'Adventurous' only begins to describe their music
Living on the edge is a way of life for Mark Dresser and Nathan Hubbard, at least musically speaking.
A master of the contrabass and a composer and improviser of the highest order, Dresser moved back here from New York in 2004 to teach at UCSD, his alma mater. Although he has the technical command to sometimes sound like several bassists performing at once, he injects every note he plays with meaning, rich textures and a deeply felt sense of musicality. He is also that rarest of artists who can make even the most challenging, left-of-center music sound appealing, even mesmerizing.
Internationally acclaimed for his command of progressive jazz, contemporary classical and avant garde, Dresser has made 10 solo albums since 1983. He's also performed on more than 100 other albums by such kindred spirits as saxophonists Anthony Braxton and John Zorn, clarinetist Don Byron, trumpeter Dave Douglas and pianist (and fellow UCSD music professor) Anthony Davis.
Perpetually active both on and off campus, Dresser this month performs concerts in Ann Arbor, Montreal and New York. He'll be in Point Loma tonight to do a concert of all-improvised music with San Diego percussionist Hubbard at the 300-capacity Desi 'n' Friends at 2734 Lytton St.
Also a composer and instrument-builder, Hubbard is prolific in his own right. He's currently a member of the ARC Trio, The Unmentionables, Cosmologic, and (with fellow percussionist Curtis Glatter) the Glatter/Hubbard Duo. Hubbard, who has been featured on at least 17 albums since 1999, is also the driving force behind the Skeleton Key Orchestra, one of San Diego's largest and most daring ensembles. The opportunity to hear him perform solo and as a duo with Dresser tonight promises much to savor for fans of provocative, envelope-shredding music.
At least he didn't have to work in the post office
The late Los Angeles poet, novelist and dark-side chronicler Charles Bukowski has been a key influence on many musicians and aspiring barroom prophets, from Jim Morrison and Tom Waits to Nick Cave. But none of them were his confidantes, unlike singer-songwriter Tom Russell, whose 2005 album, “Hotwalker: Charles Bukowski & a Ballad for Gone,” was partly inspired by his friendship and extensive correspondence with Bukowski.
A pioneering Americana music artist, Russell has worked over the years with everyone from Johnny Cash to Dave Alvin (with whom he made the excellent 1994 Merle Haggard tribute album, “Tulare Dust”). The only singer-songwriter I'm aware of who worked as a schoolteacher in Nigeria during the Biafran war, Russell also has a degree in criminology, which no doubt comes in handy when dealing with unscrupulous concert promoters.
His latest album, this year's “Love & Fear,” teams him with Gretchen Peters, who has also collaborated with, um, Bryan Adams (hey, we all have our cross to bear). The album's opening song, “The Pugilist at 59,” showcases Russell's ability to paint remarkably vivid portraits in music and words.
It begins: Rolled out of bed, threw some water on my face / Twenty-five sit-ups and I run in place / I put the coffee pot on, but the pot ain't clean / All you little devils of alcohol and caffeine / A handful of vitamins, dropped them on the floor / My ex-girlfriends are laughing from the ice box door / I put their photos up there / Yeah, we talk all the time / But they ain't talkin' back now, the pugilist is 59.
With 21 albums to his credit, Russell has a wealth of original songs in his repertoire. Depending on his mood, his concerts can also include memorable versions of “Mama Tried” by Merle Haggard and “Muswell Hillbillies” by The Kinks. He performs Sunday night with singer and mutli-instrumentalist Michael Martin at AcousticMusic San Diego in Normal Heights, where Russell will be making his fourth appearance at the intimate venue.
George Varga: (619) 293-2253; firstname.lastname@example.org
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