Out-of-towners welcome at Open Gate Theater

Los Angeles is such a magnet for music that locals can sometimes be a little myopic about creativity in other environs. Alex Cline and Will Salman’s bookings for their monthly Open Gate Theater series in Eagle Rock remind us that out-of-town musicians have stories worth hearing as well.

The venerable new music showcase has been diligent in providing space for musical creators from San Diego, in particular. Though the avant-garde and new music scene down there is numerically small, the musicians are long on resource and stamina. A case in point is drummer/composer Nathan Hubbard, whose quartet shares Sunday’s Open Gate bill with the Alexander Vogel-Jonathan Saxon Duo.

Hubbard is a prolific polymath who has any number of styles that he investigates in his writing, playing and band leading. That free-range approach to genres has led him to be a central figure in San Diego’s new music community. He was an important part of the Trummerflora collective and its spinoffs: the all-star Cosmologic quartet, electronica trio Troikestra, percussion ensemble Wormhole, the all-skate Skeleton Key Orchestra, and the Cosmologic recording label.

San Diego clarinetist Peter Kuhn says, “Nathan is a big-hearted man whose concept of music is as big as the world. He leaves no stone unturned in his craft, and I appreciate the way he embraces diverse styles and elements in the creation of beautifully creative music. From garage electronics to the found objects and eclectic elements that make up his ever changing drum kit — Nathan is a dancer who refuses to be tethered to tradition or a single form.”

The 38 year-old Hubbard’s first influence was Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. “My mother had the second Zeppelin album,” Hubbard recalls, from his San Diego home. “That was the first time I noticed the drums. I loved the propulsion, the big bottom of his sound and the groove. No other rock drummer of his generation had that.”

Another early drum model was jazz trap artist Max Roach. “What a career he had,” he muses. “He played with Charlie Parker, the Lighthouse All Stars, Cecil Taylor and Anthony Braxton. I loved his playing and his writing, and I wanted to do both.”

An Encinitas native, Hubbard was aware that maverick microtonal composer and instrument builder Harry Partch lived close by. “I studied with Danlee Mitchell, the Partch scholar,” Hubbard offers. “I have very little interest in microtonal music, but through his independence and perseverance, Partch cast a long shadow. I like how he created a sonic universe for himself.”

Hubbard plays the vibraphone as much as the drums, often with electronic complements. He’ll do that at Open Gate, relinquishing the traps to Cline. Local electric guitarist G.E. Stinson and bassist Steuart Liebig complete the lineup. “I like putting different things together,” Hubbard confesses, “and seeing how they rub against each other.”

He continues: “Alex is a big hero of mine; he’s a great drummer and a superb writer. His pieces are so pure and beautiful. I’ve admired Steuart and G.E. for a long time, too; I go out of my way to play with them. I’m kind of scared but looking forward to it too — it’s great to be challenged and to get my butt kicked!”

Trumpeter/composer Jeff Kaiser moved to San Diego in 2000 to do doctorate work and teach. “Nathan does so many things,” he notes. “I’ve played in his big band and his minimalist group. He has these graphic charts to work from and improvise off of for one band, and another group with all these interlocking groove parts. Even though he’s a drummer, he’s as involved with harmony and chords as I am.”

Kaiser continues: “Nathan’s got real big ears. He’s one of these guys who are always telling you about a band you’ve never heard of before. People like that are very important to the music community.”

--

What: Nathan Hubbard Quartet

Where: Center For The Arts, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock

When: Sunday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m.

Admission: $10

More info: (626) 795-4989, www.centerartseaglerock.org
--

KIRK SILSBEE writes about jazz and culture for Marquee.