It’s a cassette release 😉 with a release party in Chicago on August 31st and Sept 15th in Durham NC. Not only will we be playing works from the release, but as this release is part of an ongoing project, Nick Broste will also be live recording the show with my intention to release it as Volume 3 on vinyl in 2018.
Cuentos represent the compositional culmination of my experiences living in various cities throughout the world. My experiences of the musical and cultural environments of each city awaken different directions for inspiration to be opened and explored as short stories in the form of soundscapes. These Cuentos (the Spanish word for ‘short stories’) are an ongoing project in which I work with close musical cohorts from each city to convey the stories of a unique musical geography. This release showcases the explorations and depth of musical friendships developed in both Oakland, where I lived for one year, and Chicago where I lived for more than three years.
Each of the cuentos are concise, intentional aural plots utilizing a small group of trusted musicians from each of these cities. The compositional structures are meant to be simple, and showcase the improvisational precision of each performer, conveying a modest concept with fluidity, clarity, and focus. Even the lengths of the pieces represent a conceptual modesty. Most pieces range in the almost-three minutes to five minutes in length–single ideas presented, explored, and left to the listener for reflection. The cuentos are here and gone before a single musician is able to explore every possibility of the story. The mood of each piece can vary, but usually remains with one singular musical gesture, goal, or feel. In this way, they humbly encourage that the music stays within the realm of a short story format, and doesn’t develop into a full novel.
The first volume comes from when I lived in Oakland CA and features Aram Shelton (Chicago connection there too) on alto/bass clar., Mark Clifford (vibes, The Dirty Snacks), Crystal Pascucci (cello) and myself on acoustic bass guitar. Volume II is the Chicago volume with James Davis, Bill MacKay, Jeff Greene and myself.
Recent
excitement: I had an in-depth
interview and record label profile on AllAboutJazz with over
9,200 views/reads thus far! It wasn’t about Cuentos though, it was about my work with/for ears&eyes.
Skype: matthewgolombisky
