The Racer Sessions

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There is a certain level of chaos that I expect when I come to the Racer Sessions.  Free improvisations in groups often result in dense and muddied tunes and uncertain endings.  For my session we will be using graphic scores.  Jams are often clearer and players are more sure of themselves when the group is working towards the same goal.  The graphic score should also limit musical wandering.  All jam groups will be kept small (5 and under) to enable all voices to be heard.  A leader shall be elected by each ensemble to dictate the direction transitions and endings.  Being given lead duties does not mean that you get to blast over everyone else.  It does mean you must be a good listener and hear the direction the piece is heading.  I will be performing a piece with singer Camila Recchio.

Hugs,

Natalie

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MODIFICATIONS OF THE MIND is an electro-acoustic work for processed valve trombone which uses a homemade system of controls which attach to the trombone and send data through a micro-controller to a custom MAX/MSP patch. Much of the six movements of the piece are built of discreetly static sonic textures which don’t develop much in a traditional sense; rather, their juxtaposition in various combinations and lengths of time create the piece’s form and method of development.

The title is a reference to the Yoga Sutras, an outline of the philosophical practice of yoga written by an ancient sage named Patanjali. The second of this influential collection of short aphorisms (Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodhah), is commonly translated as “Yoga [is the practice of] restraining the modifications [of the] mind.” The rest of the Yoga Sutras describe how to accomplish this.

In the second of the Yoga Sutras’ four parts, Patanjali outlines eight practices to achieve this restraint known as the Yoga Ashtanga or the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The six movements of this piece are inspired by these practices.
1) The five Yamas are ethical principals or personal controls including Ahimsa (non violence), Satya (truthfulness), Astea (non stealing), Brahmacharia (virtue), and Aparigraha (non grasping).
2) The five Niyamas are practices for elevating one’s presence in the world. These include Saucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerity), Svadhyaya (personal inquiry), and Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender to the unknown).
3) Asana is the practice of holding posture to focus the mind so the practitioner can distinguish between the permanent and impermanent.
4) Pranayama is the practice of controlling breath and energy for the purpose of integrating body and mind.
5) Pratyahara is the practice of differentiating between the senses and their causes quieting the reactive tendency of the mind.
6, 7 & 8) Samyama is the combination of the final three limbs of the Yoga Ashtanga: Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (contemplation) and Samadhi (absorption).

OPEN SESSION
After my performance will be an open session in which all are welcome to participate. Before each improvisation, I will invite the performers to consider a particular approach involving a conscious relationship to pulse. The goal is to explore approaches and processes that each participant may not have explored before, possibly taking them outside of their comfort zone. After each improvisation, I’ll invite the performers to briefly describe what they did that they thought worked and didn’t work as a way to share the processes and perceptions of our improvisational approaches.

Here are a few ideas to consider:
—All musicians relating to different pulses throughout.
—All musicians relating to the same pulse except for one who is noticeably contrasting.
—All musicians alternate relating to the pulses of other musicians and contrasting them.
—All musicians agree on a pulse but relate to it only by inference.
—Half of the musicians play in a pulse explicitly and the rest relate to it only by inference.
—One musician changes the pulse often and the others relate to that musician’s pulse.
—Collective pulse is undefined; Individual players alternate playing ahead and behind it.
—Half of the musicians focus on accelerating a pulse and the rest focus on slowing it down.

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I’m EXTREMELY excited to be curating my first Racer Session. For this evening my Workshop Ensemble (WE) will perform a work from the etude book I’ve been writing – 20 Movement Exercises for Blindfolded Ensemble. We will start by playing a blindfolded improvisation, then work through one of the Movement Exercises (ME) without the blindfolds, and then put the blindfolds back on and play the same piece in its full form.

Through the use of blindfolds to heighten full body listening/awareness, WE cultivate focused intention, highlighting that intention as a respected member of the ensemble, in a practice of non-visual, non-verbal, empathic communication. The etudes (ME) are used to develop intuitive, organic, group decision making in the creation of spontaneously composed music, which can then be applied to other aspects of sound/existence.

The idea is to remove tendencies such as “courtesy & competitive composition” committing to and communicating our individual intent with each gesture to the group at large, so that we can move seamlessly and more dynamically as a unit.

WE are a 12-piece modular ensemble. This performance will feature Michele Khazak (voice), Brian Bermudez, Chris Credit (reeds), Michael Owcharuk (keyboard), Paul Kemmish, (bass), Adam Kozie (drums), and myself (clarinet, voice, composition).

BYOBlindfold for a heightened listening experience.

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SPECIAL NOTICE:

This edition of the Racer Sessions is OFFICIALLY participating in the UNDEAD Music Festival’s DAY of DIY, a synchronous celebration of music that takes place in unconventional places!

More info:

DAY of DIY - 
https://www.facebook.com/events/295913760541025

UNDEAD Music Festival -
http://undeadmusic.com/

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I’m very excited to be curating my first Racer Session and want to thank everyone in the Racer community for the opportunity. Attending these sessions has been integral in my growth as an improviser/composer and I have been so very fortunate to play with such incredible musicians.

This Sunday’s Racer Session is inspired by and dedicated to Paul Motian (1931-2011.) Paul needs no introduction. His influence as a drummer, composer, and band leader are monumental and his growth as a musician, from his earliest recordings with the Bill Evans Trio to the numerous ensembles he worked with until his death in November 2011, is incomparable.

Paul was a fearless innovator with a deep understanding and respect for the jazz tradition. While the ensembles he led were often “unconventional” (the bass-less trio with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano or the Electric Bebop Band with 2 guitars and 2 saxophones) all of them performed and recorded profound interpretations of the standard repertoire, seemingly without any discrimination towards composer, era, or style.  His groups were all encompassing in song choice (originals or standards) and musical approach (freely improvising or playing strict swing time.)

He was an equally gifted composer. He wrote many memorable melodies, each with a unique identity. During the improvisation the melody is rarely abandoned, always being hinted at and referred to, which seems inherent in playing Paul’s music.

His role as a sideman was also greatly valued. His time-feel was deep, he had an encyclopedic knowledge of tunes, and his musical voice was unmistakable and always positively “colored” the ensemble. His musical choices always seemed to serve the music first and serve himself last, often playing an unwavering supportive role within the group.

This Racer Session I will be playing a mix of Paul’s tunes and my own compositions that I’ve dedicated to Paul. The goal of this endeavor was to challenge myself as a composer, improviser, and “bandleader.” This process has allowed me to take small steps towards becoming a more complete musician, as Paul was.  

I have no qualifications for the jam session to follow, but it is my hope to inspire people to investigate and inundate themselves with Paul’s music.

Joining me will be Andrew Swanson (tenor sax), Luke Bergman (Bass), and Chris Icasiano (drums).

Selected Recordings:

Paul Motian Trio: It Should’ve Happened A Long Time Ago, I Have The Room Above Her, Time and Time Again 

The Electric Bebop Band: Self titled, Europe, Holiday for Strings, Garden of Eden

With Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan, and Petra Haden: The Windmills of Your Mind

With Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Dewey Redman, and Geri Allen: Monk In Motian

With Bill Evans: Portrait in Jazz, Explorations, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, Waltz for Debby

With the Bill McHenry Quartet: Self titled featuring Paul Motian, Roses, Ghosts of the Sun

With Charlie Haden and Geri Allen: Etudes

With Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, and Lee Konitz: Live at Birdland

With Enrico Rava:  New York Days

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For this Racer Session, I’d like to explore the different instrumental combinations possible within a small group. I’ll be presenting a quartet (w/ Vinny Golia-reeds, Neil Welch-saxophone and Chris Icasiano), but will be setting the session up to utilize the different solo, duo and trio combinations we can form, and how those different fragments shape our improv direction.

Holla!

RH