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Tag: Doug Wieselman

Roulette’s 40th Anniversary Gala Honoring Hal Willner

Roulette’s 40th Anniversary Gala Honoring Hal Willner
Thursday, October 25, 2018

What: Roulette honors eclectic and prolific musician/producer Hal Willner at its 40th Anniversary Gala
When: Thursday, October 25, 2018. 7–11pm.
Where: Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn, 2/3/4/5/A/C/G/D/M/N/R/B/Q trains & the LIRR
Cost: Remaining tables start at $5,000, Tickets at $100
Info: www.roulette.org / (917) 267-0368
Tickets: https://roulette.org/gala/

Roulette’s Director Jim Staley and Board of Directors are thrilled to announce Roulette’s 40th Anniversary Gala honoring eclectic and prolific musician/producer Hal Willner. The evening will feature performances by artists from Willner’s extensive career, including avant-pop icon Laurie Anderson, incomparable performance artist and filmmaker Kembra Pfahler, Joan Wasser (Joan as Police Woman) of Antony and the Johnsons, composer and slide-trumpeter Steven Bernstein, SNL Musical Directors Lenny Pickett and Eli Brueggemann, singer Janine Nichols, singer/songwriter Teddy Thompson, actress Chloe Webb, saxophonist Doug Wieselman, and more.

Mr. Willner’s unexpected approach to curation and music production has made him one of the most refreshing musical connectors of our time. His many concept albums and live events celebrate unlikely collaborations—his Kurt Weill tribute records feature the likes of Sting, Charlie Haden, Lou Reed, Nick Cave; while his Amarcord Nino Rota tribute album features Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Bill Frisell, Muhal Richard Abrams; his Disney album features performances by artists like Sun Ra and Ringo Starr; and his live events bring together dozens of leading creative voices across film, comedy, music, and theater. He has been the sketch music producer of Saturday Night Live for the past 30 years and is currently working on his next concept album celebrating the music of T. Rex.

All proceeds from the evening go to the creation of Roulette’s Future Fund—a multi-purpose reserve fund to help build a strong, sustainable future for our organization and the artists we present. Support for the Future Fund will be matched up to $150,000 by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

BENEFIT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Meredith Monk
Joseph Walker

BENEFIT COMMITTEE
Sean Buffington
MV Carbon
Dick Connette
Mario Diaz de Leon
Robert Flynt
Paul + Rochelle Gertner
Mary MacArthur Griffin
Simon Hanes
Anne Hemenway
Pauline Kim
John King
Gordon Knox
John Madsen
Stéphanie Palmer
Zeena Parkins
Catherine Pavlov
Tomeka Reid
Ned Rothenberg
Jason Weiss
Scott Wollschleger

 

Kamikaze Ground Crew

What: Kamikaze Ground Crew draws from over 30 years of repertoire with the addition of new compositions and arrangements.
When: Thursday, September 29, 2016, 8pm
Where: Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn, 2/3/4/5/A/C/G/D/M/N/R/B/Q trains & the LIRR
Cost: $20/15 Online $25/20 Doors
Info: www.roulette.org / (917) 267-0368
Tickets: General Admission $20, Members/Students/Seniors $15, $25/20 Tickets at the door

Brooklyn, NY – Kamikaze Ground Crew began in 1983 as a backup band for the Flying Karamazov Brothers, filtering its music through the eclectic new-music ethos of the 1980s. The group developed through larger theatrical productions and emerged with a life of its own, becoming a vehicle for new compositions and arrangements as an abstract circus band. The ensemble is horn driven, utilizing three woodwinds, brass and drums, along with the occasional keyboard, ukulele, or electric guitar, as well as voice. Originally based in California, the group has maintained its current configuration since relocating to New York in the late 1990s. The performance will draw from over 30 years of repertoire with the addition of some new compositions and arrangements.

Co-leader, composer, and arranger Gina Leishman is recognized as a composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer, splitting her time between writing and performing, both with her various ensembles and in the theater. As a composer, she has written for opera, theater, dance, TV and film, and has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards. Collaborations include directors Karin Coonrod, Robert Woodruff, Lisa Peterson and Joseph Chaikin; writers Ellen McLaughlin, Tony Kushner and Naomi Wallace; choreographers David Gordon, Bebe Miller and Deborah Slater; and performance artists Rinde Eckert and John Kelly. She has released numerous recordings as co-leader of Kamikaze Ground Crew, as well as her solo projects which feature her compositions and songs.

Doug Wieselman has played with a variety of artists in different fields including John Lurie, Antony and the Johnsons, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, CocoRosie, Martha Wainwright, Anthony Coleman, Jerome Robbins and Robert Wilson. He has co-led Kamikaze Ground Crew for over 30 years and has released a solo clarinet record based on melodies from bodies of water.

  • Gina Leishman – piano, accordion, alto and bari sax, voice co-leader, composer/arranger
  • Doug Wieselman – clarinets, tenor and bari sax, co-leader, composer/arranger
  • Steven Bernstein –  trumpet, slide trumpet, composer/arranger
  • Peter Apfelbaum – tenor sax, clarinet
  • Art Baron – trombone
  • Marcus Rojas – tuba
  • Kenny Wollesen – drums