Round Two: February
Harry Smith, kexp, vitamin c and the gigs
The beginning of the year has shaped up to be much busier than I expected! I love when things pop up spontaneously from other things and then there’s this incredible chain of information, people and music that I love to watch unfold.
Like seemingly everybody in New York right now I’ve been a bit under the weather this week and that always takes a toll on the spirit. But I played a really fun gig last night with Gabe and Jayla and saw a lot of old and new friends from near and far which really revived my little engine. Whilst being sick I’ve forced myself to do very little (hard for me) and have been able to get in some good reading and listening. Here’s what I’ve been getting into:
Words:
Cowboy Graves by Roberto Bolaño
Easily Slip Into Another World by Henry Threadgill and Brent Hayes Edwards
Tell Them of Battles, Kings and Elephants by Mathias Énard
Sounds:
Mars by Tim Berne and Gregg Belisle-Chi
Camoufleur by Gastr Del Soul
Segundo by Juana Molina
Live! 8-24-1979 by The B-52’s
The Best of Sacred Steel by various artists (Arhoolie steel guitar compilation - “End of My Journey” by Darick Campbell is a huge highlight)
Sound of Love by Paul Motian Trio
Some other updates in brief form:
This month marks another turn around the sun for me and I’m honestly stoked about it. For maybe the first time I really do feel like I’m getting wiser and finding my footing.
Over the past month I recorded woodwinds for a few friends’ projects, both from home and in the studio, and I’m eagerly awaiting the finished results!
While I was on tour with The New Pornographers in the fall we got to do a session at KEXP which was a distinct thrill for me, a kid who grew up watching so many videos from that twinkly lit studio. Here it is:
Last weekend I went to see the Harry Smith exhibit at The Whitney. It was small but mighty and really captured how eclectic and whacky a guy he was. Coming from a place of familiarity mainly with his archival work creating the iconic Anthology of American Folk Music and vaguely aware of his role in the beat generation, I was surprised and intrigued by the range of his work, both stylistically and in terms of the mediums on display. I particularly loved a stop motion film called “Heaven and Earth Magic” that was made from 19th century magazines cutouts.
The show made me think a lot about the breadth of an artist’s voice and I’ve been reflecting on a feeling I often have that I am constantly code-switching based on the musical context I’m in. I tend to think of code-switching as a negative mechanism that we force on ourselves (or society leans on us to do) as a means of fitting in. But in the context of Smith’s work - which ranges from experimental film to stringed instruments to screen prints with vastly different themes and styles - this doesn’t feel like a crisis of identity, rather an artist manifesting the many aspects of themself in physical form. Can this so-called “code-switching” itself be a factor of identity then?
I was talking to my friend David some months back about balance and he said something that has stuck with me deeply. Rather than considering balance, it may be more accurate and productive to think about width. “Balance” implies an exacting point of precarious existence whereas “widening” feels inclusive, additive and just plain warm and comfy. This subtle shift in thinking about my tasks has been really helpful in stemming anxiety when it comes to distributing my time and I think embodies a more holistic view of creation and existence in general (everything builds on everything is related to everything, etc.). This feels relevant to the question of identity across style and medium and I’m not sure I’ve fully hashed out a roadmap through this quandary but pears (d’anjou or bust) for thought…
Here are the gigs on the books so far for Feb:
Wednesday, Feb 7 - Trio at Filthy Diamond, 9-11pm. Session vibes!
Sunday, Feb 11 - Quartet with Yvonne Rogers, Jared Craan and Jon Starks at Letlove Inn, 8-10pm in Astoria.
Wednesday, Feb 14 - Guthrie Galileo plays Ursha Baby at Heaven Can Wait.
Saturday, Feb 17 - Trio with Willis Edmunson and Charlie Lincoln at Dick and Janes Barroom, 8-10pm.
Sunday, Feb 18 - Playground with Jon Starks and Michael Coleman at Troost, 8-10pm. So very stoked for round two of this series!
Wednesday, Feb 21 - Trio at Filthy Diamond, 9-11pm. Session!
Eat many oranges, drink lots of water.
<3 Nora
I am also a great fan of Harry Smith! See you on your birthday!