30 Days Out, Jan. 2024 #1: Listeso String Quartet, Jackson Stokes, PAKT, Jiji
Happy New Year! The NYE holiday notwithstanding, we’re happily entering the relatively quiet period in Asheville when fewer tourists come ‘round. Happily, touring musical acts are back on the road after their holiday breaks. Four very intriguing shows are spotlighted this edition of 30DO, which also marks the four-year anniversary of the column. I hope you find it useful.
Artist: Listeso String Quartet
Venue: Ayurprana Listening Room
Date: Thursday, Jan. 11, 8:45 p.m.
Door: $35+
This one’s a bit off the beaten path. Featuring a quartet of string players brought together and/or booked by an agency called Listeso, this is a candlelit concert featuring the music of Queen. The program also features some Puccini and Mozart. Just because, I guess. There are two 60-minute candlelit shows on this date at the Ayurprana Listening Room, but the earlier show is mostly sold out, so I’ve provided links to tix for the later set.
Artist: Jackson Stokes Band
Venue: Asheville Music Hall
Date: Saturday, Jan. 13, 10 p.m.
Door: $free
A protégé of Devon Allman (of that Allman family), Stokes is an up-and-coming musician and songwriter. His skill set is the result of both ends of the spectrum: garage bands and college studies. His music draws from southern rock, the Memphis soul tradition and other rock-solid forms. And this is a FREE concert, if you can endure the late start time.
Artist: PAKT
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 8 p.m.
Door: $22
Collectives featuring name artists are de rigueur in jazz and/or improvisational music, and for good reason. The cracking interplay that comes from playing with peers with whom you don’t always work can yield exciting and unpredictable results. This outfit – part of the Moonjune stable curated by my friend (and Toledo, Spain resident) Leonardo Pavkovic – features Percy Jones (Brand X, Brian Eno, David Sylvian, Suzanne Vega), Alex Skolnick (Testament, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, etc.), Kenny Grohowski (John Zorn, Brand X, etc.), Tim Motzer (Jaki Liebezeit, David Sylvian, etc.). Um, wow.
Artist: Jiji / ALT ASO
Venue: The Orange Peel
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
Door: $45
Named in 2021 by the Washington Post as “one of the 2 composers/performers who sound like tomorrow,” acoustic and electric guitarist Jiji is a critically acclaimed artist. She will be performing with (I’m assuming a subset of) the ASO as part of the orchestra’s ALT ASO series.
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About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.