Coming out of the pandemic, it felt strange to play in front of people again. Having played virtual shows and having mostly avoided crowds for a few years, like so many of us I felt I had to relearn ways to interact once again. Music, as it has so many times in my life, pointed the way forward, and for that I’m eternally grateful.
These songs are some of my top moments of the last few years. Rhizome is one of my favorite venues to play – it’s one of those places where I just feel comfortable and wind up having great shows and the jam with PJ Dorsey and Mike Horn was a particularly beautiful moment. Mystery Train was a memorable one for me too – as I note in the intro to the song, it was my first time playing in Amherst since I went to college there and it was such a great night. Brickbat Books is another intimate, relaxed place to play and my first ever jam with Jesse Sheppard reflected, I think, the cozy, book-lined décor. I got to feature some new sounds at the PIT earlier this year, putting aside the acoustic guitar for my electric and sampler.
When I finished the improv piece that ends this album, I took a deep breath and looked around my surroundings in the beautiful landscape of southern Vermont. I listened for a moment to the sounds of the birds and the wind in the trees and then noticed a rustling in the trees and saw a black bear emerge about 50 feet away. It sniffed about nervously and clung to the tree line as it skulked around and after a few moments disappeared back into the woods. I wonder if I conjured it out of hiding with what I was doing on my porch. You never know what music brings out, but for me it’s usually something moving and deeply personal, and I’m so fortunate to share music with anyone who is kind enough to listen, human or bear.
In addition to those mentioned I’d like to thank Jon Camp, Zachary Paul, and Shannon Ketch.
Spectral, dark-edged British folk, warped on the latter half by mesmerizing remixes. All proceeds go to Black South West Network. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 23, 2020
A lost 1992 field tape recorded by Mexican ethnomusicologist Raúl García Flores featuring a duo of Tamborileros playing a baptism ceremony. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 6, 2023
