2011 is winding down and I'm remembering one day back in Miami during the
80's when I was doing a Sunday walk. I remember projecting ahead into the future like the year 2011 and thinking about what I would be doing, how I would be living. Would I be rich and famous by then, flying around in a personal spacecraft. No such luck.
 
As the year ends there are as many projects in various stages of completion as there are finished. Last week saw a session for 'The Faithless Wife' a song with
revised lyrics from Garcia-Lorca. Also a trio for flute, harp and percussion lies waiting for me to take it up again. Written this year are works for string quartet-
'Altar Dust', several poems, and close to finishing a short story about rabbits.
 
2011 has to the worst year for me in terms of gigs in KC, but the concert at Californos and the rime center concert were highlights of the year.
 
Happy New Year and good luck in 2012!

My new group project had its first performance sat Oct. 8th
Whirled Music Consort performed at Stone Temple Lodge on sat eve for about a dozen persons. THe group consists of Chris Ellman on tabla and percussion, Chuck Wines on numerous woodwind instruments both eastern and western.
And myself on guitars and vocals. Our rep right now is a combination of well chosen tunes like Gentle Rain, 500 Miles High, John BarleyCorn music Die, as well as instrumentals and vocal tunes of mine.
 
We'll be mixing some tracks this coming weekend and performing more soon in the KCMO area. Check calender for dates.
 
best
 
Kevin

This weekend of Sept 10/11 I will be recording music with two musicians:
Chris Ellman tablas/dhumbek and Chuck Wines woodwinds.
The new trio is called 'Whirled Music Consort' within which we will explore the intersections of American fingerstyle guitar with classical indian tala rhythms,
seasoned melodically with western and non western wooodwinds.
 
Our first concert is OCt. 8th at Stone Spirit Lodge(see calendar)

Having just turned 55 this past sunday I thought I would post a few passing notes. 
I thought I heard the wakeup call when I turned 50, I really hear it now. How are artists supposed to have the peace of mind to create when every week and month is 
dominated by the bottom line of basic survival! 
 
Anyway the summer was not without events: retreat with Jan at the Benedictine Monastery in north Missouri, composed 'The Faithless Wife' with revised lyrics by Garcia Lorca, family reunion in Tampa and meeting my 1/2 great nieces!, copied 
the score to 'Aria for Amelia'(soprano and string orchestra), performed with Miss Conception and fellow poets on KC FRinge Festival.
 
So the fall looms without  a car, no regular job, sigh................

Just a few reflections on the May 1st concert at Californos. What an afternoon
of music! We premiered several pieces for voice and piano, horn and piano,
oboe and multi percussion, piano solo, guitar and mandolin. My fellow composer Phil DeWalt was on the bill with me marking the first time we have had music on the same concert since the 1980's!
 
So many performers to thank- sopranos Suzanne Hatcher, Elizabeth Birger,
tenor Aaron Burns, oboist Justin Stewart, percussionist Dustin Mott,
Lester Morris, horn, Ben Spalding and Jenny Memott piano, and DJ Sweeney
jazz vocals.  Lots of great music making, just wihs we would have had a few more people. Looking forward to hearing the audio recording.
 
 

My new track 'City of Dhoom' which you can hear on this website(open song downloads window) is also available online at cdbaby.com and itunes among other pay per track sites.
 
City of Dhoom features myself on vocal and baritone guitar, Rob Foster on
violin and viola, and Alluadin Ottinger on percussion.
I call it 'chamber world folk'  for lack of a better description.
It intended to be the title track of a projected third cd recording.
Stay tuned for more releases as the year progresses.
 
best
Kevin

Well its time to reflect on this years work for me once again. as the year ends I've just completed an aria of sorts for soprano and string orchestra. Its supposed to be used in a local film to be produced next year. New compositions include 'Transfigured Grace' for tenor and piano with lyrics by allen ginsburg. Earlier in the year I composed my first work for baritone guitar
'chaccone for pleasant despair'.
 
Summer highlights inlcuded a concert at The Fishtank with various musicians and a first performance of 'Prayer Call for Simurgh' for oboe and multi-percussionist. Several new poems were written and I'm trying to finish a short story 'Harbor Town' (inspired by a previous song of the same name) by the end of the year.
 
This fall I recorded 'Citi of Dhoom' with my friend Alluadin Ottinger on percussion and Rob Foster violin/viola as a first track towards a 3rd cd release. Overall its been a fairly productive year.

My main summer performance project is this Fridays concert at The Fishtank Performance Studio in downtown KCMO. I'll be premiering a new work for
oboe and multi percussion-'Prayer Call for Simurgh'. Also on the show are a few works for violin and guitar. Then I'll read some poetry and play a few guitar instrumentals to close out the show. I'm very happy to be receiving these performances from some young and talented musicians.
 

The winter got by me completely with no posts or blogs so I thought it was time to put a few thoughts down here. REcent shows have been interesting including opening up for Jeff Beck, well sort of, I played the VIP area at least at Starlight for his show a couple of weeks back.
 
Last weekend May 8th I reunited with Danny Cox,one of my longest standing musician friends here in KC for a show at The Writer's Place. We had a nice crowd and response so that was a highlight of the spring for me so far.
 
I will take reception of a new full length keyboard for my studio in a couple of days. This is part of a rebuilding of my electronic music studio that has fallen apart over the alst few years. New songs and instrumentals keep rolling in every few weeks as always. A recent song for the baritone guitar is entitled
City of Doom, ala Conan. lol
 
Well thats about it for, best wishes to all who come here.
Kevin
 

Well here is my closing blog for the website for 2009. This year I have managed to write to new guitar solos- 'Kung Fu Enlightenment', and
'Devil Sticks Anyone'. Also finished work on 'A Little Secret' for the People's Liberation big Band, nos have to finsih the parts, sigh.
 
A late year project is a new art song for soprano and piano 'The Nest' which sets to my own music lyrics originally by Jimmie Spheeris from his early 70's album Isle of View (say that real fast) lol
the song is almost five minutes long and features some my freshest sounding harmonies of recent vintage.
 
Still looking to publish my edited poetry book- 'Prayer Flags'
Early November saw the purchase of a Yairi-Alvarez jumbo baritone guitar.
Rep for that instrument is slow in coming due to all the other projects.
 
2009 saw me playing over 45 gigs in KCMO including a Kc Fringe Fest gig at the KC Club! Overall a productive year. Best wishes to all who come hear to my site in the new year 2010.
 
kevin