The Shaking Ray Levis (duo) Bob Stagner and Dennis Palmer
will present an interactive drum workshop for folks of all ages & disciplines that demonstrate the "Old Timey Avant-Garde" as an ethically motivated communicative act.   Participants create a sonic vocabulary with hand drums and simple percussion instruments. This workshop offers a physical and cognitive workout, as well as experience in teamwork and creative collaboration. It's a hands on experience! (drums are always provided). 
SRLEVI Percussion Workshop  is Saturday August 14th, at the "Farmers Market"     9:00 - 11:00

                             
 ...”The Levis are accomplished masters of the warp-speed sound bite!” -Penguin Guide to Jazz

"The Shaking Ray Levis have an aptitude for sounding fresh and free from cliché while not appearing self-consciously outlandish" -The Wire
 

THE SHAKING RAY LEVIS (founded in 1986) is an ongoing collaboration of musicians with a common interest in improvisation. The project was conceived by  Dennis Palmer and BOB STAGNER. They use analog synthesizers, vocal-tellin' and percussion to achieve their Southern Ol' Time Avant-Garde sound.

They are the first American group to have recorded for Incus Records, one of the world’s most important improvisation-based record labels -founded by legendary guitarist, Derek Bailey.

Additionally, they have performed and recorded with REVEREND HOWARD FINSTER, MIN TANAKA, DAVID GREENBERGER, FRED FRITH, AMY DENIO, JOHN ZORN, BORBETOMAGUS, TOM CORA, STEVE BERESFORD, J.D. PARRAN, FRANK PAHL, LADONNA SMITH, DAVEY WILLIAMS, GINO ROBAIR, ROGER TURNER, EUGENE CHADBOURNE, TONY OXLEY and DEREK BAILEY, as well as with many other critically acclaimed artists.

In addition to their own performances, they have also put on several groundbreaking music festivals in Chattanooga- including the Shaking Ray Levi Festival and the WHO-FEST- that have brought some of the world's premier musicians to an area that might not have welcomed them were it not for their dedication to cutting edge music, dance and art. The list of notable artists who have appeared at these events include: Anthony Braxton, Rev. Howard Finster, Cat Power, Laurie Anderson, David Pajo, Olivia Tremor Control, the Tibetan Monks of the Drepung Loseling Institute, and Indian violinist L. Shankar.

In addition to all of these activities, they simultaneously run a one-of-a-kind, non-profit musical outreach program through the Shaking Ray Levi Society that was created "with the goal of helping students to develop valuable skills such as problem solving, group cooperation, active listening, and effective use of available resources," and has contributed to educational programs in schools and social institutions across the nation. The group have also received grants for their work from the British Arts Council, Meet The Composer, Canada Council for the Arts, Lyndhurst Foundation, and the Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga.

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