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#30 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Aug 2, 2007 10:43 pm
Subject: Matis shows in August j_matis
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Hey everybody!

I hope your summer is going nicely? I'm hot. Maybe it's the Bikram Yoga, but more likely it's the weather.

I've got two DC area shows coming up soon:

1. Eigenvalues (with The PlayGround): Sat. Aug. 11, 7:30pm, FREE
at Carter Barron Amphitheater

2. DCIC at the Black Cat: Sun. Aug. 19, 9:00pm, $7.00

click here for all the details.

-jon

ps. I feel icky sending out these emails that are solely self-promotional in nature, so I'm including below some random things that I recently discovered. Maybe interesting to you, too?

~ The awesome radio show This American Life is finally available as a podcast. Now you can listen at your convenience instead of according to the wacky schedule of your local NPR affiliate. (The TV show is also for sale on iTunes, and I give it the thumbs up)

~ Open source software has come a long way. I'm a dork... but not so much of a dork that I know how to use Linux or anything. Maybe now's the time to learn - there's a distro made for audio / video applications: Ubuntu Studio
I've also outfitted the obsolete computers at our Improv Arts office with Open Office (we can't afford the Microsoft stuff, and now why bother?); Thunderbird for email (b-bye Outlook); Nvu for web programming; and ClamWin for virus protection. Now if only someone could beat QuickBooks for accounting... Intuit has really gunked it up (and made it too expensive).

~ Here's something tasty... scones that are easy & delicious.

~ and two more tasty treats for summer: (you need a blender for both)

1. Peach Coolers (a long-time family favorite)
3 peaches
6 oz. frozen pink lemonade concentrate
6 oz. vodka
Put in blender, fill the rest of the way with ice. Damn that's good stuff.

2. the Matis smoothie (recently perfected)
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 ripe banana
3 heaping tablespoons soy-yogurt (any fruit flavor will do, I like the Silk brand)
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy milk
Blend. mmmm smoothie.

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Got a little couch potato?
Check out fun summer activities for kids.

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#29 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu May 24, 2007 5:07 pm
Subject: Fw: step afrika! j_matis
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dear friends,

i've got a run of performances coming up next week with the incredible folks at Step Afrika!.

it's gonna be a great show. if you haven't seen the new theater at Atlas, it's quite spectacular.
see below for details & links to buy tickets.

hope you're doing well,
-jon

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Step Afrika! <stepafrika@...>
To: j_matis@...
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 10:02:16 AM
Subject: Last Chance to Get Tickets for the Home Performance Series

Sent by: Step Afrika!
Reply to the sender

Buy your tickets today!

Tickets are selling fast to our upcoming performances at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Have you purchased your tickets yet? To buy tickets you can visit our website or call (202) 399-7993.

In our biggest production of the year, Step Afrika! will join guest artists Sweet Honey in the Rock (Opening Night only!) and composer Jonathan Matis in a range of works that features nxt/step: Step Afrika!�s latest creation that merges stepping with video and electronic music. Described by the Washington Post as �a complex web of images and rhythms,� nxt/step is a futuristic exploration that �launches stepping into the 21st century.�

Tickets for students are $15.00 and $30.00 for adults. Groups of 15 or more save 15% on General Admission adult tickets.

How do I get to the Atlas?

So now you have your tickets to the Atlas and you are well on your way to having the time of your life with the most exciting dance company in DC�.but wait� HOW DO YOU GET TO THE ATLAS?

Don�t worry�there are plenty of ways to get to DC�s newest performance venue in the Atlas District. Here�s how to begin:

STEP 1: Look for the Atlas Marquee

It's big, it's blue, it has lights, and A-T-L-A-S in big bold letters...you can't miss it! Located at 1333 H St., NE, the Atlas has lots of street parking. And it�s only five minutes from downtown DC.

STEP 2: Take Metro

There are two different Metro Stations that are close to the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Minnesota Avenue
Union Station

Go to www.wmata.com and use trip planner to help you find the best way to the Atlas using Metro.

STEP 3: The Atlas Shuttle- Friday/Saturday Night Special! On Friday and Saturday night, you can use a shuttle service that runs from the Union Station Metro to the Atlas. When you arrive at Union Station, call Hogan�s Shuttle Service at (301) 751-1802. The driver will tell you exactly where to wait and what time he will arrive. Although there is no charge for the shuttle, these courteous drivers do deserve a tip!

STEP 4: We can call you a taxi home...Taxicabs will be available after the performance to whisk you safely home. Just notify an usher at the Atlas that you will need a cab after the show and they will make the call for you.If you need additional information on how to get to the Atlas, please call the box office at (202) 399-7993.

To forward this e-mail to a friend or colleague, use this link.

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#28 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu May 10, 2007 4:17 pm
Subject: Joe Lally and Step Afrika (and me) j_matis
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dear friends,

wanted to let you know about some upcoming performances in DC.

you are invited.

1. Joe Lally - with DCIC as his band - at Jammin' Java, May 17th.
We played with him once already - see blog for details.
More info about the show:
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/167669/

2. I'm performing again with Step Afrika, May 30 - June 3 at Atlas. The opening night show also features Sweet Honey in the Rock. I will be upstaged in a big way ;-)
More info about the show:
http://www.stepafrika.org/031207/EVNT/EVNT-HPS.htm

-jon

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#27 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:44 pm
Subject: Fw: Performance this weekend! j_matis
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Dear friends,

i'm performing this weekend (see below for details) - it's a dance show. i'll be doing my duet "unmapped" with daniel burkholder (that's the piece we did for 24 hours during Fringe last summer, this time it will only be 7 minutes. much better).

And i'll be performing with Cameron (so that would be our group, Eigenvalues) providing the sound (spoken word / music / electronics) for a new dance work: "My ocean is never blue."

Friday's show is a benefit for Water for People.

See you there?
-jon

Improv Arts, inc presents
My ocean is never blue
Daniel Burkholder/The PlayGround

Order Now!

Tickets: $7-$20*

To order:
www.danceplace.org
or 202-269-1600

*Friday Fundraiser
Tickets: $20-25

Quick Links...

Improv Arts

Dance Place

The PlayGround @ Dance Place
See "My ocean is never blue" and other repertory
Exploring our personal, environmental and political relationships to water, Daniel Burkholder/The PlayGround presents the theatrical premiere of "My ocean is never blue" April 27-29, 2007 @ Dance Place. Featuring over 18 performers, live music and video projection, "My ocean is never blue" focuses on one of the most important issues facing the world today. Also on the program Director Daniel Burkholder will perform 3 duets: "unmapped" with musician Jonathan Matis, "together/apart (we go each our way)" with Stefanie Quinones Bass, and "Duet for 3" with his wife, Andrea Burkholder.

For more about "My ocean is never blue" access our ongoing blog about the creation and performance process at
http://improvarts.alkem.org

Daniel Burkholder/The PlayGround @ Dance Place
April 27*-29, 2007
Friday & Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 7pm
Tickets: $7-$20*

To order tickets go to www.danceplace.org
or call 202-269-1600

*Speical Fundraiser for Water for People
Friday, April 27 @ 8pm
Tickets: $20-$25
Water for People helps the most impoverished people worldwide improve their quality of life by supporting sustainable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene projects.

Event Info
Dance Place
3225 8th Street NE
Washington, DC 20016
April 27-29, 2007
www.danceplace.org

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#26 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:41 am
Subject: DCIC and more - Matis around town in April j_matis
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Dear friends,

I have a batch of shows coming up... would love to see you if you're able to come on out.

1. this Tuesday (4/17): DCIC and Locksmith Isadore at Warehouse Next Door, 9pm, $7

2. this Thursday (4/19) - with The PlayGround at a special "works in progress" event sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society. Click here for more info. at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 6pm, FREE

3. in two weeks - Sat/Sun April 28 &29, The PlayGround at Dance Place. We are premiering a new work, "My ocean is never blue" featuring music by me & text-sound composition by Eigenvalues (that would be Cameron and me). Fun!
Click here for tickets. Daniel and I are also revisiting our duo, "unmapped" that we performed last summer in the fringe festival for 24 hours. This time only 10 minutes, maybe less. A rare opportunity to see me in dance pants, and dancing.

see below for more info about the DCIC show on tuesday... it's gonna be a good one.

Thanks!
-Jon

Locksmith Isadore photo

Improv Arts, Inc. presents:

Trio Time

Who: Locksmith Isadore, DC Improvisers Collective
When: Tuesday, April 17, 2007, 9:00pm, $7
Where: Warehouse Next Door, 1017 7th Street NW, Washington DC 20001

Locksmith Isadore is an improvising trio, formed last year for a one-off performance at Tonic in New York City. Bass Clarinetist Jason Stein joined up with cellist Kevin Davis (both from Chicago) and drummer Mike Pride (from New York). The results convinced them to keep working as a trio.. and here we are. Bass Clarinet, Cello, Drums. Sounds like a jazz trio, no? Jason Stein is a young player who has quickly established himself in Chicago's fertile improv scene. He is a member of Ken Vandermark's "Bridge 61" and has played with many impressive people. Kevin Davis has a degree in composition, and merges his compositional skills with his interest in free improvisation. Mike Pride (drums) has a resume that reads like a who's who of New York City improvisers. If you really want to know, here's a partial list: Karen Borca, Tyondai Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Califone, Daniel Carter, Eugene Chadbourne, Andrew d'Angelo, Jim Denley, Ernesto Diaz-Infante, Trevor Dunn, Brandon Evans, Ken Filiano, Michael Formanek, Chris Forsyth, Marc Gartman, Milford Graves, Curtis Hasselbring, Mark Helias, Fred Hess, Vijay Iyer, Haino Keiji's FUSHITSUSHA, Briggan Krauss, Frank Lowe, Mat Maneri, punk-rock legends MDC (Millions Of Dead Cops), Tony Malaby, Sabir Mateen, Jackson Moore, Butch Morris, Darla recording artists Pale Horse & Rider and Aarktica, William Parker, Matana Roberts, Perry Robinson, Jamie Saft, Sonny Simmons, Chris Speed, Steve Swell, Cuong Vu, Matthew Welch, Nate Wooley, Jack Wright & Otomo Yoshihide.

The DC Improvisers Collective (DCIC) is a trio exploring the intersection of jazz, contemporary composition and experimental music. Their current lineup features Ben Azzara (drums), Jonathan Matis (guitar), and Mike Sebastian (reeds). These musicians come together from diverse backgrounds, bringing experience from performing in rock bands and jazz groups, as well as post-classical composition. With ears wide open, they craft intricate compositions on the fly. Although the common metaphor for group improvisation often seems to be conversation, this metaphor fails to capture the true real-time, simultaneous collaboration that fuels the work. Equal parts tightrope act and group meditation, the ensemble explores the fertile territory of surprise just beyond the boundary where words fail.

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#25 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:57 pm
Subject: Jonathan Matis, man about town j_matis
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Dear all,

just a quick reminder - this weekend, the DC area is chock full of Jon Matis shows:

Saturday, March 17: Eigenvalues (featuring the fabulous Cameron McPhee) will be performing at Sangha in Takoma Park, part of their "Audio Vortex" series. Also on the bill - Jack Wright's trio featuring Toshi Makihara (drums) and Evan Lipson (bass). Jack is a legendary free-improv sax player. Toshi is, well, indescribably fantastic, and Evan is quite a talent. He and I played together last spring during Sound Exchange in Philadelphia. They are going to blow the doors off the place. Our set will be good too. We'll be premiering two new pieces. One of them is about our dog.
[click here for more info]

Sunday, March 18: The debut performance by my new ensemble, The Low End String Quartet. We will rock you.
Like no other string quartet can rock you. We're opening for my friend, Chris Black, who is coming all the way from Austin, Texas. He plays a big ol' stand up bass and sings songs and he's really really good. It's going to be a grand night of low pitched string music. Check out Chris' myspace page and listen to his songs. They are totally cool and you will love it. You should round up all your friends and come out on Sunday night. Seriously. Chris Black is the sort of artist you hear and think, "how come I didn't know about him a long time ago? His music is awesome!" You want to hear him now, before he gets huge and can't play small venues like Warehouse Next Door. Follow the link below for complete details... show at 8:30, $8.
[click here for more info]

-Jon

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#24 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Mar 6, 2007 11:22 pm
Subject: two upcoming shows - weekend doubleheader j_matis
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Dear all,

I've got two shows coming up next weekend, and they are both very special.

Saturday, March 17: Eigenvalues will be performing at Sangha in Takoma Park, part of ther "Audio Vortex" series.
[click here for more info]

Sunday, March 18: The debut performance by my new ensemble, The Low End String Quartet. We will rock you.
Like no other string quartet can rock you. We're opening for my friend, Chris Black, who is coming all the way from Austin, Texas. He plays bass and sings songs and he's really really good. It's going to be a grand night of low pitched string music.
[click here for more info]

If you feel inspired to share this information with your friends, and / or others that you think might be interested, that would be really swell. Also, if you have any comments about what independent artists (like me) should be doing to connect with and build their audiences, that's a conversation I'm looking to have. And I'm happy to have other conversations with you too. Anyway, keep warm. Spring will be here soon. I hope. I'm moving south as soon as I can figure out how to make the money work.

-Jon

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

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#23 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Feb 6, 2007 10:26 pm
Subject: DCIC in-store at crooked beat, Feb 23 j_matis
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Save the date...

Come experience DCIC and celebrate the release of our new CD, MEME + VARIATIONS - Live recordings from 2005-2006 part of Sachimay Records' "Interventions" series.

It's a full length album of DCIC's quartet lineup, recorded in various places such as rehearsals, live shows, and a radio broadcast.

It's only $5. You can read more (and order a copy) from our site or from Sachimay Records. Seriously, it's only $5. How cool is that?

RSVP for the in-store and "share" this event with your friends via upcoming.org...

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

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#22 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:15 pm
Subject: Feb. 1 - DCIC show j_matis
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dear friends,

The DC Improvisers Collective has a show coming up... details below.

in other news, my day-job with the American Composers Forum has been cut back to one day per week (lack of funding) -- so i'm looking for work. if you know anyone who could use a composer, sound designer, or recording engineer (say, for film, television, commercials, theater, dance, etc) i'd love to hear from you.

thanks - and hope to see you on feb. 1 for the show!
-jon

-----------
Cello close-up photo

Improv Arts, Inc. presents:

Stability is Overrated:
lowercase sounds from Boston, with unpredictable counterparts from DC

Who: Tim Feeney and Vic Rawlings, DC Improvisers Collective, and The Caution Curves
When: Thursday, February 1, 2007, 9:00pm, $7 (your best entertainment value)
Where: Warehouse Next Door, 1017 7th Street NW, Washington DC 20001

Tim Feeney and Vic Rawlings work within Boston's "lowercase" improvising community, a group of musicians interested in unstable sounds and silences, exploring austere combinations of sound and the otherworldly ripple effects that pulse through a silent space and alert ears.

Vic Rawlings (pictured above) performs using prepared/ amplified cello, and circuitry. He is active as an improviser and instrument builder. His performances focus on the metamusical potential of unstable sounds and silences. He has developed instruments that are specific to this compositional aesthetic. As an instrument builder he specializes in modifications of existing instruments and has developed extensive cello preparations. He also continually develops an electronic instrument from extant exposed circuitry, producing, in effect, a modular analog synthesizer with a highly unstable interface. This electronic instrument is paired with a flexible array of exposed speaker elements, chosen for their often unpredictable and idiosyncratic acoustic qualities.

He performs as a soloist and as a member of undr quartet, The BSC, and in duo and trio ensembles with Michael Bullock, Greg Kelley, Bhob Rainey, Sean Meehan, Jason Lescalleet, James Coleman, Liz Tonne, Tatsuya Nakatani, and Howard Stelzer, among others. Collaborators have included such diverse musicians as Eddie Prevost (AMM), Donald Miller (Borbetomagus), Daniel Carter (Other Dimensions in Music), Laurence Cook, Jaap Blonk, Masashi Harada, and Stephen Drury.

Tim Feeney seeks to explore and examine the timbral possibilites inherent in everyday found and built objects. He treats his percussion set-up as a friction instrument, using bows, scrapers, and rosined drumheads as implements and sympathetic resonators to capture and amplify frequencies that go unheard when an object is struck with a mallet. He supplements his acoustic console with an electronic instrument activated from a laptop or no-input mixer, which synthesizes and alters the spectral characteristics of sounds from pure sine tones to speaker pops and white noise.

As an improviser, Tim works with such Boston artists as thereminist James Coleman, and the trio ONDA, with whom he has performed at such experimental spaces as the Knitting Factory New York, The Red Room in Baltimore, Boston�s Zeitgeist Gallery, the new Firehouse 12 in New Haven, Connecticut, and Chicago�s 3030. With saxophonist Jack Wright, Tim appeared on the inaugural Counter Fit Festival in Rochester, New York, and participated in the August 2005 No Net workshop in Philadelphia.

As an interpreter, Tim has appeared at venues including the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and his work has been featured on WNYC Radio�s �New Sounds.� A member of Boston�s Callithumpian Consort, Tim has performed on the Musica Nova series at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany, and at New York�s club Tonic, as part of its 50th birthday celebration for John Zorn. As a founding member of the percussion quartet So, Tim appeared in concerts and masterclasses at Columbia University, Harvard University, and Williams College, as well as the 2001 Bang on a Can Marathon. He is a co-founder of the duo Non-Zero, with saxophonist Brian Sacawa, which in its inaugural season performed world premieres of seven new works.

"The Caution Curves hits the face like an unnervingly passionate kiss, intoxicating from both its immediate sensuality and the calm intensity that incites it. A trio of Rebecca Mills, Tristana Fiscella, and Amanda Huron, The Caution Curves sound like and ESG splintered into prismatic tribalism, hallucinatory vocal-chord urgency, and enigmatic guitar and electronic filigree. Theirs is an improv that explores the brain-morphing space of subtle textural conversations over creeping percussive patterns rather than the force of propulsive manic thrust, creating a roomy disorientation that is sensitive, visceral, and introspective: an organic sound both warmly and suspiciously inviting."
- Bret McCabe, The Baltimore City Paper, March 2006

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#21 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:52 pm
Subject: Eigenvalues and Tatsuya Nakatani this friday j_matis
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dear friends,

cameron and i are performing this coming friday... early show (7:30pm), we'd love to see you there!
-jon

------------------
Improv Arts Inc. Presents:

Nakatani_photo

Tatsuya Nakatani (improvising percussionist)
and
Eigenvalues (Text/Sound performance duo)

Friday, December 15th, 7:30pm, $7
Warehouse Next Door
1021 7th Street NW
Washington D.C. 20001

Q: So you really expect me to come and listen to a forty minute drum solo?
A: Yes. Seriously. And you'll thank me for it afterwards.

Tatsuya Nakatani is a rare find: A percussionist with an extraoridnary ear for color in addition to rhythm; an improviser that performs with clear logic and economy of means. His music is abstract yet viscerally compelling.

Originally from Kobe and Osaka, Japan, internationally renowned percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani has toured extensively throughout the world, having performed in approximately 80 cities and 10 countries. Utilizing drumset, gongs, cymbals, singing bowls, metal objects, sticks and bows, he creates collages of sound, which combine the sense of space and beauty found in traditional Japanese folk music with the extended techniques of New Music, yet with great energy and intensity. Although his music defies category or genre, it can be viewed as a cross-cultural mixture of improvised music, experimental music, jazz, free jazz, and rock.

Using the sound of the spoken voice, instrumental accompaniment and electronic processing, Eigenvalues (Cameron McPhee and Jonathan Matis) compose and perform material that blurs the boundaries between music and literary art. Weaving together original and found text with composed and improvised music, Cameron and Jonathan's work is unique, artistically compelling and socially relevant.

Please note: this is an early show, performance begins at 7:30pm.

For more information, follow the links above or call 301.785.0884

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#20 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Dec 5, 2006 7:49 pm
Subject: Matis update - and show tomorrow in DC j_matis
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hey everybody! sorry i haven't been in touch in a little while. i've had some really interesting shows this fall - hopefully soon i'll update my blog and tell you all about 'em. until then, here's some quick tidbits:

1. shows last month with Step Afrika! went really well. it was a big challenge for me, but i think it worked out nicely and i hope to continue working with them in '07. the music for their new piece combined rock and electronica elements. their step rhythms are really tricky and it kept me on my toes for sure. plus i had to play "composed" music so i had to worry about playing the right notes and stuff. i think i pulled it off. the piece also had some complicated video integration, so we all had lots of cues to remember (and hit at the right time). somehow it all worked even though the piece was still changing right up until the dress rehearsal. they're a wickedly talented bunch.

2. DCIC has a show coming up tomorrow night at the new & improved Warehouse Next Door. it's nicer than it was before, and the lineup is interesting. two acts from massachussets (i think they're both hampshire college students?) see below for the details and links to hear music by the opening acts. the show starts late - 10pm. if you're like me, that might be late for a weeknight... but come on out and hang with the night people. it will be fun, i'll even buy you a drink. at the low price of $7 it's your best entertainment value. we got together for rehearsal last weekend, and it's crazy how much the group's sound changes over time. we did more Rock and less Jazz than usual - and it was good. Plus one late night might be a good warm-up for all the holiday parties you have to go to this month. as Brian Williams, director of Step Afrika! might say, "It will be HOT."

here's details about the show. maybe see you tomorrow night?
-jon

Improv Arts, Inc. presents:
Soft Relativism and the Malaise of Modernity:
abstract electronics, fragile songs, and spontaneous jazz

Who:DC Improvisers Collective, Liz Isenberg, and Cassette Concret
When: Wednesday, December 6, 2006, 10:00pm, $7
Where: Warehouse Next Door, 1017 7th Street NW, Washington DC 20001

The DC Improvisers Collective (DCIC) is a trio exploring the intersection of jazz, contemporary composition and experimental music. Their current lineup features Ben Azzara (drums), Jonathan Matis (guitar), and Mike Sebastian (reeds). These musicians come together from diverse backgrounds, bringing experience from performing in rock bands and jazz groups, as well as post-classical composition. With ears wide open, they craft intricate compositions on the fly. Although the common metaphor for group improvisation often seems to be conversation, this metaphor fails to capture the true real-time, simultaneous collaboration that fuels the work. Equal parts tightrope act and group meditation, the ensemble explores the fertile territory of surprise just beyond the boundary where words fail. [and lately they are exploring the intersection of Doom Metal, Minimalism, and Mystical music from around the world. Q: What does that sound like? A: Hot.]

Liz Isenberg is a musician from Amherst, Massachusetts. She plays string bass, guitar, and works with electronic sound manipulation. She is currently touring as a solo artist, but is also a member of Fat Cat Records approved a.sweater (Sweater Weather). Of her work, Hampshire College Music Professor and Audio Culture (Continuum, 2005) editor Dan Warner writes "[Liz�s music] speaks beautifully in it�s own compositional voice�using minimal musical materials, but just the right amount of processing to enhance her delicate, compelling vocals." Alone or with her various bands she has played shows with several K Records related bands including Mount Eerie and Little Wings, as well as current Andrew Bird tour mates Head of Femur.

Cassette Concret is wacky electronic music.

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

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#19 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Nov 9, 2006 3:46 pm
Subject: Step Afrika! and me?! this weekend j_matis
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howdy folks. i haven't been in touch in a while... i've been in over my head with a big project: i'm writing and performing music for a new work by Step Afrika!

it's coming together nicely, which is good because the premiere performances are coming up this weekend. yipes.

the shows are nearly sold out - click here for the event page at Washington Performing Arts Society. it says to call the box office for "last minute availability." shows are saturday at 8pm and sunday at 4pm - at Dance Place.

maybe see you there?
-jon

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#18 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:40 pm
Subject: Born Again Dada - performance this sunday (FREE) j_matis
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dear friends,

Cameron and I are performing again this weekend as Eigenvalues... part of an interesting mixed program at DCAC.
see you there?
-jon

-------------------
HERB'S CHOICE : BORN AGAIN DADA

AN EVENING OF LIVE PERFORMANCE + SPOKEN WORD + ANTI-ART

SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER 2006 : 7:30 PM : FREE

BLK w/ BEAR : audio relocation + broadcast interference : www.artbear.com
EIGENVALUES : text + sound : www.myspace.com/eigenvalues
JD SMITH : poetry : www.jdsmithwriter.com
DEE-RANGED : performance art : www.reddragonpress.com

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ARTS CENTER

2438 Eighteenth Street NW : Washington DC : USA

INFO + DIRECTIONS : www.dcartscenter.org

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#17 From: "Jonathan Morris" <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:04 pm
Subject: DCIC with Golden Arm Trio - sunday j_matis
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Improv Arts, Inc. presents: Golden Arm Trio and DCIC

Who: Golden Arm Trio and DC Improvisers Collective
When: Sunday, October 15, 2006, 7:30pm, $10
Where: DCAC, 2438 18th Street NW, Washington DC 20009
Tickets: Virtuous.com

GOLDEN ARM TRIO is an Austin, Texas based band led by composer, bandleader, pianist and drummer Graham Reynolds. Graham and the group work constantly, in theater, dance, film, concert halls and nightclubs. THE BAND is a loose collective of which Graham is the only permanent member with some outstanding musicians as regularly featured additions. The band has toured throughout the United States and Europe and has released two critically acclaimed CD's, as well as the recent major motion picture soundtrack "A Scanner Darkly." RollingStone.com described the band as an Austin, Texas-based power-jazz merger of John Zorn's Naked City and the 1970s radical-prog band Henry Cow. Reynolds -- like Zorn, without the heavy weather -- freely charges into other realms as a composer-performer: string quartets, symphonies, soundtracks, improvised super-rock, crossbreeding classical futurism and punk esprit. FILM scores include five feature films, dozens of short films, animated shorts, and more than 20 silent films. Film collaborators have included Richard Linklater, Steve Collins and Luke Savisky. PERFORMANCE highlights include a live appearance on NPR's Talk of the Nation and a night at the Kennedy Center. The eclectic nature of the band has led to double bills ranging from Ken Vandermark to The Sea and the Cake to Merle Haggard guitarist Redd Volkeart. COMPOSITIONS by Graham Reynolds include four symphonies, two operas, a violin concerto, more than a dozen one movement string quartets, and countless chamber music pieces.

The DC Improvisers Collective (DCIC) is a trio exploring the intersection of jazz, contemporary composition and experimental music. Their current lineup features Ben Azzara (drums), Jonathan Matis (guitar), and Mike Sebastian (reeds). These musicians come together from diverse backgrounds, bringing experience from performing in rock bands and jazz groups, as well as post-classical composition. With ears wide open, they craft intricate compositions on the fly. Although the common metaphor for group improvisation often seems to be conversation, this metaphor fails to capture the true real-time, simultaneous collaboration that fuels the work. Equal parts tightrope act and group meditation, the ensemble explores the fertile territory of surprise just beyond the boundary where words fail.

Buy Tickets at Virtuous.com �

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#16 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:06 pm
Subject: upcoming show - friday sept 29 j_matis
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Dear friends,

Wanted to let you know about this upcoming show... our first full-length performance as "Eigenvalues." The show is free, and the venue is nice. Make an evening of it. Old town Alexandria is awfully cute. Plenty of spots for dinner, drinks, etc.

Hope to see you there! More info about the show included below.
-jon

Eigenvalues' premiere performance

Friday, September 29, 2006
7:00pm, FREE
at The Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia
201 S. Washington Street

The Alexandria Performing Arts Association's Lyceum Series presents

"Old Songs/ New Songs"
an evening of poetry and music

Two musical groups: "Old Songs," led by Mark Jickling and Chris Mason, is American roots music, taking guitar, banjo, and mandolin and setting to song their translations of archaic Greek poetry. Sing along to lines from the ancient Cynics! The New Songs part of the evening will be represented by "Eigenvalues", Cameron McPhee and Jonathan Matis, with contemporary spoken word accompanied by instruments and "text collage" embedded in live electronic processing.

free of charge
APAA phone number: 703-823-9563
www.alexperformingartsassociation.org

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#15 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Fri Aug 4, 2006 8:04 pm
Subject: Matis shows all over the place. j_matis
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dear friends,

i've got a few events coming up that i'd like to share with you... i'm doing a quick mini-tour with drummer, brian fending. we call it Fending/Matis. we have a new cd that we'll be releasing very soon.

Sunday, Aug 6: New York City: two shows...
8pm at ABC No Rio
11pm at CBGB's Gallery

Monday, Aug 7: Washington DC at The Red and The Black - with John Berndt.

Tuesday, Aug 8: Philadelphia at the Avant Gentlemen's Lodge - with The Flying Luttenbachers, Mary Halvorson & Jess Pavone, and Satanized.

For details about where, when, etc. - check our website or our myspace, or my upcoming.org.

also... DCIC is playing with Greg Osby tomorrow (Sat. Aug. 5) at the Warehouse Theater, 8:30, $12, benefit for Alkem.org. exciting times. (voice of isaac hayes) "cool music for these hot summer nights."

hope you can join us... if you know anyone else who might be interested please help us spread the word. thanks!!!!!!
-jon

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#14 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:36 pm
Subject: upcoming DCIC shows j_matis
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dear friends,

i'm happy to report that Daniel Burkholder and I survived - and completed - our 24 hour performance of "unmapped" last weekend, part of the Capital Fringe Festival.

no rest for the weary... lots of performing coming up!

1. DCIC will be opening for The Evens at Fort Ren o on monday, 7/31. show starts promptly at 7:15pm. it's free. the series at fort reno is a DC summertime tradition and it's loads of fun. bring a picnic. bring the dog. bring the kids. (bring some bug spray so you don't get bit up). easy to reach by metro (tenleytown). nice blurb in today's Post in the "Nightlife Agenda." click here to see what they had to say...

2. holy crap! DCIC will be playing with saxophone heavyweight Greg Osby - he'll be sitting in with us on a double bill with Joe Lally. this is a strange dream i think... Joe Lally (of fugazi) is opening for us? Greg Osby is playing with us? pinch me... the show is a benefit for Alkem - the kind folks who host our website for free - and many other DC arts-related sites. Saturday, August 5, 8:30pm at the Warehouse Theater (on the main stage). $12

so to recap, that's monday 7/31 at fort reno, saturday 8/5 at Warehouse Theater...

but that's not all!!! my duo project with drummer Brian Fending is also busy. we're releasing a new CD on the Sockets-CDR label and doing a little tour.

Fending-Matis duo, East Coast mini-tour:
8/6 - New York City
8/7 - Pittsburgh
8/8 - Philadelphia
for the itinerary and show details, click here.

hoping to add a DC show on August 9... will let you know how that works out...
before we hit the road, cameron and i are going to handpaint 100 cd cases - the new Fending-Matis disc is being released in a limited edition of 100 and it's just the coolest. you'll see! we recorded it last summer in minneapolis and derek morton at kavekavity mastered it -- sounds good, i promise!

hope you're enjoying the summer,
-jon

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#13 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:26 pm
Subject: 24 hour dance/music improv show - this weekend. j_matis
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Dear Friends,

As you may know, Daniel Burkholder and I are putting on a big show this weekend. In fact, we'll be performing improvised dance and music for 24 hours. Crazy. The piece is called "unmapped."

It's part of the Fringe Festival and it's going to be a wild time. Rather than give you the spiel, here in this email � I'll kindly request that you click-thru to our spiffy web page that has loads of info about the show � including an interview with the two of us, photos, and more.

http://improvarts.alkem.org/unmapped

The schedule and ticketing is a little confusing � so here's how it's going to work:

The show starts at 9pm on Friday night. Each performance will last between 30 and 45 minutes. Then we get a little break. Then we do it again � starting at the top of every hour. So there's another show at 10pm., another one at 11pm, and so on � you get the idea. That means there's a show at 6am on Saturday, and at 7am, and so on � all day long! So I'm SURE there's a time when you can come see the show. Come see us late-night when the bars close on Friday night. Come see us at sunrise on Saturday morning. See us at lunchtime Saturday. See us at tea time Saturday. Whenever. There's a show time that's right for you!

If you want to see any show during hours 1 through 23 � just buy one ticket and come back as often as you'd like � to any show during the 1st 23 hours. If you want to see the final show, when we're delirious and insane, you have to buy a special ticket for 8pm on Saturday night.

The performance is on the main stage at the Warehouse Theater. 1021 7th Street, NW, Washington DC. Easy to get to by metro: Mt. Vernon Square / Convention Center stop is a block away. Gallery Place is a short walk.

Now about the tickets� You can buy tickets at the door before each performance. Or, you can buy tickets in advance at the Fringe Festival Box office (conveniently located at Warehouse Theater), or you can be totally high-tech and buy tickets online.

The Fringe festival is doing all the ticketing and our 24 hour performance doesn't fit their system too well� so here's what you do to buy them online:

click here to get to our page in the online ticketing system:
http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/122042

then click the big red button that says "buy tickets online"

then � for any shows starting between 9pm on Friday and 7pm on Saturday, choose "9pm on Friday, July 21." That ticket is good for any shows during hours 1 through 23.

If you want to buy advance tickets for the final show, click on the "8pm on Saturday, July 22."

It's strange that the ticketing website only shows two shows� but we don't have any control over how that's set up. So we hope that's not too confusing� and please help spread the word. The Fringe Guide also doesn't really list our show clearly as every hour, on the hour � but now that you understand you can help eradicate confusion and send lots of people our way (please). We really gotta sell a lot of tickets to break even on this show�

Thanks so much for reading all this � we can't wait to see you at the show!
-Jon

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#12 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Fri Jul 14, 2006 4:10 pm
Subject: join the club j_matis
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Dear Friends,

Earlier this year, we created the Improv Arts Commissioning Club, a unique opportunity for individuals to invest in the commissioning of new work. So far, the Club has supported a weekend of performances by The PlayGround at Dance Place, and a recording session for the DC Improvisers Collective.

The Club provides a means for broad participation in the cultivation of new work. We invite you to participate in this network of support by joining the Improv Arts Commissioning Club. Whether your gift is $25, $2,500, or somewhere in between, you will be participating in a new model for arts patronage - building a community of support for performing arts in the region.

This summer, the Improv Arts Commissioning Club will support the premiere of �unmapped,� a new duet by Daniel Burkholder and Jonathan Matis. This piece is a large scale, 40 minute structured improvisation that Daniel and Jonathan will perform every hour for 24 hours straight. The performance will be part of the upcoming Capital Fringe Festival, beginning at 9pm on July 21st and continuing until 9pm on July 22nd, at the Warehouse Theater.

Commissioning Club members will receive complimentary tickets to the performance, and a special invitation to a members-only brunch at the Warehouse Theater's caf� during the performance - Saturday morning, July 22nd.

For more information about "unmapped," including a podcast about the piece, visit:
http://improvarts.alkem.org/unmapped

We know that there are many organizations, individuals and causes that ask for your attention and support, just as we are doing now. We also know that you understand the importance of art in the lives of individuals, communities and nations. We invite you to join the Improv Arts Commissioning Club as we continue to create provocative and extraordinary performances.

You may give online using the link above, or by mail to:
Improv Arts Inc.
6003 44th Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20781

Thank you for your support.

Daniel Burkholder and Jonathan Morris
Co-Directors, Improv Arts, Inc.

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#11 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:33 pm
Subject: unmapped - the podcast j_matis
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Hi all,

Daniel and I have recorded a podcast about our upcoming 24-hour performance - "unmapped" - that will happen as part of the Capital Fringe Festival. If you want to find out more about this performance you can listen to the podcast at http://improvarts.alkem.org/unmapped .

Hope to see you at the show!

-jon

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#10 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:00 pm
Subject: "unmapped" fringe show - help needed j_matis
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Dear friends and family,

Daniel Burkholder and I are gearing up for our performance at the Fringe  
Festival this summer and we need help!  As I think you know, we are  
doing this crazy 24-hour performance and we need help selling tickets  
at the door, ushering and doing alittle on-street PR stuff (easy,  
fun!). The performance runs from Friday, July 21 @ 9pm until Sat.,  
July 22 at 9pm. We need help all of that time, but especially between  
11pm and 11am (yea!). If you could help out at any of those times  
that would be great.

Read more about the piece at http://improvarts.alkem.org/unmapped.

thanks and hope to see you soon,

Jonathan

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#9 From: "Jonathan Morris" <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:34 pm
Subject: DCIC tonight with "Day & Taxi" j_matis
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Clavius Productions presents its first event at new DC venue The Red and the Black, with Swiss jazz trio Day & Taxi, with DCIC opening. Please try to come out and support this new venue, which could possibly be a nice home to experimental music (next to a sideshow freak bar!). Information on the venue follows the band descriptions:

Tuesday, June 13
The Red and the Black
1212 H St NE WDC
$7, 21+
doors at 8:30, show at 9:30

Day & Taxi (avant-jazz sax/bass/drums trio from Switzerland)
DCIC (experimental improv jazz ensemble from DC)

Day & Taxi
http://www.percaso.ch/

The Swiss trio DAY & TAXI was originally formed in 1988 as a quartet with saxophonist Urs Bl�chlinger (1954-1995). From the beginning, the group consisted of Scottish bassist Lindsay L. Cooper (1940-2001) and Swiss drummer Dieter Ulrich.

Besides concerts in Switzerland, DAY & TAXI toured Russia and the Baltic States in 1993, and played various jazz festivals in Canada in 1994. The trio's stock repertoire are original compositions. The initial work of the original trio is documented on CD (PERCASO11, RecRec Distr.) and is entitled "all". Lindsay Cooper went back to Scottland in 1994 and after some time apart DAY & TAXI resurfaced with a new contrabassist (Dominique Girod) and a new repertoire (documented on CD: DAY & TAXI "about" PERCASO 17, "less and more" UNIT RECORDS 4121, RecRec Distr.).

This trio toured USA and Canada in 1998 and Russia in 2000. The years between 2001 and 2003 DAY & TAXI are documented on CD with Daniel Studer on bass and Marco K�ppeli on drums ("private" & "material" PERCASO 20, 21, RecRec Distr.). This edition toured Japan in 2001. In 2004 Christian Weber replaced Studer on bass. This trio toured China and Taiwan in 2005 (Documented on LP, PERCASO 22, "live in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Taipei").

Todays edition of the trio -� since 2006 with German drummer Michael Griener -� plays mostly Gallio compositions, which define and stylize a mixture of contemporary new music and jazz. The improvisation, abstract, and plastic visions are the extra important ingredients in the music of DAY & TAXI.

DCIC
http://dcic.alkem.org/

Jonathan Matis -- guitar/electronics:
Jonathan Matis is a composer and performer whose work actively combines the practices of composition and improvisation. Matis has composed music for dance, incidental music for theater, and a variety of concert works. Performing with electric guitar, a small collection of low-tech preparations, and live signal processing, Matis coaxes textures from the instrument -- in addition to the occasional tried-and-true plucked string approach. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Washington DC Chapter of the American Composers Forum. His last name is also Morris. It's kind of a funny story.

Mike Sebastian - tenor & soprano sax/bass clarinet:
Mike has been playing reed instruments for over 12 years. His passion to play grew when he first heard the spirituality of John Coltrane's music. Mike plays improvised experimental, jazz, rock, gospel, and any other type of music that encourages creativity. His experience includes playing in a gospel orchestra, as well as with various local improvisers. Recently Mike played improvised music for dance with Jon Matis and Mark Merella at the DC Improv Festival. A particular thrill was playing with Peter Kowald and local Baltimore musicians at the Red Room in 2000.

Ben Azzara - drums/percussion:
As a child Ben saw Kenny Clark play with Dizzy Gillespie, and ever since he has been seduced by all things drums. Jazz trained but seasoned in rock clubs across the North America and Europe, he has been the progenitor of numerous groups including the emo-punk innovators Junction, the infamous Delta 72, and most recently, Dischord's Capitol City Dusters of whom the UK's Q magazine said, "...Dischord has struck another vein of precious musical ore." Ben continues to perform with his wife SARAH AZZARA and has produced three full-length releases with her. You can listen to MP3s from all of Ben's various musical excursions at his website benazzara.com.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Red & The Black will open on Monday, June 12th and is fashioned similarly to DC9. Two levels, with the first level boasting a long bar with booth seating. A wall-mounted jukebox allows you to select over 200,000 songs. The second floor is reserved for live entertainment, dance nights, and special events.

Unfortunately, we were not able to get a liquor license for opening night. Next to The Red & The Black is The Palace Of Wonders. This bar is dedicated to circus sideshow entertainment and freak oddities. The Palace Of Wonders has a full bar and will be glad to serve you. We should have a liquor license by this coming weekend.

Here is a list of shows for this coming week:

OPENING NIGHT 8pm
June 12: Doveman w/ Davis Broughton $7

June 13: Day and Taxi (avant-jazz from Switzerland)/DCIC $7

June 16: Can a Sista Rock a Mic? Music Festival $10
Presents The Remedy - open mic jam session.

June 18: Will Soderberg w/ Roxanne Jean Polise, Adam Mokan, John Dikeman/Scott Verrastro Duo, Tone Ghosting $7

June 21: Divider w/ Waking State & The Potential

and on the horizon:

July 2: Stamen & Pistils, Madagascar (gypsy folk from Baltimore), Emma Zunz (accordion/guitar duo from Seattle), Homemade Knives, John Shaw (of Son Of Earth/The Believers) $8

July 23: French Toast, Lucky Pineapple, The Family Underground (Danish improv psych), Book of Common Gestures (Jean Smith of Mecca Normal and David First of The Notekillers) $8

The Red & The Black is located at 1212 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
http://www.redandblackbar.com

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#8 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu May 25, 2006 1:22 am
Subject: DC Improvisers Collective - and you j_matis
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Dear friends and family,

I'd like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement over the last several years. My career as a composer and performing musician has come a long way and I owe you all a big heartfelt thanks.

I'd also like to share an opportunity with you, to join the Improv Arts Commissioning Club.

Last summer, I assembled a "Jonathan Matis Commissioning Club" to raise funds for my participation in the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium including composing a new work for the ensemble FIREWORKS. That effort was very successful, and really helped move my career forward.

This model of support is now being expanded. Daniel Burkholder and I have formed a nonprofit organization called Improv Arts, Inc., that provides a framework for supporting our new dance and music projects: our collaborative work as well as our individual projects.

We have received a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to support my latest endeavor: a studio recording of the DC Improvisers Collective (DCIC). This is an ensemble that I founded a few years ago, to serve as a laboratory for exploring free improvisation in music, as well as methods for developing structured improv pieces. DCIC has consistently provided a very challenging work environment where I'm pushed hard to keep up with a group of ridiculously talented musicians.

During the first week of June, DCIC: Ben Azzara (drums), Mike Sebastian (saxophones and bass clarinet) and myself, will be working at a local studio called Silver Sonya. This is a studio adjacent to / sharing the tracking room (the space where we actually play) with the legendary Inner Ear studio, a facility famous for recording many of the area's punk and hardcore bands (Fugazi, etc.). We will be working with Chad Clark (of the band Beauty Pill), who is a gifted artist and top-notch audio engineer. Needless to say, I'm very excited about this opportunity.

Our budget for the recording process and the associated marketing to record labels is $4,000. Thanks to the grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and several major gifts to the Improv Arts Commissioning Club, we are already halfway to our goal.

This is where you come in. By joining the club, you can play an active role in producing our new album, and support the creation of new, innovative music right here in the DC area.

All club members will receive an invitation to our pre-release launch party (date and location TBA). We'll have a chance to listen to the tracks and party like rock stars, even though it will be a few months until the business end of the commercial release is worked out.

Join the club at the $50 level, "The Fan Club," and receive a copy of the CD when it is released, along with the option to buy additional copies at cost, for sharing with friends and family.

Join the club at the $100 level, "The DCIC super-fans," and receive all of the above, plus a limited edition pre-release copy of the album (please don't leak it on the internet).

Join the club at the $250 level, "Recording Sponsors," and receive all of the above plus a credit in the liner notes as a project sponsor.

Join the club at the $500 level, "Executive Producer," and receive all of the above and a special Executive Producer credit on the CD.

or feel free to join the club at any amount you'd like.

With your help, I am confident that we can raise the additional $2,000 needed to complete the project, and produce a fabulous recording. You can join online using the links above, or mail your tax-deductible gift to:

Improv Arts, Inc.
6003 44th Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20781

Thank you so much for all of your support - and I look forward to sharing the results of our recording project very soon. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, or suggestions. I'm always happy to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Jonathan Morris (Matis)
301-785-0884
j_matis@...

P.S. Please remember to check with your employer to see if matching gifts are available. I'm happy to help you with any paperwork that may require.

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#7 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:15 pm
Subject: Matis update: SUV premiere j_matis
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dear friends and family,

a few little "news" items to share:

1. world premiere of "Sport Utility Vehicle" is coming up this sunday (april 30). the performance features the lovely and talented Cameron McPhee (voice) and live electronics.
the details:

Baltimore Composers Forum concert
Apr 30, 3pm, $12
at An Die Musik
409 North Charles Street
Second Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
888.221.6170
410.385.2638

2. Fending + Matis now on myspace... northeast tour now being planned for august. check us out at myspace - you can hear some music and be our friend!
http://myspace.com/fendingmatis

and if you hang out on myspace, i have a music page there of my own, as well:
http://www.myspace.com/jonathanmatis

3. I moved!! Cameron and I are loving our new house in Hyattsville, Maryland. Our new address:
3704 Kennedy Street
Hyattsville MD 20782

hope you're enjoying the springtime - hope to see y'all soon,
-jon

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#6 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:34 pm
Subject: Matis - dancing, guitar abuse, and more - this weekend! j_matis
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dear friends and family,

1. i've got some exciting news to share... daniel burkholder and i are performing this weekend. we're doing a new duo piece called "unmapped," which blurs the line between dancer and musician. which means i have to be a dancer (in costume and stuff) - and my poor guitar will be tossed back and forth and generally treated in ways that a fine musical instrument should not be treated (good thing it's not a fine instrument).

anyway, it's a great big leap into the unkown for me, and i think makes for some compelling work -- but i'd love for you to be the judge of that... we're performing as part of an unfortunately named program called "dance jam" at H Street Playhouse. we're sharing the evening with a company from Massachusetts and a company from France. The Germans had visa problems... so it's just the three of us... but still worth checking out, i promise.

DISCOUNT PRICES FOR YOU - Also, mention that you are a dance or theater professional and pay only $15 to come see the show.

here's all the details:

Theater Alliance Presents�

The International Dance Jam

Featuring:

Daniel Burkholder/The PlayGround

alban elved dance company

Chimaera Physical Theater

Three days only!

April 14,15,and 16

H Street Playhouse, 1365 H Street, NE

TIX: 1.800.494.8497 or

www.theateralliance.com

2. i've been doing some travelling and composing and recording and generally neglecting my day-jobs... more details are on the blog:
http://morrismatis.blogspot.com/

3. new audio to download: you can hear a new piece by Cameron and me, "i saw you" -- here's a variety of ways to get recording:

a. subscribe to the podcast: paste this feed address into iTunes or other podcatching software: http://feeds.feedburner.com/WhatsMyName

b. if you're not into the podcasting thing, you can grab the file here:
http://dcic.alkem.org/JM_podcasts/i%20saw%20you%20-%20rough%20mix%20v1.mp3

c. or visit the blog, and at the end of the post called "i saw you" click on the link that says "link" -- that takes you to the audio file.
http://morrismatis.blogspot.com/

3. i have a variety of upcoming shows... they're listed in the "upcoming events" sidebar on the blog. please take note of Apr 30 in Baltimore... Cameron will be performing "Sport Utility Vehicle."

i hope you can make it out to H Street Playhouse this weekend... you might want to catch this piece before i come to my senses and refuse to dance in public ;-)

I hope you're enjoying the springtime, and happy Easter, Passover and the anniversary of DC Emancipation!
-jon

ps. cameron and i are moving on april 22. if you'd like to help, we sure could use a hand (or six). it will be the most fun ever. really.

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#5 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:28 pm
Subject: Fwd: Pauline Oliveros [Friday + Sunday] j_matis
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dear friends and family,

this coming sunday, a new piece of mine will be premiered in philadelphia -- details below.

the performance will feature Pauline Oliveros and her Deep Listening Band plus participants in the "Sound Exchange" workshop (including me). the new piece also features Cameron McPhee... we're also performing "sport utility vehicle" together next month in Baltimore. i'll send more info about that next week...

hope you're all doing well!

-jon

Ars Nova Workshop <markc@...> wrote:

Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2006 07:56:21 -0500 (EST)
From: Ars Nova Workshop <markc@...>
To: j_matis@...
Subject: Pauline Oliveros [Friday + Sunday]

Attention: With the purchase of one ticket you receive admission to the following two events. Print out this email and receive $5 OFF your ticket!

Tomorrow. Friday, March 31 | 8pm
PAULINE OLIVEROS AND THE DEEP LISTENING BAND
with Pauline Oliveros, electronics/accordian; David Gamper, piano/electronics; and Stuart Dempster, trombone; w/the SoundExchange Ensemble (more details below)

Since the 1960's Pauline Oliveros (b. 1932) has influenced American music profoundly through her work with improvisation, meditation, electronic music, myth and ritual. She has been celebrated worldwide, and many credit her as the founder of present day meditative music. One of the original members of the Tape Music Center at Mills College (along with Morton Subotnick and Terry Riley), her outstanding body of work includes collaborations with Sonic Youth, Roscoe Mitchell and Alvin Curran, among many others.

+ Sunday, April 2 | 4pm
AN EVENING OF NEW WORKS BY BEN CAMP, JONATHAN MATIS, VALERIE OPIELSKI AND JOHN PHILLIPS
performed by a Philadelphia-based SoundExchange ensemble featuring Charles Cohen, Helena Espvall-Santoleri, Gerone Dale Jimenez, Jesse Kudler, Byard Lancaster, Evan Lipson, Monica McIntyre, Bart Miltenberger, Dave Smolen and Joe Whitt, and featuring Pauline Oliveros and the Deep Listening Band

A unique presentation featuring Philadelphia�s brightest emerging artists as well as seasoned performers - all at the forefront of experimental and improvised music. Performing together exclusively for this engagement, this electro-acoustic ensemble will perform 4 new experimental compositions plus a piece by Oliveros.

The Trinity Center for Urban Life | 22nd and Spruce streets
Purchase one ticket for admission to both concerts:
$20 General Admission / $10 Students, Seniors & ACF Members

More details at http://www.arsnovaworkshop.com.

The SoundExchange project with Pauline Oliveros and the Deep Listening Band is sponsored by the American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter, with funding provided by the William Penn Foundation and the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund. Curatorial assistance provided by Ars Nova Workshop, Peregrine Arts and is produced in collaboration with Trinity Center for Urban Life. ACF Philadelphia would also like to thank Arts In Motion for concert logistic assistance. For more information call 610-896-1571 or email phillycomposers@....

----
DEEP LISTENING WORKSHOP
Free to the public | Pre-registration required.
Saturday, April 1, 10AM at Trinity Center for Urban Life

Learn to foster your own creativity through the practice of Deep Listening, a form of meditation based on an expanded awareness of sound. The workshop, led by Deep Listening Institute certificate holders, will include sitting meditation, a movement exercise, additional fun exercises involving movement, Listening and sounding, and an opportunity to debrief. People at all levels of artistic development and disciplines are welcome. No experience is necessary and the workshop is accessible to people of all physical abilities.

To register, please email vonn.new@... or phone 845-338-5984.

--
Support Creative Music.
http://www.arsnovaworkshop.com

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Ars Nova Workshop, 905 S.48th Street #D, Philadelpia, PA 19143 | 215-727-2714
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#4 From: Jonathan Morris <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Mar 2, 2006 10:34 pm
Subject: misc matis morris update j_matis
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Dear friends and family,

I've got lots of music projects in the works... just wanted to share all of the good news!

I have a Performance this coming Saturday with Jane Franklin Dance, the same suite of short dances with poems that we performed at Iota a few weeks ago, this time at Arlington Arts Center. I'’ve got to set aside some home-studio time to build a recorded version so they can do the piece without me.

"“Sport Utility Vehicle" will be released on a compilation / audio '‘zine thanks to Sean Peoples and his Sockets CDR label. There'’s a release party on Sunday at Warehouse Next Door.– We'’re not performing at that, but you can pick up a copy at a discount during the show…

Cameron and I will also be presenting the world premiere performance of "Sport Utility Vehicle"” as part of a Baltimore Composers Forum concert, April 30, 3pm, at An Die Musik in Baltimore.

I was just hired by Cross Currents dance company to create original music for a piece that Daniel Burkholder is choreographing for them. Actually, it'’s a chance for us to work out some of the material that will be used in our upcoming duo piece, "“unmapped."” The Cross Currents show will be staged May 13 and 14 at Dance Place. Daniel and I will be showing our first version of the duo piece as part of "“The Pangea Project" at H Street Playhouse, April 14 -– 16.

Daniel and I are just starting our rehearsal process for the duo project. After the shows at H Street Playhouse, we'll be preparing for the real "“world premiere"” during the Capital Fringe Festival. Exact date(s) and venue will be announced soon. We'’re going to perform the piece, which will be a 40 minute structured improvisation, every hour for 24 hours straight. It'’s gonna be nuts.

I'’m still hard at work on my piece for "“Sound Exchange"” in Philadelphia. The project is a workshop for improvising musicians, led by Pauline Oliveros and members of her Deep Listening Band. The piece will be premiered in Philadelphia at the Trinity Center for Urban Life on Sunday, April 2nd at 4pm. The piece is a large-scale work, built around excerpts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "“Beyond Vietnam" speech. I'’ll be in Philadelphia from March 30 -– April 2 for the workshop and concerts.

I just fired off a grant proposal to Chamber Music America, for their "“New Works: Creation and Presentation Program," which funds the commissioning of pieces for composer-led jazz ensembles. I hope to continue developing the Sound Exchange piece, as an evening length piece for DC Improvisers Collective. Keep your fingers crossed!

I'm heading to Austin, Texas in April (6th to 11th) and while I'’m there, I'’m planning on doing some recording with Graham Reynolds. Hopefully I'll have some material to share afterwards… I haven't seen Graham in a while, and I have no idea what might happen!

We're still making arrangements for the DC Improvisers Collective recording sessions, looks like it will be in late May, or early June. Hopefully our second full-length CD will be available shortly thereafter. As part of our preparations for the recording session, we hope to schedule two live shows before then… dates and venues coming soon.

for all the latest news, links, updates, even podcasts, see:
http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

hope to see you soon,
-jon

http://morrismatis.blogspot.com

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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#3 From: "Jonathan Morris" <j_matis@...>
Date: Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:42 pm
Subject: DCIC show - wed. Jan 18 j_matis
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January 18, 8:30pm: DC Improvisers Collective with Hugh McElroy and the duo of Don Fleming and Chris Grier. At the Warehouse Next Door. $6

for more info, click here.

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#2 From: "Jonathan Morris" <j_matis@...>
Date: Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:27 pm
Subject: Winter Update j_matis
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Dear beautiful people sharing my corner of the universe,

wanted to give a little update about what's coming up in Jon Matis
Morris land...


1. DC Improvisers Collective (DCIC) show this saturday (12/17)

we'll be playing at Warehouse Next Door with The Antiques, Sarah
Azzara, Kohoutek, Lida Husik, Pup Tent, and Shame Girl. Show starts at
8pm. It's a benefit for Alkem - an organization that provides free web
hosting for artists and small arts groups.

all the details at:
http://alkem.org/warehouse.html

loads of free music for download, and even some pretty pictures at our
website:
http://dcic.alkem.org


2. blogging, podcasting, and other silly buzzwords

i'm keeping a journal about my various music projects and
performances, and that's now set up as a podcast too... so you can
subscribe and automatically download new music whenever i publish a
new post. pretty cool, huh?

to see/read the blog:
http://morrismatis.blogspot.com/

to subscribe to the podcast, paste this link into iTunes, or the
podcast receiver of your choice:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/WhatsMyName


3. in the hopper for 2006

a) DCIC just submitted a grant proposal to the DC Commission on the
Arts and Humanities for funding to support a studio recording. i'm not
sure when we'll hear yes or no... hopefully before springtime? if we
successfully raise the dough, we'll be recording with Chad Clark at
Silver Sonya. Chad is responsible for many beautiful sounding records
by a variety of DC bands (including his own terrific band, Beauty
Pill), and Silver Sonya is located at Inner Ear studio - the place
where so many Dischord bands have been recording for years. i guess
i'm a real dork, but it's very exciting to think that we'll be
recording in the same place where so many of my favorite records came
from!

b) i just applied to the "Sound Exchange" program being offered by the
Philadelphia chapter of the American Composers Forum. if selected,
i'll be participating in a three-day workshop with composer Pauline
Oliveros and members of her Deep Listening Band (including the
incredible trombonist, Stewart Dempster).  I just heard that they
extended the deadline... so i'm making that mean that my chances are
good since they didn't get enough applicants originally... in the
meantime i'll just keep my fingers crossed.


4. other upcoming performances

January 21: i'll be performing brand new music with Jane Franklin
Dance at the Schlesinger Center in Alexandria, VA
http://janefranklin.com/performance_SchlesingerJan06.html

January 24: i'll be speaking on a panel about working with
composers... part of the annual conference of the Association of
Performing Arts Presenters in New York City. the audience for that
panel is young / emerging classical performers. should be an
interesting conversation. i guess that's not really an upcoming
"performance" but i just wanted to include this so the new yorkers on
my spam list will know i'll be in town jan 22 - 24 and we should get
in touch, ok?

January 27: performing in a "New Music Salon" presented by the
American Composers Forum, at the Patricia Sitar Center in DC. The
program will be a recital by guest composer Robert Carl. i'll be part
of an ensemble of local improvising musicians performing his piece,
"Changing My Spots."

5. stay warm and happy holidays & new year & all of that!

best wishes for the end of 2005 and i hope you all have an absolutely
incredible 2006. i'll be sending warm thoughts from my "hibernaculum"
to yours...

-jon

http://www.wordsmith.org/words/hibernaculum.html

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#1 From: Jonathan_Matis@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:29 pm
Subject: New poll for Jonathan_Matis Jonathan_Matis@yahoogroups.com
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Enter your vote today!  A new poll has been created for the
Jonathan_Matis group:

What's My Name?

   o Morris
   o Matis
   o Matis-Morris
   o Other


To vote, please visit the following web page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jonathan_Matis/surveys?id=1833015

Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the Yahoo! Groups
web site listed above.

Thanks!

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