02/21/2016 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project 2016

Date: 02/21/2016
Location: The porch outside my brotherâs apartment in San Francisco, California.
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

I recorded this piece early in the morning on the day I was set to depart San Francisco and return back to Seattle. My brother will soon be moving back North, and knowing that this may be my last opportunity to inhabit this spaceâone which Iâve grown to love visiting over the yearsâI decided to document a piece. Despite being located near Golden Gate Park, the apartment is a few blocks from a major road and surprisingly quiet inside. The porch out back is situated three floors up and is part of a perimeter, inside of which is a large, beautiful green space with large trees, succulents, grasses and birds. Itâs a lovely sanctuary inside a hurried city. It was very joyful for me to welcome the day in this space, and also to say goodbye to it by documenting my time spent there.

The image Allover (Genesis, Travis Tritt, and others) (2008) accompanying the post today by Christian Marclay.

02/20/2016 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project 2016

Date: 02/20/2016
Location: A bedroom in my brother’s apartment in San Francisco, California
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

I used the initial melodic statement for this improvisation as a recurring figure throughout the piece, returning to it almost as a point of strength that phrases could build and decay from. The improvisation was recorded at dusk just after arriving at my brotherâs apartment in San Francisco. I was in a calm and reflective mood and wanted to capture this spirit during the improvisation.

The image 23 (2009) accompanying the post today by James Welling.

02/18/2016 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project 2016

Date: 02/18/2016
Location: Practice Room B at South Whidbey High School
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

This improvisation was recorded at a low volume setting in my microphone setup, but extremely high volume from my horn. I wanted to overwhelm the room with high harmonic tones and melodic smears but also bring out the warmth in the room that was present too.

The image Feldkapelle fur den heiligen Bruder Klaus 03 (Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, Mechernrich, Germany) (2009) accompanying the post today by Helene Binet, Peter Zumthor.

02/16/2016 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project 2016

Date: 02/16/2016
Location: Main performance hall at Chief Sealth International High School. Seattle, WA
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

The singing in this improvisation was intended to be intertwined into dark, brooding melodic and harmonic figures. As is the case in much of my sung improvisations these days, my focus here was with harmonic/melodic intersection, and integrating my singing into phrases as opposed to making it the primary focus of the piece.

The image Alloy (2010) accompanying the post today by Julian Lethbridge.

02/12/2016 (Continuous Resonance Solo Improvisation)

Neil Welch Continuous Resonance Solo Project 2016

Date: 02/12/2016
Location: Thornton Creek House in Seattle, WA
Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Notes:

My improvisation today focuses primarily on a tempered pitched free improvisation with figures played in a slurred fashion. However, I began with only tempered pitches but gradually introduced more gentle pitch bends into my phrases, then shorter articulations, some screaming into the horn and finally a few quarter tones. As my activity would rise in quickness and intensity I would always return back to more subdued slurred phrasing before rising back again.

The image Eclipse (2010) accompanying the post today by Bill Jensen.