"Washington Loves Baltimore", a June 14, 2012 benefit organized by Maryland Experimental, Electronic, Electroacoustic ( M3E ) and curated by Dave Vosh (http://heardingcatscollective.org/?p=674) on behalf  of An Die Musik Live's MusikNOW, a non-profit education program that brings inner-city school kids and local musicians together (http://the401.org/an-die-musik/), presented a variety of experimental performers based in the Washington DC area: the Lost Civilizations experimental music project featuring Doug Kallmeyer and Jerry Busher; Steve Hilmy and Daniel Barbiero; Basha Teez; and Pat Gillis.

This is a recording of the set by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project (http://www.soundclick.com/lostcivilizations), a collaboration between Mike Sebastian (tenor sax, saxello and bass clarinet) (http://www.alkem.org/mikesebastian/; http://www.myspace.com/mikesebastian) and T. A. Zook (basscello, lap steel guitar; misc. instruments) (http://modisti.com/12/members/zook/profile/; http://www.soundclick.com/tazook), which began in 2008. Its performances have often featured guests such as Larry Gomez (Tabla, Cymbals, Misc. percussion), Louie Rozier (Flute; Percussion), Jerry Busher (percussion), Aaron Martin (Alto Sax, Soprano Sax), Emre Kartari (Percussion), Doug Kallmeyer (bass), Sam Lohman (percussion), Emily Chimaik (vocals) and Angela Morrish (vocals). 

Performances by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project are totally unscored, unrehearsed and extemporaneously improvised on the spot. It has been described as: 

"Combining atmospheric strings with Ayler-esque expression, this group provides a fundamentally different approach to improvisation, with a focus on mood, landscape, and intensity." 

"Post everything!"

Mike Sebastian has been playing reed instruments for decades. His passion to play grew when he first heard the spirituality of John Coltrane's music. Mike plays improvised experimental, jazz, rock, gospel, and any other types of music that encourages creativity. His experience includes playing in a gospel orchestra, as well as with various local improvisers. Mike played improvised music for dance with Jon Matis and Mark Merella at the DC Improv Festival. Highlights of his career have ranged from live performances with Greg Osby and Peter Kowald to Joe Lally. Sebastian’s current projects are the DC Improvisers Collective and the Lost Civilizations experimental music project.

T. A. Zook is primarily a nylon-string guitarist; however, in live performances he plays basscello and lap steel guitar through digital signal processors; at studio sessions, he also plays a variety of digitally-processed, non-traditional analog instruments such as bowls, rainsticks, slidewhistle, whistle-flutes, oceanharp, etc. He began his study of the guitar in Chile and Uruguay (the latter under the guidance of Luis Acosta), and continued upon his return to the U.S. in the early 1960s under Sophocles Papas (classical) and Frank Mullen (jazz). Beginning in 1999, he has been studying improvisation under David Darling; in 2011 he was conferred a “Honorary Graduate” certificate from David Darling’s Music for People organization.

Musician Doug Kallmeyer spends much of his time on the road mixing bands which have included Blonde Redhead, School of Seven Bells, and most recently Phantogram. Add to that list more live work with notable artists including Shellac, Sunny Day Real Estate and Rancid. Both local to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and on the road, a career which has numbered live shows in the thousands, and continues. His last release, 2005′s “Even Calls” (EM:T, 2005, 302acid) was a group foray into ambient textures which received rave reviews in publications like the UK’s WIRE magazine, and resulted in tours throughout the US and Europe. His most current project, Dubpixels (http://dubpixels.bandcamp.com/) expands upon modern and classic aesthetics in dubwise music production to include audio and video, with a vinyl l.p. release slated for fall 2012. Kallmeyer currently resides in Baltimore city. (http://www.facebook.com/Dubpixels; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/302_Acid; http://sesshinnofi.wordpress.com/; http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mantis/125299140867441) 

Jerry Busher has been a fixture of the DC music scene for over 20 years. He toured for 8 years with Fugazi playing 2nd drums/percussion as well as on recordings "The Argument" and "Furniture". He appears on albums by Fidelity Jones, The Spinanes, French Toast, Allscars, Alfonso Velez and John Frusciante. In 2007, he was the "Foley Artist" for Mabou Mines production "Peter and Wendy" at Arena Stage. Jerry worked on the music for the "Winchester" series featured in the 2000 Whitney Biennial, the Oscar-nominated documentary "The Weather Underground", and is the composer for the film "Frontrunner" (The story of a female presidential candidate in Afghanistan). Recently Jerry has been touring/recording with ESL artist Federico Aubele and working on the "Fugazi Live" series.

For additional information, please contact Ted Zook at t_a_zook@hotmail.com.

Lost Civilizations experimental music project schedule and additional downloads:  http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/8852179/


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