Instant Coffee
The American trio Instant Coffee was formed as the result of a pleasant evening's pastime: playing music together.
Lisle Ellis was visiting M.C. Schmidt in Baltimore, and M.C. invited Jason Willet over to play. It went unnaturally well. An ensemble was formed.
Lisle Ellis is a composer and improviser/bassist whose oeuvre spans three decades and two countries (Canada and the U.S.) and has brought him international recognition as an artist with an exceptional vision. He has shared the stage with august company, including Paul Bley, Peter Brötzmann, Andrew Cyrille, Joe McPhee and Cecil Taylor, leading contemporary players Marilyn Crispell, Dave Douglas, Fred Frith, and John Zorn, and has made more than 40 recordings for international labels such as Black Saint, DIW, Hat Art and New World. M.C. Schmidt is, with partner in crime Dr. Drew Daniel, a member of the musique concrète pop/new music group Matmos. Mr. Schmidt has appeared with Terry Riley, the Kronos Quartet, Björk, Marshall Allen, David Serotte, So Percussion, Kid 606, 25 laptops, Pita Rehburg, 12 live snails, a lemon, and probably hundreds of other people and things. Jason Willett is an American musician, known largely for his work with experimental rock groups including Half Japanese, Can Openers, Pleasant Livers, X-Ray Eyes, The Dramatics, The Jaunties, The Attitude Robots, Leprechaun Catering and many more. He has also made records with Ruins, Jac Berrocal, James Chance, Jon Rose, Michael Evans, Ron Anderson, Benb Gallaher, Mick Hobbs, Chris Cutler, Little Howlin Wolf, Yamatsuka Eye and his various pet ducks.
