The Roulette Tapes

Vocalist, composer, and electronic musician Charmaine Lee with commentary on and excerpts from four performances at the Roulette concert hall in Brooklyn from 2017-2021 with bits of the works Ceremony and Papillae, an appearance at the Resonant Bodies Festival, plus solos and collaborations with violist Joanna Mattrey, cellist Lester St. Louis, trumpeter Nate Wooley, and electronics with Conrad Tao. Raised by Hong Kong émigrés in Australia, educated at Princeton and New England Conservatory, Charmaine Lee is now a major contributor to the New York experimental music scene. A recipient of Roulette’s Van Lier Fellowship, Lee returns to Roulette as part of the Mixology Festival on 10 Feb. 2024.

Composer, pianist, educator Angelica Sanchez in commentary alongside excerpts from performances with bassist Michael Formanek, drummers Billy Hart and Hamid Drake, composer/percussionist Susie Ibarra with violinist Jennifer Choi, and a solo at the tribute to jaimie branch. Sanchez returns to Roulette in a new trio with guitarist Brandon Ross and drummer Chad Taylor on 16 January 2024.

Composer and multi-instrumentalist John King (viola, guitar, electronics) in excerpts and commentary from six appearances at Roulette where his solo, small and large ensemble, and "politically tinged" works have appeared since the mid-1980s. This program features performances with collaborators including vocalist Gelsey Bell, bassist William Parker, violist Joanna Mattrey, Crucible String Quartet, TILT Brass, Cornelius Dufallo’s Secret Quartet, The String Orchestra of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and one of his scores for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

The cross-genre and multidisciplinary Czech composer/performer (accordion, hichiriki, synthesizer, harmonica, voice, dance) walks us through three performances commissioned through Roulette: Opera, a multimedia piece; a solo performance, Spectacle; and the installation/performance, Pieces from Darkness. Vítková returns to Roulette 16 Nov 2023 to revisit their Opera concept.

Composer/trombonist Peter Zummo in remembrances of longtime collaborator composer/cellist Arthur Russell (1951-92) illustrated with excerpts from a musically ethereal and emotionally charged 1985 concert at Roulette. Produced by Beck Zegans, this special edition is a major contribution to the legacy of the unpredictable, calculated, and disciplined work of a treasured artist and the complex, emergent scene that both misunderstood and nurtured the work. Listen to the full, unedited performance at roulette.org/event/arthur-russell. Photo: Tom Lee.

Composer, trumpet and synth player, vocalist, and activist jaimie branch (1983–2022) in remembrances from bandmates bassist Jason Ajemian, drummer Jason Nazary, bassist Luke Stewart, cellist Lester St. Louis, and sister Kate Branch alongside excerpts from Roulette performances by projects Fly or Die, jaimie branch trio, C'est Trois, and Anteloper including appearances by drummers Mike Pride and Chad Taylor. jaimie branch was a compelling presence, a fiercely creative soul, and an unapologetic speaker of truth. Roulette hosts a tribute and record release celebration of the final album on October 2, 2023. Photo: Ben Semisch, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Doug Wieselman, whose work on the clarinet, bass clarinet, sax, and guitar has led to projects with his Kamikaze Ground Crew, with Gina Leishman and Stephen Bernstein, to The Lounge Lizards with John Lurie, and major collaborations with The Flying Karamazov Brothers, Wayne Horvitz, Anthony Coleman, Laurie Anderson, Evan Lurie, Antony & The Johnsons, Coco Rosie, Robert Wilson, and many more. Wieselman traces the journey, illustrated with music by the Kamikaze Ground Crew and projects with Wayne Horvitz and Kato Hideki, all from the Roulette Archive.

The Iranian-American composer, vocalist, performance artist, and activist in a conversation illustrated with a 1986 formative performance at Roulette with longtime partner, multi-instrumentalist Richard Horowitz. Deyhim's journey from an early passion for Persian dance and music to a globally recognized concert performer and associations with artists from Arto Lindsay and Shirin Neshat to Ornette Coleman and U2 is a remarkable story. The work--including recordings, film scores, installations, opera, performance art, and collaborations--is faithful to her fertile, evolving cross-cultural roots.

Composer, musician, bandleader, and Hollywood extra Simon Hanes tells the story of his upbringing in an extended family of California musicians, metal bands, music school in Boston, and projects with Guerilla Toss, JG Thirlwell, and his own genre-busting ensemble, Tredici Bacci, a swirling reflection on Italian soundtracks, Zappa, Bacharach, and delicious chaos, all through the lens of "downtown ethos". Illustrated with audio clips from the band's shows at Roulette in 2017 and 2021.

Violinist/violist, vocalist, composer, improviser, and interdisciplinary Brooklyn-based performing artist yuniya edi kwon in excerpts from three appearances at Roulette: the solo UMMA-YA; JUNI ONE SET: Boy mother/faceless bloom (with Senga Nengudi, Crow Nishimura, Joshua Kohl); and tombstar (with Isabel Crespo Pardo, Zekkereya El-magharbel, Lesley Mok). The artist provides commentary on the influence and embrace of ritual, ceremony, Butoh, queer and trans Korean shamans, and cultural traditions and challenges. kwon returns to Roulette with a new project on 19 May 2023.