Cadence Magazine Review - Mirror of the Mind

This time last year, boxes of my new CD had just arrived and I was busily mailing copies to reviewers.  In truth, hundreds of copies were mailed along with a press release I had written (and a personal note to each reviewer).

In all, this yielded 13 written reviews (to my knowledge), which isn't bad considering how many musicians are vying for critical attention with new discs.  Nevertheless, I hope never again to act as my own publicist; the whole process took a serious toll on my soul.  I hope to delegate promotion to the pros from now onwards.

This week I received notification that Cadence Magazine will publish the following review in their October Issue.  This was a nice surprise when I thought the lifespan of this disc's promotion had lapsed.  Here's the review:

EARL MACDONALD AND THE CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY WORKSHOP
MIRROR OF THE MIND
DEATH DEFYING DD0009

MIRROR OF THE MIND/ A THOUSAND MEMORIES/ BENEATH/ BLACKBIRD/ BIDWELL CRONIES/ DISILLUSIONMENT/ MILES APART/ IT WAS WHISPERED/ A PRIORI PERCEPTION/ WHERE THINKING LEAVES OFF/ I NEVER TOLD YOU/ BOTTOM FEEDERS; 51:47.

Kris Allen (ss, as, ts), Earl MacDonald (p), Christopher Hoffman (clo), Rogerio Boccato (perc); Westwood, MA, November 2-3, 2012.

Pianist Earl MacDonald has assembled an interesting cast of characters for the Creative Opportunity Workshop on this rewarding and largely enjoyable release. The assertive and hard-swinging saxophonist Kris Allen has recorded with fellow reedmen Chris Bryars and Loren Stillman and as a member of the Illinois Jacquet orchestra. Cellist Christopher Hoffman has worked with Henry Threadgill’s Zooid and Matt Holman’s Diversion Ensemble, and the exceptionally tasty drummer Rogerio Boccato has been heard with John Patitucci, David Binney, and the Curtis Brothers. The use of cello instead of bass pushes the band a little outside of a typical post-bop mindset. The different range of the instrument moves the rest of the group to a higher state of mindfulness to accommodate it. And Hoffman is adept at shifting from the usual function of bass in a band to become a forceful solo voice, which in turn gives MacDonald more to work with. Most of the tunes are originals by MacDonald. The title tune starts things off with a mid-tempo groover, with Allen on alto. From layers of carefully organized melodic patterns, the arrangement carves space for convincing solos by Allen, Hoffman and Allen again to take it out. A repeated piano figure is at the core of the first theme of “A Thousand Memories,” followed by a release that gives MacDonald his first solo of the date. His piano skips and dances attractively, setting the stage for a gruff tenor solo by Allen. A jittery Hoffman playing arco glides in for a solo, then slips back into the ensemble. It’s all over by 3:33, a refreshing change from sessions where everything seems to last too long. MacDonald makes a point of keeping the songs under control; only “Where Thinking Leaves Off” exceeds the six-minute mark. “Beneath” is funky and stark at first, opens up quickly into mid-tempo groove featuring Allen on a fine-sounding soprano. He seems to be equally at home on all three of his horns, widening the band’s range even more. While you might not think of the Beatles’ “Blackbird” as a useful vehicle for improvisation, MacDonald’s reharmonization and tempo shifts work quite well and features a warm soprano sax solo by Allen, a bouncy piano break by the pianist, and a typically spry solo by Hoffman. That’s one of two covers on the disc. The other is the seldom-played “I Never Told You,” by Johnny Mandel and Arthur Hamilton. Premiered on a Quincy Jones orchestra date in 1969, it’s a lovely dark melody. MacDonald’s arrangement puts Hoffman’s sweet cello out front to excellent effect for one of the highlights of the session. I was also quite taken with “Disillusionment,” with its twisty melody and wide-open solos by a snake-charming Allen and Hoffman. The fractured melody of “It Was Whispered” makes for another standout performance. Boccato sounds great on this one, nailing every sharp twist and turn in the atomized, out of tempo middle section. Certainly the weirdest passage on the disc is the theatrical laughter that greets the saxophone solo on “Where Thinking Leaves Off,” followed by a section of random noises and squeaks plus the odd grunt or two. Eventually, they settle into a groove that breaks down quickly, only to reestablish itself before dissipating into a series of overlapping solo statements that converge into a crescendo. At least there’s no more laughing. The album ends with the straight-ahead upbeat groove of “Bottom Feeders,” a satisfyingly bluesy way to wrap things up. A playful MacDonald is followed by Allen, in a mood to explore the full range of his alto while Boccato and Hoffman keep pace. It’s the kind of tune designed to put a smile on your face and leave the listener with a good feeling. At least that’s the effect it had on me. This Creative Opportunity Workshop is well worth hearing.
– Stuart Kremsky

Mirror of the Mind can be purchased at the UCONN Co-Op Bookstore at Storrs Center and through CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/earlmacdonald3

Looking Forward, Looking Back

"Looking Forward, Looking Back" seemed like the perfect title for New Years' Eve, the day we look ahead to the New Year, while also spending some time in reflection.  This is the fifth and final post in my mini-series providing insight into my graphic, aleatoric compositions.

This piece is designed to tell a story about a crucial, life-changing decision.  The problem is, the decision is being made by someone other than yourself.  Two possible scenarios are:

1. a wedding proposal where she says, "Give me a day or two and I'll get back to you."
2. a job interview

Here's the score (click on it to enlarge it to full size):

And here is a live performance of it, featuring my band,  C.O.W. (the Creative Opportunity Workshop).  Note that all the trumpet parts are played by saxophone.  You might enjoy following along with the score while simultaneously watching the performance.

Happy New Year!

In Response To My Critics

I knew the gamble I would be taking by including some "free improvisation" on my new album. I anticipated that these tracks might not be as favorably received, but I wanted the CD to accurately represent the band's repertoire and it's original "raison d’être."  Initially this band ONLY played "far out", experimental pieces, which makes it somewhat ironic (albeit expected) that critics are saying pieces like Where Thinking Leaves Off "seem out of place among more engaging tunes."  Another reviewer offhandedly insulted me by saying Where Thinking Leaves Off was "appropriately titled" --- as if to infer that no thought went into the composition or performance.

Where Thinking Leaves Off was written after reading Søren Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling", and depicts the story of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac, told in the biblical book of Genesis (chapters 17:1 - 18:15, 21:1 - 7, 22:1 -18).   The title comes from a Kierkegaard quote, "faith begins where thinking leaves off."  Emotionally potent content saturates every scene, spanning Isaac's miraculous birth to geriatric parents, to Abraham nearly sacrificing his son on an alter. The contrasts, tensions and emotions make for a fertile improvisational playground.

Be assured, the hours of preparation that go into my graphic scores overshadow the effort it takes to write a brief album synopsis without reading the press release, liner notes, band description and other written materials prepared to coincide with the album's release.  This arrogant, misinformed trend in album criticism is disappointing and serious cause for concern.

That said, I had hoped each piece could stand on its own artistically, without an explanation. Maybe I was wrong.  Maybe I was expecting too much of my listeners; but then again, it's not as if I was inventing and introducing the free jazz idiom.  It's been around for 50 years, but appears to be just as polarizing now as at it's inception.

In no way does the negative response of a few critics make me think my explorations into graphic composition are artistically weak, unsound or invalid.  In fact, I'm rather proud of this work.

An audio player and the score for "Where Thinking Leaves Off" appear below.  See if you can follow along with the score.  (Saxophone replaces all the indicated trumpet parts.)

Dave Douglas, the trumpet playing composer, introduced me to the concept of graphic scores and aleatoric composition back in 2001 while I was a participant at the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. I've done some further study since then, investigating the work of Earle Brown and R. Murray Schafer, among others, who utilized unconventional notation practices.

Gush - an avant-garde musical experiment

Today I am sharing my piece, "Gush" to further illustrate the concept of guided free improvisation.  Gush depicts the affects of adding various stimuli to a water-based ecosystem.  For it's debut performance it was scored for 3 saxes, 4 brass and rhythm section.  The entrance and exit of each instrument is variable and cued by the conductor or a designated member within the ensemble.

Although "Gush" was later recorded by my quartet, the Creative Opportunity Workshop, it didn't make it onto my "Mirror of the Mind" CD.  I decided to release a balanced cross-selection of our repertoire rather than focusing solely on avant-garde experiments (or arranged pop tunes or contemporary jazz compositions).

The following video was created by Ted Efremoff and Deborah Dancy, as part of a collaborative, cross-disciplinary suite entitled "Above the Surface of the Water", for I which composed the music.

Can you hear the school of minnows frolicking joyfully in the water?  How about the fisherman's hook interacting with the salmon?  The motor boat stirring things up?  The affect of pollutants on the fish and plant life?

Musical Masturbation

I have heard it said that free jazz is a lot like masturbation; it is self indulgent and should be done in private.  A few years ago I may have subscribed to this viewpoint, but I'm becoming more open minded.  I now see free improvisation as a legitimate and effective form of self expression.  But like any art form, it takes time to develop a level of proficiency (which facilitates the communication of plausible musical statements).

As a creative musician looking to stretch my imagination and further develop the intuitive side of my musicianship, I have found "playing free" to be beneficial.  I think it has made me a better composer and improviser in tonal settings.

The author of the Wikipedia article on Free Improvisation defines it as "improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved."  My compositional forays into free jazz tend to have some rules and guidelines, so as to steer the improvisors.

Here is a video of my band, the Creative Opportunity Workshop, playing a free piece I entitled, "Quaternary Triangulation":

The score is a set of instructions which looks like this:  (If you click on the image, it will expand to full size.)

The result is four, short, contrasting trios.  In the video, the suite unfolded as follows:
Mvt. #1:  cello (leader), accompanied by piano and percussion
Mvt. #2: piano (leader), accompanied by percussion and sax
Mvt. #3: percussion (leader), accompanied by sax and cello
Mvt. #4: sax (leader), accompanied by piano and cello

As an educator, I have found this exercise to be helpful in getting students to consider and execute elements of contrast: fast/slow, high/low registers, long/short articulations, dense/sparse, loud/soft, etc.  It doesn't hurt for professionals to be reminded of these devices either.

In an earlier blog post I touched on my experiences using "guided free improvisation" in educational settings.  I have provided a link, so I won't expound here, although I see tremendous untapped potential here.

Over the next few days I will share several more of my free compositions, so as to provide some insight into a style which is perhaps too easily dismissed by the uninitiated.

Miles Apart

Despite the joyousness of the season, there is always some sadness when we can't be reunited with ALL of our family members over the holidays. This song "Miles Apart" was written while thinking of the distance which separates my parents and my sister's family from my own. We live on opposite coasts.

The above video footage comes from my CD release concert which took place on Oct. 11th, 2013 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs, CT. The members of the band are Kris Allen - sax, Christopher Hoffman - cello, Rogerio Boccato - percussion, and me.

I was somewhat miffed when a recent reviewer wrote, "The genesis of “Miles Apart” is murky, and whether it is meant to convey distance, or an allusion to Miles Davis, no amount of listening will sort out." A quick reading of my online liner notes would give the answer and much more.  Detailed song descriptions for all the pieces on my latest CD appear on my website.  Perhaps in our postmodernist world research is now passé.

CD Release Concert Footage

The CD release concert for my "Mirror of the Mind" recording took place back in October at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs, CT.  Two of my students, Colin Walters and Mike O'Callaghan filmed it for me, but I haven't had time until recently to edit the video and put it into usable, bite-sized chunks.

Here is my song, "Bottom Feeders", featuring Kris Allen (alto sax), Christopher Hoffman (cello) and Rogerio Boccato (percussion).

If you're wondering about the title, I provided a full explanation on my website, at the following link:  http://www.earlmacdonald.com/mirror-of-the-mind/about-the-music.html

The Bidwell Tavern

The Bidwell Tavern in Coventry, CT is by far my favorite local watering hole and wing joint.  Their Buffalo chicken wings are second to none, and the atmosphere is cozy and relaxed, with a historic feel to it. Picture an old wood stove, brick walls, exposed, unfinished beams, planked floors, dimmed lights, etc.

Before we had kids, my wife and I probably visited "the Bidwell" at least once per week for beer, wings and people watching.  We made a fun game of looking around the room and guessing how the various customers made their living.

The Bidwell's chicken wings are even better
than the Anchor's in Buffalo, NY!

One memorable evening there was a noticeably wide array of people gathered at the bar, representing many different walks of life --- bikers, bagpipers, cross-dressers, professors (in tweed jackets with patched elbows) and even someone wearing a large, red and white striped Dr. Suess hat adorned with buttons.  This visit inspired the writing of "The Bidwell Cronies", a quirky little piece that functions as a theme song and set ender in concerts for C.O.W. (the Creative Opportunity Workshop), and to a lesser degree, my sextet.

Here is a newly created video for your listening & viewing pleasure:

"The Bidwell Cronies" will appear on my forthcoming CD, "Mirror of the Mind".  Until July 1st, I am pre-selling copies through Kickstarter.  As of today, 36 backers have pledged $1281 towards my $1500 minimum goal, through advanced purchases of the recording and other incentives (commissions, lessons, concert tickets, etc.)   This equates to 85%!  

I should clarify that $1500 is the bare minimum I need to manufacture and release the disc.  All pledged funds above and beyond my goal will be used to promote the recording.  Copies will be mailed to reviewers and radio stations, and hopefully, ads will also be purchased in magazines, in an effort to expand my audience.

Please visit the following link and pre-order your copy today.  Most of the itemized rewards will be issued before the Oct. 1 release date of "Mirror of the Mind".

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/earlmacdonald/earl-macdonald-mirror-of-the-mind-cd

Thanks for your support, and maybe I'll see you at the Bidwell Tavern.

“Meadowlark”, a collaborative UConn School of Fine Arts presentation

For about a year I have been working on my third collaboration with visual artists, Deborah Dancy and Ted Efremoff.  "Meadowlark", as we titled it, is a lighthearted celebration of color, seasonal migration and the musical whistles of eastern songbirds.  For this project we added Bart Roccoberton's puppetry as a third artistic dimension.  Although he was involved in discussions and brainstorming at the onset, Bart's contribution was kept a mystery until the day of the presentation.

My music was recorded by my COW ensemble (the Creative Opportunity Workshop), which features Christopher Hoffman on cello, Kris Allen on saxophones, Rogerio Boccato on percussion and me at the piano.

A preview performance of “Meadowlark” was given on Tuesday April 23^rd, at 12:30 p.m. in the Nafe Katter Theater.  Colleagues, students, administrator, and members of the community attended.  

I ran a video camera from the back of the room to capture the presentation, complete with the (newly added) puppets.  I loved how the puppet troupe heightened the sense of  movement, buoyancy and vitality.  Here is the video:

It is marvelous (and fun!) to have such immensely talented colleagues from diverse disciplines with whom to join forces!

We plan to show all three of our collaborative pieces in the Fall, projected onto the outside wall of the UConn Art/Music building facing the new town center.  We also plan to release a DVD sometime in the near future.  We will keep you posted.

Looking Forward

On occasion I like to dabble in the world of free jazz.  Trumpeter John Allmark has been quoted as saying "they call it free jazz because no one will pay to hear it."  Although I agree that free jazz is not the most accessible, easy-listening music, I definitely see merits to playing free --- both within jazz education and for my own personal artistic growth and expression.

When discussing free jazz, I like to ask the question, "Free of what?"  The improviser can be liberated and encouraged to experiment outside of the usual parameters by subtracting one or more of the following musical elements:  predetermined form, tonality, key signature, standard notation, set rhythms, melodies, harmonies, tempo, time signature, etc.

This tune, "Looking Forward, Looking Back", does have a roadmap and form (including a Dal segno and Coda), but is otherwise notated using an unconventional graphic format.  Using contrasting, cued events, a story unfolds.



Here is the score, so you can follow along: (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

I refer to this type of composition as "guided free improvisation".  In my recent recording session with the Creative Opportunity Workshop (COW), we recorded four pieces incorporating this compositional technique.

I have successfully used some of these pieces in educational settings, when working with beginner improvisers.  Graphic scores provide "an in" (starting point) for those who don't yet know their chords, scales and the dauntingly vast amounts of theory required to outline harmonic progressions.  Obviously I teach this material too, but I like getting them playing ASAP, and overwhelming them isn't always productive.  Paralysis by Analysis --- as Bill Fielder used to call it.

Imagine the creative explosion/renaissance that might occur if every kid's first musical assignment was to make a list of 12 extended instrumental techniques to demonstrate at their next lesson.

Recording

I took a little breather from blogging to prepare for a recording I did last weekend.  I was joined by Kris Allen on saxophones, Christopher Hoffman on cello, and Rogerio Boccato on drums and assorted percussion.  I call this ensemble "C.O.W." (the Creative Opportunity Workshop) and have described the band and posted some concert recordings on my web page.

Kris Allen, Christopher Hoffman, Earl MacDonald, Rogerio Boccato

We recorded (a whopping) twenty eight of my compositions/arrangements during our two, 9-hour recording sessions on Friday and Saturday with my favorite engineer, Peter Kontrimas.  His studio is located in Westwood, MA.

Much of the music was written previously for two collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects I have done with artists Deborah Dancy and Ted Efremoff.  My music was written to correspond and interact with their projected artistic images.  These two suites have only been publicly performed twice.  I am happy to now have the music documented in fixed form, and performed accurately and beautifully by incredibly capable musicians.  A body of new works was also recorded for another collaboration with the aforementioned artists plus puppeteer, Bart Roccoberton.

The 28 pieces we recorded, laid out on Rogerio's drum kit, following the session.

Characterizing the music I wrote isn't easy.  As the instrumentation intimates, most of it is a true, bona fide hybrid between classical, jazz and "world music".  I like that it has been tricky for reviewers to categorize my last three CDs, and this will be no exception.  In fact, I anticipate it being considerably more perplexing for those who like clearly defined genres.

I imagine this project being released as a DVD, rather than a typical CD, so that the audience can experience both the audio and corresponding imagery together.  I anticipate that having it in this format will also facilitate more frequent public viewings in galleries and theaters.

Selecting "takes", and then editing and mixing the recorded tracks will be the next steps.  I anticipate the bulk of this work taking place in December and January.  Then, the video with which we previously performed will be edited to fit and reciprocate exactly with the recorded music.

I plan to post a couple of raw "sneak peek" tracks in the days ahead.