02/23/2015 (Continuous Resonance Solo Project)

Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 02/23/2015
Location: The rec room of my childhood home in Edmonds, WA
Instrument: Soprano saxophone / Chair cushion

Notes:

This improvisation was inspired by the work of Evan Parker and John Wiese on their album “C Section.” The Parker/Wiese album is particularly impactful for me because of the extraordinary contrast achieved in their compositions and improvisations, this despite a very strict adherence to specific textural palettes in their music. I sought to create a similar flow of pure energy and contrast in my own piece today.

I utilized a chair cushion that was sitting nearby me, pressing and releasing the bell of my horn against it.
I decided to allow the mic to clip by placing the setup directly on top of the cushion, creating yet another layer of interaction in the sound. However as I performed acoustically and without headphones on, I could not hear and therefore could not interact with this layer while performing the improvisation itself.

The image “City Landscape” (1955) accompanying today’s post by Joan Mitchell