Me, Myself and Eye: Briggan Krauss
440 Gallery440 6th Avenue, New York 11215
440 Gallery presents Me, Myself and Eye: Briggan Krauss, with the Brooklyn saxophonist billed for this November 22 program. The available listing identifies Krauss as the evening’s performer but does not confirm a band, guest, instrumentation, or the specific format of the set. What is clear is a focus on his saxophone work, shaped by more than 25 years in New York’s downtown and creative-music circles.
Based in Brooklyn, Krauss is a saxophonist, guitarist, composer, and sound artist, and a founding member of Steven Bernstein’s Sexmob. He has released critically acclaimed recordings as a leader and appeared on more than 60 others, working with John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, Norah Jones, Medeski Martin and Wood, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, and U2, among many others. Sexmob’s Sexotica received a Grammy nomination, while Krauss also played on Frisell’s Grammy-winning Unspeakable. His work extends to electronic music, sound art, and digital audio and video; 440 Gallery describes it as pushing “the extreme edges of technique” and exploring saxophone’s “unexplored tonal possibilities,” with music “as much about shape” as his signature sound.
440 Gallery is a basement club in Brooklyn where music is the centerpiece, not a side attraction. The room is modest, with a stage and a few rows of seats, and the audience sits close enough to feel the energy of the performers. Shows are ticketed, and buying ahead is recommended, with a cover typically required. The evening is about listening; the walls are bare, the lighting is simple, and the focus is on the music. There's a bar, and people drink while they listen, but the atmosphere is quiet and respectful. It's a place where musicians play for an audience that appreciates the performance, not just the act of being there.