On the evening of Tuesday, April 22, we are proudly hosting avant-garde multi-instrumentalist Danny Kamins (HOU), experimental electronic musician Casey Cooper’s solo project Coastal Dives (CMH), and multi-instrumentalist improviser Gerard Cox (CMH). Doors 7:30pm, show begins at 8:00pm sharp. $8.00 prepaid, $10 at the door.
About the artists:
Danny Kamins is an improvising saxophonist based out of Houston, TX. His current musical endeavors include playing in various ensembles such as Sleeping Beast, El Mantis, Dennis Gonzalez Legacy Band, FireLife Trio, and Relative Dissonance as well as directing the jazz program at Rice University. Musicians he has performed/recorded with include Tatsuya Nakatani, Alvin Fielder, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, LaDonna Smith, Aaron Gonzalez, Stefan Gonzalez, Susan Alcorn, Jamison Williams, Thomas Helton, Lisa Cameron, Adam Goodwin, Vinny Golia, Antonio Borghini, David Leon, Jeb Bishop, Taylor Rouss, Sandy Ewen, Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Damon Smith, Luke Stewart, Kamila Drabek, Marc Edwards, Vincent Davis, Natan Kryszk, Paulina Owczarek.
Coastal Dives is the solo ambient electronic project of composer Casey J. Cooper. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s in music composition. He’s been an active member of the Columbus, OH music community for years having performed in acts such as The Receiver, Mt. Air, Did’ja, Sgt. Peppercorn’s Marathon, and Lollipop Factory. CoastalDives’ debut LP “All Small Bodies” (released 2018) serves as the official soundtrack to the 2017 titular short film directed by Jennifer Reeder. The album consists of minimalistic synth compositions that contrast harsh, brooding soundscapes. CoastalDives gracefully guides listeners through fifteen tracks brimming with atmosphere and melody, subtly twisting and transforming at every turn. The fluid pacing strengthens many moments on “All Small Bodies” with a fleeting and ethereal quality.
In 2020, CoastalDives teamed up with New Motion to release “Sleepwalk”, an EP of minimalist piano/synth compositions. The EP ends with a 10 minute ambient synthesizer piece which served as a short film score, premiering at MOMA in 2019. He has since teamed up with the Scandinavian label Data Airlines (Makeup & Vanity Set, Dubmood, Wojciech Golczewski), releasing his “Next Light” LP in June 2022 and his follow up album “Lineage” February 23, 2024. Both albums were composed using analog synthesizers and computer manipulation, mixed by Danny Kalb and mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri. Both albums are available via digital and limited cassette. CoastalDives is also a composer for film. He has composed original scores for films including feature length Night’s End (Shudder 2022) and short films All Small Bodies (2017), I Dream You Dream Of Me (MOMA premiere 2019 and Criterion Channel), and The Dunes (Hulu 2019), and My Last Martini (independent 2024) among others.
Gerard is a pianist, trumpeter, and percussionist from Columbus with a keen interest in musical surrealism and the percussive nature of the piano. Born to a piano teacher Mom and a jazz saxophone hobbyist father, clear “rockstar” inclinations were shown at age 8 in an appearance as J.S. Bach at an OMTA music festival and at 10 as Billy Idol in a look-a-like contest for the national pop/rock magazine Star Hits. Cox developed a love for jazz in high school on through college, studying both jazz piano and B3 organ. While initially taken with the straight-ahead jazz of Art Blakey and Clifford Brown, he followed John Coltrane’s discography into his later period music and this proved to be the gateway for a fascination with free jazz and all kinds of other outsider/experimental music.