#23. 26 March 2020

dearest all,


i haven't sent one of these in quite some time. i haven't felt like there's a lot to share.

i could go on. i'll spare you.

instead let me regale you with tales of sounds that i have recently enjoyed.

mmeadows :: Who Do You Think You Are?
Kristin and Cole are just the greatest. i've loved everything they've done. and they've both done a lot. this husband-wife synth pop duo are making charming, tuneful music that features Kristin's unbelievable (literally i don't believe it sometimes) voice. listen to their new ep! it's so so so good!


Kenny Warren Trio :: in the heat
Kenny is a dear old friend. he's one of my favorite people and one of my favorite musicians. his music is represented perfectly here. he is, in my opinion, the greatest living melodicist on the trumpet. his compositions and his band (Nathan Ellman-Bell on drums and Matthias Pichler on bass) highlight this perfectly. also the recording (by Nathaniel Morgan) sounds pretty friggin perfect. go listen to this, please.


andrew smiley and jason nazary :: a huddled complex
well this is just great. jason and andrew have put together an awesome set of music here. incredible musicians and improvisors both, they've developed a special rapport over the years playing in bands like Little Women and Empyrean Atlas. not sure which parts (if any) of this are composed and which are improvised. because that's how these guys roll. some of this is raucous and noisy. some if it is more tender, but also still kind of noise-y. all of it is great.


Webber/Morris Big Band :: Both Are True
well this is cool. a huge band with tons of my friends in it. Anna Webber and Angela Morris assembled a friggin unbelievable ensemble to play their unique and ambitious music. they've created a really special recording using a (more or less) classic big band instrumentation. grooves, melodies, sludgy space jams, and stellar ensemble writing and playing, and exceptional performances by individual soloists. Anna and Angela clearly worked their asses off. Go listen!!


Pittsburgh Public Theater :: Playtime
the PPT's new artistic director, Marya Sea Kaminski, has been pushing for adventurous programming since her arrival a couple years ago. necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and recent events have necessitated a new approach to the theater. every thursday and friday at 7pm the PPT presents the first and second half, respectively, of a theater work via Zoom. it's free, but they are accepting donations. performances so far have been great and have featured talent from all over the US. tune in!