Hola Tornadians!

In recent years, we here in the Zen Tornado camp tend to take a break over the summer months, when attendance at nightclubs in Seattle is seasonally low. And so, once again, ZT will be on hiatus June through August so that we can hike the rain forest, hang out on the coast, sail the bay and whatnot.

But before we go and start all vacationing and stuff, Zen Tornado will be playing one more show. This Thursday, Jimmy D, Walter, Randy & I will be performing as part of this month’s Zero-G concert series at The Mars Bar. Joining us will be Tom Baker’s new group “Ensemble Rhizome”, featuring Amy Denio, Greg Sinibaldi & Jesse Canterbury. Also on the bill will be drone rockers The Luna Moth.

ZEN TORNADO at ZERO-G
Thursday, May 19th2011, 9PM, $7
Cafe Venus / The Mars Bar
609 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98109-5535
(206) 624-4516
http://www.cafevenus.com

Looking ahead, Jim DeJoie and I’ll be returning to Mars Bar with a new powerhouse line-up of my Fundamental Forces posse in August.

We’ll see you Thursday!

-RIK

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What’s Rik Listening to?

RIK WRIGHT QUINTET featuring Jim Knodle, James DeJoie, Walter White and Jim Parsons Saturday, April 23rd, 2011 – 7PM, $7 Egan’s Ballard Jam House
1707 Northwest Market St.
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789-1621
http://www.ballardjamhouse.com/

This next weekend I’ll be playing a lovely show at Egan’s with a rare reunion of my quintet featuring trumpeter Jim Knodle and James DeJoie on alto sax, backed by myself, Walter White & Jim Parsons.

The last performance of the Rik Wright Quintet was in August 2008. I then took a year off and have since been concentrating on my groups Zen Tornado and Fundamental Forces. But recently I’ve been writing some compositions that are really best realized in a quintet setting, and so I put this show together. Our set for the evening contains four originals written with unique harmonies between the trumpet, sax and guitar. We’ll also be playing tunes by Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Ornette Coleman.

For those of you who have been waiting for a quintet show to roll around (I know who you are), this is the only one I have planned for this year, as well as the most “traditional” jazz show I’ve done in recent memory. So come on out to Egan’s Saturday and have a cocktail, or dinner, and see the show.

RESERVATIONS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – my last show we at Egan’s was a full house.

Egan’s Ballard Jam House, 7pm
1707 Northwest Market St.
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789-1621
http://www.ballardjamhouse.com/

For reservations, call 206-789-1621(after 6pm Tue-Sat) or email reservations@ballardjamhouse.com. We usually reserve approximately 40 seats in the room prior to the show, with the remaining seats available on a “first come, first served” basis at show time.

________________________________________

In other news, I’ve recently recruited like-minded guitarists Dennis Rea and Jason Goessl to curate a new concert series with me at Seattle’s venerable Mars Bar. It’s called Zero-G and it’s happening on the third Thursday of each month. Each performance will feature avant jazz, prog rock, and other weird sonic species. For more information check out the Zero-G blog at http://www.zerogconcerts.com.

This month’s line-up features Tempered Steel, Vance Galloway, NoisePoetNobody and Special O.P.S. Next month, Zen tornado will be performing with the Tom Baker Quartet and The Luna Moth.

Anything else? Oh yeah, I shaved that scraggly thing off my face!

So I’ll see you Saturday to celebrate Spring, right? Right? Spring… in Seattle? That’s still happening, right?

-RIK

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Fundamental Forces, March 2011 @ The Chapel

Zen Tornado, February 2011, The Josephine

Fundamental Forces, January 2011 @ Mars Bar

Zen Tornado, November 2010 @ Mars Bar

Rik took some time off last year due to a hand injury, but he’s resurfaced with a newly reformed Zen Tornado and has been gigging up a storm. He brings a really cool band to the Chapel this weekend, including John Fricke on trumpet, Geoff Harper on bass and Greg Campbell on drums. This groovy number was released last year with longtime cohorts Jim DeJoie on bari and Walter White on bass, as well as Jim Parsons on drums.

I apologize. I’ve been horribly inconsistent with my email updates so far this year. I’ve been so wrapped up in making things happen, I’ve forgotten to tell anyone about them. I’m happy to say that coming out of a very difficult year, I’ve recently blossomed into perhaps the most artistically rewarding time of my life.

Last month, Zen Tornado performed with our friends Moraine and Somanation at an underground club in Ballard. It turned out to be quite an exciting performance in which we broke some new ground and explored untrodden territory. This month I hope to move forward with that same energy as I present some new music with a magical ensemble and an inspiring venue.

If you see one show of mine this year – I encourage you to make it this one. I’m very fortunate to have John Fricke, Geoff Harper and Greg Campbell joining me to present a set of hauntingly beautiful compositions. It’s happening this Saturday at the majestic The Chapel Performance Space at The Good Shepherd Center, presented in association with the Wayward Music Series. Our performance will be followed by the exciting group Iron Kim Style featuring some of Seattle’s most intriguing improvisers.

RIK WRIGHT’S FUNDAMENTAL FORCES & IRON KIM STYLE
Saturday, March 26th 2011, 8PM, $5 to $15 sliding scale
Chapel Performance Space
Good Shepherd Center
4649 Sunnyside Ave. N
Seattle, WA  98103
http://chapelspace.blogspot.com/

If you’ve never been to this venue before, the Chapel was built in Built in 1906 and is a wonderful place to hear a concert.
Moving forward, next month I’ll be reuniting the Rik Wright Quintet for a performance at Egan’s. I might even bring out an archtop for the occasion. Jim(s) DeJoie and Knodle will be the horn section for the evening as we spice up some original charts with selections by the likes of Tom Waits, Ornette Coleman and Elvis Costello.

Finally, I’ve recently recruited like-minded guitarists Dennis Rea and Jason Goessl to curate a new concert series with me at Seattle’s venerable Mars Bar. It’s called Zero-G and it’s happening on the third Thursday of each month. Each performance will feature avant jazz, prog rock, and other weird sonic species. For more information check out the Zero-G blog at http://www.zerogconcerts.com.

So I’ll see you Saturday to celebrate Spring, right?

Rik

—

BTW – here’s another clip: This one from an April 30th, 2010 Zen Tornado show at Egan’s in Seattle. This tune has turned out to be an audience favorite of the new set. It’s called “Sugar Crash”

February 26th
9pm
Live at The Josephine
(608 NW 65th St)
(at N 6th Ave)

A show that will also feature
Zen Tornado and Moraine!

Three unique bands, one hip place! Door prizes!!
Cheap cover ($5) Bring your own bottle (no alcohol served at The Josephine!) and prepare to venture into here-to-for unknown regions of space and time…

What is Somanation! you ask?:

Somanation! is an all new amalgamation from the battered mind of DeJoie.

Influenced by Tom Waits,Soul Coughing,Portishead,Fitz and the Tantrums and Jameson Whiskey, Somanation! explores a dark and richly rhythmic journey through love, despair, and madness all heard through a veil of electronics and grooves.

Somanation! invites you to take the plunge… Soma, Soma, Somanation!

Alicia DeJoie – Vocals
James DeJoie – Electronic Bari Sax, Loops
Walter White – Electric Bass
Randy Doak – Drums

We hope to see you all there.
Feb. 26th, starting at 9pm with Somanation!, followed by Zen Tornado and culminating with Moraine as they prepare for their 2nd triumphant return to the East Coast!

Check out the latest at:
www.joiemusic.com

I’d like to invite you to two very cool shows this Saturday (the 22nd). First, starting at 8, Zen Tornado will be performing some great new and wholly original music with two of my favorite musicians – Greg Campbell on percussion and Jim Knodle on trumpet.  It will be a set full of twists and turns!

Zen Tornado w/special guests:
Greg Campbell, Jim Knodle and Ken Masters
Saturday, January 22nd
8PM, $5-$15 sliding scale
Gallery 1412
1412 18th Avenue (18th & Union St)
Seattle, WA 98122
http://www.gallery1412.org/

Then, follow me down to The Black Lodge and check out Moraine at the Cumulus festival – an incredible inspired festival of exciting music.

Moraine is excited to be participating in this year’s Cumulus Festival, Seattle’s premier annual convocation
of avant/post-rock assemblages exploring the nether regions of electric music, this Saturday, January 22 at The Black Lodge. We’ll take the stage around 9:30.

According to the event’s organizers: “The Black Lodge is what you might call a ‘non-traditional’ venue, and as such they do not publicize their address. They’re on Eastlake Ave., right next to Lo-Fi [429 Eastlake]. In fact, the same building as Lo-Fi, just a different entrance.”

 Thanks for supporting live music in Seattle!
 
Jim DeJoie
www.joiemusic.com

It’s shaping up to be a pretty eventful year for us here in the ZT camp. Just when I thought there was no home for a not-quite-jazz/not-quite rock band in Seattle, the Emerald City opens her arms. Unexpectedly, we’re about as booked as we want to be all the way to summer. Even better, the shows we have lined up will present all the different facets of our little troupe, from almost progressive rock, to atmospheric soundscaping, to straight up jazz composition – and even some cool other stuff in between.

To that regard, I want to thank everyone who came out to support our second Mars Bar gathering right after New Years. According to the venue, we had one of the best nights they’d seen in several months. Those of you who attended the show sure saw a hell of a line-up! From the debut of my open jam ensemble Fundamental Forces, to a kick-ass set by Jason Goessl’s Trimtab, and finally an all too rare performance by Ryan Berg’s Iron Kim Style, the show was a smash. So much so, The Mars Bar has asked us to keep doing it. More on that later. 

In the near term – we have a show scheduled this weekend that I’m really excited about. Zen Tornado will be hosting a few guests for a night of quietly haunting melodies and darkly compelling originals, followed by an (all too) rare appearance by guitarist Ken Masters.

     Zen Tornado w/special guests:
     Greg Campbell, Jim Knodle and Ken Masters
     Saturday, January 22nd
     8PM, $5-$15 sliding scale
     Gallery 1412
     1412 18th Avenue (18th & Union St)
     Seattle, WA 98122
     http://www.gallery1412.org/

Zen Tornado will be joined by guest percussionist Greg Campbell (and a cameo appearance by trumpeter Jim Knodle) for some special re-interpretations of our songbook to suit the intimacy of the venue. The program will consist of material specifically written for flute, alto sax and clarinet improvisations, all processed through James DeJoie’s wizard boxes.

At 9PM, baritone guitarist stalwart Ken Masters will take the stage for a session of free jazz duets with the aforementioned exquisite trumpeter Mr. Knodle. Ken is a guitarist’s guitarist, having been a driving force behind the venerable Seattle ensembles Outhouse and Free Consultation. This evening he’ll be showcasing his Joe Veillette Baritone Guitar which is tuned down a fourth from a standard guitar.

Come join us for an evening of overcast music on what is sure to be another overcast Seattle evening. We’ll miss you if you don’t!

Then, as we move through the first half of 2011, we’ll be playing in different configurations about once a month, from the full on distortion of Zen Tornado, to the (mostly) acoustic Rik Wright Quintet, to the open form exploration of Fundamental Forces.

Let’s go!

- Rik

Here’s another video for your viewing pleasure. 

This is a clip of the most recent roster of Zen Tornado from our “Secret Not-So-Secret” show in Seattle. This was non-publicized performance in a small venue, and was the first time I’d played in public after a year of recuperating from a neck injury. This was filmed in March 2010 at C2aT in Seattle. The working title of the tune is “Little Woozy”.

As Aldous Huxley said in Chapter 16: “You’ve got to choose between happiness and what people used to call high art.”  I’m going with art. So jumping in with both feet forward, I’ve got a handful of events to tell you about:
 
On January 6th (yeah, that’s Thursday), we’re bringing the circus back to the Mars Bar with a triple bill including Iron Kim Style, Trim Tab and the debut of new music by yours truly.

I’ll be opening the show with a quartet featuring trumpeter John Fricke. John is an alumni of James Whiton and the Downtown Apostles, and currently performs with Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder. We’ll be playing a handful of new tunes I wrote over the holidays, specifically with this ensemble in mind.

In fact, it’ll be a great night for cutting-edge trumpet all around, as Iron Kim Style is closing out the evening. IKS features Bill Jones of The Boogie Brown Band. Both John and Bill specialize in using digital effects with their instruments that help them achieve other-worldly aesthetics. Seriously, you gotta check this out.
 
It’ll be a good night for guitarists too. The middle set of the evening will be held down by Jason Goessl’s experimental power trio Trim Tab. With Jason, Dennis Rea and myself, you’re sure to take in three very unique perspectives on the six stringed beast.
 
Combined, the three bands present a perfect complement to a cold Seattle night – the music will be compelling, haunting and beautiful. Have the bartender pour you a bourbon, sit down at the bar and lose yourself in the ambiance of the evening.
 
    Thursday, January 6th, 2011
    9PM Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces
    10PM Trim Tab
    11PM Iron Kim Style
    Cafe Venus / The Mars Bar
    609 Eastlake Avenue East
    Seattle, WA 98109-5535
    (206) 624-4516
    http://www.cafevenus.com
    $7, 21+

We encourage you to drop by early and grab some great grub at the neighboring Cafe Venus (we always do), and then find a good seat.

The Mars Bar pours stiff drinks, and if all goes well, you won’t be entirely sober by the end of the evening. And if it doesn’t, well… you still probably won’t be entirely sober by the end of evening.

Moving forward, we’ve got a ton going on in the first part of year. Later in January we have an unplugged (ish) Zen Tornado performance at Gallery 1412 featuring special guests Jim Knodle and Greg Campbell, a triple bill at The Josephine with Joietet & Moraine, an experimental offering to the creative music gods at the Good Shepherd Center (with Iron Kim as the villain), and the reunion of the Rik Wright Quintet at Egan’s.
 
Hold on to your hats.

- Rik