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Free Music Ensemble

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159
Album Review

Free Music Ensemble: Cuts

Read "Cuts" reviewed by Andrey Henkin


Ken Vandermark is not one to limit himself to easy, comfortable situations. As successful as the Vandermark 5 is, it presents only one side to his composing and playing. With the Free Music Ensemble, a cooperative trio with bassist Nate McBride and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, listeners, whether on their second disc Cuts or live at Tonic mid September, can hear a more visceral, looser Vandermark, happy to be swept up by the improvisational thrusts of his fellow musicians.

335
Album Review

Free Music Ensemble: Cuts

Read "Cuts" reviewed by Paul Olson


The moniker of Chicago reeds player Ken Vandermark's Free Music Ensemble is somewhat misleading. Yes, the music of this trio of Vandermark, Chicago bassist Nate McBride, and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love is as improvisation-based as any Vandermark band to date. The very nature of the group's musical process ensures that every FME performance is a unique one. And yes, their stylistic variety and constructive openness is vast enough to be seemingly without limit. Sounds free enough, doesn't it?Yet ...

179
Album Review

Free Music Ensemble: Underground

Read "Underground" reviewed by AAJ Staff


The content on the Free Music Ensemble's Underground pays tribute to four innovators of free jazz and improvised music: saxophonist and trumpeter Joe McPhee, percussionist Paul Lytton, guitarist Joe Morris and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. As performed by a group of musicians well-steeped in the unpredictability of free jazz, the music on Underground is geared towards connoisseurs of such tastes and textures.

With Ken Vandermark on reeds, Nate McBride on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, the FME does a thorough ...

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66

Performance / Tour

Final North American Tour Update for Free Music Ensemble (FME)

Final North American Tour Update for Free Music Ensemble (FME)

Source: All About Jazz

Ken Vandermark's Free Music Ensemble (FME) is preparing for their second North American tour kicking off next week and they are sporting a new release entitled “Cuts" available on Okkadisk.

With Nate McBride on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, this trio is likely the most adventurous of all of Vandermark's offerings. Working in somewhat of a modular system of composition, each element can be utilized by any member of the group. The sets are constructed by resequencing material, and ...

93

Performance / Tour

Free Music Ensemble Adds Toronto Date To

Free Music Ensemble Adds Toronto Date To

Source: All About Jazz

Free Music Ensemble (FME) just confirmed a Toronto gig this afternoon as a part of their 2nd ever North American tour. The trio consisting of Ken Vandermark, Nate McBride and Paal Nilssen-Love is touring in support of their new release, entitled “Cuts" (Okkadisk), and will be making their way through Toronto. They'll be performing at Now Lounge on Saturday September 24th. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm. This will be a double-set evening.

For convenience, I've pasted the ...

104

Performance / Tour

Free Music Ensemble (FME) to Tour North America in September

Free Music Ensemble (FME) to Tour North America in September

Source: All About Jazz

Ken Vandermark's Free Music Ensemble (FME) is preparing for their second North American tour next month, sporting a new release entitled “Cuts", available on Okkadisk. With Nate McBride on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, this trio is likely the most adventurous of all of Vandermark's offerings. Working in somewhat of a modular system of composition, each element can be utilized by any member of the group. The sets are constructed by ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Cuts

Okka Disk
2005

buy

Underground

Okka Disk
2004

buy

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