If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.
—Gustav Mahler
Introducing the album cover for Stuyvesant Square Duets by E. Ryan Goodman and Joseph Damman. This will be the first digital release for Lone Lamp Recordings. All sales are done via PayPal on BandCamp. To be released on BandCamp by the end of April 2012.
Without music, life would be a mistake.
—Friedrich Nietzsche
Stuyvesant Square Duets
Back in August of 2009, I had the fortune of meeting and playing improvised music with Joseph Damman (Body Omara) of Minneapolis. We found each other through our music in the age of the MySpace craze. He visited New York and we got together for the first time in his hotel room off 17th Street on the eastside near Stuyvesant Square. These recordings are finally in the process of getting edited, mixed and mastered; soon to be released for digital download on Lone Lamp Recordings, respectively. We are proud of these recordings. It’s not everyday that upon first meeting with someone you find such a kindred spirit through music. I hope to have a second meeting with him in the future, but, until then, let’s hope this can hold us over. To be released hopefully Spring/early Summer.
Duo with James Beaudreau
It’s official, folks! James and I are playing a 30 minute set of guitar improvisations starting at 9pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at Legion in Brooklyn. Legion is located at 790 Metropolitan Avenue, Phone (718) 387-3797. Hope to see you there!
A Night of Avante Guitar
My good friend James Beaudreau of Workbench Recordings was recently asked to play a solo guitar set at Legion in Brooklyn for a “Night of Avante Guitar” on Thursday, March 29th. To my surprise, James requested I play the show with him! We have never played as a duo live, nor have we gotten together to play since our old Greenpoint neighborhood back in 2006. This should be an interesting night. We hope to see you there. More news to follow once it becomes available.
Future Intentions
February 17, 2012 will mark 30 years since Thelonious Sphere Monk’s death. In my humble opinion, nothing says LOVE like the music of Monk. Presently, my head is swimming with Monk lines that bump between the sounds and crowds of Manhattan on my commute to work from my quieter hamlet on Long Island. Monk is STILL a big inspiration and influence to me. I’ve been listening to him for close to 20 years now, and honestly, I don’t think it’s letting up any time soon. This time around I am immersing myself in his later catalog from Columbia, in which I am enjoying very much, and reading his biography by Robin D. G. Kelley. My guitar work has been improving and changing for the better. His influence has seeped in more so now than in the past; maybe my ears are maturing. So, it is my intention to put another album together for 2012(?). I am hoping to compile some Monk tunes, maybe an Andrew Hill piece and possibly a Bud Powell piece, along with my own original tunes. Not sure how it’s going to play out yet. This world is an ever-changing sphere of unpredictability, but, an intention is an intention.
Halves Review
More reviews for Halves and Under the Lamp surfaced today on Oliver Arditi’s blog. A very thoughtful analysis of both albums. Many thanks, Oli!
Aura Stings
This was a project I created with Robin Fowler (Quiet Lights, Gods & Queens) back in the summer of 2007. We set out to be a three piece experimental rock group; two guitarists, one drummer. We tried out quite a few talented guitarists, but unfortunately never found the right one to complete the band. Musically, Robin and I are very different but where we meet is an interestingly intense place. Aura Stings shows our mutual love and obsession for U.S. Maple.
Lone Lamp proudly presents this special EP available for FREE download via SoundCloud. These are practice sessions from 2008 before we started looking for the other guitarist: Robin Fowler on drums and E. Ryan Goodman on guitar. The sequencing of the EP is as follows.
We hope you enjoy!
Aura Stings - Blue Islands by Lone Lamp Recordings
Aura Stings - To the Grave by Lone Lamp Recordings
Aura Stings - The Haunting by Lone Lamp Recordings
Aura Stings - Workin’ in a Cube by Lone Lamp Recordings
Work & Worry Review
Matt Goulet of Work & Worry wrote a nice, concise review of Halves. Thanks, Matt!
[Flash 10 is required to watch video]
First solo gig!
Monday, March 7th at 8:30pm (FREE) at Delancey Bar, 168 Delancey Street, NYC. I will be playing a 30 minute set of compositions and free improvisation. This will be my first official live set as a solo artist. I will also have copies of Under the Lamp and Halves for sale. Hope you can make it!
the Gongfarmer
Every now and then something comes along and stops you in your tracks. Something so immediate that it needs no words to describe—it’s there, right in front of you. No defining needed. A music that asks and answers practically every question a listener can throw at it. All it takes is open ears and the devotion of time—in essence, Zen meditation.
This is what I experience when I listen to Gongfarmer 18 by Jim McAuley, released on Nine Winds in 2005. Still available, thank god. The actual recording is superb, each instrument captured effectively; each nuance, sparkling beautifully. This recording, over time, grows to the heights of the Himalayas and calmly descends at album end. Personally, my listens have surpassed anything in my collection, barring a few classical selections (namely, Brahms). I have since reached out to Jim to thank him for this inspiring work. He was gracious and humble as I thought he’d be. He is one of my biggest influences. We’re distant acquaintances who have each other’s respect. I hope to shake hands with him in the future.
Considering how close I am to this recording, I’m sharing my feelings on what this work accomplishes in hopes to get more ears on it. Gongfarmer 18, in my opinion, is a thorough view of the human condition. To convey as many feelings as Jim does here and with as many idioms is extraordinary; from melodic richness to dissonant hypnosis, from extended technique to a tender classicism. Human frailty and strength are present. There are sweet, innocent moments that tug at your heart strings. There are exotic, eccentric places that conjure up an otherworldly wildness. You name it, it’s in there. From start to finish, the album flows as a mountain stream, our inherent nature, constant change. I can see this album solving ancient Zen koans that were unsolved until now. I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.
“Arrows straight to your heart”
The first album review for Halves and a 15 Questions interview on Tokafi.com. Thanks, Tobias!
