Monday, October 13, 2008

Blues for Gene Solon

Hartford, CT

Gene Solon passed away on October sixth.

I met Gene when I first moved to Hartford. We ran into each other where one could often find Gene, up front at a concert, digging the sounds and issuing commentary. Gene did with me what he did with many of us - quickly got to work weaving connections between me and people that I “just had to meet.”

Gene turned me on to much over the years. In Hartford, he mentored me by bringing me on board as a grant panelist at the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, where he worked. Much of what I know today about grant writing came through that ten year experience. Gene was part of something we have lost at the Commission, where he was part of a group of arts administrators, many of whom were either artists themselves or might as well have been, who were so passionate about the arts and those who created and presented it (Betsy Mahaffey comes to mind!).

Gene’s sensibilities and manner of inhabiting the world, personally and professionally, were infused by a deep and abiding love of family. He raised three children as a single parent. As his son Kendall put it, “my father was good for people.” Gene was certainly good for me.

I love you, Gene. I really miss you!

Image of Gene Solon by Sanda Schuldmann

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Atmospheres of Thought


Go: Organic Orchestra
Roulette/New York, NY

Adam Rudolph returns with the east coast version of Go: Organic Orchestra for another Monday series at Roulette on October 20, 27 & November 10, 17. We are moving into the next phase of the development of the ensemble and the steady unfolding of it’s understanding and fluency of/with Adam’s conception of blended notation and conduction grounded by a delightfully distinctive poly-rhythmic stew.

Some recent reports from listeners:
I caught a performance of Go: Organic Orchestra down in SoHo last spring and was swept away by what they were doing. It was fascinating and ahead of its time, in the best possible way. I loved every minute of it.
Marc Meyer/jazzwax.com
I was fortunate to have attended two nights with Adam Rudolph's Go Organic Orchestra at Roulette a few months back and was blown away by Adam's distinctive blend of jazz and world music as well as his conducting.
Bruce Lee Gallanter/Downtown Music Gallery
The musicians:

Stephen Haynes, Amir Elsaffar, Graham Haynes, Steve Swell, Peter Zummo/Brass; Ralph Jones, Ned Rothenberg, Charles Waters, David Rothenberg, Avram Fefer, JD Parran, Sara Schoenbeck, Salim Washington, Batya Sobel, Sylvain Leroux, Ze Luis, Michel Gentile, Kaoru Watanabe /Reeds and Flutes; Daniel Levin, Kirsten Jerme, Charles Burnham, Sarah Bernstein, Trina Basu, Jason Hwang, Lindsey Horner, Kevin Farrell/Strings; Kenny Wessel, Leni Stern, Marco Cappelli, Stuart Popejoy /Guitars; Harris Eisenstadt, Brahim Fribgane, Jonathan Singer, Dende de Bahia, Magnus Lindgaard/Drums and Percussion; Chris Dingman/Vibraphone; Alex Marcelo/Acoustic Piano plus additional TBA artists.

Not to be missed!