a few Virtuosi in the house 4/4/19. Don’t let the 4/4 scare you, there may be nary a familiar rhythm present – only the strangest melodies, harmonies, rhythms, textures and panoramas at the Red Room, thanks.
A very unique convergence of two tours – solos by instrumental Masters Ava Mendoza (NYC, guitar) and John Dikeman (Amsterdam, sax) and Ironing (Andrew Chadwick, turntables, Gainesville). All legends – Mendoza is an unstoppable guitarist is any genre – traversing psych and surf rock all the way to mad noise workouts. Dikeman is an avant rock and jazz reedsman extraordinaire. Ironing is the Florida stuff of myths – intrepid turntablism caravan and the noise underground. A very special night!!
AVA MENDOZA
Ava Mendoza is a Brooklyn-based guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. Born in 1983, she started performing her own music, and as a sidewoman and collaborator in many different projects, as soon as she was old enough to get into 18+ venues. As a guitarist, Mendoza has received acclaim for her technique and viscerality. Her most ongoing work is as leader of experimental rock band Unnatural Ways, and as a solo performer on guitar/voice. In any context she is committed to bringing expressivity, energy and a wide sonic range to the music. Mendoza has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe and recorded or performed with musicians including Carla Bozulich, Fred Frith, Mick Barr, Nels Cline, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Mike Watt, Matana Roberts, Ikue Mori, Matt Mitchell, Adele Bertei, William Hooker, Jon Irabagon, members of Caroliner, the Violent Femmes, and more. Recordings are available on labels Tzadik, Weird Forest, Clean Feed, NotTwo, Resipiscent, and New Atlantis.
Friendly critics have quoted: “It’s… Ava Mendoza’s deconstructing of blues and punk into brutal shredfests that’s causing a ruckus in NYC’s DIY hubs” (Brad Cohan, Noisey.Vice). “A wizard on a semi-circle of effects pedals, but… equally adept with FX-less technique,” (Lars Gotrich, NPR). She was featured as one of Guitar World‘s “10 Female Guitarists You Should Know”.
JOHN DIKEMAN
John Dikeman is an American saxophonist currently residing in Amsterdam. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources, John’s playing runs the gamut of improvised music and technique. He is currently active as a member of numerous groups including Cactus Truck, a band made up guitarist/bass guitarist Jasper Stadhouders and Onno Govaert; Universal Indians with Norwegian rhythm section Tollef Østvang and Jon Rune Strøm and often featuring Joe McPhee; the trio Dikeman, Parker, Drake with William Parker and Hamid Drake, and numerous other collaborations. Dikeman has performed as a soloist for groups ranging from Godspeed You! Black Emperor and the Metropole Orkest to Mohamed Mounir and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra.
“He has the most powerful voice in the Dutch jazz music of the last decade: saxophonist John Dikeman.”-Tim Sprangers, Jazzism
