Columbus, Ohio

First, thank you to all of the Capital University Conservatory students who came to see and hear our Music For Silent Films show in Hamilton Hall Friday, February 13th. We truly appreciated seeing so many people in the audience. And I was very pleased to be a part of the 2009 NOW Music Festival which began shortly before I began as a freshman at Capital.

Flip, Lynn, and I were joined by guitarist Stan Smith (who teaches at Capital and coordinated our weekend of shows in Columbus) and guests. It was an incredible band. The addition of harp brought a whole new dynamic to what we do when improvising music for silent films. Everyone was listening which is so crucial to this kind of playing.

If you dug the show (or even if you didn't) please feel free to let me know in the comments below.

The band for February 13, 2009:
Matt Adams - Saxophone
Lewis 'Flip' Barnes - Trumpet, Effects
Chris Becker - Laptop (running Ableton Live), Kaoss Pad
Trista Hill - Harp
Roger Hines - Upright Bass
Stan Smith - Electric Guitar
Lynn Wright - Electric Guitar, Effects

Silent films by Molly Schwartz, Ruby Quincunx, Noe Kidder, and Aurora Neeland.

After our NOW Festival hit, Stan took us to Dick's Den to hear La-Z-Boy & The Recliners who blew our minds...



Roger and Flip obviously dug it...



...as did me and Lynn...



Flip had to return to NYC for another gig. Saturday and Sunday evening we were joined by the amazing Ralph "Buzzy" Jones on woodwinds. This was my and Lynn's first time playing with Buzzy and it was a total blast. Next goal is to have him and Flip on the same gig...stay tuned...

The band for February 14, 2009 at Espresso Yourself Cafe:
Chris Becker - Laptop (running Ableton Live), Kaoss Pad
Roger Hines - Upright Bass
Ralph "Buzzy" Jones - Woodwinds
Stan Smith - Electric Guitar
Lynn Wright - Electric Guitar, Effects

No films shown on this gig.

Towards the end of our set, I cued up a pair of loops - a hi hat and some low toms - that Lynn and I have improvised to quite a bit. Buzzy took the lead and began playing tin (?) whistle over top of the groove giving us a total Mississippi Hills vibe. It was one of many moments to remember...






Sunday night we played with the films again this time at Carabar...



The band for February 15, 2009 at Carabar:
Chris Becker - Laptop (running Ableton Live), Kaoss Pad
Trista Hill - Harp
Roger Hines - Upright Bass
Ralph "Buzzy" Jones - Woodwinds
Stan Smith - Electric Guitar
Lynn Wright - Electric Guitar, Effects

We played two sets with the films adding Tom & Marta's Loose Among The Ruins to the program. Much thanks to Carabar's owner Ron who ran our films during both sets.

The band was in a very exploratory mood. Since we'd performed together already, we had a sense of other places we could go either individually or as an ensemble or in other configurations (duos, trios, quartets). This gig started late and that added another element of creativity to the mix. The improvising for Ruby's film and Noe's "Paradise" was some of the strangest stuff I've ever heard us do. The traditional relationship between "soundtrack" and "film" morphed into something else altogether - almost as if the films were accompanying us...

Ralph "Buzzy" Jones and Stan Smith at Carabar...





Wiped out. I asked Trista to take the photo above around 2:30 am (?) after our last set at Carabar. I'm back in NYC and I'm still wiped out. That's why I have time to just sit here and create long posts like this. Again, if you caught any of these shows holler at me. Much love to Stan, Roger, Trista, Ralph, Matt, and everyone at Capital University, Espresso, and Carabar for having us.