Antibalas Members & alums: New collaborations, works, tours

Trumpeter Jordan McLean's label System Dialing just released "New Vocabulary", a new album with saxophonist Ornette Coleman with McLean, drummer Amir Ziv and keyboardist Adam Holzman.

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Drummer Miles Arntzen is out on the road with Will Butler of Arcade Fire playing songs off the new album "Policy" on Merge Records. His band EMEFE just released a new video (WATCH) and released a new album on May 3.

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Antibalas horns Ray Mason, Martín Perna, Jordan McLean, and Jas Walton can be heard on Mark Ronson's new album "Uptown Special."

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The full Antibalas band is featured on two songs co-written by Martín Perna:  "Melagioco" and "Libera" on the new release "2015cc" by Lorenzo Cherubini aka Jovanotti. The horns are featured on a third tune, "Ragazza Magica."

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Ray Mason, Reinaldo de Jesus, and Martín Perna recorded on the Mark Ronson-produced soundtrack to the film "Mortdecai" starring Johnny Depp and Gwyneth Paltrow.

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Antibalas founder / baritone saxophonist Martín Perna has entered the world of standup comedy. He has performed at the Comedy Cellar Village Underground, Eastville, and StandUp New York.

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Antibalas tenor sax emeritus Stuart Bogie is leading his band Superhuman Happiness (feat. longtime Antibalas trumpeter Eric Biondo) on a tour of the west coast with Marco Benevento.

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Nikhil Yerawadekar (bass) and Timothy Allen (guitar) are in California for two record release shows with the Sway Machinery. Nikhil and his group "Low Mentality have a new 45 rpm out called "Reel It In" on 3rd Generation Recordings. Here's the VIDEO.

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Trumpeter emeritus Todd Simon just won a Grammy in the category of Best Reggae Album for his performance and horn arranging work on Ziggy Marley's "Fly Rasta." His LA-based ensemble Ethio Cali has a new residency in LA at Acabar.

Three Questions with drummer Miles Arntzen

What creative things do you have going on right now?

I've been working on the EMEFE album for the past year. It is finally done, and now we are scheming how to release it and building up our live show. (We recently put up one of the tracks on Soundcloud as a teaser.) Not only is the album is a true representation of all of my influences, but it is also the debut of myself as a lead singer, which is a role I've been quietly working on for years now. I am writing, recording and preparing a bunch of other music to release around the same time as the EMEFE  album, to further present myself as a songwriter and producer, not just a drummer.

What was your favorite Antibalas show/moment of the past few months?

Antibalas as a band creates truly unbelievable moments regularly. I was going to write about our experience playing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" behind Judy Collins at the Paul Simon Tribute earlier this year, which was so incredibly uplifting... but then I would've forgotten our experience jumping onstage to sing/play "Wake Up" with Arcade Fire in a Castle in Verona. What?!

What do you most worry about and what are you doing about it?

I worry about the fact that the music industry seems impossible to break through unless you pay your way to the top (or experience what is basically a miracle). It is easy to let this mentality bring you down, but I also believe that good music prevails! So what am I doing about it? Writing music, making music, living music... all the time.

Links: 

@smilesahead on Twitter

milesarntzen.com

EMEFE Facebook Page

emefemusic.com

Three questions with keyboardist Will Rast

What creative things do you have going on right now?

The Funk Ark: My Washington, DC based band, The Funk Ark has just released a new album on Ropeadope records, entitled "Man Is A Monster," (listen below) that we recorded in Richmond, VA in the spring. I think that it is the closest that we've come as a band to finding our own identity. The record features some of the best playing we've done, a

s well as some really fine guest appearances by drummer, John Speice (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout) and saxophonist Michael Kammers (MKGO, Man Man) and it was mixed beautifully by JD Foster, who's collaborations with the likes of T-Bone Burnett, Calexico and Alejandro Escovedo I am a big fan of.

Over the last year, I've worked with Fred Cash of The Impressions and his management on several occasions. In November, I'll be sitting in with The Impressions on a few dates. Recently, I've had a few opportunities to work with long-time Antibalas guitarist, Luke O'Malley, such as recording with EDM artist, GRiZ and backing hip hop star/culinary guru, Action Bronson. Can't say enough good things about Luke. It's always fun to work with him. New music for piano and group: I'm in the midst of getting a set of tunes together to perform on acoustic piano, something that I haven't done in a while and I'm very excited about getting back to the instrument of my roots.

2) What was your favorite Antibalas show/moment of the past few months?

My favorite Antibalas show in the last couple of months would have to be our set in tribute to John Lurie at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City last month. It was a magical experience getting the opportunity to play Lurie's music and to interpret it with an Antibalas flavor. To have so many luminaries of the New York music scene present, including Lurie himself, was a real blast as well. At one point, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Billy Martin and his son listening intently from the side of the stage (probably checking out Miles.) A real trip.

3) What do you most worry about and what are you doing about it?

I worry that money is ruining music. The place of music in society is indelibly linked to something that is far more pure than a financial commodity. Music is connected to community. Listening to a lot of the popular music of today reminds me of the experience of going to Sea World or a petting zoo. You're not actually experiencing those animals. You're not actually experiencing music. You are being fed an experience that is designed to part you from your money. You're listening to a commercial for anti-intellectual paradigms, designed to sell clothes, soda and cars. If you want to interact with an orca, get in the damn water! Unfortunately, most people aren't interested enough to put forth the effort to find music in its natural habitat; the communities that nurture their artists and lift up their efforts. To participate in the effort to help local music and venues thrive, my band in DC partners frequently with groups like Listen Local and DC Funk Parade to promote local talent on the DC scene and create a community of music lovers and musicians that can support itself and showcase other independent acts that come through town.

LISTEN TO THE NEW ALBUM "Man is a Monster" by the Funk Ark