Desert Fathers - On November 13th, MMC will present an evening of wide-ranging electro-acoustic improvisations by the Desert Fathers, a duo comprised of Madisonian Gregory Taylor on laptop computer and the highly-accomplished composer and music technologist Jeff Kaiser of LaJolla CA playing quarter-tone trumpet and laptop.  The Desert Fathers use an expansive array of electronics and effects to spontaneously generate music that is complex, layered and other-worldly.  The sinuous sound of Mr. Kaiser’s trumpet snakes its way through this world. The trumpet is subject to a variety of electronic manipulations including delays, pitch shifting, and much else.  However, one also hears more sustained, melodic playing, making the trumpet’s quarter-tone capability apparent.

The name Desert Fathers refers to a group of ascetic monks who, in the third century AD, fled the persecution and chaos of the Roman Empire to find refuge and solace in the desert.  From this, one might expect the duo’s music to be meditative, at least in the “new age” sense.  But survival in the desert requires determination and discipline. Accordingly, the Desert Fathers’ music reflects great concentration and holds moments of high drama.

Gregory Taylor (computer musician) was trained initially as a visual artist. He has studied central Javanese gamelan and electro-acoustic music in the U.S. and the Netherlands, written for publications such as Wired, Array, and Option, and hosted a radio program of contemporary audio on WORT-FM since 1986 (HYPERLINK http://www.rtqe.net http://www.rtqe.net ).

After a hiatus from his work in the cassette culture movement of the 1980s, he returned to regular recording and live performance as an improviser in both solo and group contexts in the late 1990s. His solo recordings on are available on the c74, Palace of Lights, Flood, and Stasisfield labels.

In addition to his solo performance career, he has remixed and collaborated with a diverse group of artists (Kim Cascone, BMB.com, Scott Fields, The Yearlings and K. Leimer). When not performing as a Desert Father, he also works regularly with percussionist Tom Hamer and visualist Mark Hendrikson, and with PGT, a two-laptop and acoustic mandolin trio with Brad Garton and Terry Pender.

He currently labors on behalf of the new media software company Cycling '74, where he is in demand as a workshop facilitator and educator.

Jeff Kaiser is a trumpet player, composer, conductor, and music technologist living in La Jolla, California. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition from Westmont College and a Master of Music in Choral and Orchestral Conducting from Azusa Pacific University.

He is the founder and owner of the pfMENTUM and Angry Vegan Record labels, both currently growing and adding to their catalogs regularly. An active promoter of creative music, he was the founder and co-director of the Ventura New Music Concert Series (internationally acclaimed concert series for seventeen years featuring artists from around the world), numerous other concerts and events, founder and co-editor of the NewCreativeMusic.com, and founding editor of the upcoming WestCoastCreativeMusic.com.

In addition to his work with Gregory Taylor in The Desert Fathers, he has released numerous CDs as leader/co-leader and has also appeared on CDs by Headless Household, The Motor Totemist Guild, Eugene Chadbourne, The Gove County Philharmonic, The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, and others.

Jeff is currently pursuing a PhD in Integrative Studies at the University of California, San Diego, focusing on improvisation and emergent technology.

http://www.rtqe.net

http://www.NewCreativeMusic.com

http://www.WestCoastCreativeMusic.com