The Santa Barbara New Music Series (formally know as Experimental Music Night) was started in the fall of 2006 by like-minded improvising musicians who recognized the lack of performance space for non-mainstream, creative music in Santa Barbara. It is a bi-monthly event featuring many creative musicians from across the US and has become know in Santa Barbara as a music event for music’s sake, a place where creative music is supported and encouraged, and a place where the listener can always hear fresh, new music.

The event happens from 8-10 pm every 2nd and 4th Thursday in two separate Santa Barbara locations.  Every 2nd Thursday it occurs at The Biko House, 6612 Sueno Rd., Isla Vista, CA 93117. This is basically a garage converted into a performance space where much of Santa Barbara’s underground music happens.  It is located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s college town, Isla Vista.  Every 4th Thursday the event is held in downtown Santa Barbara at Muddy Waters Cafe, 508 E. Haley St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.  Muddy Waters is an excellent cafe with beer, wine, food, and open ears.  Each event usually features two groups, please see the schedule below for details.  PLEASE NOTE: DURING THE SUMMER, ALL SHOWS WILL BE AT MUDDY WATERS CAFE.  THE 2ND THURSDAY SHOWS AT THE BIKO HOUSE WILL RESUME IN THE FALL.  SEE THE SCHEDULE BELOW FOR COMPLETE DETAILS.

Colter Frazier is the curator for this event.  If you are interested in performing please contact him!
(colter_frazier @ yahoo.com) - please remove spaces on either side of the @.

Michael Vlatkovich, trombonist, composer, and arranger, is one of the leading talents among Los Angeles improvisational players. Located on the West Coast since 1973, he is an emotionally charged performer, comfortable in a variety of jazz and world music styles. Vlatkovich has performed extensively in the United States, Canada, and Europe. His improvisionally free music expresses raw power and beauty in a minimally structured format.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Vlatkovich began studying music with the school band in the third grade. He distinguished himself in high school and was awarded a music scholarship to attend the St. Louis Institute of Music. Prior to his education at the Institute, Michael took part in an intensive six week workshop with internationally acclaimed saxophonist Oliver Nelson and guest soloists, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Roland Hanna, Ron Carter, and Phil Woods. Among his fellow students were Hamiett Bluett, Joe Bowie, Julius Hemphill, and Oliver Lake.

In addition to leading his own diverse imaginative ensembles, Vlatkovich has performed with a wide array of singers and instrumentalists including Peggy Lee, Brian Setzer, Bryan Adams, Bobby Bradford, Gerry Hemingway, Rob Blakeslee, Rich Halley, among many others. The trombonist has also performed on sound tracks for a variety of television and film projects including The Mask, Jingle All The Way, and the critically acclaimed John Cassavette's film the Tempest.

In 1981, the composer formed Thankyou Records in order to document the truly unique forward thinking musical concepts and ideas of both himself and his music collaborators. (These recordings have received critical acclaim in music publications and periodicals throughout the United States and Europe. Many of them have been selected for the lists of ten best jazz recordings.

Most recently the trombonist has been performing with his own ensembles, and co-leading Transvalue with poet Charles Britt. Vlatkovich is also a regular member with the Vinny Golia Large Ensemble and Rob Blakeslee Quartet.

The Colter Frazier Quartet is a unique quartet of original instrumental music featuring Nick Coventry (viola/violin), Miles Jay (bass), and Rob Wallace (drums/percussion).  Some influences include Louis Sclavis, Greg Osby, David Binney, and Philip Glass.

Cosmologic traverses the broad terrain of creative jazz and improvised music, integrating high-energy playing, intense introspection, rich grooves, open textures, and collective alchemy. Central to the group's sound is a commitment to developing challenging and original compositions. While profoundly dedicated to improvisation, Cosmologic also performs complex pieces that are composed by an individual member and then transformed through extensive group work. This process often leads the quartet into complex musical landscapes, while drawing on the individual strengths of each member. With nearly a decade of experience together, Cosmologic continues to extend their repertoire of original music, in an ongoing search for new ideas.  They celebrate the release of their fourth album, Eyes in the Back of My Head, on Cuneiform Records in May 2008.

Cosmologic Members

Reedist and composer Jason Robinson leads a life of fractured multiplicity, dividing his time between a dynamic performance and recording career, teaching activities, organizing efforts, and ethno/musicological research. Robinson is an active member of the improvised and popular music scene(s) of the West Coast - leading his own groups, collaborating in a variety of improvised and experimental contexts, and touring as a sideman with a number of groups. In 1998, Robinson founded Circumvention Music, an artist-run independent record label dedicated to the support and distribution of improvised musics. Robinson has performed/recorded with Peter Kowald, George Lewis, Anthony Davis, Eugene Chadbourne, Earl Howard, Emily Hay, Jeff Kaiser, Eek a Mouse, Bertram Turetzky, Mel Graves, Marco Eneidi, Mike Wofford, Philip Gelb, J.D. Parran, Gerry Hemingway, Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (at Pearl's, San Francisco), the La Jolla Symphony, SONOR (among others), as well as theater-oriented groups such as the San Francisco Mime Troupe and the New Pickle Circus. Robinson's 2002 release Tandem, which showcases collaborations with of number of influential musicians, including Peter Kowald, George Lewis, Anthony Davis, and others, was selected as a "top 10" critic's pick for 2002 in JazzTimes Magazine. Robinson is a member of the San Diego-based Trummerflora Collective. www.jasonrobinson.com, www.circumventionmusic.com

Michael Dessen (trombone) has performed or recorded with Yusef Lateef, Mark Dresser, Terry Jenoure, Marty Ehrlich, Anthony Davis, Adam Rudolph, Dana Reason, Shahrokh Yadegari, Marcos Fernandes, Marianne Trudel, Marcelo Radulovich, Nathan Hubbard, Jason Robinson and many others. In addition to the collective Cosmologic quartet, his other main working band is the Michael Dessen Trio, in which he performs on trombone and laptop, along with Tyshawn Sorey on drums and Christopher Tordini on bass. This trio's first album, Between Shadow and Space, will be released in 2008, following Dessen's 2007 leader debut, Lineal, which featured Mark Dresser, Susie Ibarra, Vijay Iyer, Terry Jenoure and others performing his acoustic compositions. Dessen currently teaches at the University of California, Irvine, where he co-directs the "Composition, Improvisation and Technology" division of the Music Department. www.mdessen.com

Scott Walton has performed with George Lewis, Nels Cline, Wadada Leo Smith, John Carter, Bobby Bradford, Quincy Troupe, Ray Anderson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Clifford Jordan, and Al Cohn, among others. He has collaborated with poets, dancers, performance artists, and filmmakers. Current projects as a bassist in addition to Cosmologic include the Vinny Golia Quintet, and ongoing work with Alex Cline, Harris Eisenstadt, and Erik Griswold. As a pianist he has commissioned and premiered works by numerous composers, and has collaborated in multimedia performances with Vibeke Sorenson and Miller Puckette. Recent solo projects include the work of Henry Cowell and Charles Ives. Walton is featured on recent CD releases by Ibsin/Gauthier/Walton (Venice Suite), Nathan Hubbard (compositions, 1998-2005), Vinny Golia Quintet (One, Three, Two), and O'Keefe, Stanyek, Walton, Whitehead (Tunnel). He is a member of the San Diego-based Trummerflora Collective. http://www.jazzhalo.com/homepage_walton.html

Percussionist/Composer/Instrument Builder Nathan Hubbard works in many different fields, but in general his work shows a decided interest in exploring the possibilities of sound and embracing the passing of time. This interest in sound can be seen in everything from his extended sound language as an improvisor to his homemade and found instruments. The different rates of passing time become relevant as both a rhythmic impetus and defining element in his compositions and their changing definitions of form, shape and outcome. Musically his explorations range from solo improvisations through small group collaborations to large scale compositions for his twenty-six member large ensemble, Skeleton Key Orchestra. As a composer his works range from solo pieces to medium scale works for a variety of ensembles, works for tape, electronics and acoustics instruments, large works for orchestras, creative orchestras and traditional big bands as well as pieces involving text, voice and other mediums. In the last several years Hubbard has been more involved with musical situations incorporating acoustics, enviroments and field recordings. His work as an artist can be seen on several of his CD covers and his work as an engineer and producer can be heard on almost all of his recordings. His current projects include solo performances, collaborations with Curtis Glatter (the Glatter/Hubbard Duo), ARC Trio, and Cosmologic, as well as leading his own chamber quintet (Nathan Hubbard/Everything After), octet (Nathan Hubbard Octet) and the large ensemble Nathan Hubbard Skeleton Key Orchestra. In addition to all this work, Hubbard has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Martin Blume, David Borgo, Alex Cline, Anthony Davis, Brad Dutz, Harris Eisenstadt, Justin Grinnell, Vinny Golia, Phillip Greenlief, Rick Helzer, Mike Keneally, Steuart Liebig, George Lewis, Doug Lunn, Noah Phillips, Garth Powell, Tim Root, Jim Ryan, Moe! Staiano, GE Stinson, Kris Tiner, Bertram Turetzky, Phillip Wachsmann and Clay Walker. Hubbard is a member of the Trummerflora Collective. http://www.castorandpolluxmusic.com/nmhubbard/

The Colter Frazier/Rob Wallace Duo is a freely improvising sax/drum duo. Visit http://www.colterfrazier.com for more info.

Andrew Pask      woodwinds, programming     www.kaleidacousticon.com
 Steuart Liebig     bass guitar and technology   www.stigsite.com
 Wayne Peet        B3, Rhodes and technology
 Brad Dutz  drums and percussion, technology     www.braddutz.com

From Andrew Pask:
 This band has grown out of an experiment in generative drum
 sequencing, plus a desire on my part to play more grooves.
I always used to play grooves, but in LA I have been playing 
non pulsed music for the mostpart. Round we go again....

The generative drum sequencing part has grown out of a duo project
with Steuart which saw light first at the Spark Festival
in Minneapolis in Feb '08. I have written a computer program which 
plays the drums. I do not have control over exactly what or when it
 is going to play, but I can instruct it generally. I can "tell" it in
real time to play in 4, or 5, or whatever combination of meter or
tempo, play with lots of space, be really busy, play really tight,
lose control a bit, all sorts of things.

Steuart and Wayne have been playing together for years and have both
contributed to and led some *killer* LA groove bands, Doppler Funk and
Rhythm Plague being most notable. They are the kind of guys who can
play completely free or completely in time, or both at the same time
and make it all sound awesome. Exactly the same goes for Brad. This is
my dream line up for this project, and I'm really excited about all
the interesting new directions and sounds we are coming up with.