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The gates of Babylon
Posted by on February 14, 2013
It's coming… Release date: April 30, 2013 on New Amsterdam Records Shows: April 20, 2013 — BAMcafé Live, Brooklyn (FREE)May 18, 2013 — Atlas Arts Center, Washington DC (tickets)more dates coming soon… We've released a preview track, "The Neighborhood" (featuring John Ellis on tenor sax). Listen here. Additional details here. (read more)
Walking through unfamiliar streets
Posted by on January 12, 2013
It tastes like Pine-Sol, but pleasantly so. I'm off to Copenhagen to spend a week working with the celebrated Danish Radio Big Band. Long one of the preeminent European radio bigbands, this is the ensemble of which Thad Jones assumed the helm when he relocated to Denmark in the late 1970's. It's since been led by Brookmeyer and McNeely, among notable others. Clearly it's a massive honor for me to… (read more)
FRIDAY, NOV. 30 & SATURDAY, DEC. 1
Posted by on November 30, 2012
SECRET SOCIETY @ THE JAZZ GALLERY 290 Hudson St., New York NY Sets at 9:00 PM & 10:30 PM (both nights) Final Secret Society shows at the Gallery's Hudson St. location! WINDS Ben Kono Rob Wilkerson Janelle Reichman John Ellis Carl Maraghi TRUMPETS Jonathan Powell Tom Goehring Matt Holman Nadje Noordhuis David Smith TROMBONES Mike Fahie Ryan Keberle Shannon Barnett Jennifer Wharton RHYTHM Sebastian… (read more)
Can't come back till the water comes down
Posted by on November 1, 2012
New Amsterdam Records, home to Secret Society, our co-conspirator Sam Sadigursky, and many, many friends and kindred spirits on the New York music scene, has suffered a devastating loss. Their new headquarters, located at 98 Van Dyke Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn -- just 300 feet from the waterfront -- was innundated by the storm surge from Hurricane Sandy. This converted industrial location/biker… (read more)
Pedro the Lion
Posted by on October 17, 2012
Photo by Erin Patrice O’Brien This Friday night (Oct. 19) at Symphony Space, we're trying something new. I've handed the keys to my music over to a designated driver: Pedro Giraudo. One the most distressingly common questions I get asked by presenters is: "can't you do something a bit... smaller?" I'm stuck patiently explaining that no, we really are an 18-piece band (plus me) and I really do need… (read more)
Teen Age Riot
Posted by on October 4, 2012
"The Rite of Spring" by Jennifer Renshaw Hey, do you remember when you first heard The Rite of Spring (which, incidentally, turns 100 next year)? If you're like me, you first connected with the work as a teenager. (I did see Fantasia as a small child but the Rite music did not stick.) For me and many of my peers, it's the first piece of classical music we got genuinely excited about. I'm interested… (read more)
TONIGHT: Secret Society + Escort
Posted by on August 25, 2012
Ecstatic Summer — River To River Festival World Financial Center Plaza 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY 7:00 PM FREE Details. Featuring special guest soloist Tim Hagans with Secret Society: WINDS Erica von Kleist Rob Wilkerson Sam Sadigurksy Frank Fontaine Josh Sinton TRUMPETS Seneca Black Tom Goehring Nate Warner Nadje Noordhuis Tim Hagans TROMBONES Mike Fahie Ryan Keberle Chris Stover Jennifer… (read more)
Disco Inferno
Posted by on August 23, 2012
Was disco the last musical genre that absolutely everyone had to get in on? It wasn't just the likes of Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones and Wings-era Paul McCartney and the Greatful Dead and Kiss… a surprising number of major jazz artists also made disco-inflected records. There's Ron Carter's 1976 Pastels, which opens with the glossy string-sweetened "Woolaphant." Also in '76, Dizzy Gillespie… (read more)
Goodbye Narragansett
Posted by on August 9, 2012
Photo: Erik Jacobs for NPR Audio from Secret Society's set at the Newport Jazz Festival is streamable and downloadable here, courtesy NPR. There are also sets from many of the other amazing groups that played the festival, including Dafnis Prieto, Miguel Zénon, The Bad Plus with Bill Frisell, Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Centennial Project, and more — the programming at Newport really is an embarassment… (read more)
Newport is Now
Posted by on August 3, 2012
Secret Society returns to the Newport Jazz Festival tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 4) — we play the Fort Stage at 2:20 PM. Looking forward to seeing you there! I'll be available after the show to sign CDs and/or general chitchat, or like if you want to buy me a lobster roll or something. And for those of you not able to attend in person, there will be a live video feed broadcast on the inter-webs, courtesy… (read more)
I could play the wild mutation
Posted by on June 26, 2012
2012 DownBeat Critics' Poll — Rising Star: Big Band (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Ingrid Jensen
Posted by on June 18, 2012
Photo: Scott MacLeod And now, as we prepare to go into the studio tomorrow morning, we are pleased to bring you the exciting conclusion our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording. Your final co-conspirator is trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. Selected by DownBeat as one of the “25 most important improvising musicians of the future,” Ingrid has garnered… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Jennifer Wharton
Posted by on June 17, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at bass trombonist and tubaist Jennifer Wharton. Jen has performed and recorded with many top-flight jazz ensembles including the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, Alan Ferber's Extended Ensemble, the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, Jeff Fairbanks' Project Hansori,… (read more)
Posted by on June 16, 2012
2 DAYS LEFT TO PRE-ORDER VIA KICKSTARTER (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Rob Wilkerson
Posted by on June 16, 2012
Photo: Justin Ray We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at saxophonist, flutist, and clarinetist Rob Wilkerson (@wilkersonmusic on Twitter).  Rob balances his time between touring the world with a certain famous Canadian singer and heartthrob1 with a busy performing schedule as a sideman in New York. He performs regularly… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Sebastian Noelle
Posted by on June 15, 2012
Photo: Jin Zhao We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at guitarist Sebastian Noelle. Seb has been active in New York City since 2002. As a leader, he has released two albums on Fresh Sound: Across The River, with Donny McCaslin, Ben Street, and Ari Hoenig; and Koan, with Loren Stillman, George Colligan, Thomson Kneeland,… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Seneca Black
Posted by on June 14, 2012
Photo: Jon Wikan We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at lead trumpeter Seneca Black. Seneca grew up in the unicorportated community of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, he met Wynton Marsalis at a workshop, and thanks in part to Wynton's encouragement, he ended up moving to New York and enrolling at the Manhattan… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Erica von Kleist
Posted by on June 13, 2012
Photo: Joanne Levey We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at saxophonist and flutist Erica von Kleist. Erica has made her mark as one of the most in-demand young musicians in New York, performing and recording with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Chris Potter, Sean Jones, and Nicholas Payton.… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Matt Clohesy
Posted by on June 12, 2012
We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at bassist Matt Clohesy. Matt left his hometown of Melbourne to come to New York in 2001. He's since gained much recognition as an acoustic and electric bassist worldwide, having toured and recorded with artists like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Seamus Blake, Eric Reed, and Geoffrey Keezer. In… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Tom Goehring
Posted by on June 11, 2012
  Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at trumpeter Tom Goehring. Tom  has performed in the New York area for over 20 years, with progressive big bands like J.C. Sanford’s Sound Assembly, Sherisse Rogers' Project Uprising, the Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble, and the Noriko Ueda Jazz Orchestra,… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: John Ellis
Posted by on June 10, 2012
Photo: Peak We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at tenor saxophonist and clarinetist John Ellis. Born and raised in the rural tobacco country of North Carolina, now living in New York, John has brought a body of rich Southern folkloric material into his writing, leavening it with a finely wrought jazz sensibility. This… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Mike Fahie
Posted by on June 9, 2012
Photo: Rob Fahie We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at trombonist and euphonist Mike Fahie (@mfahie on Twitter). Mike performs regularly with trumpet player John McNeil -- they co-lead a regular Wednesday night jam at the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn --  and also leads the Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra, as well as his own… (read more)
Where hearts were entertaining June
Posted by on June 8, 2012
Secret Society live in Brazil: June 10 - São Paulo - BMW Jazz Festival @ Via Funchal June 13 - Rio de Janeiro - BMW Jazz Festival @ Oi Casa Grande Theatre (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Jon Wikan
Posted by on June 8, 2012
Photo: Lindsay Beyerstein We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at drummer and percussionist Jon Wikan. Jon has accompanied a diverse cross-section of leaders, ranging from singers Ernestine Anderson, Denise Donatelli, and Freddy Cole to established insturmentalists such as Steve Wilson, Terrell Stafford, and Geoff… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Nadje Noordhuis
Posted by on June 7, 2012
Photo: Chris Whitehead We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis -- @nadje on Twitter. (Like my friend @deanna says, having your first name as your Twitter handle is baller.) Recognized for her cinematic compositions, Nadje's unique musical style has led to many innovative collaborations with… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Sam Sadigursky
Posted by on June 6, 2012
Photo: Roger Mitchell We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Sam Sadigursky. Sam's (@samsadigurksy on Twitter) critically-lauded first recording, The Words Project, was hailed as "an impressive debut" by the New York Times and named it one of the Top Ten Albums of 2007 by Time Out… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Gordon Webster
Posted by on June 5, 2012
  Photo: Pawel Kowalczyk We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at pianist and, ah, "melodica-ist" Gordon Webster (@gordonwebster on Twitter). While Gordon maintains an active and varied freelance career as a forward-thinking NYC-based jazz pianist, he also leads a double life as a star bandleader on the current lindy… (read more)
Say what a joy, what a joyful sound
Posted by on June 4, 2012
Thanks to you, our most loyal compatriots, we have reached our $10,000 Kickstarter goal! At 1:17 PM EDT today, a donation by Cathy Peck of Clovis, CA put us over the top. I'm so very grateful to everyone who pledged their support to this recording. It's incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to record this music and share it with you! On behalf of all of the musicians involved in Secret Society,… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Ryan Keberle
Posted by on June 4, 2012
Photo: Amanda Gentile We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at trombonist Ryan Keberle (@rkeberle on Twitter). Last year was one of Ryan's busiest years to date: he toured nationally and internationally with Sufjan Stevens, performed at some of the world’s great concert halls with Maria Schneider, played on the soundtrack… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Matt Holman
Posted by on June 3, 2012
Photo: Michael Brook We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at trumpeter Matt Holman. Matt has performed and recorded with artists like Fred Hersch, Kurt Elling, Kate McGarry, Bob Newhart, Los Amigos Invisible, and The Gregory Brothers. [Is it too early for people to be nostalgic for Auto-Tune The News?] Taking inspiration… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: Josh Sinton
Posted by on June 2, 2012
Photo: Peter Gannushkin We continue our daily profiles of the musicians involved in the making of the Brooklyn Babylon recording with a look at baritone saxophonist and low woodwind specialist Josh Sinton. Josh (@JoshSinton on Twitter) is probably best known as the leader of the Steve Lacy repertory band Ideal Bread. In addition to playing regularly with Andrew D’Angelo’s big band (just back… (read more)
KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS: James Hirschfeld
Posted by on June 1, 2012
Photo: Jennifer Wharton We proudly present our first featured co-conspirator: James Hirschfeld. James (@jameshirschfeld on Twitter) plays the alto and tenor trombones, tuba, electronic valve instrument (EVI), and builds and plays his own electronic instruments. He is also an active composer for his own groups and other ensembles. As the trombonist in the Respect Sextet, James has recorded six albums… (read more)
Night of the Living Co-Conspirators
Posted by on June 1, 2012
Photo: James Matthew Daniel Yes, it's the thrilling and timely zombie-like return of KNOW YOUR CO-CONSPIRATORS! As we did with our previous recording, we are offering Secret Society supporters the opportunity to help underwrite the participation of one of the eighteen amazing musicians who will be responsible for immortializing the music from Brooklyn Babylon in the recording studio. You'll be helping… (read more)
Kick, Push
Posted by on May 16, 2012
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Secret Society is about to record a new album: BROOKLYN BABYLON, the much-anticipated followup to Infernal Machines. This album will include all of the music from the acclaimed multimedia performance Brooklyn Babylon, a work I co-created with visual artist Danijel Zezelj. The recording sessions will take place from June 19-21, 2012 and the album will be… (read more)
Another year, another chapter
Posted by on May 14, 2012
TUESDAY, MAY 22 LE POISSON ROUGE10:30 PM (doors 10:00 PM) you are cordially invited to join us as we celebrate SEVEN YEARS OF SECRET SOCIETY (and, incidentally, thirty-seven years of our ringleader) Your Evening's Co-Conspirators Include: WINDS Erica von Kleist Rob Wilkerson Sam Sadigursky John Ellis Josh Sinton TRUMPETS Seneca Black Tom Goehring Matt Holman Nadje Noordhuis David Smith TROMBONES Mike… (read more)
Lemme get a Newport
Posted by on April 30, 2012
My friends, a reminder that today is the last day to get discounted tickets for the Newport Jazz Festival -- you need but click here and enter the promo code "BIGBAND." Secret Society's will be appearing there on Saturday, August 4, and the lineup for both Saturday and Sunday is outstanding. We are thrilled to be returning to this historic festival, still going strong after all these years. Also,… (read more)
Like 80 roman candles that backfired then slammed you
Posted by on April 6, 2012
My co-conspirators and I make our return to Le Poisson Rouge for a show on May 22 -- downbeat is 10:30 PM. Tickets may be had here. Joining us on bass for this hit is Linda Oh, whose sophomore album Initial Here (Greenleaf Music -- listen to a preivew) coincidentally also happens to drop on... [wait for it] May 22.   It's also a bit of a birthday gig for both me and the band: my personal odometer… (read more)
In my heart I have but one desire
Posted by on April 1, 2012
National Cherry Blossom Festival — on now! (Image simulated.) This week, my co-conspirators and I will mounting our second incursion into The Nation's Capital -- we'll be assembling at the Atlas Performing Arts Center for an 8:00 PM hit on Wednesday, April 4 -- full details and tickets may be procured here. Last time we were in DC (just over a year ago), it was for one of the most memorable double-headers… (read more)
Lord and I can't get a single sound
Posted by on March 23, 2012
It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Right after our Galapagos hit, I flew down to Springfield, MO, where I'd been invited to be the first (for lack of a better word) "jazz-identified" composer to serve as guest composer for Missouri State Univeristy's annual MSU Composition Festival. It was a blast -- saxophonist Randy Hamm did a superb job preparing the MSU Jazz Studies Ensemble for the wholly unreasonable… (read more)
Secret Society with Anti-Social Music @ Galapagos - 9 March 2012
Posted by on January 24, 2012
On March 9, 2012, my co-conspirators and I will be returning to Galapagos Art Space for a double-bill with the estimable Anti-Social Music. In addition to selections from Brooklyn Babylon, Secret Society will be playing music written especially for the band by Vijay Iyer and David T. Little. This is a rare opportunity to hear the band play compositions by someone else for a change. Also, Vijay and… (read more)
Secret Society @ The Jazz Gallery, Jan. 6-7, 2012
Posted by on January 3, 2012
[cross-posted to the new Jazz Gallery blog, Jazz Speaks] My co-conspirators and I have, as they say, "a history" with The Jazz Gallery. They were the first legitimate jazz venue to host Secret Society -- by "legitmate jazz venue," I mean a venue with the word "jazz" in its name. (That was April 5, 2007, for those keeping track.) Two selections from Infernal Machines, "Jacobin Club" and "Obsidian… (read more)
RIP Sam Rivers
Posted by on December 27, 2011
Another great gone... Obviously Rivers leaves behind a vast and varied body of work, but don't sleep on his' '90s and '00s bigband recordings, now collected on a 3CD Mosaic Select box. (read more)
Celebration: Remembering - a tribute to Bob Brookmeyer
Posted by on December 23, 2011
My tribute to Bob Brookmeyer is up at NewMusicBox. As important as Bob is to me, I knew my own words would be inaquate to convey the full sweep of his career and the enormous influence he had on generations of musicians — so the piece also includes excerpts from interviews I conducted with Jim Hall, Bill Holman, Jim McNeely, Joe Lovano, Maria Schneider, and others. (read more)
RIP Bob Brookmeyer
Posted by on December 16, 2011
Bob Brookmeyer was the most extraordinary teacher -- more than a mentor, he was and is the most important shaping force in my musical life. He saw the spark of something in me and invited me to study with him at New England Conservatory, and any succes I've had since is directly attributable to his influence. I'm going to miss him something fierce. A more extensive tribute is in the works [UPDATE:… (read more)
There is a view that reaches far
Posted by on November 15, 2011
Photo: James Matthew Daniel I'm still recovering from Brooklyn Babylon but I wanted to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who came to see the show, and everyone who's written me to express your thoughts on the piece. The response has been truly amazing -- it's so invigorating to discover that this thing that we all wokred incredibly hard to create ended up being meaningful to others. Here are two… (read more)
On the Tower
Posted by on November 12, 2011
Photo: James Matthew Daniel Tonight is the final performance of Brooklyn Babylon at BAM Next Wave. It's been an incredible run and we are looking forward to an exciting closing night. Here are some of the reviews the show's been getting (though the spoiler-averse may want to proceed with caution): Fred Kaplan, Stereophile blog: "[Argue's] world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music this week—an… (read more)
Searching for an endless moment
Posted by on November 6, 2011
Photo: James Matthew Daniel Brooklyn Babylon premieres this Wednesday, Nov. 9 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 12. Tickets are selling briskly, so if you don't have yours yet, I'd counsel haste. Some nice previews:  New York Times (Ben Ratliff): Animation Joins Jazz At the Next Wave Festival Salon (Martin Johnson): Could jazz provide the Occupy Wall Street Soundtrack? Time Out New York (Steve Smith):… (read more)
NEXT GIG
Posted by on March 2, 2010
TUESDAY, 23 MARCH 2010 JAZZ STANDARD 7:30 PM (buy tickets) & 9:30 PM (buy tickets)*    *    *secretsociety.typepad.comis nowwww.secretsocietymusic.orgKindly update your bookmarks and/or RSS feed (read more)
Either/Or (No More)
Posted by on February 28, 2010
I was invited to contribute a piece to the Megaphone column for this month's All About Jazz-New York. I wouldn't say I'm exactly courting controversy, but let's say I might have shot controversy a few sly glances across a crowded room.  You can read it over at AAJ if you like, though I have also reproduced it here, below the fold. Comments welcome, as always. Either/Or (No More) You know that party… (read more)
Either/Or (No More)
Posted by on February 28, 2010
I was invited to contribute a piece to the Megaphone column for this month's All About Jazz-New York. I wouldn't say I'm exactly courting controversy, but let's say I might have shot controversy a few sly glances across a crowded room.  You can read it over at AAJ if you like, though I have also reproduced it here, below the fold, with (hopefully) illustrative audio clips. Comments welcome, as always.… (read more)
Unless you just address with best finesse
Posted by on February 24, 2010
Secret Society is moving. Our new URL is:http://www.secretsocietymusic.org We kindly request that you update your bookmarks and links.The new RSS feed is:http://www.secretsocietymusic.org/darcy_james_argues_secret/rss.xmlNo redesign, just a long-overdue URL change. The previous address was owned by our blog hosting software, but secretsocietymusic.org is our own domain, and will remain stable regardless… (read more)
Unless you just address with best finesse
Posted by on February 24, 2010
Secret Society is moving. Our new URL is:http://www.secretsocietymusic.org We kindly request that you update your bookmarks and links.The new RSS feed is:http://www.secretsocietymusic.org/darcy_james_argues_secret/rss.xmlNo redesign, just a long-overdue URL change. The previous address was owned by our blog hosting software, but secretsocietymusic.org is our own domain, and will remain stable regardless… (read more)
Boston Herald: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
Posted by on February 23, 2010
Photo by Ben Anaman Bob Young profiles Darcy James Argue and his 18-piece big band, Secret Society, in today’s Boston Herald. The article, which previews the Argue’s Thursday night performance at Regattabar in Harvard Square, focuses on the steampunk aspects of the band and how they pertain to its music. “Steampunk is how one of the hottest young composers in jazz, New England Conservatory grad… (read more)
Boston Globe: Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
Posted by on February 21, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein Joan Anderman profiles Darcy James Argue in the Sunday Boston Globe in anticipation of Secret Society’s upcoming performance at Regattabar in Harvard Square this Thursday. “Argue uses the term ’steampunk’ to describe his sound,” she writes, “and while the 34-year-old artist owns neither a morning coat nor brass goggles it makes a certain sense: Steampunk is… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society To Perform At Newport
Posted by on February 15, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein George Wein’s New Festival Productions has announced that Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society is the first band booked to perform at the 2010 CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival in August. “I recently saw Darcy at The Jazz Gallery in New York and I was blown away by his dynamic presentation and rousing compositions,” recalls Wein in a recent press release. “It’s… (read more)
Boston Phoenix: Darcy James Argue Coming To Regattabar February 25th
Posted by on February 10, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein “The hook for Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society—who come to the Regattabar Thursday the 25th—is that they’re a ’steampunk big band,’” writes Jon Garelick, who explores the philosophies behind Argue’s music-making in a preview in this week’s Boston Phoenix. “If you’re a jazz fan, you don’t need to know what that means. And if you’re not a jazz… (read more)
El Intruso’s International Critics’ and Musicians’ Polls
Posted by on February 4, 2010
The Spanish-language Web publication ElIntruso.com has published the results of both its International Critics’ Poll and its International Musicians’ Poll, and we’re pleased to report that our 2009 clients topped five categories and finished second in four others. In the critics’ poll, 27 writers selected their favorites in 22 different categories, and the top 5 vote-getters in each category… (read more)
Industry Standard
Posted by on February 3, 2010
Our next NYC hit is Tuesday, March 23 at Jazz Standard, as part of the New York-based celebrations surrounding the 40th anniversary of my alma mater's jazz program. It is great to be a part of this -- many of my most important musical/personal relationships began at NEC. In fact, that is where I first met and started working with Secret Society co-conspirators Josh Sinton and Sebastian Noelle. This… (read more)
Industry Standard
Posted by on February 3, 2010
Our next NYC hit is Tuesday, March 23 at Jazz Standard, as part of the New York-based celebrations surrounding the 40th anniversary of my alma mater's jazz program. It is great to be a part of this -- many of my most important musical/personal relationships began at NEC. In fact, that is where I first met and started working with Secret Society co-conspirators Josh Sinton and Sebastian Noelle. This… (read more)
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society At Jazz Standard March 23rd
Posted by on February 3, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein On Tuesday, March 23rd, Darcy James Argue’s acclaimed 18-piece big band Secret Society will perform two sets at New York’s Jazz Standard as part of Hot and Cool: 40 Years of Jazz at NEC, a week-long series of concerts celebrating the 40th anniversary of New England Conservatory’s groundbreaking jazz program. Argue, who earned a Master’s Degree in Music Composition… (read more)
Darcy James Argue On WHYY’s On Canvas
Posted by on January 28, 2010
Photo by Lindsay Beyerstein It isn’t often that our clients get to perform on television, so when WHYY’s On Canvas decided to film Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society performing at the International House in Philadelphia back in June, we were pretty excited. Argue recalled the experience, which included him being sick with the flu, yesterday in a post on his blog. Last night, the episode aired… (read more)
Illadelph
Posted by on January 27, 2010
Tonight (Wednesday, Jan 27), Secret Society will be appearing on WHYY-TV's awesome music show On Canvas. If you are in the Philadelphia area, you can tune in on your teevee machine at 8 PM. Everyone else will be able to watch a stream from WHYY's website beginning Thursday. (UPDATE: Watch the full episode here.)  Previous episodes of On Canvas have featured performances by Terence Blanchard, Rufus… (read more)
Illadelph
Posted by on January 27, 2010
Tonight (Wednesday, Jan 27), Secret Society will be appearing on WHYY-TV's awesome music show On Canvas. If you are in the Philadelphia area, you can tune in on your teevee machine at 8 PM. Everyone else will be able to watch a stream from WHYY's website beginning Thursday. (UPDATE: Watch the full episode here.)  Previous episodes of On Canvas have featured performances by Terence Blanchard, Rufus… (read more)
The Words Project: Process and Evolution
Posted by on January 26, 2010
  Guest post by Sam SadigurskyTremendous thanks to Darcy for allowing me this space to share my work. I'm very excited to release Words Project III: Miniatures on January 29 at Galapagos (the same space where Secret Society kicked off the release of Infernal Machines) and thought I would take this opportunity to talk about the evolution of The Words Project, which has thus far been my focus as a… (read more)
The Words Project: Process and Evolution
Posted by on January 26, 2010
  Guest post by Sam SadigurskyTremendous thanks to Darcy for allowing me this space to share my work. I'm very excited to release Words Project III: Miniatures on January 29 at Galapagos (the same space where Secret Society kicked off the release of Infernal Machines) and thought I would take this opportunity to talk about the evolution of The Words Project, which has thus far been my focus as a… (read more)
Misty Mountain Hop
Posted by on January 13, 2010
 I'm hugely, deeply honored to have been invited to join the faculty at this year's International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at the Banff Centre for the Arts, especially as the rest of the faculty this year includes the likes of Donny McCaslin, Jeff Parker, Ben Monder, Ravi Coltrane, Drew Gress, Gerald Cleaver, and others. (The program is, of course, under the direction of Dave Douglas,… (read more)
Misty Mountain Hop
Posted by on January 13, 2010
 I'm hugely, deeply honored to have been invited to join the faculty at this year's International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at the Banff Centre for the Arts, especially as the rest of the faculty this year includes the likes of Donny McCaslin, Jeff Parker, Ben Monder, Ravi Coltrane, Drew Gress, Gerald Cleaver, and others. (The program is, of course, under the direction of Dave Douglas,… (read more)
Calling Softly
Posted by on January 13, 2010
As mentioned in the latest Secret Society News-Letter, the Festival of New Trumpet Music -- one of my favorite musical events in NYC -- is on, and I could not be more pleased to be involved.  Things kicked off tonight with a gala honoring the great Wilmer Wise, probably the only trumpet player in history to perform with both Pablo Casals and Weather Report. Tomorrow night (Thursday, 14 Jan) at 9… (read more)
Calling Softly
Posted by on January 13, 2010
As mentioned in the latest Secret Society News-Letter, the Festival of New Trumpet Music -- one of my favorite musical events in NYC -- is on, and I could not be more pleased to be involved.  Things kicked off tonight with a gala honoring the great Wilmer Wise, probably the only trumpet player in history to perform with both Pablo Casals and Weather Report. Tomorrow night (Thursday, 14 Jan) at 9… (read more)
FONT Music’s Forward Flight Begins Tonight
Posted by on January 13, 2010
Tonight, the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music) kicks off Forward Flight, a four-night celebration of the trumpet’s eclectic and integral role in contemporary music at New York’s Abrons Arts Center, with a tribute to esteemed trumpet player, and longtime FONT Music board member, Wilmer Wise. The event, which also serves as a fundraiser for the organization, will feature a pre-concert reception… (read more)
Public Service Announcement
Posted by on January 9, 2010
Our 9:00 PM set tonight at the Jazz Gallery is sold out. As of now, tickets are still available for our 10:30 PM set, but you'd best act fast.Thanks to all who came out to hear us at LPR last night. Winter JazzFest is a kick. (read more)
Public Service Announcement
Posted by on January 9, 2010
Our 9:00 PM set tonight at the Jazz Gallery is sold out. As of now, tickets are still available for our 10:30 PM set, but you'd best act fast.Thanks to all who came out to hear us at LPR last night. Winter JazzFest is a kick. (read more)
Reminder: Darcy James Argue At Jazz Gallery This Saturday
Posted by on January 8, 2010
Darcy James Argue and his acclaimed 18-piece big band, Secret Society, will follow-up their brief opening night performance at Winter JazzFest on Friday with two full sets at Jazz Gallery on Saturday at 9:00 and 10:30 p.m. This performance, like Winter JazzFest, is part of the ongoing festivities for the 2010 Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference, and will offer attendees the… (read more)
New York Times: Winter JazzFest Preview
Posted by on January 8, 2010
Photo by Hiroyuki Ito for the New York Times Nate Chinen’s preview of Winter JazzFest in today’s New York Times likens the popular festival’s line-up to “a temperature reading of the scene at ground level, where it’s most vibrant and volatile.” It also offers selected highlights, including performances by Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and the Mary Halvorson Trio, as well as complete… (read more)
Letter from an occupant
Posted by on January 5, 2010
The latest edition of Secret Society News-Letter contains lots of exciting (and as-yet-unblogged) news. If you aren't subscribed to it, you are, I'm afraid, missing out. Fortunately, that is easily remedied.Just got back to NYC and am in serious crunch mode trying to finish a couple of new pieces, but I hope to see some of you at the Secret Society gigs this Friday and Saturday -- see sidebar for… (read more)
Letter from an occupant
Posted by on January 5, 2010
The latest edition of Secret Society News-Letter contains lots of exciting (and as-yet-unblogged) news. If you aren't subscribed to it, you are, I'm afraid, missing out. Fortunately, that is easily remedied.Just got back to NYC and am in serious crunch mode trying to finish a couple of new pieces, but I hope to see some of you at the Secret Society gigs this Friday and Saturday -- see sidebar for… (read more)
Good year for the roses
Posted by on December 31, 2009
... and for the Society. Sweet mercy. Here are some of the year-end honors for Infernal Machines: Village Voice Jazz Critic's Poll (Best Debut Record, and #4 overall) JazzTimes Top 50 New Releases New York Times - Best Albums of 2009 (Nate Chinen) Wall Street Journal - Toasting 2009's Best CDs (Larry Blumenfeld) Paste Magazine - Favorite Albums of 2009 (Andy Whitman) NPR's Take Five - Top 10 Jazz… (read more)
Good year for the roses
Posted by on December 31, 2009
... and for the Society. Sweet mercy. Here are some of the year-end honors for Infernal Machines: Village Voice Jazz Critic's Poll (Best Debut Record, and #4 overall) JazzTimes Top 50 New Releases New York Times - Best Albums of 2009 (Nate Chinen) Wall Street Journal - Toasting 2009's Best CDs (Larry Blumenfeld) Paste Magazine - Favorite Albums of 2009 (Andy Whitman) NPR's Take Five - Top 10 Jazz… (read more)