You know what’s going to rock? Ian’s show next week.

The first time I worked with Ian for real was on the reading of Summer’s Twilight a little over two years ago. He played Oberon, and he just tore it up. Since then we’ve hatched a few schemes, and sometimes I bring over sketches of sections I’ve written for Oberon to test with him. And he sightreads this really tricky marimba stuff in this way that just makes me want to cry. Check it out:

He’s the man. Next Tuesday he’s doing a show in the west village. You should go. Here’s the Facebook event. Ian’s playing a bunch of music by Andy Akiho, who’s a percussionist and composer who you really have to hear. His music is smart, infectiously rhythmic, and just awesome fun to listen to in a way that a lot of what you hear in a concert hall isn’t quite. Apart from Andy’s music he’s playing Mariel, which is this cello marimba duet by Golijov that’s almost become standard rep. He’s even playing it with, well, Mariel, which is cool. I really really love Khan Variations, and can’t wait to hear him play it. Here’s a video of Michael Compitello (my other principal marimba collaborator) playing the piece at the Ruckus show we did in January. Plus he’s got some John Cage on there.

Percussion awesomesauce all around. Be there or I will make fun of you. In alphabetical order. Here’s the program:

Variations on Japanese Children’s Songs – Keiko Abe
21 – Andy Akiho (with Mariel Roberts)
In a Landscape – John Cage
Khan Variations – Alejandro Viñao

Mariel – Osvaldo Golijov (with Mariel, coincidentally)
Hadairo and Aka – Andy (with Foundry – Sam Adams, Andy Akiho, Vicky Chow, Sean Dixon, Mariel Roberts)
LIgNEouS – Andy (with Megan Atchley, Edwin Kaplan, Josh Modney and Mariel Roberts)

And here are all the hairy details in case you hate facebook:

Performance Details:
WHAT: Percussive Arts Society Presents Ian Rosenbaum
WHEN: Tuesday, May 15 at 7:00PM
WHERE: The Players Theatre – Main Stage
115 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10012
A,B,C,D,E,F,M trains to West 4th Street
ADMISSION: $25, $10 students/PAS members
INFO: www.theplayerstheatre.com – (212) 475-1449