BLOB

Earphonious Swamphony

Innova 237

 

 

 

BLOB

John Lindberg: Double Bass, Effects Devices

Ted Orr: Electric Guitar, Axon MIDI Guitar

Harvey Sorgen: Drums

With Special Guest

Ralph Carney: Clarinets, Bass Saxophone,

Tuba, Bass Trombone, Flute

3:21 1. Humidity

                        4:07 2. Leaps and Bulls

                        2:30 3. Blue Trees

                        4:34 4. Muck

                        3:23 5. River Mouth

                        1:43 6. Robust Bog

                        3:20 7. Mire

                        5:01 8. Splash

                        3:24 9. Trickles

                        6:35 10. Sweat

                        3:54 11. Lagoon

                        2:51 12. Heavy Droplets

                        4:47 13. Wind Woods

 

 

Some BLOBanation of the music held herein:

 

HarveyÕs father once remarked to him, while he was still a burgeoning drummer practicing incessantly at home, ÒSon, your music just isnÕt earphonious, itÕs really not.Ó

 

So that explains that part.

 

A BLOBinition of swamphony: A wet, spongy place, having growth of certain types and an effective combination of colors, but unfit for cultivation.

 

And there are the inner-workings of our album title.

 

It connects in a plethora of ways with comments, observations and perspectives on the music of this unique ensemble.

 

For example, Woodstock-based journalist Peter Aaron simply commented, ÒGreat gooey gobs of sound. Wonderfully freakish, ever-unfolding excursions.Ó

 

He also elicited this rather telling quote from John, ÒWe go into this no-holds-barred rubber room—the BLOBosphere--and experiment. Every time we play, it goes somewhere interesting.Ó

 

Vague and indefinite forms that imbed themselves in your soul.

 

Spots and splashes of color that enlighten your brain.

 

Indeed.

 

To be BLOBbed is to be splashed with blobs, while to be BLOBbing is to splash about with blobs.

 

You may then ask what is a blob in this case? One rather descriptive BLOBination would be:

 

A bubbly globule of liquid sound that has no distinct shape or definition, replete with daubs, as of color, mixed into a soft, amorphous mass.

 

BLOB is an electric instrumental ensemble experience that focuses on performing and recording their spontaneously created theme-based journeys that embrace a multiplicity of genres, taking their burgeoning legion of followers to exciting energy and spirit driven spaces with each foray.

 

BLOB is all about the moment, and those moments are eclectic, honest, and heart pounding. It is full-out instrumental playing, utilizing live electronics, within a stream of consciousness mindset that speaks to a world in desperate need of this level of immediate expressionism.

 

BLOB is to be experienced and spontaneously subsumed, and therefore ultimately it is, of course, whatever you perceive it to beÉ

 

We invite you to immerse yourself in this musical language, this Earphonious Swamphony, and explore it together with us.

 

Always BLOBular in nature, consistently surprising, let it bring smiles to your ears.

 

— John Lindberg

(as compiled from a host of BLOBisms)

Kerhonkson, NY, 2010

John Lindberg has been a seminal figure as a composer/bassist in the world of creative music for well over thirty years, having toured worldwide performing his own work leading a variety of ensembles, with the String Trio of New York, and as featured bassist with the Human Arts Ensemble, Anthony Braxton, Kevin Norton and Wadada Leo Smith. His vast and diverse discography includes solo bass works, multiple small mixed ensembles, string quintets, large chamber ensembles, JazzHopRevolution (his recent collaboration with hip-hop emcee Rahman Jamaal), and beyond. He is a two-time recipient of the NYFA Fellowship.

www.johnlindberg.com

 

Ted Orr is a renowned guitar virtuoso and an innovator in the arena of midi guitar performance. He has recorded and/or performed with a wide span of artists including Sly Stone, George Clinton & P-Funk, Karl Berger, and Nana Vasconcelos. Ted maintains a parallel career as an audio engineer; a unique talent that has given BLOB its public voice.

 

Harvey Sorgen has developed a unique and broad-based drumming vocabulary that has added vitality to the works of artists ranging from Hot Tuna, Dave Douglas, David Torn, Bill Frisell, Greg Allman, and Garth Hudson, amongst many others.  He maintains an active presence as an international touring and recording artist in high demand.

 

Special guest multi-instrumentalist Ralph Carney brings his astounding musical empathy to this recording, adding yet another spice to the BLOB mix.

BLOB

John Lindberg: Double Bass, Effects Devices

Ted Orr: Electric Guitar, Axon MIDI Guitar

Harvey Sorgen: Drums

With Special Guest

Ralph Carney: Clarinets, Bass Saxophone, Tuba, Bass Trombone, Flute

Produced by Lindberg/Orr/Sorgen

Engineered, edited and mixed by Ted Orr

at Sertso Studio, Woodstock, NY, June, 2009

All compositions by Lindberg/Orr/Sorgen, Lindy Publishing Co. (ASCAP/SACEM)

www.blobmusic.com

 

Harvey Sorgen plays Fidock Handcrafted Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Remo Drum Heads and EveryoneÕs Drumming Percussion exclusively.

 

Ted Orr thanks PRS Guitars, Axon/ TerraTec, and GraphTech for their support.

 

John Lindberg plays any decent string bass heÕs lucky enough to get his hands on.

If heÕs not playing it acoustic, as is often his wont, then heÕll try plugging it into about anything, at least once.

 

innova is supported by an endowment

from the McKnight Foundation.

Philip Blackburn: Director, design

Chris Campbell: Operations Manager

www.innova.mu

 

Supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.  InnovaÕs NYFA Series celebrates music by the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellows in Music Composition.