11/25/2014 (Solo Improvisation in memory of Michael Brown)

Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 11/25/2014
Location: Performance Hall at Chief Sealth High School. Seattle, WA
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

Yesterday evening it was announced that officer Darren Wilson was cleared of all criminal charges against him in the shooting death of the unarmed, African-American 18 year old Michael Brown. Today’s improvisation is a cry for peace and justice. It is a folk-piece for Michael Brown and for the deeply divided country in which we live. 

The image accompanying today’s post is Michael Brown.

11/22/2014 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 11/22/2014
Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island) 
Instrument: Soprano saxophone

Notes:

Today’s improvisation was once again on my soprano. This piece was in a way a response to my improvisation from yesterday (11/21/14), as I used rapid pitch movement and focused on extreme differences in the octave, but in this improvisation I used traditional tempered pitches. I used the altissimo G key in today’s improvisation as well, though here it was used with the actual G pitch as apposed to a much higher register dot of sound as in yesterday’s piece. There was a very playful motive that I quickly developed before I began recording, and I used this as a focal point throughout the improvisation and referred back to it often as a melodic spring-board.

The image “Longmont, Colorado” (1979) accompanying today’s post by Robert Adams (1979).

11/21/2014 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 11/21/2014
Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island) 
Instrument: Soprano saxophone

Notes:

The past few days I’ve dedicated a good amount of time to working on my soprano. I’ve taken several months off of this horn as I simply did not feel drawn towards it. However, when I picked up the horn after this sabbatical I felt so joyful that I was truly transported back into a very unique artistic frame of mind. 

During this improvisation I made use of flutter tonguing with my teeth near the tip of the mouthpiece. Having my teeth in this position allowed me to flutter tongue without actually letting my tongue come into contact with the reed. I juxtaposed upper register dots of sound by adjusting my embouchure while momentarily opening the High G key, which is actually an altissimo-range key not commonly found on most saxophones.

The image “North of Broomfield, Colorado” (1973) accompanying today’s post by Robert Adams.