Tuesday the 11th: Another concert at the Empty Bottle, this time with a trio comprised of Jason Adasiewicz on vibes and Mike Reed on drums. We had two rehearsals to get twelve pieces together, four compositions each by Sun Ra, Thelonious Monk, and Ornette Coleman. I have a tendency to try and tackle more than is practically feasible, which means that many times you accomplish more than typically possible, but sometimes too much concentration is used to remember what the hell is “supposed to happen” with things like arrangements. This concert was a case in point, the first set felt somewhat uptight, too focused on what we had discussed beforehand regarding the performances. For the second set, we threw our plans out the window and the music really came alive. One of the real benefits of being around Chicago this spring (for the first time in about five years or so), has been the fact that I’ve been able to get together and play with a number of musicians that I’ve never worked with before. It’s really been an exhilarating season.
Wednesday the 12th: The Josh Abrams/John Herndon/Jeff Parker Trio played on the second night of Immediate Sound, and in addition they also took turns spinning some great album sides. Fantastic to hear new things happening onstage and off. Their show used an organic and thoroughly improvised integration of acoustic and electronic sounds, made for a very interesting evening of music.
Saturday the 15th: A solo concert in Milwaukee at the Living Room, working with compositions from the Pintura Series and the Beckett Variations. I really couldn’t have asked for a better situation to play in, the acoustics of the space were so good it was like having another source of material to deal with, and the audience was unbelievably attentive. The Living Room is a great new space in that city for music that needs an audience willing to listen and focus. Not sure when I’ll have another chance to deal with the solo format again, perhaps in Lisbon during June, but it definitely feels like the unaccompanied work this spring has been extremely helpful in developing my solo reed ideas.
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