Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 11/05/2014
Location: Death Valley National Park. California
Instrument: Tenor saxophone / piano
Notes:
Today’s improvisation was recorded on the side of the road in the Western portion of Death Valley National Park. Fall and Winter is much milder in the great expanse of this bone-dry area. I was surprised to find the late morning air very cool while playing. I set up my mic on the side of the road was worked with very quiet mouthpiece noise in addition to singing and tempered pitch.
The image from exhibition “Life and Death Intertwined” (2011) accompanying today’s post by Fang Lijun. Death Valley
-Neil
11/04/2014 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation from Santa Fe, NM)
Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 11/04/2014
Location: A performance center in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Instrument: Tenor saxophone / piano
Notes:
I recorded this improvisation after waking to a violent desert storm. I was sleeping in an arts space in Santa Fe, having played in the same room the night before while on the Fall 2014 Bad Luck tour. The storm rattled the doors and sent objects flying against the walls and windows of the building.
There was a piano in the corner of the room which I decided to make use of. The sustain pedal was broken, therefore allowing the strings to resonate freely. In contrast to the previous improvisation I recorded while on tour which was also inside of a piano, I decided to approach this piece with slap-tonguing. In between the percussive attacks sustain within the chords can be heard in the recording.
The image “explode, explosion, complexity” accompanying todays post by Bjorn Dahlem
-Neil
Austin, TX tough guy.
10/27/2014 (Solo Improvisation documented in Colombia, Missouri)
Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 10/27/2014
Location: A choir room inside a Methodist Church. Colombia, Missouri
Instrument: Tenor saxophone
Notes:
I had a recording sessions at a Methodist church this morning with the Rich Pellegrin Quintet, plus his fantastic New Music Ensemble from the University of Missouri. During the inevitably long wait for set-up time before the session began, I found a quiet spot to practice in a choir room in this large church. There was an old upright piano in the center of the room with chairs placed around it. I practiced for a half hour or so and then decided to record a piece with my mic placed inside the piano.
The image “17” (2009) accompanying today’s post by James Welling.
10/17/2014 (Solo Improvisation from Ann Arbor, MI)
Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 10/17/2014
Location: The laundry room of a friend’s basement in Ann Arbor, MI
Instrument: Tenor saxophone
Notes:
This morning I had about an hour to practice before we needed to head out on the road again. We spent a fantastic and very productive few days in Ann Arbor, and this morning I felt very eager to practice. I seized the opportunity to do some laundry and practiced down in the basement with the washer and dryer. When I threw the wet clothes into the dryer and turned it on, I was immediately captivated by the sound of this prehistoric machine. It was likely from the 50’s and had only a single knob in the center to pull. The machine had a fantastic mechanical quality to its sound and hummed with a low Ab.
-Neil