01/05/2015 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 01/05/2015
Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

Today’s improvisation used layers of sound similar to those explored in the fingering system from my composition “A Song Cycle for Missouri.” In this improvisation I attempted to phase between regions of overtones within a common fingering system as well as phase in and out of sound regions within differing fingering systems. I had no particular trajectory from the outset, but trusted the horn and my intuition to guide me from one area of focus to another in an intuitive a fashion as possible. For me this became a matter of gravitating towards an area of sonic interest, which might include harmonic and/or rhythmic areas, as well as figures which elicited some emotion for me. 

The image “Cumulus” (2006/2008) accompanying today’s post by Tomas Saraceno.

01/04/2015 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

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Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 01/04/2015
Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

The improvisation makes use of quarter steps and other semi tones to create streams of both linear and intervalic melodic material. 

The image “Images With Their Own Shadow” (2008) accompanying today’s post by David Maljokovic.

01/03/2015 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 01/03/2015
Location: The bathroom in my home in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)
Instrument: Tenor saxophone / Harmon Mute and a small length of cloth.

Notes:

During this improvisation I explored the use of key clacking interwoven with selected muted fingerings. My aim was to create an improvisatory environment which could pull the listener intimately close to me or push them further away into the depths of the room. I alternated between crisper, harder attacks in the key clacking and more muted attacks. I varied the clacking tempos to make these transitions all the more stark in comparison to one another, while also selecting melodic colors that would compliment the percussive attacks (by having rhythmic motion on their own accord), or by selecting sounds which had little to no rhythmic qualities but simply floated on top of the clacking. 

The image accompanying today’s post by Anselm Kiefer from the series “The Cauterization of the Rural District of Buchen.” (1974)

01/01/2015 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch, Continuous Resonance Project
Date: 01/01/2015
Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

The image “Red Desert” from the series “Figure in a Landscape” accompanying today’s post from the Criterion Collection.