Home

Where’s Aubrey Recording in Wilmington

Leave a comment

All work and no music makes gem a dull boy.  So we fixed that.  Music refactoring at the Stick followed by recording in Wilmington.  Here are some highlights.

Where’s Aubrey was joined by the incredible Charles Arthur in the studio.

And yes, we started at the Stick (on Ocean Isle Beach) where we practiced.  Our schedule was tight, and sleep is for the weak.  But first things first.  Since Rhine flew into ILM, we set up an impromptu rendezvous with Adrian and Julie.  Dinner was excellent, and Moonshine made a fast friend of Ralph.

We ended up at the Symphony with those fine people come Saturday.

Practice on the porch.

Industry sour with the last bottle of Green Chartreuse in NC.

Moonshine got in some fine music time.

The Wilmington Symphony played Shostakovich 5.

Moonshine, meanwhile, destroyed the screen door.

Turns out I found a musical sibling (same teacher, Linda Case, as Suzuki kids).

The bassist from NY.  Hella talent.

NC sippy cups for the concert.   LOL.

The after party was a blast.  But then it was time for even more work.

Each night before a recording session we crammed on the music.

There was also some beach time.  Moonshine was a hit at doggie day care.

Studio day one.

Hope in time for sunset and breakfast for dinner.

 

More cramming.  And more studio time.

Followed by more beach and more cramming.  We were very efficient, but the work was intense.

Studio day three (the last).

\ \

And then it was time to get into the Liberals.

All in all a great experience.  We bonded as musicians and friends.

\

 

Nick Schrenk Quartet: Jazz in Winchester

Leave a comment

Nick Schrenk leads a new jazz quartet in Winchester, Virginia.  Excellent all around.  Here are some bits from the May 4th debut gig.

 

 

More cowbell is pretty much all you can say!

2023 Second Gig: Clark Hansbarger in Front Royal

Leave a comment

Somehow COVID put a mega-hurt on the Bitter Liberals.  We stopped playing shows for all of the obvious reasons, and eventually we also stopped practicing together.  For whatever reason, we haven’t managed to restart yet.

Clark to the rescue!

Bitter Liberal Clark Hansbarger is one of two master songwriters in the band.  As you may know, all of our songs have stories behind them.  Read about some of Clark’s excellent songs here.

We played a gig at the Blue Wing Frog, a restaurant in Front Royal that has been hosting a songwriters series of small shows.  Clark agreed to play a show, and Allen Kitselman and I sat it as side men.  It was magical playing this music again.

We brought our own sound system and lit the place up with crystal clear sound.  The venue was sold to capacity (around 50 people came on a very rainy evening). The crowd listened intently.

 

Clark opened the first set with 6 or 7 songs performed solo.

Eventually Allen and I joined in.

 

It was a rewarding and magical evening.  Thanks to all who came.

 

 

Porchfest in Bridgeport

Leave a comment

Lets play music in Connecticut.  The Greyhounds welcome you to the house.

But first a dip in the pool.

And then it’s off to the porch.

George, gig one of three…

Sound check

And then another dip in another pool, between gigs.

Gig the next.

All we’re missing is the drummer.  George, gig three…

 

 

Making music Near Biella (Miagliano)

1 Comment

What happens when you convene an eclectic group of artists with a vague plan to “make something” involving music, dance, drawing, and possibly opera?  Well who knows.  We haven’t been able to find out yet as one of the dancers came to Italy with COVID (everyone tested on arrival) and spread it to two others in our group before proper quarantine set in.  The biggest impact involved our fearless leader and chief convener Shooka taking to her bed.

The upshot on Sunday about three hours after landing in Italy was a hastily constructed spettacolo involving Bach, improvisational movement art to unplanned spontaneous music, and Where’s Aubrey in Miagliano, Italy. Amazingly, the people who came to see us actually enjoyed themselves.

We fittingly call ourselves, Into the Unknown.

Instruments fly from Germany

 

Giant guitar case travels well

 

Sogol plays Bach to open the show

 

The audience mostly avoided the actual amphitheater seats, instead opting for the shade

We shifted the “stage” to face the shade loving audience.

 

“Backstage” with a dobro

By far the most interesting part of the show was when the musicians played whatever occurred to them (us?) as the dancers moved to the improvisational music and the artist drew what she heard and saw.  We divided that piece into eight parts defined by the artist.  We also asked the audience to participate by drawing as well.

Movement art

 

Sogol and Dani and April

 

Where’s Aubrey performs with a kluged up sound system

 

Paparazzi

 

Sure

Ultimately, we all had a good time at our first performance (one of three planned so far). Benvenuto in Italia.

More about the show can be found on Rhine’s blog.

 

Eighth Blackbird at the National Gallery of Art

Leave a comment

National Gallery of Art

What a place to see one of my all time favorite contemporary music groups. Eighth Blackbird played the National Gallery 2.16.20, and the show was free. As always, the group featured brand new music from living composers, including: Nina Shekhar, Fjóla Evans, Andy Akiho, Holly Harrison, David Lang, Viet Cuong, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Julius Eastman. This show included some ringers in for violin, flute, and clarinet.

Lisa Kaplan, fearless leader and director of eighth blackbird

My favorite set was the second, and my favorite piece was Viet Cuoug’s Electric Aroma (2017),

The most precious thing in the museum was Cora, of course.

Cora does contemporary

The setting (no pictures or recording during the show)

After the concert, there were a few minutes for art.

Then it was out and on the metro for cocktails and dinner at Baba.

Sundown on the mall

Smithsonian sculpture

Wholly Emily

Baba’s bar

john doe krisin hersh grant-lee phillips pittsburgh

Leave a comment

There were three of them. The setting was intimate at Club Cafe.  Negronis were available. Seating was not.

Ye olde van carpool crew

 

 

Krisin opened up with an interesting guitar song that involved intentionally bending chords on an acoustic.  After that song, all bets were off WRT tuning.  Who needs tuning for an intimate acoustic set?  EVERYONE. EVERYONE MUST TUNE.

(please tune)

 

Grant-lee joined in and tuning became mandatory.  This also allowed for some breathing.  Grant-lee is charismatic and fun to watch but about as deep as a puddle.

Duo to go

 

 

 

 

Picture picture for Em

John Doe was fantastic. Thank the stars for a poet singer like him.

John Doe

 

 

 

Hells yes on a great Pittsburgh Sunday night.  So good to see Alisa and Greg!!

Grace Potter at the Anthem: Rock and Roll, Baby

Leave a comment

 

Great show. Lots of dancing and joy.

 

 

Though this was the second encore, the solo version of Release was the most powerful song of the set.  Yes please.  Need some of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rock and roll ending.

 

 

House Concert in Fort Thomas with Ritt and Wilder Deitz (cincinnati)

Leave a comment

Here are some pictures taken by Tessa Killen during a magical evening performance in the house concert series known as Parlor and Patio held in greater Cincinnati. The location and sound are ideal for an intimate evening—impressive attention to detail, warm and inviting hosts, and post show music (not to mention bourbon).

Ritt Deitz

More about the musicians, Ritt and Wilder Deitz and me.

Wilder Deitz on the actual wooden baby grand piano

Gary McGraw on the fiddle

In the action

House Concert in Bloomington with Ritt and Wilder Deitz

1 Comment

Yes please. Music with an old friend from the college days spurred into action by the seredipitous planet of ours. I was slated to be in Bloomington for a Dean’s Advisory Council meeting of the Luddy School of Informatics. Then a post card arrived with a request to “alert the Bloomington troops” scrawled across the front announcing a house concert on the very same day.

So a sideman on the fiddle was added to the bill. What a magical evening. Intimate, energetic, and filled with love.

Sound check in the light of day

A scrumptious spread

Concert at dusk.

Ritt Deitz

Set 1

Wilder Deitz

Ritt and Wilder

Back to the Eastside You Go

Ritt and Wilder

I swear I played the fiddle too.

Older Entries