Mercury Falls - Spring Pools

I've always had a hard time describing the music of Mercury Falls. The labels prog rock, ambient jazz, and fusion all fit, but I generally don't like music that falls in those categories. This band I've loved ever since Patrick gave me a copy of the yet unreleased master of Quadrangle, Mercury Fall's debut album that we put out on Porto Franco Records in 2010. Due to their bicoastalism, it wasn't until February 2014 that I finally pinned MF down at their practice studio in Oakland and got some music on proverbial film (film was digital, but I'm pretty happy with how silvery the end result turned out). Since recording Quadrangle, Roger Riedlbauer and Sam Bevan (who will soon be featured in a duet video with Meklit) filled the respective musical shoes of Ryan Francesconi and Eric Perney. Watch out for the intricately woven textures of Tim Bulkley's drum work and the looped alto saxophone harmonies. This song gets pretty big in no small part thanks to Myles Boisen, who managed to get my recording to sound far better than I ever would.

Personnel and credits:

Composition by Patrick Cress and Ryan Francesconi
Patrick Cress: alto sax + pedals
Roger Riedlbauer: guitar
Sam Bevan: bass
Tim Bulkley: drums
Mixed by Myles Boisen

Melford, Bennink, Goldberg & Oliver play Misha Mengelberg

In January 2014 I found myself at 4 shows and one studio session featuring Ben Goldberg. I think I taped all five. I'm slowly working through the footage and will post some more this Spring.

Walking into Duende on January 23, I didn't know what musical direction the group would take. I first heard of Myra Melford and Ben Goldberg when they independently collaborated with The Nice Guy Trio in 2008, but I hadn't heard of Mary Oliver or Han Bennink, so I was in for a treat. In love with all the emotion Han wrings out of his drum set before settling into the hard driving swing in the second part of the tune.

I should have miked the piano. I didn't. I apologize.

Gaucho with Tamar Korn

This was my first real video shoot with two cameras and everything. In January 2010 we shot video of the entire Gaucho Pearl recording sessions at Amnesia bar, 853 Valencia street. You can still hear the band there every Wednesday night.

Personnel:

Ralph Carney - ts, Rob Reich - acc, Dave Ricketts - gt, Michael Groh - gt, Ari Munkres - b, Pete Devine - dr, with special guests: Tamar Korn - vocals, Leon Oakley - cornet.

Here are some other songs from the same sessions.

Dave Mihaly's Shimmering Leaves

I'm taking some time this winter break to edit footage I shot over the last couple of years. This is from November 2012. In 2010 Dave released Eastern Accents in the Far West with the trio version of this ensemble on Porto Franco Records.

Personnel:

Ara Anderson - tr, David Boyce - ts, Michael Cavaseno - gt, Dave Mihaly - dr