There was a party at the Gravity Lounge in Charlottesville, Virginia, Friday,
March 18th. The occasion? Greg Howard was celebrating 20 years of music,
inspiration, creativity and Stick playing.
It was 20 years ago that Greg picked up his first Stick and headed down
the road that would lead to:
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From all accounts it was a great party. Greg played with several of his long-time musical collaborators and the new drummers he's been recording with. The band was percussionist Darrell Rose (Shapes and Sol), vocalist/percussionist Dawn Thompson (Code Magenta, Shapes and Sol), trmpeter John D'earth (Shapes and Sol), and newcomers Jamal Millner on guitar and drummers James McLaughlin and Matt Wyatt. They played some rarities, like Abdullah Ibrahim's "Soweto" (featuring Darrell on the berimbau) and the Code Magenta favorite "The Dance." Greg started out the second set by playing the first song he ever learned, one of Satie's Gymnopidae on the new Alto Stick.
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But the Gravity Lounge show wasn't just about the past. Greg was also
celebrating his first new album in four years,
Ether Ore. Ether Ore is
one of those tough recordings to classify but that's very much its appeal.
The simple facts: Ether Ore contains seven audio tracks, and a bonus DVD
each completely improvised in front of live audiences. It carries on the
exploration of new sounds and free playing Greg first documented with Water
On The Moon (1998), but in a more cohesive fashion, and with greater sonic
and stylistic variety.
Some more obtuse thoughts: "These eight improvisations, all recorded live
in front of real audiences, with no overdubs work for many reasons, foremost
perhaps, because each piece is a complete musical statement. There are
recurring themes, a balance between aggressive movements and more pastoral
scenes, each piece goes somewhere. Each improv is a journey - Greg the
musician sets off to explore the musical ether and returns with the valuable
ore to share with his audience." (From an unpublished draft of Ether Ore
liner notes.)
So the past met the present and took off full steam ahead into the future
at the Gravity Lounge in Charlottesville, VA, March 18th 2005. If you're
familiar with The Stick than you no doubt know the invaluable role Greg has
played in this early history we are creating with this new technique and
new instrument. If you're not, then take some time and explore this Website
or check out Greg's own site.
Ether Ore and the Gravity Lounge gig were just the beginning of a year of
special events Greg has planned to celebrate his 20th year of being one of
the foremost, most engaging and most dynamic Stick players. On March 22nd
Greg went back into the studio to begin recording his next CD: a collection
of his most-requested cover songs and three originals. Featured selections
will include Mingus's "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," The Beatles's "Tomorrow Never
Knows," and Dylan's "All along the Watchtower." The disc should be available
this fall.
Keep your eyes and ears open for more.
More on the web:
Slide show from
the Gravity Lounge and other recent events
Greg's Website
CDs available from Stick Enterprises
The Stick Book™ Volume I
Greg's Handiwork Video