the tortoise emerges

One of the biggest reasons I started this blog was to promote new music that I feel might not be getting the attention that it deserves. I previously wrote about my good friend David Doruzka's recent release of poetry settings, which was a staple of my summer listening, and now wish to spotlight saxophonist and composer Rob Mosher's new release with his group Storytime, entitled The Tortoise
, which I so curiously happen to play on.

Until he called me to play one of his open rehearsals at the Brooklyn Lyceum, Rob was unknown to me. He moved here from Toronto in 2004 and somehow our paths had never crossed. Clearly something big has been brewing inside of him since he got here and is probably part of the reason somebody of his talent has existed largely under the radar here. Storytime is a ten-piece ensemble that consists of four wind players (including Rob on soprano saxophone and double reeds), trumpet, french horn, trombone, guitar, bass, and drums. Not quite a big band, but neither a small group, it functions somewhere in the middle, in what some might call chamber-jazz, and offers a myriad of orchestral colors while remaining intimate and quite often subdued.

The tracks on the record are through-composed, and range typically from five to ten minutes in length. None of them ever fall into the typical head, solo, head out format of jazz. Solos emerge out of nowhere, and are brilliantly worked into the ensemble. Despite a beautiful lyrical sense to his melodies, so many of them are indistinct in themselves, small kernels from which everything else emerges. Rather than blow the mystery of the compositional process the way most jazz composers do by giving you the hook upfront and relying on predictable devices (bass ostinatos, odd time signatures, angular melodies, etc.), Rob's pieces unfold slowly, with the patience of somebody much older than Rob. Little motives emerge as the pieces unfold, and appear subtly throughout the instrumentation, tying the pieces together in a very disciplined, yet unexpected way. Much like the great impressionist composers who moved away from large sweeping melodies, Mosher takes the minimum amount of material at squeezes it until every possibility inside of it has been found. Despite the intimidation some might feel at the idea of chamber jazz, a joy permeates this music, even in some of the more tragic sounding moments on the album, and I really believe this record has a rare accessibility to listeners. There are several solos on the record that really knock me out, including one from saxophonist Peter Hess, trombonist Mike Fahie, and two from guitarist Nir Felder, who all soar above the ensemble. Rob makes some beautiful contributions on soprano saxophone (evoking his own brand of Wayne Shorter), but clearly shares the spotlight generously with the other members of the ensemble.

Several humorous miniatures offset the density of this record, and are beautifully worked into the program, offering contrast but always setting the tone for what's to follow. One of my favorite moments is the sudden emergence of a choir singing Latin gibberish on a piece called Sleepless Lullaby. It comes out of nowhere in an otherwise serious piece, but somehow feels totally natural despite its absurdity. None of us had any idea what he had in mind when he handed us a sheet of lyrics on the session and asked us all to sing, and to hear this emerge from something so seemingly silly is quite astonishing.

A CD like The Tortoise is the product of literally thousands of hours of difficult, soul-searching work. It's no wonder so few people know about Rob, as he has clearly had something profound on his mind since getting here, and is one of the most hard-working and dedicated people I know.

Storytime will be having a CD release concert on October 3rd. Here'sthe info:

* Friday, October 3rd, 7:30pm
* Third Street Music, NYC, 235 East 11th Street (near 2nd ave)
* No Admission, Limited Seating, CD's $15

Go to www.robmosher.com to hear clips of the CD and to get information on how to order it.

Kucinich on the Wall Street bailout

This just landed in my mailbox this morning. I think it's really important that the Wall Street collapse be seen in a larger context.

Protecting the public interest in any economic "bailout"

Dear Friend,

The U.S. government has been turned into an engine that accelerates the wealth upwards into the hands of a few. The Wall Street bailout, the Iraq War, military spending, tax cuts to the rich, and a for-profit health care system are all about the acceleration of wealth upwards. And now, the American people are about to pay the price of the collapse of the $513 trillion Ponzi scheme of derivatives. Yes, that’s half a quadrillion dollars. Our first trillion dollar compression bandage will hardly stem the hemorrhaging of an unsustainable Ponzi scheme built on debt "de-leverages."

Does anyone seriously think that our public and private debts of some $45 trillion will be paid? That the administration's growth of the federal debt from $5.6 trillion to $9.8 trillion while borrowing another trillion dollars from Social Security has nothing to do with this? Does anyone not see that when we spend nearly $16,000 for every family of four in our society for the military each year that we are heading over the cliff?

This is a debt crisis, not a credit crisis. Just as FDR had to save capitalism after Wall Street excesses, we have to re-invigorate our economy with real - not imaginary - growth. It does not address the never-ending war on the middle class.

The same corporate interests that profited from the closing of U.S. factories, the movement of millions of jobs out of America, the off-shoring of profits, the out-sourcing of workers, the crushing of pension funds, the knocking down of wages, the cancellation of health care benefits, the sub-prime lending are now rushing to Washington to get money to protect themselves.

The double standard is stunning: their profits are their profits, but their losses are our losses.

This bailout will not bring real jobs back to America. It will not bring back jobs that make things. It does not rebuild our schools, streets, neighborhoods, parks or bridges. The major product of this financial economy is now debt. Industrial capitalism has been destroyed.
In the next few days I will push for a plan that includes equity for every American in any taxpayer investment in this so-called bail-out plan. Since the bailout will cost each and every American about $2,300, I have proposed the creation of a United States Mutual Trust Fund, which will take control of $700 billion in stock assets, convert those assets to shares, and distribute $2,300 worth of shares to new individual savings accounts in the name of each and every American.
I will also insist that all of the following issues be considered in whatever Congress passes:

1. Reinstatement of the provisions of Glass-Steagall, which forbade speculation
2. Re-regulation of the finance, insurance, and real estate industries
3. Accountability on the part of those who took the companies down:
a) resignations of management
b) givebacks of executive compensation packages
c) limitations on executive compensation
d) admission by CEO's of what went wrong and how, prior to any government bailout
4. Demands for transparencey
a) with respect to analyzing the transactions which took the companies down
b) with respect to Treasury's dealings with the companies pre and post-bailout
5. An equity position for the taxpayers
a) some form of ownership of assets
6. Some credible formula for evaluating the price of the assets that the government is buying.
7. A sunset clause on the legislation
8. Full public disclosure by members of Congress of assets held, with possible conflicts put in blind trust.
9. A ban on political campaign contributions from officers of corporations receiving bailouts
10. A requirement that 2008 cycle candidates return political contributions to officers and representatives of corporations receiving bailouts

And, most importantly, some mechanism for direct assistance to homeowners saddled with unreasonable or unmanageable mortgages, as well as protection for renters who have lived up to their obligation but fall victim to financial tragedy when the property they live in undergoes foreclosure.

These are just some thoughts on the run. You will hear more from me tomorrow.


Dennis J Kucinich
www.Kucinich.us
216-252-9000 877-933-6647

Inadvertent Songs on WNYC's New Sounds

Words Project II was featured recently on the WNYC program New Sounds,hosted by Jon Schaefer. The program was called Inadvertant Songs and also featured Gabriel Kahane, who has been a huge influence in some of my more adventurous text settings over the past two years. As you can imagine, the program is about composers using unlikely texts in their music, and featured my setting of Caitlin Upton's grand moment in the 2006 Miss Teen USA pageant.

To listen to the program, which features some great new music, go here.

Words Project II podcast

Jacob Paul, New Amsterdam Records' new "man on the street", has put up a podcast based on an interview we did about my new record. It's available here.

9/11

Tears -Alena Synkova

And thereafter come...
tears,
without them
there is no life

Tears---
inspired by grief
tears
that fall like rain.

Words Project II review on jazzchicago.net

Review by Brad Walseth


I had a sinking feeling that something was missing from my life, but couldn't put a finger on it until I put Sam Sadigursky's "Word Project II" on to listen and I remembered the power that words have to bring beauty and meaning into life. Of course this force can be amplified by combining it with great music, and Sadigursky, whose first Words Project was a revelation and one of the better releases of 2007, is back with another release that may even surpass the first one.

The original project centered around translations of Eastern European poets, while the new release only offers one in this category: "The Sea and the Man" by Anna Swir. Instead, there are two African American written poems, "Therapy" by Audre Lorde and "The Dream Keeper" by Langston Hughes; "The War Works Hard" by Iraqi-American Dunya Mikhail, and poems by two well-known Western poets, the late David Ignatow ("No Theory") and Sadi Ranson Polizzotti ("Such Fruit - The Ritual"). These "serious" works are countered by three darkly humorous entries from noted "troublemaker" Andrew Boyd's book Daily Afflictions (as opposed to "affirmations"), and a transcription of Miss Teen U.S.A. contestant, Caitlin Upton's convoluted response to a question posed to her during the pageant.

Many of the same participants appear on this new recording: Nate Radley on guitar and banjo; Pete Rende on keyboards; Eivind Opsvik on bass, and are joined by drummer Bill Campbell to form the core group (percussionist Richie Brashay is added on three tracks, and soprano saxophonists Daniel Blake and Jeremy Udden appear on one). Sadigursky himself plays saxophones, clarinet, piccolo, percussion, keyboards and more. Singers Monika Heidemann and Becca Stevens reprise their roles, providing different vocal while Wendy Gilles joins in replacing Heather Masse. The continuity adds to the recording and things sound even more focused and relaxed.

"Paths" starts things off in a darkly compelling manner with its cynical look at self-help tracts, while Polizzotti's �Such Fruit - The Ritual" is a lovely number that perfectly captures the longing and ambivalence of romance. Meanwhile, track three, Ignatow's "No Theory" will have you dancing and singing along to a song that features not your usual words and sentiments you would never expect in such a cheery musical number. Hughes' "The Dream Keeper" is given a delicate treatment that suits these beautiful lines well.

"Miss Teen U.S.A." is again humorous in a dark way, with the indecipherable lines fitting the jazz groove like beat poetry. And Sadigursky is able to write music that corresponds tightly to Andrew Boyd's wryly sardonic insights on "It Takes a Nail" and "Indecision."

The subtle "The Sea and the Man" may be the centerpiece of the album with lines like "You will not tame this sea either by humility or rapture, but you can laugh in its face," seeming to express the sentiments of Sadigursky's entire project. The haunting "The War Works Hard" features the poet herself over an appropriately swirling freeform morass. The jazzy outro is Audre Lorde's "Therapy" with a single saxophone accompanying the singer. A delightful ending to a work that fuses the sadness and joy inherent in life and filters them through the beauty and absurdity of life in a way that helps me remember why I love both music and words so much.

Words Project II review on Courant

Words Project II - Sam Sadigursky (New Amsterdam) - Saxophonist-composer Sadigusrky has created a compelling second recording that, like the first, takes poems and puts them to original melodies. I truly enjoyed his initial endeavor (read my review here) and hoped his next recording would be as impressive.

In fact, it's better. Whereas his choice of poems shows sensitivity equal to "Words Project I", the music seems better integrated with the words - actually, I believe the melodies are stronger (and they were really good on the first disc.)

Sadigursky's choice of material comes from poets well-known (Langston Hughes, David Ignatow, and Audre Lorde) and writers new to me (Andrew Boyd, former Miss Teen U.S.A. contestant Caitlin Upton, Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti, Anna Swir and Dunya Mikhail.) The track that stands out immediately upon first listening is Mikhail's "The War Works Hard". The Iraqi-born poet, currently living in Michigan, reads her own work. Amidst sounds of war and a dirge-like melody, the piece seems like an answer to the question "War - what is it good for?" The answer is not pretty but the poet writes "How magnificent the war is!/How eager and efficient!" and goes on to explain how it gives work to grave diggers, ambulances, orphanages, etc. To read the entire text, click here.

Caitlin Upton is, perhaps, best known for her convoluted answer to a question asked during a recent Miss Teen U.S.A. contest. The question, which opens the track "Miss Teen U.S.A.", reads "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't find the U.S. on a world map. Why do think this is?" The reply is, at best, elliptical, and incredibly strange. The music, anchored by Bill Campbell's active drumming and Pete Rende's subtle Fender Rhodes piano phrases, has the feel of 1970s British fusion (Hatfield & The North) right down to Wendy Gilles's straightforward vocal.

Monika Heidemann takes the lead on Hughes' "The Dream Keeper." It's a beautiful ballad,sounding not unlike a traditional Scottish song Sadigursky's clarinet swoops up around the vocal while Rende creates a drone on pump organ and Nate Radley picks gentle lines on the banjo. Becca Stevens is the 3rd vocalist featured on the recording and her gentle reading of Ranson-Polizzotti's "Such Fruit - The Ritual" is bolstered by the active bass lines from Eivind Opsvik and rich piano chords from Rende. The leader's soprano saxophone tone bring Wayne Shorter to mind as does his declaratory solo lines.

Throughout the CD, Sadigursky often serves a second voice to the vocalists, sometimes in unison with them, creating an echo effect. His sonic shadowing not only provides depth for the voices but also creates fascinating colors - on "The Sea and the Man", there are moments when it's hard to differentiate between his tenor and Gilles' voice.

Each track, even the very short (1:24) "Therapy" that closes the program, is well thought-out. There's no hint of slapping this recording together just to get it on the market. From the title, one realizes it's really about the "words" but much of this music could stand on its own ("The Sea..." starts out with a sweet bass line, creating a feeling not unlike a piece Gill Evans might have created for Miles Davis.) This music is not about technical facility or long solos or vocals that "stop the show"; instead the music gives added strength to the words, makes them stand out more because one is compelled to listen closely.

For more information, go to www.samsadigursky.com or www.newamsterdamrecords.com (where you can listen to and/or buy all the tracks.)

I like the cover art, too, a reproduction of "Leaping Kiss" by Chilean-born artist Pablo Campos. Click on his name to see more of his engrossing work.

Words Project II now available

I'm happy to announce that Words Project II is now available at New Amsterdam Records.


This is from their press release:

After receiving international acclaim and a spot on Time Out New York's Top Ten CD's of 2007 with his first CD, Sam Sadigursky has released his second CD of poetry and text settings, Words Project II, today on New Amsterdam Records. Featuring much of the same cast of singers and musicians as his first CD, his new effort is a substantial departure in character and mood from his previous work. From the darkly comic and strangely philisophical settings of Andrew Boyd's Daily Afflictions, an ambitious and politically-conscious spoken word setting of Dunya Mikhail's The War Works Hard, a touchingly serene setting of Langston Hughes' The Dream Keeper, and a sardonic setting of Caitlin Upton's infamous response in the 2006 Miss Teen U.S.A. pageant, this CD will certainly take listeners on a unique journey that defies convention.

Brad Walseth at Jazzchicago.net has already caught on:

"I had a sinking feeling that something was missing from my life, but couldn't put a finger on it until I put Sam Sadigursky's Words Project II on to listen and I remembered the power that words have to bring beauty and meaning into life. Of course this force can be amplified by combining it with great music, and Sadigursky, whose first Words Project was a revelation and one of the better releases of 2007, is back with another release that may even surpass the first one."

Richard Kamins at courant.com also had some very nice things to say about Words Project II:

"From the title, one realizes it's really about the "words" but much of this music could stand on its own ("The Sea..." starts out with a sweet bass line, creating a feeling not unlike a piece Gill Evans might have created for Miles Davis.) This music is not about technical facility or long solos or vocals that "stop the show"; instead the music gives added strength to the words, makes them stand out more because one is compelled to listen closely."

To purchase the album now or stream it for free, head over to the New Amsterdam site.

September 11 concerts

I'm really honored to have been selected to curate four performances on Sept. 11th, all of which are part of the September Concert series, which commemorate the anniversary of the attacks in 2001. There will be privately sponsored concerts in all corners of the world, including many here in New York City. All events are free and open to the public.

Here is the info:

Marta Topferova duo.
1560 Broadway (@46th)
1-3 PM

Becca Stevens duo
200 Varick (@ King)
1-3 PM


Sofia Tosello duo
630 9th Ave. (44th and 45th)
1-3 PM

Sam Sadigursky trio (featuring Jorge Roeder and Tommy Crane)
230 5th Ave (@ 27th)
1-3 PM

sometimes you have to love being a musician

this is priceless.

leave that bottle on the shelf

Walking in NYC yesterday I was so pleased to see that an organization (whose identity seems to be secret) has started plastering signs around the city condemning bottled-water consumption as wasteful and unnecessary. I think the reasons are quite compelling, especially given the new awareness of our society's oil dependence, and hope that we can see some state or municipal action against it in the near future.

TEN REASONS NOT TO BUY BOTTLED WATER

Since 1976 there has been an increase of 1625% in the consumption of bottled water. In 2006 people in the US consumed 8.25 billion gallons of bottled water, or 30 billion actual bottles, a 9.5% increase from the year before.[i]

1. Research shows that bottled water is not purer than tap water. Recently, Pepsi was forced to admit that its bottled water, Aquafina, is actually certified tap water. 60-70% of bottled water is tap water with carbonation, seltzer, etc. In fact, an “estimated 25 to 40 percent of bottled water really is just tap water in a bottle—sometimes further treated, sometimes not.”[ii] According to the National Resources Defense Council, 25-40% of bottled water is tap water that has been treated, but sometimes not.
2. Tap water is regulated by the EPA, and is tested 3 to 4 times DAILY; bottled water is regulated by the FDA, and is tested once a week at the most. A recent Cast Western Reserve report found that 15 of 19 samples of bottled water had bacterial counts almost 2 times as high as Cleveland tap water.[iii]
3. If bottled water is derived in-state, then there may be no regulation. One in five states have no regulations for bottled water “made” in that state; there are no requirements that bottled water has to ban e-coli or fecal matter.
4. More water is used in making the plastic bottle that holds the bottled water than is in the bottle. At Coke’s India plants according to the company’s own report “3.9 liters of water are needed to produce each liter of beverage” because of the need to wash bottles, floors, and equipment in addition to the water used in the drink itself. Coke has 50 plants in India, using “hundreds of thousands of liters of water” per day.[iv]
5. The cost is much more: $1-$1.50 per bottle = $10/gallon for bottled water vs. $.04-$.05 per gallon for tap water. In Los Angeles you get 450 gallons of tap water for the price of one bottle of Evian![v]
6. The environmental impact is great. Bottled water impacts stream and river flows by drawing down water, reducing the water for vegetation, bird and animal needs. Bottled water is connected to global warming, using huge amounts of fossil fuels to manufacture and transport them bottles. The National Resources Defense Council estimates that 4000 tons of carbon dioxide is produced yearly—which is equivalent to the emissions of 700 cars yearly—by importing bottled water alone, not to mention the amount produced by transportation in the US.[vi]
7. It takes 1.5 million barrels of crude oil to create the plastic in one’s year’s supply. That would fuel 100,000 cars a year. Distribution requires the equivalent of 37,800 18 wheel trucks.[vii]
8. Plastic bottles create 2.7 billion pounds of plastic garbage in the US per year![viii]
9. There are cheaper alternatives: a carafe (e.g. Brita) = $.31/gallon; faucet filter = $.34/gallon; undersink filter = $.42/gallon
10. Coke and Pepsi bottled water factories in India (one of the largest sources) draw water from aquifers, depleting the water for farmers in the surrounding areas.

[i] “The High Price of Bottled Water,” The Week, 7 Sept., 2007; Bryan Walsh, “Back to the Tap,” Time, 9 Aug., 2007.

[ii]. Quoted in Cameron Woodworth, “A Clean Drink of Water: Choices and

Responsibilities,” Sound Consumer (August 2006), 4.

[iii]“The High Price of Bottled Water,” The Week, 7 Sept., 2007.

[iv] “Around the Globe,” Seattle Times, 22 Sept. 2006.

[v] “The High Price of Bottled Water,” The Week, 7 Sept. 2007.

[vi]Brian Walsh, “Back to the Tap,” Time, 9 Aug., 2007.

[vii]“The High Price of Bottled Water,” The Week, 7 Sept. 2007; Editorial, “In Praise of Tap Water,” The New York Times, 1 Aug., 2007.

[viii] Bryan Walsh, “Back to the Tap,” Time, 9 Aug., 2007.

Information on Water Conservation:

www.h2ouse.org

www.wateraware.org

www.wateruseitwisely.com

www.weathertrak.com

www.friendsofwater.com

www.smarter.com

www.watersavingtips.com

WATER FACTS

–The minimum amount of water that the average person needs daily for drinking, cooking, bathing and sanitation is 13 gallons. The average person in the U.S. uses between 65 to 78 gallons of water daily.

–Gallons of water needed to produce:

One pound of potatoes – 100 gallons

One pound of rice – 340 gallons

One pound of chicken – 460 gallons

One pound of beef – 4200 gallons

One 6 inch silicon wafer (computer) – 1892 gallons

One gallon of gasoline – 9 gallons

One average US automobile – 39,000 gallons

Gabriel Kahane on WNYC Soundcheck

Gabe Kahane, Rob Moose, and I appeared on WNYC Soundcheck last week, promoting Gabe's upcoming record on Wasted Storefront/Family Records. There's going to be a record release show this month at the Zipper Factory in Midtown, followed by a tour in November.

Listen to the segment here.