There is a good chance you have heard of Mike Gans. And if you have, there is a good chance he and his art have confused you at some point, or still do. Even after talking to him about his art, primarily music, for this column, I can unabashedly say that I am still trying…
Meditations on Music: Devin Drobka and Tom Rainey
On Oct. 24, Harper Hall became a pool, and the music of Devin Drobka and Tom Rainey its water. I was submerged but not drowning. Seeing a drum set duo improvise is rare, especially with two percussionists of this caliber and coming from very different backgrounds. To be able to only hear the sounds…
Meditations on Music: Paul Dietrich Quintet
The Paul Dietrich Quintet performs in Harper Hall on Wednesday night, Oct. 18. Photo by Nidi Garcia One of my favorite ways to decompress before decompressing even more during reading period is to see live music where I can just sit back and enjoy, especially when it is free and just a short walk away.…
Meditations on Music: 2125 Stanley Street
As soon as I walked into the Wriston Art Center, I was soothed by the calming clicks and whirs from a small slide projector producing faded patches of light on a small tin square. Walking farther in to the next section, I approached two rotary phones placed on a table with an invitation to listen…
Meditations on Music: Avey Tare
“Relax in space Birds singing wise No race There is comfort for you” My friend and I tumbled out of the car onto the highway unscathed, after ricocheting across three lanes of traffic. We remained unscathed as we distanced ourselves from the oncoming vehicles and the car whose front left side was crumpled and torn,…
Meditations on Music: TWIN TALK
It is always such a pleasant, inspirational experience hearing TWIN TALK play. There is a quiet consistency to the indie jazz trio’s unified voice with an overarching evolution that I have been able to experience every few months or so since my first exposure to them in 2014. That was the year they graced the…
Meditations on Music: Cloth’s “settle, repose”
The debut album from Cloth, an acoustic-electric duo of ’17 Lawrence alumni, beautifully accompanies the transition from summer to the start of the school year. At its core, Cloth is a simple project. Their music is built around and on top of field recordings from oboist Sarah Clewett’s time abroad in London — recordings of…
Meditations On Music: Jazz Faculty Recital
Bill Carrothers performs with other members of the jazz faculty in Harper Hall. Photo by Hikari Mine. On Sept. 13, I experienced music as a journalist in a way I never had before. On Sept. 13, I was reminded why I do this. On Sept. 13, the doubts I had about being a music journalist…
Meditations on Music: Sam Genualdi
On Friday, May 19, senior Sam Genualdi released his debut album, “Looking Through the Glass,” a journey through his musical passions and identity as a songwriter. The release was accompanied by his senior recital in which he and many of his collaborators played nearly the whole album. Listening to it for the first time…
Meditations on Music: Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet
The 2016-17 Jazz Series concluded this past Saturday, May 13 with trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and his quintet. An apt way to end the series and send the various jazz ensembles off to their final performances of the year, Marsalis and his bandmates got to the core of enjoying oneself while playing jazz and making…