This was the first week in many months that I was able to contribute a piece to ImprovFriday. And it reminded me why I’ve missed it so much. ImprovFriday is a worldwide online collective of improvisational musicians, using all kinds of instruments, electric, electronic and acoustic. Every weekend they (and now, again, we) perform improvisations and post them to the site.
I’ve been endlessly inspired by what this group comes up with, but my favorite part is that people frequently reuse others’ work in their own. I was so honored this week three times, most recently by a Japanese guitarist, Kawol of Samarkand. His piece, “Nightfly,” turns mine into a duet, contrasting my modulated harmonica with a gorgeous acoustic guitar part. Where my harp was dark and turbulent, his guitar is crystal clear.
Richard Sanderson (how can you not love a guy whose blog tag is “Post Punk, Improvisation and Morris Dancing”?) included my piece with several others in “Stealth Blonde,” and Steve Layton used it in a lovely piece called Thin Walls and Neon Lights.
All the pieces are on the ImprovFriday home page and I highly recommend them for Saturday afternoon listening.