Tatsuya Nakatani Returns to Santa Fe
The Nakatani / Weaver / Balistreri Trio was formed in 2007 in performance at the (now defunct) Blue Dragon in Albuquerque while Tatsuya Nakatani was on tour across the country, playing solos and collaborations with with local musicians as he traveled – such as the Albuquerque improvised music duo of Mark Weaver and Mike Balistreri. Finding that they shared similar approaches to space, sound and environment, the trio stayed in communication, and reconvened for well-received performances in 2008 at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, and at the College of Santa Fe.
Tatsuya Nakatani (percussion) is originally from Osaka, Japan. In 2006 he performed in 80 cities in 7 countries and collaborated with 163 artists worldwide. In the past 10 years he has released nearly fifty of his own recordings on CD.
Nakatani has created his own instrumentation, effectively inventing many instruments and extended techniques. He utilizes drumset, bowed gongs, cymbals, singing bowls, metal objects, bells, and various sticks and bows to create an intense, organic music that defies category or genre. His music is based in improvised/ experimental music, jazz, free jazz, rock, and noise, yet retains the sense of space and beauty found in traditional Japanese folk music.
In addition to live solo and ensemble performances, Nakatani works as a sound designer for film and television. He also teaches Master Classes and Workshops at the university level and heads H&H Production, an independent record label and recording studio based in Easton, Pennsylvania. He has been selected as a performing artist for the Pennsylvania Performing Artist on Tour (PennPat) roster, and is a Bronx Arts Council Individual Artist grant recipient. (additional information is available on Tatsuya Nakatani’s website)
Tuba player Mark Weaver is a native New Mexican who has contributed to countless creative music projects in the Southwest region and on the West Coast, and who has recorded for Balance Point Acoustics, Black Phone Records, Leaf Records, Carrot Top, Newsonic, Nine Winds, pfMENTUM, Plutonium, Snowdonia, and Zerx. Recent projects include Resonance (duo with vocalist Patti Littlefield), and UFO Ensemble with trumpeter Bill Clark, Katie Harlow on cello, and Jason Aspeslet on drums (which explores Mark’s unique approach to ensemble composition).
A drummer in a past life, Mike Balistreri brings a distinctly percussive approach to the double bass. Having devoted himself almost exclusively to improvised music, Mike has collaborated/performed/recorded with a wide range of musicians, poets, filmmakers, and performance artists. He spent a year and a half on the road in 2004-2005 playing improvised music with artists across the country. Recently Mike has been performing with The Rumble Trio, I-Beam (Milwaukee), and his large ensemble project th3 e1emental orke5tra.
contact: Mark Weaver (505) 255-8046 mw@toast.net
