Deerhoof Meets Wadada Leo Smith at le Poisson Rouge

Satomi Matsuzaki

Deerhoof formed as an improvisational bass/drums duo in 1994 in San Francisco, California. Quickly becoming a quartet, the band currently consists of founding drummer Greg Saunier, bassist and singer Satomi Matsuzaki, and guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez. Initially performing improvised noise punk, Deerhoof began adding pop melodies and experimental arrangements to create off-kilter and avant garde rock. The band's 14th and most recent studio album, Mountain Moves, was released on September 8, 2017.

In 2009 in Los Angeles, avant-garde jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith joined Deerhoof onstage and improvised for nearly their entire set. Adam Schatz, coproducer of NYC’s Winter Jazzfest, reunited the artists to close this year’s festival tonight. Deerhoof performed 12 songs, mostly from the past 10 years' catalog, allowing extensive room for impromptu improvisation, exploration and playfulness. Periodically, they signaled for Wadada Leo Smith to add trumpet lines, fills which sweetly softened Deerhoof's often crash and burn clamor. The collaborations freely and deliberately wandered and soared, feeding off each other for both angular and elliptical whimsy. The post-punk art-rock that erupted spontaneously could never be reproduced even with the most measured intent.

Visit Deerhoof at www.deerhoof.net.

Setlist:

1. Last Fad
2. Twin Killers
3. Snoopy Waves
4. Fresh Born
5. I Will Spite Survive
6. Breakup Songs
7. [unknown]
8. Paradise Girls
9. Plastic Thrills
10. There's That Grin
11. We Do Parties

Encore:

1. Mirror Monster