“Sam Hilmer is one super-busy sax-wielding bearded dude. He’s not only in the midst of celebrating ZS’s 10 genre-defying years of music deconstructionism (with the four-CD box set Score [Northern Spy] and a brand-new lineup that includes 2011 Best Drummer Greg Fox); he has also been cranking out tunes from his skronky horn and electronics maelstrom Diamond Terrifier. On Tuesdays, you can usually find him at the Williamsburg avant space/bar Zebulon, where he jams improv-style with drummers Weasel Walter and Kid Millions at his weekly concert series PRACTICE! The night isn’t just a showcase for Hilmer to promote his own music—for the past year or so, Hilmer has served as curator on a host of mind-blowing, free (!) avant-garde bills that have showcased experimentalist purveyors both local and far-flung, including C. Spencer Yeh, RAFT (a/k/a Patrick Noeker), percussionist Ryan Sawyer, sax titan Paul Flaherty, and the Clean’s Hamish Kilgour. Hilmer also isn’t shy about passing the booking torch to his peers; recently, ugEXPLODE head Walter and strings abuser Yeh booked Tuesday-night gigs.”

- The Village Voice names PRACTICE! on its best-of list for 2012 as “Best Free Jam Session - 2012”