August 2014 : Live shows by Samm Bennett and his various ensembles
THU 8/7 : Third Person with very special guest Wayne Horvitz
at Ryogoku Monten Hall, Ryogoku, Tokyo
〒130-0026 東京都墨田区両国1-3-9 ムラサワビル1-1階 Five minutes from JR Ryogoku station, West exit 10 minutes from Ryogoku Station Exits A4, A5 on Toei Metro Oedo Line open: 19:00 - start: 19:30 Entry: 3000 yen with reservation 3500 yen without reservation Both are pay at the door Reservations by email: [email protected] In email, state name, number of people, contact info. BYOB - i.e., drinks allowed, but please take home your trash. Google map to Ryogoku Monten Hall |
Those of you familiar with Samm Bennett and Kazutoki Umezu's Third Person project will know that they always welcome a different third member to round out their trio, and this time around it's none other than Mr. Wayne Horvitz! This is a very rare and special event: Wayne (known for his extensive work in the 1980s with John Zorn's Naked City and other New York projects, and for his own multi-directional explorations within New Orleans-style R&B, jazz, improvisation, soundtracks, music for dancers, etc) will be making his first concert appearance in Japan in many, many years.
The last time the Horvitz/Umezu/Bennett trio played was pure magic, and they're all eager to reunite in sound once again. This promises to be an evening of musical explorations you won't want to miss. |
Here's a picture of the wonderful little hall (great acoustics!) we'll be playing in:
Facebook Event Page : let us know if you're coming!
Here's a screen shot of that Google map linked to above… easy to find!
SUN 8/17 : Mechanical Bear (in double bill with Kuroyagi Shiroyagi)

at Knuttel House, Iriya, Tokyo
19:00 open - 19:30 start
2000 yen entry + 1 drink
Mechanical Bear, the freewheeling trio of Masahico Shimaji (bass/effects), Chris Koh (violin) and Samm bennett (drums/vocal) is always a sparkling, toe-tapping affair full of riotous fun and catchy interplay! Come to Iriya's premier creative music spot, the friendly Knuttle House (just off Kappabashi, the restaurant supply street) for some of that magic that only a Mechanical Bear can provide!
The evening is a double bill with the wonderful Kuroyagi Shiroyagi (Black Goat White Goat), a fabulous duo comprised of two members of Koichi Makigami's famous Hikashu band. Third set will be a special quintet session with both bands shaking it down!
Knuttel House website
Google map to Knuttel House
8 min walk from Tokyo Metro Iriya station (Hibiya line)
15 min walk from JR Uguisudani Station South Exit (Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku Line)
19:00 open - 19:30 start
2000 yen entry + 1 drink
Mechanical Bear, the freewheeling trio of Masahico Shimaji (bass/effects), Chris Koh (violin) and Samm bennett (drums/vocal) is always a sparkling, toe-tapping affair full of riotous fun and catchy interplay! Come to Iriya's premier creative music spot, the friendly Knuttle House (just off Kappabashi, the restaurant supply street) for some of that magic that only a Mechanical Bear can provide!
The evening is a double bill with the wonderful Kuroyagi Shiroyagi (Black Goat White Goat), a fabulous duo comprised of two members of Koichi Makigami's famous Hikashu band. Third set will be a special quintet session with both bands shaking it down!
Knuttel House website
Google map to Knuttel House
8 min walk from Tokyo Metro Iriya station (Hibiya line)
15 min walk from JR Uguisudani Station South Exit (Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku Line)

Schedule:
Mechanical Bear : 19:30
Kuroyagi Shiroyagi : 20:30
Quintet : 21:30
FRI 8/29 : Samm Bennett SOLO and accompanying various poets as part of...
DRUNK POETS SEE GOD #19
at Bar Gari Gari, Ikenoue, Tokyo (5.7 seconds from Ikenoue Station, Keio Inokashira line) It's the big 19th installment of DPSG, where some of Tokyo's most daring and engaging wordsmiths get on the mic and show their stuff. Hosted by by Samm Bennett and singer and poet Sorcha Chisolm, this is the place to be for those who want to keep abreast of the latest in loquacious lingo! Samm (as well as other musicians, depending) will be on hand to provide instantaneous musical backing to any poet who might happen to want it, and all are welcome to read, recite, intone, chant, grumble, shout or otherwise enunciate. Fun stuff, serious stuff, flights of fancy, hilarity, stream of semi-consciousness, heaping helpings of free association and extended elocution. Hooray! Come early (opens at 7pm) to sign up for a slot, if you want to get on the mic and let us hear what you got to say. Otherwise, just roll in for a drink and a listen! 500 yen entry charge, plus 1 drink. |
SAT 8/30 : TWO shows (afternoon and evening)

an afternoon set with S&H...
as part of "EDGE Fest"
at Club Edge, Roppongi
S&H play a set at 15:00 - don't be late!
Habu Hiroshi on percussion and Samm Bennett on 3-string guitar and vocal comprise the duo S&H. They play a kind of hybrid *folk* music that defies instant categorization, but is somehow reminiscent of country blues and Appalachian mountain balladry with a percussive underpinning that harkens to the folk drumming of Korea.
as part of "EDGE Fest"
at Club Edge, Roppongi
S&H play a set at 15:00 - don't be late!
Habu Hiroshi on percussion and Samm Bennett on 3-string guitar and vocal comprise the duo S&H. They play a kind of hybrid *folk* music that defies instant categorization, but is somehow reminiscent of country blues and Appalachian mountain balladry with a percussive underpinning that harkens to the folk drumming of Korea.
and evening set with the Samm Bennett Trio…

as part of "LIBERO" live music party
at NOB, Shibuya
Joining Habu Hiroshi and Samm for
an evening set will be bassist
extraordinaire Iwami Keigo
(from the Swamp Root Jimmies).
This will be the 2nd performance by
this particular incarnation of the Trio. Catch a tune from their first show at
the video below…
...but first, a bit more about the evening as a whole: the event is organized by the fantastic ICON GIRL PISTOLS, a really tight, really rocking and really creative 4-piece rock band that you really oughtta hear. They'll be closing the night. The event features two other bands, and the entrance fee is nomihodai, all-you-can-drink stylee. Big fun. All details at: Facebook event page for LIBERO
Google map to NOB - map to NOB (from NOB website) - Tokyo Gig Guide page for NOB
at NOB, Shibuya
Joining Habu Hiroshi and Samm for
an evening set will be bassist
extraordinaire Iwami Keigo
(from the Swamp Root Jimmies).
This will be the 2nd performance by
this particular incarnation of the Trio. Catch a tune from their first show at
the video below…
...but first, a bit more about the evening as a whole: the event is organized by the fantastic ICON GIRL PISTOLS, a really tight, really rocking and really creative 4-piece rock band that you really oughtta hear. They'll be closing the night. The event features two other bands, and the entrance fee is nomihodai, all-you-can-drink stylee. Big fun. All details at: Facebook event page for LIBERO
Google map to NOB - map to NOB (from NOB website) - Tokyo Gig Guide page for NOB
SUN 8/31 : BIG SYSTEM

at What the Dickens, Ebisu, Tokyo
4f Roob 6 Bldg, 1-13-3 Ebisu Nishi, Shibuya, Tokyo
start : 20:00
two (maybe three!) sets - music till 11:00PM...
This will be the first live show from
BIG SYSTEM in MONTHS, friends! Ghanaian drum/percussion powerhouse Nii Tete is one of the most exciting musicians on the Tokyo scene, and the duo with Samm Bennett is always a vibrant and funky meeting-of-the-rhythmic-minds. Special guest will be Nii's brother Nii Boi, performing his traditional Ghanaian dance moves. Exciting stuff!