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WILDCRAFTED is a word used in herbal medicine that means "harvested from nature in a conscious, ethical and sustainable way". I imagined someone walking in the forest and encountering a jazz trio playing among the trees, quickly grabbing a tape recorder - but not capturing the whole concert, leaving some of the notes to resonate throughout the woods for future generations...wildcrafted live music!
Live recordings tend to bring out the best in players - the energy, spontaneity, and even occasional human error which makes the experience all the more alive and real. We took some exciting risks on this recording - many of the songs were brand new and never played before. As both a composer and interpreter of other people's work, I'm striving now to find closer personal connections to the songs I perform. The new original material is drawn mostly from my life experiences, real or dreamt.
For example, "Tea and Watercolors" was inspired by a friend's apartment by the sea, suffused with aromas of brewing chai spices, its boldly colored walls decorated with homemade paintings.
"Ghost in the Photograph" recalls an old ballroom in a forgotten hotel, with sepia toned photographs on the wall of dancers long departed - or maybe the apparition that appears if someone dashes in front of a camera set to long exposure.
"Breath of the Volcano" conjures a volcano in Japan that breathes sulphur smoke from its boiling, craggy nostrils. "The Kindest Soul" is dedicated to my late friend and mentor, James Williams, and expresses feelings of appreciation for all of my life teachers and guides - people, places, events.
I recorded "Stompin' at the Savoy" originally on my 1997 album, "Turn Up the Quiet", with Joshua Redman and Christian McBride. "Venus as a Boy" is a song I love to play by Björk, which I first covered in 2000 on my solo piano CD "Zero One".
"Koikugari Bushi" is a contemporary Okinawan song by Sadao China, which was originally recorded by the Nenes, a popular female singing group in Okinawa. The word "koikugari" translates roughly as "burning love".
"Mirrim" comes from my previous CD, "Falling Up", and is the only repeat on this CD from the last album. The tempo is much faster here, however, and the song takes on a more intense character. I have recorded Ellington's "Black and Tan Fantasy" three times now - I guess I like this song! It always feels good to play a blues at some point during my shows, so chances are you'll hear this song if you come to the concert.
At all times, we endeavor to play music without fear - energetic, inventive, alive and awake. Beautiful and crazy. In an era of shellshocked apathy and ubiquitous, corporate force-fed mediocrity, we try our best to offer an alternative. My sincere wish is that this music will bring you joy and light.
Geoffrey |
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| | Stompin' at the Savoy | | | Tea and Watercolors | | | Koikugari Bushi | | | Mirrim (Wildcrafted version) | | | Venus as a Boy | | | The Kindest Soul (For J.W.) | | | Black and Tan Fantasy | | | Ghost in the Photograh | | | Breath of the Volcano | |
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Geoffrey Keezer: piano, fender rhodes
Matt Clohesy: bass
Terreon Gully: drums |
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