On November 13th and 14th, at The DiMenna Center in NYC, Tribeca New Music will celebrate the 60th birthday of Jerome Kitzke, one of the most original voices in new music today. The concerts will feature 12 works from 1987-2015, including the world premiere on Friday of For Pte Tokahewin Ska, performed by Kitzke’s group, The Mad Coyote.
A true "American Maverick," Kitzke thinks of himself to be as much a storyteller as he is a composer. Some of the stories are about life's personal roads, like The Redness of Blood and Sunflower Sutra, which both express the composer's love for his blood family. Many, however, like Haunted America and The Paha Sapa Give-Back, are about the roads that go looking for what it means to be an American early in the 21st century, especially as it relates to the connection between how we live on this land and the way we came to live on it.
Kitzke's music celebrates American vitality in its purest forms. It thrives on the spirit of driving jazz, Plains Indian song, and Beat Generation poetry, where freedom and ritual converge. It is direct, dramatic, and visceral — always with an ear to the sacred ground.
An all-star cast of musicians will come together to perform this two-night celebration, including the string quartet ETHEL, The Mad Coyote, Anthony de Mare, Jennifer Marshall Evens, Ralph Farris, Tony Flynt, David Friedman, Jay Johnson, Kip Jones, Peggy Kampmeier, Lisa Karrer, Alan Kay, Noah Kay, Guy Klucevsek, Nathan Koci, Kjersti Kveli, Margaret Lancaster, Dorothy Lawson, Corin Lee, Michael Lowenstern, Wendy Luck, Barbara Merjan, Nicholas DeMaison, Mike Perdue, Sara Schoenbeck, Will Smith, Jude Traxler, Allen Won, and Jerome Kitzke.
On the programs:
Friday, November 13, 2015
Mad Coyote Madly Sings (1991)
For Pte Tokahewin Ska (2015) - world premiere
Haunted America (2002)
Sunflower Sutra (1999)
Winter Count (2008)
Saturday, November 14, 2015
The Animist Child (1994)
A Keening Wish (1988)
The Green Automobile (2000)
Breath and Bone (1996)
The Paha Sapa Give-Back (1993)
The Big Gesture (1987)
The Redness of Blood (1995)