Dan Plonsey
Dan Plonsey is the quintessential "out" cat. From his passion for supra-earthly sounds to his day gig in the astronomy department at UC Berkeley, Plonsey's interests often lie well outside the mainstream. He dubbed his host computer "sunra," for the cosmic jazz explorer of the same name, and he appeared recently on the TV program Internet Cafe as an expert Netizen on the hippest outer space and UFO sites. As the founding impresario behind Beanbender's improvisational music series, Plonsey has stated that one of his goals for the venue is "to be an otherworldly presence." His aspirations as composer and improvising saxophonist for this much-anticipated showcase at Yoshi's reflect this commitment. Plonsey plans to direct two peculiar sets of music for a couple of unusual ensembles. "Conceived of as a means to honor those voices which have been pushed into extinction," says Plonsey, "especially the voices of birds (and Bird)," "Ivory Bill" will involve pieces using up to eight saxophones. Expect feral but orchestrated sounds in a soaring, post-Eric Dolphy mode. With closely pitched bass clarinets, tubas, trombone, and bass drums, "Music for Low Winds and Percussion" will explore the rumble of the cosmos.
-- Sam Prestianni
Dan Plonsey presents "Ivory Bill" and "Music for Low Winds and Percussion" on Monday, March 10, at 8 p.m. at Yoshi's, 6030 Claremont, Oakland. Tickets are $8; call (510) 652-9200.
