Sheldon Brown Ensemble performing Blood of the Air
Blood of the Air celebrates the freedom of the imagination and the spontaneous, natural melody of the spoken word. It is based on the work of Beat-era Surrealist poet Philip Lamantia, whose wild imagery sets the tone and whose mellifluous voice provides melodic and rhythmic elements. While primarily instrumental, the work features live readings, recordings of Lamantia reading his work, and reinterpretations of Lamantia's speech melodies by singer
Lorin Benedict, using his own idiosyncratic language. Blood of the Air answers Surrealism's siren call of the “Marvelous," the uncannily sublime. Blood of the Air has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America's 2013 New Jazz Works: Commissioning and Ensemble Development program (funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation) and with support from San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music.
Sheldon Brown: Composer, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Darren Johnston: Trumpet
Andrew Joron: Theremin, Spoken Word
Lorin Benedict: Voice
Dave Mac Nab: Guitar
John Finkbeiner: Guitar
Jonathan Alford: Piano
Michael Wilcox: Bass
Vijay Anderson: Drums
Alan Hall: Drums
Blood of the Air has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works: Commissioning and Ensemble Development program funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.