Thursday, September 30, 2004

Black Forest Black Sea



This is a candid shot of Jeffrey and Miriam of Black Forest Black Sea (well, they are all of BF/BS) doing a sound check in a local venue a few weeks ago. I've just been chatting to some friends in Australia about how great it was they played here in the isolated north of Sweden.
It was their second visit and they continue to inspire me with the art and seriousness and dedication to what they do.One thing I thought about when they were here is the ubiquitous nature of improvised and free from music which often relies greatly on mimetic forms. Miriam told a story at one stage of one of their 3 performances (in 24 hours!!) of how they where staying in a houseboat in Amsterdam and each morning they would awake slowly to the sound of the moorings groaning and 'singing'. On one side the moorings were in C and the other side they were in D (or something like that). From this combination they created a piece of music and when the played it I could almost see the Nieuwendyk in the early morning as the shops opened and the cobbled streets began to fill with people.......if the come to a town near you on their travels go and see them it is a beautiful thing.
The final piece of info for tonight before I return to reading Shakespeare's Measure for Measure is the learning of the existence of a very interesting artist from California; Christina Mcphee (two links). Have never met her but have been reading her words in a mail discussion group (another Kurt Schwitters fan)to which I belong and am impressed by her websites. Check it out!

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