Jan 7, 2012
Happy new year my friends,
Happy to report that there are several exciting new projects in the works:
- a new solo CD is currently being recorded. I am about 50% done and will complete the other 50% during a marathon tracking & mixing session in February. This CD, tentatively entitled "Purification/Dissolution", is my first solo CD since 2008's "In Memory of the Labyrinth System" and is going to be quite different than that album. Instead of using the cut-up techniques of that music this new CD will focus more on the way that I approach my live solo shows. Each of the pieces on the new CD will deal a lot with the balance between the acoustic and the amplified clarinet with effects. I am not doing an edits or overdubs and instead focusing on getting really rich, detailed recordings of live performances. This is going to be unlike anything that I've released thus far and I am excited about that. I will put up a preview track soon. I don't know how or when this will be released and for the moment I am happy about that. I learned with my last record "Fire Sign" that creating music with no time constraints and without the aim of trying to please anyone works out well for me. That being said, if any labels out there are interested... Get at me.
-Speaking of the differences between my live and my studio approaches i am currently writing an article that deals with this very topic for the next installment of John Zorn's Arcana: Musicians on Music book series. I am really enjoying the process of reflecting on my working methods and inspirations and being forced to articulate them in a formal setting has proven very illuminating.
-I have a couple of new collaborations in the works. One is with one of my favorite composers of my generation Mario Diaz de Leon. We've played a couple of shows so far and will reconvene for an evening of audio masochism at the Stone on January 24th at 10:00 pm for the series that Mario curated on behalf of the artistic collective Shinkoyo. I would highly recommend coming and bringing some ear plugs. I plan to play bass clarinet that night through a 200 watt Fender guitar amp. Ya dig? I don't know where this project is gonna go but I have every intention of playing more shows and making a CD.
During that same series at the Stone I will play a short piece with clarinet maestro Joshua Rubin on 1/29. Josh is a remarkable musician and is also one of the driving forces behind the International Contemporary Ensemble. He is a virtuoso of the highest level and needless to say I feel it a great honor to be performing with him.
-I am happy to report that "Fire Sign" made a lot of "best of" lists for 2011 including lists by NPR and the New York City Jazz Record and I thank everyone who bought the CD, listened and had nice things to say. Here are a couple links to some year end lists were it was re-reviewed:
http://www.thesilentballet.com/tsbt/2011/80_71.html
http://www.thisisbooksmusic.com/2011/12/18/john-book-best-albums-of-2011/
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2011/12/28/my-favorite-albums-of-2011-numbers-30-through-21
-The new Kayo Dot album "Gamma Knife" was released the other day. I recorded a portion of this during a live show at Littlefield in Brooklyn this past October. My contribution to this recording with minimal beyond words but I am overwhelmed with pride to have any involvement in such great music and for$5 it's a god damned bargain that you should jump at right now! www.kayodot.bandcamp.com
-In addition to the upcoming stuff mentioned above i have been writing some more large scale work that, again, has very little in common with my previous work. I'm really excited about the direction in which this music is going. I have put in some proposals for different performance and recording opportunities and hopefully in 2013/14 some of this music will be heard.
2011 was a tough year for the world and for many people that I know. Here's to hoping that 2012 proves to be a much more peaceful and productive year for us all, filled with love magic and mystery.
Ad astra per aspera
Jeremiah