(TEANECK, NJ) -- Black Box Studios & The Elated System presents guitarist Reeves Gabrels drummer Jonathan Kane, and bassist Jair-Rohm Parker Wells' DOOM DOGS with special guests Gail Ann Dorsey and John Burdick. The show is on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at Debonair Music Hall. Doors are at 6:30pm, showtime is 7:30pm.
The superb triple bill includes a rare solo set by Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz, Gwen Stefani, more) singing and accompanying herself on guitar (she is usually heard on bass); a trio set by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter John Burdick (Sweet Clementines) with Marianne Tasick on vocals and violin plus Jason Sarubbi on bass; and a full, genre-free improv instrumental set by DOOM DOGS, a trio comprising internationally acclaimed musicians Reeves Gabrels (The Cure, David Bowie) on guitars, Jonathan Kane (Swans, February) on drums, and Jair-Rohm Parker Wells on basses (Machine Gun, Embryo).
Gail Ann Dorsey, a guitarist, bassist and vocalist, is a musically adept and long-trusted bandmate of the late David Bowe; she toured the world and recorded with Bowie between 1995 and 2013. Dorsey sang lead vocals on the showstopper 'Under Pressure,' taking the part originally recorded by Freddie Mercury, while simultaneously playing John Deacon's bass line beautifully. (Find this on YouTube and be blown away!) She has performed and recorded with Tears for Fears, Bryan Ferry, Lenny Kravitz, French pop star M Chedid, Gwen Stefani, and others. Recently, Dorsey was a featured vocalist on albums by The National and Matt Berninger, and she is currently a singer for 'BLACKSTAR Symphony: The Music of David Bowie,' including June 2024 concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center. Dorsey has released three solo albums: The Corporate World, Rude Blue, and I Used to Be… She grew up in Philadelphia and attended California School of the Arts. Dorsey's lifelong love of music of many genres contributes to her deep-rooted artistry and versatility.
Ms. Dorsey explains: "I made a decision this year to take the leap and get myself back into solo artist mode for the next phase of my life. I have been working on my guitar playing after years of performing mostly on bass, and cultivating a solo show of my own music. Reeves Gabrels and I are good friends -- we met and were bandmates during David Bowie's Outside tour (1995), and worked closely together while recording and touring Bowie's Earthling album (1997) -- so when Reeves asked if I would join the bill for a DOOM DOGS show, I said I would love to! I am taking every opportunity I can to get better at being 'me' again."
John Burdick is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, sideman, and respected music critic in New York’s mid-Hudson valley. He leads the New Paltz-based stumble-pop quintet The Sweet Clementines, a guitar rock group augmented with vibraphone, violin, sophisticated vocal arrangements and elements of chamber music and improvisation, all in support of a large collection of elegant and original songs. Sweet Clementines are currently at work on their third full length album. Joining Burdick at Debonair Music Hall will be two bandmates, Marianne Tasick and Jason Sarubbi. Among Burdick's other credits: He played lead guitar on two Grammy-nominated albums by the Okee Dokee Brothers, and has also performed and recorded with singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson and with Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s, with whom he composed music for Marvel’s popular Wastelanders: Wolverine radio drama podcast. Burdick himself has released two EPs, Birds and Birds, and Happy for Both (the latter under the name Macrofone, a duo project with Real Estate drummer Sammi Niss).
“I hear my music as way, way downstream from the Beatles,” John Burdick says, “picking up a lot of noise from classical music, folk, cabaret, experimental, and all manner of eccentric rock and pop along the way. In my trio with vocalist and violinist Marianne Tasick and bassist Jason Sarubbi, I get to emphasize all my newest material, much of it composed on keys. The focus is on the lucid delivery of songs, but there is just enough arrangement, orchestration, and improvisation to keep it interesting, somewhere in the middle between band and solo performance.", says Mr. Burdick.
DOOM DOGS is a supergroup bringing together three imaginative, innovative musicians who improvise freely in real time. Reeves Gabrels, Jonathan Kane, and Jair-Rohm Parker Wells draw on their collective backgrounds in jazz, rock, blues, experimental and world music and more. By listening intently to each other and responding instrumentally, they create musical conversations unique to each performance.
Reeves Gabrels (Guitars): Reeves Gabrels is an electric guitar virtuoso recognized by musicians and audiences alike for his expressive range and power. He is known for his creative collaborations with David Bowie during the '80s and '90s, co-writing, co-producing and adding his innovative guitar work to a half-dozen acclaimed studio albums in addition to extensive touring. His favorite of the Bowie albums he co-produced is Earthling (1997). Since 2012, Gabrels has been a member of the iconic post-punk band The Cure, with whom his artistry continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With Reeves Gabrels on lead guitar for DOOM DOGS, sonic brilliance is a hallmark of the band's performances.
Jonathan Kane (Drums): Jonathan Kane, the heartbeat of Doom Dogs, was a founding member of the influential band The Swans, has worked extensively with Minimalist godfather La Monte Young, was the only drummer for Rhys Chatham's orchestra of 100 electric guitars, and leads his own trance-blues band Jonathan Kane's February. His drumming style is characterized by a powerful and hypnotic presence, driving the band's improvisations with precision and intensity. Kane's vast experience as a drummer and composer contributes to the band's ability to create spontaneous and enthralling musical moments that leave audiences in awe.
Jair-Rohm Parker Wells (Basses): The foundation of DOOM DOGS' mesmerizing sound lies in the hands of Jair-Rohm Parker Wells, a true legend in the world of experimental rock and jazz. Aside from being a founding member of the avant-rock band Machine Gun, Parker Wells was also a member of the seminal German experimental rock band Embryo during the 1970s. His NS Design electric upright and bass guitar prowess adds a rich and dynamic depth to Doom Dogs' spontaneous compositions, pushing the boundaries of experimental rock and jazz. Jair-Rohm's artistic sensitivity and expertise make him an indispensable part of DOOM DOGS' sonic exploration.
"Tonight's DOOM DOGS gig in Brooklyn was fantastic. An improv soundscape that took us to five different sound eras and ten countries within an unconfined music genre. Reeves Gabrels with one guitar and less than a dozen pedals, Jair-Rohm Parker Wells on bass and some crazy amazing electric cello bass thing [an upright bass by NS Designs], and Jonathan Kane on drums. The fact that Kane was one of the founding members of Swans was loud & clear -- a disruptive force you don't always get with avante garde jazz noise stuff. One moment there was melody, and the next we were teleported into a David Lynch film only to drop back down into a jazz club and stepped outside to a funk band. It was RAD. Hope to DOOM with the dogs again, sooner than later." -- an audience member's reaction to a gig on July '23, used by permission of Arusha Baker, director of the ongoing project PUSH -- A Cure Fan Documentary.
Tickets are $25 advance / $30 at the door. Tickets are available for purchase online. Debonair Music Hall is located at 1409 Queen Anne Road in Teaneck, New Jersey.
The Elated System is the Englewood, NJ-based trans-cultural think tank and mixed-media film production studio of electro-acoustic composer/visual artist D.Hamilton.
Black Box Studios is an event producer and the area's only collaborative performing arts school and professional theater combo, est. 2007. Recent shows include DOOM DOGS & Eels of Love; Distant Cousins & Soulfarm, The Aryeh Kunstler Band; Israel Portnoy & Band; simmerr, Thesaurus Rex, and Boys Go To Jupiter; James Maddock; Willie Nile; and more. Upcoming shows include comedian Elon Gold; comedians Mark Riccadonna, Christy Miller, Erik Marino and Mike Bocchetti; the re-development of The Rock Musical SOUL SEARCHING; Brea Fournier & The Dream Ballet & Dog Party; and more.
