David Krakauer & Kathleen Tagg Celebrate New Album Release With Two Livestreamed Performances on May 10
On Sunday, May 10, Grammy-nominated, genre-bending clarinetist David Krakauer and innovative pianist and producer Kathleen Tagg give two livestreamed, 75-minute performances to celebrate the release of their new album, Breath & Hammer. Followed by online meet-and-greets and record signings, both performances will feature intimate, acoustic versions of repertoire from the new release, alongside other old favorites and new arrangements by the duo, all filmed with professional-quality audio feed in a multi-camera shoot.
Breath & Hammer is due for release on May 8 on Krakauer and Tagg’s own Table Pounding Records. Performed solely on clarinet, piano and Tagg’s self-styled “piano orchestra” of interwoven preparations and samples, all integrated into a multi-layered, quasi-orchestral soundscape, the record combines the duo’s own compositions with their original arrangements of music by close friends and collaborators. These include accordionist, composer and pianist Rob Curto, saxophonist John Zorn, Cuban percussionist Roberto Rodriguez, accordionist and klezmer specialist Emil Kroitor, and Syrian composer and clarinet virtuoso Kinan Azmeh, who describes the album as “truly beautiful and inspiring.” Azmeh adds: “This is music that is inspired by traditions but not limited by them, and it is also music that redefines the genre and both instruments.”
Kronos Quartet violinist David Harrington agrees: “Breath & Hammer is a masterful and joyous journey that rewards and delights the listener every moment of the way. I was beaming through the entire album, reinvigorated by the energy and imagination of each track and so happy to know that David Krakauer and Kathleen Tagg have made a musical adventure that pulls us out of the static isolated silence of our fraught time. They have found a way to give music a huge refreshing burst of energy only true explorers are able to give. They bound to ecstatic heights of fantasy and show us a new bright path forward.” More details about Breath & Hammer are in this press release.
Concert details:
Krakauer & Tagg:
Intimate album release concerts, streaming live on Sunday, May 10
-7pm in Paris / Cape Town (7pm CEST / 1pm EDT)
-7pm in New York (7pm EDT / 1am CEST on May 11)
Program:
Works from Breath & Hammer album, and more
Artists:
David Krakauer, clarinet; Kathleen Tagg, piano
Tickets:
$12 – $18; available at Eventbrite here (7pm Paris/Cape Town time) and here (7pm New York time)
More info:
Tablepoundingmusic.com/livestream-concerts.html
A virtual meet-&-greet and album signing with the artists follows both concerts. No replay of the concerts, which are live only.
The album will be available from Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon.
High-resolution photos can be downloaded here.
In light of the public health and safety measures currently in place, all Krakauer and Tagg’s upcoming live tour dates are now subject to postponement. Cancellations, make-up dates and other updates will be announced here.