DEC 21: Paul Wexler’s Wexwax and John Todd/Erik Tollefsen | The Monkey House, Berkeley, California

SAT, DEC 21: Hope you join us this Saturday evening in Berkeley, California where I will be a special guest with Paul Wexler's Wexwax at The Monkey House featuring Robbie Bean, Peter Harris (Quicksilver Messenger Service), Alex Baum (Joe Henderson) with Joe Cohen on saxophone and myself on NS Design CR6-string electric cello and Moog synthesizer.

THU, JAN 9: zBug kicks off 2020 with a new sonic engagement at the legendary Outsound Presents LSG Creative Music Series in San Francisco, California.

- David Leikam

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ALBUM REVIEW: zBug | Splitting Glass/Twilight Sunrise

zBug | Splitting Glass/Twilight Sunrise | SoundToPeople Records (2014)

SF Bay Area stalwart improvisor David Leikam has had his band zBug going for quite a few years now. On a recent Sunday, Disaster Amnesiac was happy to catch their set at Temescal Arts Center in Oakland, at which time David graciously gave me a copy of Splitting Glass/Twilight Sunrise. What one gets on this CD is basically two versions of each of these titles: one full version and one that is edited. Smart move, really. Radio stations would probably be more inclined to jam the latter, while fans of improvised music would likely dig on the former just as much. And there is a whole lot of sound to dig. David gets really wild sounds out of his Moog and electric bass. He builds these huge walls of sound that are "based on architecture". The percussive vim of Sheila Bosco pushes the music forward with great energy, and guitarist Fred Malouf gets all manner of texture from his axe. Splitting Glass/Twilight Sunrise is a heavy blast of what Disaster Amnesiac keeps thinking of as Industrial Jazz as I've listened. Surely this term has been used before, but it definitely describes the sound of zBug. They're a band that packs a real whallop live, and David has bookings for 2020 set up. Get on out and support them!

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DEC 21: Paul Wexler’s Wexwax and John Todd/Erik Tollefsen | The Monkey House, Berkeley, California

SAT, DEC 21: Hope you join us this Saturday evening in Berkeley, California where I will be a special guest with Paul Wexler's Wexwax at The Monkey House featuring Robbie Bean, Peter Harris (Quicksilver Messenger Service), Alex Baum (Joe Henderson) with Joe Cohen on saxophone and myself on NS Design CR6-string electric cello.

THU, JAN 9: zBug kicks off 2020 with a new sonic engagement at the legendary Outsound Presents LSG Creative Music Series in San Francisco, California.

- David Leikam

more