Lawrence Peryer joins James Falzone and his Division Ensemble for conversations and performances that shed light on the art of improvisation.
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Today’s episode is a recording of our recent live event, which took place at the Royal Room in Seattle, WA, on June 22, 2024. The event, Improvisation in Music and Life, featured me in conversation with and performances by James Falzone’s Division Ensemble.
You may remember James from an episode earlier this year. After we recorded that discussion, we set to scheming about other things we might do together, and this live show was the first result. In addition to being our bandleader and clarinetist for this show, James is both Dean and a Professor of Music at Cornish College here in Seattle.
The Division Ensemble is a group of master improvisers that includes James Falzone on clarinet, Ray Larsen on trumpet, Wayne Horvitz on piano, Abbey Blackwell on bass, and Rocky Martin on drums.
During the live show, we explored the nature of improvisation in music and how its principles are relevant to all aspects of life. James and the band performed his compositions, as well as a completely free, composed-in-the-moment piece.
The conversation was rich, and the music was superb. I was so fortunate to share the stage with these talents and am so happy to share this with you. I look forward to your feedback on this episode and to meeting you at a live event in the future.
About the music in this episode
1. G.F.O.P. (Falzone)
2. There Is Often Another Way (Falzone)
3. Brooklyn Lines (Falzone)
4. Everything Is Now Equalized (an open improvisation) (Falzone/Larsen/Horvitz/Blackwell/Martin)
5. Room 307 (Falzone)
6. A Dream In Which Appeared Marc Chagall (Falzone)
We are offering a poster, t-shirt, and mug based on the poster art from our live show, which is available now at https://spotlightonpodcast.com/store. The coffee mug is the very same one given to each musician who performed at the show.
Our event poster was designed by David Gorman, guest alum of the podcast and a Grammy-winning art director whose credits include work on albums by Otis Redding, Willie Nelson, Keith Richards, Sam Cooke, the Doors, and Paul Simon.
We will donate a portion of every event item purchased to the South Hudson Music Project, the presenting organization for live events at the Royal Room.
Special thanks to James Falzone and the members of his Division Ensemble: Ray Larsen, Wayne Horvitz, Abbey Blackwood, and Rocky Martin. Thank you to Aleida, Sheridan, Simon, Ben, and the entire team at the Royal Room. Thank you to David Gorman for the wonderful poster art. Thank you to Alyssa Seng and JazzED, and Tim Carey at Jazz Night School. And thank you to everyone who attended the live show.
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00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
00:02:35 - Opening Performance: "G.F.O.P."
00:06:26 - Discussing the Nature of Improvised Music
00:11:09 - The Role of Time in Improvisation
00:19:30 - Performance: "There Is Often Another Way"
00:25:15 - Exploring Ensemble Dynamics and Decision-Making
00:31:36 - Performance: "Brooklyn Lines"
00:36:12 - Focus, Attention, and Situational Awareness in Improvisation
00:43:45 - Open Improvisation: "Everything Is Now Equalized"
00:48:52 - Preparing for Improvisation: Physical and Mental Aspects
00:56:44 - Applying Improvisation Skills to Daily Life
01:00:04 - The Intersection of Modern and Traditional Improvisation
01:02:15 - Performance: "Room 307"
01:08:03 - Ensemble Size and Improvisation
01:11:33 - Closing Remarks
01:13:22 - Final Performance: "A Dream In Which Appeared Mark Chagall"
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