zummo. Ernie currently plays with Zummo in various formations. From the late 90's on he has been bassist for Gary Lucas' Gods and Monsters and his Edge of Heaven project. He performs and records as himself upon occasion.
Ed Potokar, Drums and Percussion
Edward Potokar, the son of a Latin Jazz and Polka drummer, began creating musical instruments during his teenage years in Cleveland, Ohio. He continued working in musical innovation during his tenure at The Cleveland Institute of Art where he studied industrial design. As with so many of the pioneers of the punk and new wave era, he joined his first band, Redness, while in art school in which he played a custom welded steel drum kit with hammers and grinders. In addition to bloodying his hands with this brutal drum kit, he was also working with electronic gear.
Potokar, together with Paul Badger and George Tegzes, began experimenting with the construction of one-of-a-kind analog synthesizers, which they termed “the boxes,” that helped create the signature sound and serve as the foundation for the renowned punk/funk/art/metal/wave musical group, the Audio Artists. After moving to New York in the early 1980s, he has continued to perform and record with the Audio Artists but has also performed with Skin Slappers (an all percussion band), and The Buddy Scott Trio, with whom he had a cult hit Bar-B-Que off their You Win CD.
Besides his work with numerous bands and musical ensembles, in 1990 Potokar founded MUSIC FOR TV, a successful downtown Manhattan music production house, and there was commissioned to write the theme music for MTV's "Unplugged." Potokar has created his own line of high-end ribbon microphones called Potofones for use in performance and recording studios. Finally, as a side project to his musical and artistic career, he has designed & built furniture and custom homes.
Michael Suchorsky, Drums & Percussion
Michael Suchorsky has spent decades performing and recording around the world in a wide variety of musical genres; from middle eastern jazz, to microtonal, to punk rock. Playing venues that stretch from CBGBS to the Berlin and Montreaux Jazz Festivals to Lincoln Center. Long standing associations touring and recording throughout the world with artists such as Lou Reed, Soldier String Quartet, jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, French rock legend Jacques Higelin, this was peppered with short appearances ranging from motown artist Don Covay, to country rock artist Peter Rowan, to an opera with Michael Sahl, and recording with Bernard Sazner and many more.
Composed music for TV, and a variety of bands including his joint collective project the Every Man Band which resulted in a couple albums for ECM. While majoring in fine art in college Michael played in numerous bands ranging from performances with a protege of John Cage, a record contract with the legendary producer Tom Wilson, a very BRIEF stint with the 1910 Fruit Gum Company, and went on to study at the Berklee College of Music as well as with Joe Morrelo and sailed off into a musical career. He currently performs with pianist David Rissenberg in their most ethereal duo, Night Sky.
The performance on August 9th will begin promptly at 7 pm and last approximately one hour to be followed by a reception. In the interim, the exhibit may be seen during the gallery’s normal business hours, Wednesday through Sunday 12 to 5 and by appointment. For further information on Instrumental Desire: Strings Attached or the Orphic Gallery, please contact Phil Lenihan at phil@orphicgallery.com or 607-326-6045.
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