well-weathered music

I spent last weekend up mid-state NY, visiting Foster Reed and his family. Foster runs New Albion Records, the venerable new music label that put out my only commercial CD, Song + Distance, back in 2001. He is yet another ex-pat from the Bay area. He asked me up to play in his storefront in Hudson during the town’s annual, festive Winter Walk. He’s only had the storefront since this summer so this was a first for him. It worked out quite well. “The public” (oh, them) is always fascinated by music on glass. I’m always encouraged by the fact they stay around in these non-concert settings. They come for the glass but stay for the music. And the kids! They are always mesmerized by it. It was yet another in my long line of odd gigs. It turned out quite well for Foster as well. He sold a bunch of my CDs (probably more than he’s sold all year) and increased awareness of his presence in the Hudson community.

I find it so funny that a new music label has an actual (as opposed to virtual) storefront. Especially given the direction music distribution is going. It’s of course mainly his business office and it just happens to be a storefront. Foster and his wife, Trisha, are right there on the cutting edge of digital distribution. The day I was there, they had just committed their entire catalogue to be part of Naxos’ subscription service, and had also just signed on with a national library streaming service. They seem to be focusing on streaming sites, at the moment, by way of avoiding having to deal with mechanical rights. (Foster mentioned what a drag it is to have to calculate multiple percentage of single cents twice a year). He also had some suggestions for direct artists’ pay sites, but that will have to wait for a future visit. They had to leave early the next morning to go pick up their new baby in Guatemala (!). But he & I will be continuing our conversation soon. He’s interested in releasing a volume 2 of my music. (Perfect timing! I have lots to say!)

One more thing, totally out of the blue. But over on Neil Dufallo’s blog, he writes of an overheard conversation. Someone said: “Once you’re a pickle, you’re a f***ing pickle — you can’t go back to cucumber, knuckle-head.”

NYC folk philosophy.

Oh, one more thing. You folks who read my blog through google reader missed a couple of audio files in my last post. They took only one of the three and put it at the end. They must still be working out the kinks. So head on over to my site for the real thing. Wouldn’t you much prefer to be reading this on faux wrinkled paper?

There are two Ne(x)tworks related gigs coming up the second week of October. A trio concert with Cornelius Dufallo, violin; Joan LaBarbara, voice; and me, glass & electronics, at The Stone, Sunday October 7, at 8pm. Then the full ensemble at The Kitchen, Wednesday October 10, at 8pm. Each show will be very different, so come to both. The trio will be exploring some very new territory. The ensemble will be playing works by composers in the graphic score exhibit at The Kitchen, including Earl Brown, Wadada Leo Smith, Cardew, LaBarbara, and Schumacher.

Here is an excerpt from the piece I wrote for Ne(x)tworks earlier this year, premiered at The Stone in June. It was a music theater piece called Tasks & Objects. (You haven’t lived ’til you’ve seen Joan LaBarbara totally wrapped in paper, singing her favorite aria.) Unfortunately I didn’t videotape it (doh!) but did get a good recording. Here is a 3 minute excerpt.

Here are some pictures and an audio segment of the Relay event in Williamsburg last week, organized by flautist extraordinaire Jane Rigler, part of the Conflux Festival. The idea is that there are a number of improvising musicians who trade off playing trios in three locations. When a fourth musician shows up, someone must stop so that this new musician can join. The one who has stopped moves on to a new location where the same situation occurs. And on and on for three hours or so.

Here is an audio clip from one location (Lucky Cat):

This clip starts with me, Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon) & Jessica Pavone (viola). Then Chris McIntyre (trombone) shows up and takes Jessica’s place.
More audio and info here.
Here I am playing at the Ione Bar with Julianne Carney, violin, & Kyoko Kitamura, voice.

And the Lucky Cat Bar with Julianne Carney, violin, & Sara Schoenbeck, bassoon.

Actually, my favorite location was outside in front of the Conflux office, but there were no pictures.