This is a
recording of improvised
music, made by one person, using several flutes and a recorder.
In Three Thoughts On Forget-Me-Nots (no. 14) three tracks were brought
together. Mostly, though, the selections were not multi-tracked,
and extraneous sounds, such as vocalisations or percussive sounds, were
done by me as I played.
I am constantly amazed at the number of formally trained musicians that
can’t improvise, either on their own, or with others in settings with a
musical structure round about. I’ve always been able to do this,
and never thought much about it. What’s even more amazing is to
see a university jazz band and see the soloists marching out front
with written-out solos. Young friends of mine speak of
being discouraged from improvising (not necessarily those in jazz
groups, though). Moreover, where jazz is concerned, it
seems that many new jazz players are trying to be clones of the
greats. Great efforts seem to go into learning the recorded solos
of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis. and others rather than finding one’s
own voice and making new contributions. For those who have never tried
to play improvisationally, I hope this modest effort will
encourage you to take out your axe and blow, bow, pluck, or pound, or
sit down at the keyboard, all without music stands present, and with
the music firmly in the piano bench. I think you have something
to say.
The recording was done in the late winter and early spring at Zac
Mues-Byrd’s studio in Houghton, Michigan. It was also done on a
flute that was in various states of disrepair. The selections are
programmed in the order recorded, so one can hear my concert flute
going from decrepit to fully repaired. There is much key clacking
in places: treat it as percussion. The picture of me on the back page
of these notes is the work of my friend, Sergio, and in addition to a
free copy of the disc, I bought him a beer.
|
All
Selection On Flute Except
Where Noted. All Works Composed or Arranged by Robin L. Øye
- Trav’lin’ Light
The joy of
playing the flute is its portability. I’ve been trav’lin’ light
musically for ever. This recording is all about travelling as
light as one can musically: playing solo
- Blues For An Old
Neighbourhood
The ’hood in question is in Chicago, on the North Side. It is
thoroughly gentrified nowadays, and as such is not a real place
anymore, but when I lived there, it was quiet, unassuming, and a
great place to walk around.
- Late Winter (Baroque
Flute) Much of
the work was done as snow was still on the ground and the days were
lengthening.
- Musings In A Dimly-Lit
Room
(Nepalese Flute) This is literally true: Zac’s studio is
dimly-lit. This flute has a very intimate sound. My wife,
Paula suggested this title.
- Ev’ry Time I Feel The
Spirit (trad.
Spiritual) I love Spirituals. I think of the great singers whose
recordings I’ve heard singing these songs, people like Paul
Robeson, and Marian Anderson. There is such joy and hope in these
songs, and they are proof that oppression cannot defeat people who know
they are free.
- Deep River (trad.
Spiritual)
- Peep’s Boogie
(Sopranino Recorder)
“Peep” is my sopranino recorder. I’m a big guy, and can just play
this little instrument.
- Fast Thoughts On Quiet
Streets In
cities, I’m always drawn to quiet side streets. In a grid-patterned
city like Chicago, there are usually several ways to go places, all of
the same distance. The quiet streets allow my mind to run and
race.
- Sunlight Through The
Leaves Another
title suggested by Paula, and very appropriate, as the leaves were just
coming out when this was made.
- Freedom Day I’d
have liked a bass and
drums on this one.
- Subway Without Trains
I have heard
singers and buskers in subways, and it’s magical and ethereal.
- Church On A Monday
(Sopranino Recorder)
When I was a parish pastor, I enjoyed weekdays in churches for the
quiet and peace. In older, high churches, sound soars, especially flute
and recorder sounds.
- Buds Poppin’
(Baroque Flute) Here, the
trees come into leaf fast. They’d better: they don’t have a long
season.
- Three Thoughts On
Forget-Me-Nots
This
was done as follows: I recorded a track, then another, then another,
all without listening to the previous tracks, but being reasonably
aware of what they sounded like.
- Underpassin’
Pedestrian underpasses are
great places to play.
- April Rains
The quiet, still-cold
rains of April, with only a hint of spring to come…Another name
suggested by Paula
- Blue Thursday It
was the day I did this
- Old Friends
This is not an
evocation of anyone I know. The piece changes character often,
which makes it sound like several pieces, maybe representing several
friends.
- A Game For Two See
this page
- Textures This work,
for horn and percussion reflects my understanding that music has
texture. It also harkens back to a place where I learned much
about music composition: the Art Institute of Chicago. I could
afford to go there on free days; I couldn't always afford to go to
clubs or concerts or by recordings. I owe a lot to Seurat, Monet,
Renoir, and others.
|