Chris and Alex arrive at 5:45. Brad is here, already setting up the circle with a tape-measure and some math.
The team goes about its usual work, and others arrive intermittently. Thanks to a unique busking effort yesterday, we are anticipating a few more new faces and maybe some different energy tonight. Salsa classes are taking place downstairs.
Sound is relatively hassle-free, although something odd is going on in the mix (this would later be revealed to be a fried tweeter in one of the cabinets, the part of the speaker that is responsible for upper-end frequencies). For warm-up, rather than playing through entire pieces, we are looping sections of Askesis and Flying Home for some early guests. Later in the green room, before going on, there is some additional warming up of a different kind (featuring an unfortunate coloration of a familiar exercise), where we are freeing up our awareness:
first, we are on the exercise;
then, we direct some attention to sensation in the right hand;
keeping this, we put a little more attention toward visualizing the count of the exercise;
if we can, also feeling the pulse happening in the body.
After a little work, Victor reminds the group that music is not multi-tasking. Curious.
And with this, we go on for a performance that goes everywhere. In the very beginning, a double circulation (where two notes are independently circulated) occurs spontaneously, much different in quality than its more common, single-note cousin. There are some fluttering, harmonically lush tapestries next to chomp-and-stomp chording. A savory chromatic circulation is another jewel of the evening. Everything is supported by a strong sense of form, within the improvisations and the set as a whole. The performance ends on an improv.
There is a good deal of post-performance rehearsal tonight. We spend a lot of time tightening some screws on Debussy's The Sunken Cathedral, steadily making it sound more "together". We even give Shostacovitch a whirl.
Getting out late, at 11:00.
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