Born: February 19, 1950 Primary Instrument: Saxophone
Born 02-19-1950 in Detroit, MI I have been involved with the arts for most of my life. I began studying the alto sax at the age of 14 in middle school and have been playing/ studying in varying capacities since. After periodic explorations of drama, poetry, architecture, visual art, a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. and a stint in Europe, I arrived in NYC in 1989 with my family and an alto sax. In the past 18 years I have been actively involved with the NYC Improv Scene: Amica Bunker, the Improvisers Collective and most recently the C.O.M.A. series at ABC No-Rio recent as in the past 10 years As a composer I have incorporated traditional musical scoring techniques with visual/graphical and performance oriented presentations and a simple philosophy- sound and vision are inter-related in life and art resulting in communication. Although primarily an alto saxophonist I play a number of reed, flute, percussion and string instruments at varying degrees of competency per composition requirements and recently began including computer altered sound files in performance as background for improvisation. Currently my instruments of choice are: Alto, Tenor & Soprano Saxophones Bb Clarinet, Eb Alto Cl & Bb Bass Cl
This has resulted in my performing and collaborating with an extreme variety of types of improvised music including.. Guitarist Sten Hostfalt, Doug Walker's Alien Planetscapes, Cecil Taylor's Ptonagas William Hooker's Ensembles, Judy Dunaway's Balloon Trio Rowe Siwula Miano Trio, Dialing Privileges Trio w. Dom Minasi & John Bollinger BCJ Trio with Chris Welcome & John McCellan, A + B2 with Robert Marsh Market Street Jazz w. Ken Simon, Hal Onserud, Karen Borca & Jackson Krall Dagaz Trio w. William Parker & Michael Evans BE Duet w. Evan Gallagher, Tan Dun Katsuyuki Itakura, Michael Khoury, The Improvisors Collective (NYC) Glass Factory w. Donald Miller, Duet with Ravi Padmanabha The B & B Duet w. Bob Meyer, Erie Nites w. Robyn Siwula HSM w. Gary Hassay & Toshi Makihara, Trio with Eyal Maoz & Dale Miller The Jeff Platz Ensemble, Joseph Scianni, Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut Music in the Foreground w. Ge-Suk Yeo the Slam trio w. Adam Lane & Toshi Makihara The Lower Eastside Social Club w. Matty Paris, Gregory Wildes, Christobal Jacques and Drew Gardner Expositions of Freedom Now! w. Vattel Cherry & Jeff Arnal MAMBO MANTIS w. Bonnie Kane, Chris Welcome & Ray Sage and most recently in duet with Guitarist Carsten Radtke
* I have been honored also to work with these musicians and composers - Peter Kowald, John Fischer, Perry Robinson, Newman Taylor Baker, John Voigt, Wilber Morris Clare De Brunner, Joseph Daly, Vincent Chancey, Christoph Irmer, Maria de Alvear, Theo Jorgesmann, Ralff Schussel, Hans Tammen, Killick, Phillip Lang, Tini Hagler, Michael Zerang, Fred Lomberg Holmes, Stan Nishimura, Nils Gerod, Jesse Henry, Louis Barnes, Mark Hennen, Rashid Bakar, Pelthead, Fly, Frank Keeley, Christian Begemann, Pieter Prije, Olaf Rupp, Harri Sjorstrom, Richard Keene, Tor Snyder, Bob Littman, Matt Weston, Eric Zinman, Glynnis Lomon, Tatsuya Nakatani, Dominic Duval, Jay Rosen, Heiner Metzger, Hans Schüttler, Likas Ligeti, Sarah Weaver, James Ilgenfritz, Motoko Shimizu, Ed Chang, Brian Osborne, Raoul Björkenheim, Sei Mguel, Fala Mariam, Margarida Garcia, Manuel Mota, Ernesto Rodrigues, Guilherme Rodrigues, Moe Staiano, Hill Greene, Joe McPhee, Daniel Carter, Christopher Forbes, Bern Nix, Paul Hession, Francois Grillot, Yuki Saga, Ryusaku Ikezawa, Jiro Shoda, Syd Smart, Mario Rechtern, Jacques Nobili, Hannes Schweiger, Hermann Stangassinger, John Edwards, Mick Beck, Paul Moore, Mike Fortune, Kit Demos, Gary Wallen, Django Carranza, Brian Groder, Jordon Schranz, Mike Pride *
Ken Waxman from his review on the Fulgornatus CD released on Konnex 2010 Employing a light vibrato and constricted tone, Siwula’s playing is memorable in that he gets his message across by implying rather than wallowing in emotion…. “Turned Time in Retrograde” for instance, finds Siwula’s saxophone honks and flattement accelerating to a staccato interface, with Gilbert’s dobro-like twangs first chasing then complementing the reed work. Warmer-toned on clarinet, the veteran player’s glissandi stretch upwards to a roughened lyricism that perfectly matches the guitarist’s slurred fingering and ringing strokes.
Wilbur MacKenzie All About Jazz NYC
Saxophonist Blaise Siwula has been a constant presence in the creative music scene in New York for decades. His ongoing Sunday concert series COMA (Citizen’s Ontological Music Agenda) at ABC No Rio has been a great spot to catch many of the city’s best improvisers over the years.
Recorded a decade ago in Tucson, Arizona, Live at The Matt Bevel Institute, Siwula’s duo with guitarist and composer Dom Minasi, is an electrifying experience, their two instruments blending exquisitely.
Siwula’s “Tendencies in Tandem” opens the album, a quick survey of dense sound clusters, austere unison phrases and quick melodic lines reminiscent of classic Ornette Coleman
Ken Weiss jazzimprov on Big Hearts cd Blaise Siwula and Katsyuki Itakura Blaise Siwula ia a veteran of the downtown New York City avant garde scene, known for his mean alto saxophonebut also able to shine on clarinet and tenor which he demonstrates on this remarkable recording. He is a master of extended technique, utilizing all elements of his horns to probe harmonies and explore potentially rich areas while never neglecting the song’s imbedded melody
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