One of the things I'm proudest about in my music is the sheer amount of playing that we do. We play way more than any band I've ever been around. It helps that we play free music, of course, what with the 'no telling anybody else what to do' angle the long hours aren't a chore. Also: no practicing, just playing. Among the 10 or 12 regular playing partners I have in Portland I can play every single day with somebody. And for a long time, Super Unity was playing daily. In fact, I've played with Jean-Paul and Bryan something like 5 times a week for over a year! Peevish, on the other hand, due to its nature as a semi-structured group (less ESP more ADD), doesn't require the constant playing.
Ironically, people who are unfamiliar with freely improvised music often perceive it as undisciplined and self-indulgent upon first exposure.
Of course anybody who knows me can tell you that I pretty much live for music at this point. The disparity between the joy it brings me and the joy I find in other things is huge and growing...
Listened to Art Ensemble of Chicago Live over and over again this weekend and last night. The opening sequence is amazing - they start loud and frantic, sorta post-Ayler, and tear it up for several minutes. Then, the suddenly stop, on a dime, and start muttering weirdness in strange voices ("all aboard!" &c) and the audience is almost dead silent, probably staring slack-jawed (I assume there was some pageantry during the muttering). Suddenly, without warning, the band picks up again, launching into a super-schmaltzy big-band style arrangement with over-the-top trumpet smears and chord subs. This piece gets bigger & bigger, and ends super-together, the audience finally bursting into wild applause -- after, like, 23 minutes of the performance! Wow what a band, babies. If you've never heard the album, you should.
posted by Brad Larcen 6/05/2002[edit]
