West Oakland Sound Series
2201 Poplar Street Dresher Ensemble Studio Oakland
Click for Venue page

SUBCONSCIOUS LIFE
[ Ben Davis + Darren Johnston + Lisa Mezzacappa + Larry Ochs ]

Tom Djll + Ron Heglin + Karen Stackpole

Larry Ochs (tenor and sopranino saxophones) offers up a deeply felt set of improvised music, created by this stellar ensemble of San Francisco Bay Area improvisers Ben Davis (cello); Darren Johnston (trumpet); Lisa Mezzacappa (acoustic bass)... and we invite you, the creative listeners, to dig in to our spontaneous but thoughtfully sculpted music as it happens, in real time.

Conceptually, Subconscious Life might be said to be administratively led by Larry Ochs, who also might add carefully placed comments before and after sessions. The music itself, however, is developing collectively as the four performers listen, respond and focus on the collective musical elements, each player reacting from his or her own composerly perspective. As some of you will hear: "Form" is definitely part of the creative process in this band. As a result, the plan is to have each piece "magically" end up with a formal shape and its own distinct character. In other words: there's a sign outside the entrance to the Studio that reads NOTICE: EARS WORKING.


The trio of Ron Heglin (tuba and trombone) - Karen Stackpole (gongs and percussion) - Tom Djll (trumpet and electronics) has been making music for nearly 20 years, appearing at Mills College, the Garden of Memory Solstice events, and various Bay Area music venues. Their extended sonic landscapes explore and exploit the sonorities of vibrating brass, expressed in shimmering textures and microtuned beating tones.

Cost: $20 (FREE students/underemployed)

Audio samples in which musicians at this event play:

Videos featuring musicians playing at this event