Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet

ALEX COKE & CARL MICHEL SEXTET

Next Performance will be at:

The Austin Jazz Society presents Midweek at Monks
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
8-9:30 pm
Monks Jazz
501 E. Pedernales Street Suite 2E
Austin, TX 78702

TICKETS HERE

SXSW Festival
Saturday March 16, 2024
8-8:40pm
The Elephant Room
315 Congress Avenue
Austin TX

Thanks to Michael Toland of The Austin Chronicle for his preview of

“A Tribute To Carla Bley”

A Tribute to Carla Bley

Photo by D. D. Rider

Thursday, February 8, 2024, 8:30 pm

Soundspace at Cap’t Quacks, 5326 Menchaca Rd, Austin TX 78745

Musicians featured in the upcoming tribute include

Carl Michel (guitar), Alex Coke (saxophone and flutes), Carolyn Trowbridge (vibes)

Ken George (trombone), Texx Vortexx (bass), Masumi Jones, drums

TICKETS HERE

Thanks to “Take Effect” for their review of “EMERGENCE”

ALEX COKE & CARL MICHEL SEXTET NOMINATED FOR AUSTIN MUSIC AWARD “BEST JAZZ” CATEGORY (2023)

To vote, go to “Austin Music Awards” here

Sextet’s Carolyn Trowbridge is nominated for Austin Music Award “Best Miscellaneous Instrument” category (2023). Go here to vote for Carolyn!

“EMERGENCE” makes Martin from Waterloo Records Best of 2023 list, here

“EMERGENCE” makes Michael Toland’s (Austin Chronicle) favorites list for 2023, here

“EMERGENCE” makes Rob Shepherd’s (PostGenre) Favorite Albums of 2023 list, here

Thursday, November 30, 2023 at Captain Quack’s Soundspace,

From a stellar lineup of Austin Texas musicians, Alex Coke/Carl Michel Sextet’s new recording, “Emergence” expands jazz boundaries with a feast of sound.

Shining with an unmistakable power and deep beauty, the unique instrumentation of horns, harp, guitar, pedal steel, contrabass, and vibes speaks in a compelling ensemble voice, while the soloists deliver a virtuosic exploration through intelligent arrangements and new composition.

EMERGENCE IS AVAILABLE NOW ON BANDCAMP

(1-10-2023) Big Shout Out! To Carolyn Trowbridge and Bob Hoffnar for their nominations to The 2022-2023 Austin Music Awards Music Poll.

Vote for Bob Hoffnar and the Mood Illusion in the Best Experimental category and vote for Carolyn Trowbridge in the Best Miscellaneous Instrument category at the Austin Chronicle.

The Alex Coke and Carl Michel Sextet w/ Elaine Barber, Bob Hoffnar, James Suter, Carolyn Trowbridge

Wednesday November 30, 2022 7:30pm

KMFA’s Draylen Mason Studio, 41 Navasota Street, Austin TX 78702

Tickets $20 

Jazz composers Alex Coke and Carl Michel will present an evening of their own and others’ works this November in KMFA’s State-of-the-Art Draylen Mason Studio. Leading an ensemble whose members individually excel in several musical genres and, collectively, create a unique and memorable soundprint, saxophonist-flutist Coke and guitarist Michel bring together a group that includes Austin Symphony principal harpist Elaine Barber, pedal steel player Bob Hoffnar (Liminal Sound Series), double bassist James Suter, and percussionist Carolyn Trowbridge on vibes.

Performing compelling music with origins in jazz, classical, folk, extended technique and improvisation, this unique ensemble is an outgrowth of Coke and Barber’s popular weekly Driveway Concert Series  that ran from April 2020 through June 2021. The duo performed outdoors, socially distanced, with each member of the sextet individually in turn, appearing as special guests. Playing music as a gift to their local neighbourhood at first, the project took shape as the possibilities for meetings indoors returned.  

The Monday night concerts made way for rehearsals, new composition, and the formation of an unusual and very accomplished performing and recording ensemble. They released their first CD together, The Emissary, in October 2021 to good reviews. A second CD is now the works.

For the upcoming performance and live recording, works will include new arrangements of music by John Coltrane, Valentin Silvestrov and Paul Motian with new compositions by Coke and Michel in the mix . Tickets are available from 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alex-cokecarl-michel-sextet-tickets-404669827347?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Here are some videos from our Oct. 20, 2021 concert at The Draylen Mason Studio/KMFA, in Austin, TX.

“The Emissary”

Alex Coke & Carl Michel: The Emissary (All About Jazz April 16, 2022, by Jerome Wilson)

“With instrumentation that includes harp, pedal steel guitar and vibraphone, this album is clearly not meant to resemble a classic jazz session. Instead, it ambitiously incorporates jazz, medieval composition and exotic folk melodies into a hypnotically beautiful set of diverse rhythms and motifs. 

The most austere selection is “O Pastor Animarum” by 12th century composer, Hildegarde von Bingen. Here Carl Michel’s guitar, Elaine Barber’s harp, and bob Hoffnar ‘s pedal steel guitar combine into a thick, iridescent weave of drone with grace notes gently tapped out by Carolyn Trowbridge’s vibraphone. Alex Coke’s composition “The Emissary” is more in the spiritual jazz direction of Alice Coltrane. The composer’s flute blowing an Eastern melody through a forest of strings before all the other players take turns billowing out of the thickly murmuring group hum. 

There are also livelier tunes in the set. Michel’s composition, “Sol Y Luna,” is a graceful tropical tango which gives Coke’s flute and Trowbridge’s vibes room to dance. “Arabesque,” a Paul Motian tune, has Coke’s tenor sax singing forcefully into the midst of a gauzy harp-led sound bed. “Alterations” is a shuddering free jazz collision where James Suter’s bass and Cole’s flute throbs above the instrumental murmur. The set ends with a trip to Albert Ayler country as Coke burrows his tenor deeply into the Huddie Ledbetter folk song “Go Down Old Hannah.” He shouts and shrieks deep-rooted bluesy passion as the other players vibrate around him. 

The production of this album may lack polish but the music still feels immediate and raw. This sextet comes together beautifully in conveying the music’s spacey and earthy elements. They can drift with meditative beauty or roar with passion and their collective sound lingers in the memory. This is a unique and lovely album.”

Alex Coke & Carl Michel manifest The Emissary (The Austin Chronicle January 28, 2022)

“A change of environment always engenders fresh ideas: Veteran Austin jazz musicians Alex Coke and Carl Michel developed new LP The Emissary whilst performing on their driveways during lockdown. The reedist and guitarist channel oxygen and the spirit of Alice Coltrane into a half-dozen free-flowing spiritual jazz tunes. Manipulating saxophones, flutes, guitar, bass, vibraphone, harp, and Bob Hoffnar’s atmospheric pedal steel, Coke and Michel sample catalogs of Leadbelly, Paul Motian, German abbess Hildegard von Bingen, and their own inventory to paint the tracks in grass green, sunset orange, and sky blue – bypassing pandemic limitations and reaching for the ethereal.” – Michael Toland

Alex Coke & Carl Michel: The Emissary: ALLABOUTJAZZ.COM BY KYLE SIMPLER (February 7, 2022)

“While much of the world was in lockdown during 2020, saxophonist Alex Coke and harpist Elaine Barber had an idea that caught on. They decided to bring their instruments out on the driveway of the Austin, Texas home they were sheltering in and play music while waiting for their groceries to be delivered. These impromptu concerts turned out to be popular and soon became weekly events. The Emissary grew out of these concerts. 

The Coke-Barber combination opened up new musical paths to follow. Coke’s jazz background blended well with Barber’s focus on classical and early music. With the addition of Carl Michel on guitar, James Suter on bass, Carolyn Trowbridge on vibes and bob Hoffnar on pedal steel guitar, The Emissary was underway. Having a pedal steel player might seem like an unusual choice, but Hoffnar isn’t your run-of-the-mill steel player. While he can certainly play country and western, he also has an ear for modern, experimental music. 

This unique combination of instruments reflects the equally unique mixture of compositions, which include jazz, classical, folk, world music, and even blues influences. The album features pieces by Coke and Michel, along with compositions by Hildegard von Bingen, Paul Motian, and Leadbelly. In spite of the eclectic blend of music, the album never sounds disjointed. 

The Emissary has a definite jazz foundation throughout. Michel’s “Sol Y Luna,” for example, has a cool vibe that features some excellent solos by Michel and Suter. Coke, who also plays flute, adds some Yusef Lateef flavors here as well. Motian’s “Arabesque” also includes some excellent improvisational moments, and Trowbridge’s work on vibes matched with Coke’s saxophone, gives the song an appealing ethereal quality. 

Being a tenor saxophonist, it’s probably no surprise to hear some John Coltrane influences. This comes across in Coke’s playing and in the overall feel of the album as well. There is a spiritual quality present in this album, sometimes reminiscent of Coltrane’s album, A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1965). This is probably most evident in the Hildegard von Bingen piece, “O Pastor Animarum.” Saint Hildegard, who lived from 1098 to 1179, composed the piece as something of a musical prayer. Here, as with much of Coltrane’s album, the prayer is voiced through the instruments. 

The Emissary is a unique album in many ways. It was inspired by Christopher Hynes’ artwork, which is featured on the cover. Hynes’ work is meant to be a form of visual poetry, where one really needs to slow down and pay close attention to the details. The same can be said of the music here. While it might not be easy to place in a single category, this music encourages repeated listening. It has a calming and refreshing quality that invites listeners to discover a peaceful place within themselves.”

Alex Coke- Tenor Sax/Flute/Bass Flute
Carl Michel-Guitar
Elaine Barber-Harp
Bob Hoffnar-Pedal steel
James Stuer-Double Bass
Carolyn Trowbridge-Vibes

1) Arabesque by Paul Motian
2) O Pastor Animarum by Hildegard von Bingen
3) The Emissary by Alex Coke
4) Sol y Luna by Carl Michel
5) Alterations by Alex Coke
6) Go Down, Old Hannah by Huddie Ledbetter

Recorded July 16, 2021 In Austin TX
Recording /Mixing: Bob Hoffnar
Mastered at Terra Nova by Jerry Tubb
Cover Image: The Emissary by Christopher Hynes
Cover Layout Olivia Primanis
Producers: Alex Coke & Carl Michel
Play On Records 1004-2

Available at Bandcamp

Also available at:
Waterloo Records
Antone's Record Shop

Performing compelling music with origins in jazz, classical, folk, extended technique, and improvisation, this unique ensemble is an outgrowth of Coke and Barber’s popular weekly Driveway Concert Series  that ran from April 2020 through June 2021.

“Arabesque” by Paul Motian from “The Emissary”

Bios:

Composer and instrumentalist Alex Coke received his B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1976, with an emphasis on flute performance, before becoming one of the original members of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra and a touring member of the renowned Dutch ensemble Willem Breuker Kollektief. With a distinctive sound and an inclination toward experimentation, Coke exemplifies the traditions pioneered by fellow Texas tenors and jazz flutists, while expanding the possibilities of extended technique. His projects as bandleader include Live Action Brass Band, Leadbelly Legacy Band, New
Texas Swing with Tina Marsh, and the post-bop quintet, The Worthy Constituents with pianist and composer, Rich Harney. Coke’s extensive discography includes his many projects and his work as a featured soloist with The Austin Jazz Workshop, Greezy Wheels, White Denim, Maryann Price, Accra Trane Station, KlezEdge, Reeds and Deeds, and many others. https://alexcoke.home.xs4all.nl

Elaine Barber is Principal Harpist of the Austin Symphony and a regular guest with San Antonio Symphony. She performs a wide range of chamber music, solos, new music and early music in Austin and Central Texas. She plays with Texas Early Music Project (medieval & renaissance), Austin Baroque Orchestra, Allegro Chamber Trio (classical), Cleo Trio (jazz), and has worked with artists as diverse as Renee Fleming, Gladys Knight, and Shearwater. She’s a passionate teacher and director of the Girl Scout Harp Ensemble, the only known Girl Scout troop made up entirely of harpists. www.elainebarber.com

Pedal steel guitarist Bob Hoffnar relocated to Austin from NYC in 2009 and has since become a major contributor to Austin’s cultural landscape. Originally from Silver Springs, Maryland, Hoffnar graduated from Purchase Conservatory of Music in 1998 with a BFA in Composition that included private studies with Richard Cameron Wolf. Further private studies included time with such musical luminaries as Lamonte Young, Pandit Pran Nath, and Ernest Tubb’s steel player Buddy Charelton. He currently runs the “Liminal Sound Series” which is a live concert performance series dedicated to the commissioning of new works and collaborations between visionary composers and Austin, TX. based musicians and performers. http://www.bobhoffnar.net

James Suter is a bassist hailing from South Florida who recently received a Doctorate in Music and Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. James started his education at The University of Miami wherein he was a member of the prestigious Stamps Jazz Quintet. Following his bachelor’s degree, James then earned a Master’s degree from North Carolina Central University. He has shared the stage with Gary Burton, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Matt Wilson, Gilad Hekselman, Ellis Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Andre Hayward, Joe Lovano, Steve Davis, Joey Calderazzo, Ira Sullivan, and many others. James resides in Austin, Texas where he teaches and performs regularly. James is on faculty as a bass instructor at Austin Community College and Temple College.

Originally from Alexandria, VA, Carolyn Trowbridge is an Austin-based percussionist who specializes in vibraphone, marimba, steel pan, and world percussion. Growing up overseas in Gabon, Czech Republic, and Norway, she has a wide variety of musical influences. As an active performer, she performs, records, and tours nationally in a wide variety of styles:  soul, funk, pop, jazz, experimental, and rock bands, among others. Carolyn maintains a full studio where she teaches percussion, piano, and improvisation. She received a Bachelors in performance from James Madison University and a Masters in performance from The University of Texas at Austin.

Carl Michel, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, became a co-founder of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra in Austin, TX, with the innovative lead vocalist Tina Marsh. He has released several projects under Play On Records including “Food Of Love,” ”The Carl Michel Group,” “The Carl Michel Group (+)” and “Music In Motian: (The Compositions Of Paul Motian)”.  Carl has received two Emmy awards in Music Composition and Arrangement based on his work from a 16-part documentary series about 1930s-2000s pioneering female journalist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer Doris O’Donnell Beaufait titled Doris O’Donnell’s Cleveland.” His music is featured on film soundtracks “The Fourteenth Victim – Eliot Ness & The Torso Murders,” and “Dusk & Shadow – The Mystery Of Beverly Potts.”

Alex Coke & Carl Michel