11/05/2014 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation from Death Valley, CA)

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