The Return of the Creative Music Guild

If you haven't heard of the Creative Music Guild before (I hadn't until today, although they've been active since 1991!), they're a local Portland non-profit that organizes events and concerts promoting experimental and jazz-influenced improvisational music. Through concerts, workshops and promotional efforts, they provide support and visibility for musicians pursuing bold and challenging music that exists outside the commercial sphere and listening opportunities for experimental and improvisational music fans. It sounds like a really cool organization, and it's entirely volunteer-run and member financed. And the exciting news is that they are returning from a brief hiatus and presenting a new series of concerts!

The first of these takes place this Sunday, January 10th at The Wail and will feature improvisational saxophonist and experimental composer Bhob Rainey. According to Oregon Music News, Rainey will perform both solo and with an ensemble talented local performers including John Savage, Pete Swanson (of Yellow Swans), Jef Brown (Evolutionary Jass Band), Ilyas Ahmed, Joel Pickard, J Morales (Abusive Delay), JP Jenkins, Mary Sue Tobin, John Niekrasz (Why I Must Be Careful), and Matt Carlson (Parenthetical Girls). The event starts at 8PM, is $7 general and $5 for Guild members and students.

The Creative Music Guild has also announced performances by the following:

Early February: Fred Lonberg-Holm and Torsten Mueller

February 19th: Chris Corsano, Wally Shoup, C. Spencer Yeh, and Bill Horist

April 2nd: Wayne Horvitz, Briggan Krauss, and Le Quan Ninh

Bhob Rainey and a host of Portland musicians will be experimentalizing for you this Sunday!