In the new Philadelphia Weekly:
Koboku Senju
Fri., May 28, 8pm. $10. With Eric Carbonara. Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, 1616 Walnut St. Suite 100 215.545.7562 www.arsnovaworkshop.org
No, it’s not a person. It’s a Japanese phrase meaning “selection of dead trees,” and also the moniker chosen by a unique quintet of Japanese and Norwegian improvisers: Tetuzi Akiyama on guitar, Toshimaru Nakamura on no-input mixing board, Martin Taxt on tuba, Eivind Lønning on trumpet and Espen Reinertsen on tenor saxophone and flute. Lønning and Reinertsen have a history as the duo Streifenjunko; Nakamura has roots in the Japanese onkyo or “quiet noise” movement. Their sound is electro-acoustic with an emphasis on the latter: slide guitar, subdued brass and reeds and otherworldly feedback create an open-ended atmosphere, beautiful in spite of its desolation. — David R. Adler
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