Solo Guitar

Delta is dedicated to Craig Taborn and ends with Coltrane’s Satellite and 26-2 – I’ve been thinking a lot about how these two masters voice lead through triads.
For los seres is dedicated to David Virelles and was inspired by his fictional drum ensemble, Los Seres. I tried to achieve a similar rhythmic texture on guitar, used a whammy pedal to fil out the sound, and it’s the only track with processing – just simple cut up audio files for a stuttering effect inbetween different harmonic fields.
Phobos and Deimos is inspired by my study of late Coltrane the last few years. In 2021-22 I transcribed most of “Mars” from Interstellar Space, “Expression” from the album of the same name, and “Tranesonic” from Stellar Regions, and listened to the rest of those records on repeat. It’s crazy to learn parts of his solos on Giant Steps or Countdown and see the handful patterns and strategies he was using to navigate the changes, fast forward 1-2 years to Satellite or 26-2 and hear it massively expand, and then fast forward another 6-7 years to his usage of these harmonies on the late stuff- it’s insane.

4. Schreiben – uses 2 preparations- a slide and a pencil- in addition to extended guitar techniques. I didn’t feature my noise practice as much on this record because my soon-to-be-released duo record with saxophonist Erin Rogers, Earth’s Precisions, features it extensively.

5. Stella by Starlight – by Victor Young.

6. Für Grund – dedicated to Christian Lillinger. While recording this piece, I imagined I was playing duo with him, responding and interacting together.

7. Boo Boo’s Birthday – by Thelonious Monk. My arrangement is inspired by Ben Monder’s solo guitar arrangements.

8. Nsala Banda – also uses a pencil preparation.

9. Raag Nandkauns – dedicated to my teacher Anupam Shobhakar. I chose this raag, because the first time my teacher played it for me, I saw stars. It felt like the atmosphere in the room changed- the light and walls literally looked blue? Though our gharana mostly plays Ustad Ali Akbar Khansaheb’s Chandranandan instead (which was partly based on Nandkauns) it has remained a favorite and seemed a fitting first recording. The classical Alap, Jor, Jhalla format.

10. Thavil – inspired by one of my great musical obsessions, South Indian Temple music with Nadaswaram and Thavil. Thavil is a double-sided barrel drum, and this piece is based off of Thavil performances I have seen at Sri Marriaman temple in Singapore.

11. Off Minor – by Thelonious Monk

12. Solitude – by Duke Ellington

13. Blues for Chick – an in the studio composition dedicated to the recently departed master, my absolute favorite, Chick Corea.

14. Cloches (demo) – the last two tracks are both early demos, hence less clarity in the sound.

15. Satellite (demo) – again working through some of Coltrane’s voice leading ideas.