September/October Newsletter - Gigs, Releases, Daily Practices, Listening & Pasta!
Hi friends,
Thank you so much for the incredible response and interest in signing up for my newsletter. It was heartwarming to see your names appear in the spreadsheet and to know that you’d like to stay up to date with me and my projects. I’m new to this, so please bear with me as I iron out the kinks. I’ll do my best to keep things succinct, but hopefully also warm, inviting and fun.
Upcoming Performances
Sept 25: LARUM at Public Records (supporting blankfor.ms release)
Oct 1: Chet Doxas Sextet – Ceremonial at Smalls NYC (6pm & 7:30pm)
Oct 8: Dave Scott Quintet at Smalls NYC (6pm & 7:30pm)
Oct 11: Chet Doxas Organ Trio at Bar Bayeux, Brooklyn
Oct 22–24: Visiting Lecturer at Capilano University, Vancouver BC
Oct 25: Saxophone Summit Concert at Capilano University, Vancouver BC
News
LARUM (with Micah Frank & Taylor Deupree) has released a new album, Treatise – Cornelius Cardew, on 12k Records. The album was recorded live in New York City at two different performances: Public Records in Brooklyn and The Fridman Gallery on the Bowery. The recordings are our interpretations of English composer Cornelius Cardew’s iconic graphic scores. Some thoughtful words from a recent review: “It’s tempting to say Larum play Cardew, but that misses the point: they inhabit him, walk through his shapes like rooms, and leave their fingerprints on the walls. The result is music that is both rigorous and free, logic wrapped in intuition.” – chaindlk.com
Live in Brooklyn: This release grew out of a beautiful musical meeting between new and old friends. Jacob Sacks (piano) and Vinnie Sperrazza (drums) were among the very first musicians I met upon moving to NYC just over ten years ago, and every chance I get to play with them is something I deeply treasure. When we secured the date at iBeam, Vinnie reached out to the incomparable bassist, composer, and improviser Mark Helias to see if he might like to join us. Since then, we’ve played several gigs together, and I’m happy to report that a genuine musical and personal friendship continues to grow. This album was also a fun DIY experiment. I brought some remote recording gear to the venue, and Mark mixed and mastered the session, and Jacob designed the artwork, which is now available on Helias’ own online label.
Daily Practice
Lately, I’ve been settling into a new (and improved) practice and writing routine: about 4–4.5 hours of saxophone/clarinet practice and 1 hour of composing each day — all in 25-minute intervals, using the Pomodoro technique. The last time I practiced this much was in my late teens and college years. These days, while progress is a little slower, I find it far more productive and meaningful. These daily sessions have quickly become a sacred space for me. A big part of that is a mantra shared by my friend Nick Law, a celebrated designer and creative business leader: “Produce more than you consume.” At first glance it seems simple, but it’s been transformative for my mindset. I’ve started to recognize that distraction, negative thought cycles, and even non-constructive conversations are forms of “consumption.” Shifting my focus to creating instead has not only improved my practice but also changed the way I improvise — I notice myself leaving more space, which feels like growth.
Listening Lately
Here are 10'ish albums I’ve been enjoying recently. The common threads among much of the music I gravitate toward are imagination, risk, presence, sincerity, and love. I actually keep a running list on my phone of musicians who embody these traits — maybe I’ll share more about that in a future newsletter. All of the titles below should link to their respective recordings. Enjoy!
2. Richard Strauss - Selections from Salome
3. John Coltrane - Live in Japan… bonus interviews at the end
4. Clifford Brown & Max Roach - self-titled
5. John Abercrombie & Vince Mendoza - Animato
7. Emerson String Quartet - Beethoven: The Late String Quartets
8. Mary Halvorson - About Ghosts
10. Baikida E.J. Carroll - Orange Fish Tears
11. Dimitri Shostakovich - Ashkenazy: 24 Prelude & Fugues, Op. 87
12. First Place Again - Paul Desmond with the beautiful rhythm section of Jim Hall, Percy Heath and Connie Kay
BONUS
Dig this simple and delicious pasta recipe. I whipped it up for friends over Labor Day weekend in Montauk while we were standing around trying to think of what to make for dinner;) It’s a keeper!