I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Not exactly coasting, but I’ve been fairly comfortable with the tactics, strategies and lexicons I’ve deployed at Stet Lab. Minor criticisms here and there of course, but nothing that seemed to warrant a wholesale rethinking of what to play or how to improvise.
But those security blankets—tactics, strategies and lexicons—seem now to be liabilities. Continue reading ‘Lab report November 10th 2008: out of my depth’
Normally, nothing runs through my head when improvising. Occasionally, a thought will suggest, in an unobtrusive way, “Oh, that’s quite cool, you should copy that”. Or, as when I was first messing around with extended techniques on my bass, “My luthier’s gonna kill me…” But, at this Stet Lab, for the first time, a thought sounded loud and clear in my head almost immediately, and brought forth an emotional response which I don’t think left me for the whole performance. The emotion was panic, and the thought that caused it was, “Oh Christ, it’s too melodic…” Continue reading ‘Lab report July 10th 2008: consequences of a noisy head’
It’s good, I think, to think tactically about improvisation, and group improvisation in particular. You know, however, that you’ve lost the game in improvisation when you’re preempting the music. You don’t want to be thinking this is how it should be, goddamnit, and I will fit that square piece into that triangular hole. Continue reading ‘Lab report July 10th 2008: fitting the square piece into that triangular hole’
Audio recordings of the July 10th Stet Lab are now online.
A very warm thanks to Mike Hurley who not only demonstrated his abilities as, to quote Eoin Callery, a “sh*t-hot pianist”, but also demonstrated his generosity as a performer.
Thanks to Neil O’Loghlen for keeping Mike company on stage. And thanks, as always, to all who came to listen and play, including the evening’s Real-Time Company (for the Ad-Hoc Association) of… Tony O’Connor and Han-earl Park, and Eoin Callery, Marian Murray and Kevin Terry for jumping into the (improvisative) deep-end.
Finally, Stet Lab gratefully acknowledges the support of the UCC Department of Music for coming through with this month’s venue.
There’s a lot to be said for being the odd-one-out: you can be lazy.
There’s also a lot to be said for putting two ‘alikes’ together; be it the same instrumentation, or people who share a name. Okay, AFAIK, tactically, as an improviser, that latter factor doesn’t make an iota of difference, but I can vouch for the former. Continue reading ‘Lab report June 12th 2008: being the odd-one-out’
“This was possibly the noisiest ‘hoedown’ ever………………………………………” —Everybody’s sub-conscious
Anyway, it began with several short burst to get things started, from the house band of the evening. This comprised Eoin Callery (mountain dulcimer), Susan Geaney (flute), Tony O’Connor (bass guitar) and Barry Twomey (guitar). A very well behaved bass player who could have crush the puny acoustic forces, swelled and tinkered over the guitar and dulcimer duel. Continue reading ‘Lab report June 12th 2008: noisiest ‘hoedown’’
Audio recordings of the June 12th Stet Lab are now online.
One of the funkiest (musically and olfactorally) Lab, special thanks to the main fiddler, Murray Campbell, who was joined on the night by Marian Murray and Han-earl Park. Thanks also to the The Real-Time Company (for the Ad-Hoc Association) of… Eoin Callery, Susan Geaney, Tony O’Connor and Barry Twomey, kudos to all who participated (Melanie L. Marshall, Veronica Tadman and Kevin Terry), and the behind-the-scenes personnel, our photographer for the night, John Hough, and Amber Cone who managed the door.
Finally, a big thanks to all who came to listen, hang-out and generate a vibe (including the two dudes who added a touch of East European sophistication).
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