i am very pleased to be part of a project generated by sean blezzard. the cd has just been released and is available in hard copy and download from the man himself.
these are very exciting compositions involving many musicians from various backgrounds, using a range of instruments both traditional and electronic, as well as spoken word/poetry.
sean first submitted a series of sketches – which we used as a basis for improvisation – and then re-arranged all the participants’ responses into completely new compositions.
please have a listen and order your copy following the links…
What Is Some Some Unicorn?
Some Some Unicorn is an experiment in communal music making.
Working on the border of composition and improvisation this work has drawn together 30 artists from the fields of improv, electronics, jazz, poetry and popular music. Some names you will know, some you don’t yet, but all have given time and talent to become Some Some Unicorn.
The concept originated during my time as a New Voice composer with Sound and Music after many conversations about what a composer is. Are you a composer if you improvise? So I decided to make an album that was composed from a variety of improvisations. I recorded a couple of hours worth of improvisational ‘sketches’ on iPad which were uploaded to the cloud and an open call went out for others to work with the material, playing along or playing with it. This completed part one, twelve tracks of dense work that was put out again for ‘overdubs’.
When I got the second versions back the hard work began of getting an album that was coherent and still featured everyone. It was now called Some Some Unicorn and The Golden Periphery and I’ve slowly mixed and edited it down to an album length. There were around 30 musicians and artists involved in this part of the process all bringing their own talents, but a special note to poet Ann Wilson for the words and artist Ruth Green for the original artwork – they really have pulled the concept together 🙂
Shaun Blezard 2014
Thanks to Sound and Music for the tremendous support during my time as a New Voice composer.
credits
released 13 December 2014
Music: Shaun Blezard with Aardvark, Martin Archer, Jamie Barnes, Alex Botten, David Browne, Adrian Carter, Matt Cowe, Alexander Cutteridge, James Darrington, Pete Dent, Anthony Donovan, Graham Dowdall, Dave Fleet, Simon Fox, Samuel Freeman, Phill Gregg, Stephen Grew, The Kendal Mintcake, David Wright LaGrone, Alexx O’Shea, Herve Perez, Stuart Russell, Ian Simpson, Stephen Shiell, Jim Tetlow, Roger Vaughn, Jonathan Watt, Steve Wharton, Hannah White and the SSU Choir of Hope
Words: Ann Wilson
Original artwork: Ruth Green
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