Email Author Sam Prestianni

1997 Stories by Sam Prestianni

• Barely a Ripple

  published July 2, 1997

  The colossal foam heads of the absurdist band Idiot Flesh loom in the shadows of Embarcadero high-rises. Halloween magic erupts from the stage as... More >>

• Hear This

  published June 25, 1997

  Smog A cult of melancholy has grown up around the minstrelsy of Bill Callahan, guiding force behind Smog. His sixth full-length, Red Apple... More >>

• Hear This

  published June 18, 1997

  John Butcher U.K. saxophonist John Butcher is a lethal improviser in the Evan Parker tradition. Like Parker, he can build great... More >>

• Hear This

  published June 11, 1997

  The Joel Harrison Octet For his CD debut, 3+3=7, guitarist Joel Harrison assembled an intuitive double-trio of percussionists and fellow... More >>

• Hear This

  published May 28, 1997

  Scott Rosenberg The first time I saw Scott Rosenberg he was crawling under tables and knocking around bottles on the floor of Radio... More >>

• Hear This

  published May 21, 1997

  The Ashley Adams Trio Flowers for Mrs. Dalloway, inspired by Virginia Woolf's novel, marks bassist Ashley Adams' recording debut. Her trio... More >>

• Hear This

  published May 14, 1997

  Dan Bern Folkies in the know have been anticipating Dan Bern's recently issued, self-titled debut since he twice rolled into the East Bay's... More >>

• Hear This

  published April 30, 1997

  Ben Goldberg's Brainchild Brainchild's modus operandi is simple in theory, yet considerably difficult to execute with success. Basically,... More >>

• Shut Up and Dance

  published April 23, 1997

  Zap Mama, Amandla Poets Fillmore Saturday, April 12 Sounding like a one-world (but non-moralizing) Sweet Honey in the Rock, Zap... More >>

• Hear This

  published April 23, 1997

  Kronos Quartet For more than 20 years, Kronos Quartet's David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Joan... More >>

• Hear This

  published April 16, 1997

  Vinny Golia and Bertram Turetzky Vinny Golia is a virtuosic improviser on more than 40 types of aerophone, including saxes, clarinets,... More >>

• Hear This

  published April 9, 1997

  Bobby Bradford Even though L.A. trumpeter Bobby Bradford swings with his own brand of lyrical fire, his connection to Ornette Coleman... More >>

• Hear This

  published April 2, 1997

  Terry Riley One of the founders of the school of minimalism and an alleged inspiration for the New Age movement, California pianist and... More >>

• Hear This

  published March 26, 1997

  Idiot Flesh They didn't play music and (through some ridiculous oversight) weren't even nominated for an award at last year's WAMMIES... More >>

• Recordings

  published March 19, 1997

  Serge Gainsbourg Comic Strip Couleur Cafe Du Jazz Dans Le Ravin (Mercury) The music industry's cartoon... More >>

• Hear This

  published March 19, 1997

  Fred Frith Like fellow Briton Derek Bailey, Fred Frith is one of the guitar's foremost deconstructors. For over 30 years he has explored... More >>

• Hear This

  published March 12, 1997

  Spanish Fly Sly and savvy, NYC trio Spanish Fly combines "high art" virtuosity with goofball aesthetics. Steven Bernstein (trumpet), Marcus... More >>

• Hear This

  published March 5, 1997

  Dan Plonsey Dan Plonsey is the quintessential "out" cat. From his passion for supra-earthly sounds to his day gig in the astronomy... More >>

• Recordings

  published February 26, 1997

  Various Artists Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Suburbia (DGC) First Romeo & Juliet, then Beavis and Butt-head, and now... More >>

• Hear This

  published February 26, 1997

  Wadada Leo Smith Five months ago, veteran trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith hit the Bay Area to team up with fledgling bassist Damon Smith. Waves... More >>

• Hear This

  published February 19, 1997

  "A Transformation of Pictures," featuring Brian Kane, Cheryl Leonard, Brian Pearson, and Scott Rosenberg Indeterminacy is a major component... More >>

• Slave(d) Narrative

  published February 12, 1997

  Wynton Marsalis' Blood on the Fields Masonic Auditorium Sunday, Feb. 2 A sold-out Masonic Auditorium expected grand-scale... More >>

• Recordings

  published February 12, 1997

  Sneaker Pimps Becoming X (Virgin) Nostradamus' Centuries predicts a second wave to the British Invasion. Many sages mistakenly... More >>

• Hear This

  published February 12, 1997

  Huun-Huur Tu America's fascination with world music has reached incredible heights of absurdity with the popular ascent of Tuvan groups... More >>

• Hear This

  published February 5, 1997

  Marshall Allen Along with recently departed tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, altoist Marshall Allen was a mainstay in Sun Ra's... More >>