Diana - Musique

Bassist/composer Bill Noertker Has Been Active In The Bay Area Jazz And Avant-Garde Scene Since The Late 1980s. Since 2001 He Has Lead His Own Ensemble Noertker's Moxie As A Forum For Compositions Inspired By Visual Artists Such As Paul Klee Wassily Kandinsky Franz Marc Salvador Dalí And Joan Miró Architect Antoni Gaudí Poet Rainer Maria Rilke Sculptor David Beck And Others. Noertker Has Composed Over 150 Pieces Of Music For This Group And Has Released Eight CDs Including Three Volumes Of His Extended Suite Sketches Of Catalonia And Two Volumes Of His Extended Blue Rider Suite. He Has Also Composed Music For Three Films That Showcase The Intimately-Scaled Sculptures Of David Beck And Composed The Score For A Nikos Koumoundouros Film That Screened At The Festival De Cannes 2010. He Has Recently Finished Scoring The Upcoming Olympia Stone Film “Curious Worlds The Art And Imagination Of David Beck.” • • • • • • • • • • Noertker Studied With Various People Including Bassist Putter Smith Cornetist Bobby Bradford And Bassist Mandy Flowers But Has Learned Mostly On The Bandstand And By Listening And Transcribing What He Hears On Records. Noertker Played Trombone In Grammar School But When He Got Braces It Was Too Painful To Continue. In 1974 While At San Gabriel High School A Friend Gave Noertker His First Electric Bass. He Began Attending Jam Sessions And Playing In Heavy Metal Groups. He Was Strongly Influenced By The Melodic/contrapuntal Rock Bassists John Paul Jones Geezer Butler And Roger Glover. In His Sophomore Year A Teacher Gave Him A Count Basie Record Count Basie Jam Montreux '77 With Ray Brown On Bass. Later That Year He Heard Benny Goodman's Version Of Sing Sing Sing While He Was Tripping On Acid. These Two Events Changed His Listening Habits Entirely. In 1978 Noertker Began His Studies In Anthropology Sociology And Religious Studies At Occidental College. His Particular Emphasis Was In Cultural Syncretism. Some Of His Fellow Students Introduced Him To The Avant Garde Music Of Ornette Coleman Cecil Taylor And The Art Ensemble Of Chicago. Also At This Time He Was Introduced To Soul Music Reggae Music And Classical Music. Again His Listening Habits Changed. In 1983 Noertker Learned That The Renowned Cornetist Bobby Bradford Was Teaching At Pasadena City College. He Went There To Study With Him. In Bradford's Course "Afro-American Music History " Noertker Embraced The Music Of Jelly Roll Morton Fletcher Henderson Charles Mingus And Especially Duke Ellington. His Listening Habits Became Expansive And Diverse. In 1985 Noertker Moved To San Francisco. In 1987 He Studied Composition Under The Tutelage Of Aldo Ryzy-Ryzky While A Member Of The Experimental Art Rock Band Bardo. At This Time He Switched From Fretted To Fretless Electric Bass. In 1989 Bardo Disbanded And Noertker Along With Other Former Bardo Members Annelise Zamula Reeds Flute And Dave Mihaly Drums Formed The After The End Of The World Coretet In Which Noertker Was The Primary Composer. These Three Were Joined By Various Fourth And Fifth Members Including Tracy McMullen - Reeds Jon Birdsong - Cornet Graham Connah - Piano Eva Festa - Violin Hugh Schick - Trumpet Jim Peterson - Saxophones David Cooper - Marimba/vibraphone Tom Yoder - Trombone Mara Fox - Trombone Mike Richards - Guitar During Their Heyday From 1989-1996. In The Late 1990s Noertker Traveled To Europe To Soak Up The Culture And Play Music. Upon His Return He Finally Switched From Electric To Upright Bass. In 2001 He Formed His Own Group Noertker's Moxie As A Vehicle For His Compositional Ideas. He Is Joined In Noertker's Moxie By His Long-Time Musical Co-Collaborator Saxophonist/flutist Annelise Zamula. Many Other Fine Bay Area Musicians Have Performed With Noertker's Moxie Including Jim Peterson Saxes Flute David Slusser Tenor Sax Yehudit Five String Electric Violin Jenny Maybee Piano Hugh Schick Trumpet Darren Johnston Trumpet Rob Ewing Trombone Greg Stephens Trombone Beth Snelling Cello Niels Myrner Drums Rolf Wilkinson Drums Dave Mihaly Drums And Jason Levis Drums . Inspired By His Travels In 2001 Noertker Composed And Performed His Three Part Suite Sketches Of Catalonia An Ode To Salvador Dalí Joan Miró And Antoni Gaudí. He Also Began Work On The Blue Rider Suite Inspired By The Art Of Paul Klee Wassily Kandinsky And Franz Marc And Angels And Acrobats A Jazz Ballet Inspired By Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies . Also In 2001 Noertker And Saxophonist Rent Romus Began Producing The Static Illusion/Methodical Madness Music Series Which Presents Two Creative Music Concerts Per Month At The Musicians Union Hall In San Francisco. As Of This Writing 2011 The Series Is Going Strong. In 2002-2003 Noertker Continued His Experimentation With The Jazz Suite And His Interest In Music Inspired By The Works Of Artists And Authors. He Also Began Trying Out Unusual Jazz Instrumentations Bassoon Violin Cello Multiple Trombones . In September 2003 Noertker's Moxie Released Its First CD Sketches Of Catalonia Vol. 1 Suite For Dalí On Edgetone Records. The Year 2003 Was Brought To A Rousing Close And 2004 A Rousing Opening As Noertker Received A Commission To Compose A Soundtrack For Animatique Six Short Films By Sculptor David Beck. The Films And Soundtrack Received Acclaim As Part Of Beck's 2004 Exhibit At The Allan Stone Gallery In New York. In 2004 Noertker Continued Working With Living Artists. At A February Happening At San Francisco's ICAN Gallery Moxie Debuted New Open-Ended Compositions And Improvisations In Interactions With Live Painters Tan Khanh Liz Morton Marinaomi And Kyle Brunel And A Videographer Monika Romero . Also In 2004 Noertker's Moxie Released CD-Rs Of Two Of Its Live Performances 7 Days In February A Suite Composed During The Week Prior To Noertker's 43rd Birthday And Haiku Songs A Suite Inspired By A Haiku Exchange Between Noertker And One Of His Bass Students. In 2005 Noertker Traveled To Catalonia Once Again. He Came Back With Another Suite Of Music Homage To Catalunya A Series Of Tonal Portraits Of Las Ramblas Park Güell Girona The Ampurdan Plain And La Manzana De La Discordia. While In Barcelona He Played Music With Trumpeter Guillermo Torres. He Also Took A Trip To Claira Near Perpignon In French Catalonia To Play With John Tchicai And Margarite Naber-Tchicai And Meet Their Son Yolo. Back In San Francisco This Led To A Performance Of Solos Duos And Trios With Margarite And Saxophonist Jim Peterson. Also In 2005 Noertker Formed An Electric Ensemble The Jugglers As A Forum For His Groove-Oriented Tunes. Early In 2005 Noertker And Drummer Dave Mihaly Challenged Each Other To Compose A String Quartet To Be Performed In July. Noertker Wrote Six Exercises For String Quartet Which He Calls Peculiar Little Creatures While Mihaly Wrote A Full Piece Entitled Influences Of The Invisible. These Were Performed By The Strawberry Moon String Quartet — Sarah Jo Zaharako Violin Linda Robertson Violin Yehudit Viola And Beth Snellings Cello . In April 2007 Noertker's Moxie Released Its Second CD Sketches Of Catalonia Vol. 2 Suite For Miró On Edgetone Records. In June Moxie Performed The Music Of Annelise Zamula A Departure From It's Usual All-Noertker Fare. In July The After The End Of The World Coretet Celebrated Its 18th Anniversary With A Performance That Included Special Guest Trumpeter Ara Anderson. In July Noertker Composed And In August 2007 Moxie Performed The Blue Rider Suite Vol. 2 For Wassily Kandinsky. Members Of The California Outside Music Associates C.O.M.A. Saxophonist John Vaughn And Drummer Dax Compise Travelled From Stockton To Join Zamula And Noertker For The Performance Of The Suite. Also In August Noertker Teamed Up With Austrian Singer Annette Giesriegl Saxophonist David Boyce Drummer Dave Mihaly And Dancer Laurie Buenafe Krsmanovic For An Improvisational/international Collaboration. September 2007 Saw The Première Of Noertker's Newest String Quartet The Long Awaited Eurydice. Noertker's Performance Season Closed With A Show Celebrating Music For Film Including Compositions By Stalwarts Rota Morricone And Bacharach As Well As Original Compositions By Noertker And Baritone Saxophonist David Beck Who Joined Moxie For The Performance. Noertker's 2008 Performance Season Began With A New Birthday Suite Composed In February And Performed In March. In July 2008 For The Edgetone New Music Summit Noertker Renewed His Collaboration With Sculptor David Beck Composing A Suite Of Music La Naturecanique For Live Accompaniment Of A Screening Of Film Loops Of Mr. Beck's Intimately-Scaled Moving Sculptures. In September 2008 Noertker Composed And Recorded An Octet For A Short Film Of David Beck's Epic Work L'Opera. In November 2008 Moxie Was Joined Once Again By Fellow Edgetone Records' Artists John Vaughn And Dax Compise For The Performance Of A New Work Blue Rider Suite Vol. 3 For Franz Marc. Moxie's 2009 Performance Season Began With Yet Another Birthday Suite 7 Songs In 7 Days Which Was Composed From February 15-21. In April 2009 Noertker Composed Music For The Nico Koumoundouros Film The Commandments Or The Nostril Of Ektor Kaknavatos. This Film Has Been Selected For The Festival De Cannes 2010 - Short Film Corner. Also In April Noertker's Moxie Released Its Third CD On Edgetone Records Sketches Of Catalonia Vol. 2 Suite For Gaudí. In June 2009 Moxie Was Invited To Do A Live Radio Performance On The Locals Only Show With Guest Host DJ Schmeejay At KUSF 90.3fm. Noertker And Zamula Were Joined By Oboist Amber Lamprecht For Improvisations Inspired By Six Paintings By Catalan Artist Antoni Tàpies. In August 2009 Moxie Continued With The Antoni Tàpies Cycle. Noertker Composed Sketches Of Catalonia Vol. 4 Suite For Tàpies Seven New Tunes For Flute Oboe And Two Contrabasses. Bassist Lisa Mezzacappa Joined Noertker Zamula And Lamprecht For The Performance. In September 2009 Noertker Collaborated With Dancer Laurie Buenafe Krsmanovic To Create And Perform Window/frame For Richard Waara Inspired By The Film Peter Ibbetson A Short Butoh Piece That They Performed At Bare Bones Butoh 15. October 2009 Saw The Première Of Noertker's Ariadne A Quartet In Six Movements With Annelise Zamula - Flute Amber Lamprecht - Oboe Ilana Matfis - Viola And Shain Carrasco - Cello. Also In October 2009 Noertker's Moxie Released Druidh Lacunae Its Sixth CD And The Fourth On The Edgetone Records Label . In 2010 Noertker Took A Little Break From Composing Music As Moxie Did Live Recordings Of The Blue Rider Suite For An Autumn CD Release. In June 2010 Noertker Formed And Performed With A New Group Tenor Gladness With Four Tenor Saxophonists Tracy McMullen Annelise Zamula David Boyce And Ralph Carney And Drummer Dave Mihaly. In July Noertker's Moxie Debuted A New Suite While You Were Out Inspired By Someone Else's Travels. In August 2010 Austrian Vocalist Annette Giesriegl Was In Town For Some Improvised Music With Noertker Boyce Mihaly And Pianist Dena DeRose. In September 2010 Noertker And David Beck Debuted Their New Group The Melanchoholics And Noertker's Moxie Performed Some More Improvisations And Compositions From The Antoni Tàpies Cycle. In October 2010 Noertker's Moxie Released Its Seventh CD Some Circles The First Suite In The Blue Rider Series Compositions And Improvisations Inspired By The Wassily Kandinsky Franz Marc And Paul Klee. In 2011 Noertker Continued With Performances And Recordings Of The Blue Rider Suite For A Projected Release Date Of Autumn 2012. From January Through March 2011 Drummer Jason Levis Returned Briefly From Berlin And Participated In Three Recording Sessions With Noertker Annelise Zamula Amber Lamprecht And Jenny Maybee. In April 2011 Tenor Gladness Boyce Carney McMullen Zamula Noertker Mihaly Returned For Its Second Year. In May 2011 Noertker And Zamula Were Joined By Pianist Motoko Honda For Strength For Japan A Benefit For Japan NGO Earthquake Relief And Recovery Fund. In July 2011 The After The End Of The World Quartet Celebrated Its 22nd Anniversary With The Original Personnel Of McMullen Zamula Noertker And Mihaly. In August 2011 Austrian Vocal Gymnast Annette Giesriegl Returned To The Bay Area For The Third Time And Performed With The Improvising Quintet Of Noertker DeRose Boyce And Mihaly. October 2011 Saw The Debut Of A New Group Obstreperous Doves. Noertker Is Joined In This Project By Saxophonist David Boyce Guitarist Karl Alfonso Evangelista And Drummer Jordan Glenn. The 2011 Season Closed With A Couple Of Performances By The Most Recent Iteration Of Moxie A Quintet Consisting Of Annelise Zamula On Tenor Sax And Flute Amber Lamprecht On Oboe And Flute John Vaughn On Baritone Sax And Flute Dax Compise On Drums And Of Course Noertker. The Quintet Iteration Of Moxie Opened The 2012 Season With A Series Of Performances In March And April. These Performances Were Recorded By Karen Stackpole. In June Noertker And Andy Scott Began Mastering Selections From These Dates And Dates From 2011. In October Edgetone Records Released The New CD Little Bluedevil Blue Rider Suite Vol. 2 . In June 2012 The Obstreperous Doves Karl Evangelista - Guitar Jordan Glenn - Drums Bill Noertker Re-United. In July 2012 Saxophonist Kasey Knudsen Joined Noertker Zamula And Compise For A Quartet Performance. In August 2012 Noertker And Vocalist Annette Giesriegl Teamed Up For Their Fourth Bay Area Performance. They Were Joined By Dena DeRose On Pianio And Alex Walsh On Harmonica. In September 2012 The Melanchoholics David Beck - Baritone Sax Noertker Returned For A Rare Performance Of Their Original Jazz Compositions. October 2012 Saw The Debut Of A New Duet Talking Frog Karen Stackpole - Gongs Noertker . The 2012 Season Closed With A CD Release Party In November. Rather Than Perform Tunes From The New CD Instead Moxie Performed Unreleased Tunes From The 3rd Volume Of The Blue Rider Series. 2013 Started Off With Noertker Composing A String Quintet Piece Blue Dragon For The Musical Art Quintet. Zamula And Noertker Were Joined By Eleven Different Musicians In Seven Different Iterations Of Moxie. Talking Frog Noertker's Duo With Gong Master Karen Stackpole Performed. Noertker Debuted A New Duo Impromptu Latticework With Pianist Eli Wallace. The Year's End Saw Noertker Beginning Work On The Score For An Upcoming Documentary About His Friend Sculptor David Beck. In 2014 Moxie Continued Its Tradition Of A Different Iteration For Each Performance With Returning Members Amber Lamprecht Brett Carson Eli Wallace Dax Compise Jordan Glenn And Joshua Marshall And New Members Theo Padouvas And Jon Arkin Joining Noertker And Zamula For 7 Performances At The SIMM Series. Noertker Began Working With Mark Oi John Tchicai's Guitarist. The Obstreperous Doves Performed At The 13th Annual Outsound New Music Summit With Members Nava Dunkelman Christina Stanley And Dave Mihaly Joining Noertker And Karl Evangelista For An Set Of Improvised Music. The Stackpole/Noertker Duet Known As Talking Frog Continued Their Yearly October Performance Tradition. In The Late Summer Noertker Finished Scoring The Upcoming Olympia Stone Film “Curious Worlds The Art And Imagination Of David Beck.” In November A Preview Screening Was Held At The Smithsonian Museum Of American Art. Http //www.Noertker.Com/noertkersmoxie.Html read less