REFRESH
LGF #015
Hello, it’s been a while since an update! Months of winter have shifted to spring. Early winter was filled with travels, highlighted by 2 trips to Norway. Recorded new music in multiple countries. End of winter has been more of a reset, including a tour of the deep south, and now we’re here. Big news is that I received the Next Jazz Legacy award! Excited to be part of a fantastic cohort and connect with Marilyn Crispell and Camae Ayewa (Moor Mother). Other cool news is I’ll be releasing two albums under my name this summer: first is a double drum quintet album featuring Vincent Davis that is coming out on Amalgam Records. The other is the second Heat On album on Cuneiform Records. Plus other project releases are in the works, including Edition Redux, Voluntary Logic (Chicago/Trondheim collab), and quartet with Mike Watt, Eli Winter and Patrick Shiroishi.
Shows Coming Up (april/may/june so far)
April 23 Take This Stone featuring Indigo, Carmani Edwards, Erez Dessel and LGF at Dorothy (Chicago, IL)
April 29 Heat On at The Whistler (Chicago, IL)
April 30 Will Greene/Ishmael Ali/LGF Trio at Elastic Arts (Chicago, IL)
May 22 Throw It In The Sink (gabby fluke mogul and LGF) at Mitchell Park Community Center (Palo Alto, CA)
May 23 Throw It In The Sink at Lytton Plaza 2pm (Palo Alto, CA)
May 25 Throw It In The Sink and Trio with Patrick Shiroishi and gfm at 2220 (LA, CA)
May 29 Josh Harlow Trio at Lemon (Chicago, IL)
***June 15 Lily Finnegan Double Quintet Release Show at Constellation (Chicago, IL)***
LISTENING TO
*streaming has killed my listening habits and im back to Soulseek and investing in an mp3 player and of course physical media. Encourage others to follow and keep sharing!
Big Boys (perfect Texas crazed tweaker dance punk- IYKYK )
Henry Threadgill Sextett (2 drummers is ONE)
Mississippi John Hurt (new understanding and appreciation after visiting Mississippi)
Marilyn Crispell - (Marilyn has been a part of so many groups. Loving this quartet with Billy Bang/John Betsch/Peter Kowald, along with trio with Reggie Workman, duo with Joseph Jarman, and of course solo)
James Black (found this great psychedelic soul/jazz compilation of favorite New Orleans drummer James Black)
Wendy Eisenberg (Dear friend Wendy CRUSHED it with this record plus ultimate band)
Smerz (if you’re going to make pop music make it sexy and danceable)
Revolutionary Ensemble (Never had listened to this particular album w/Leroy Jenkins, Sirone, Jerome Cooper until gabby and Hans recommended it! Immediate new favorite)
Keith Frank (Zydeco discovery, recommended by musicians while in Lafayette)
700 Bliss (Dj Haram and Moor Mother magic)
Shira Small (one of these songs was used in a new popular movie- listen to the whole album and try not to associate with the movie)
READING
Valencia by Michelle Tea (just now reading this lesbian classic)
Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen (exploration of the extinction of the magnificent Sea Cows, originally in Finnish)
Endling by Maria Reva (dark humor odyssey through Ukraine)
The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey (heavy new Irish novel)
Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist by Diane DiMassa (Great comic book from Sarah!)
WATCHING
Send Help 2026 (Great Valentines Day movie theater date movie)
The Ugly Stepsister 2025 (gory spin on Cinderella)
Nadja 1994 (David Lynch produced trippy 90’s vampire movie)
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (Reminder to embrace life)
Face/Off 1997 (Nic Cage movie magic)
Drumline 2002 (still holds up!)
MORE THOUGHTS
If you are in Chicago, make sure to check out the archives at the University of Chicago. There is a huge Sun Ra Archive where you can look through boxes of artifacts. There’s a big jazz archive as well, with folders of prominent musicians and venues. ANYONE can make an account, request material, and visit! Wherever you are, there is somewhere with a cool archive.
Even Sun Ra had band art doodles in a notebook. Reminder to keep your archive sustained!
With love, Lily