Gravity Falls @ McCabes 5/13/12

Renata Bratt plays cello and Randy Hoffman plays glockenspiel and cardboard box. I love these two musicians. We've played together since the love affair began around 1992/3. We've made several albums together in various configurations, (Garage Orchestra, Straight Outta Marysville, Living Room 16, Beloved Stranger). 


Randy has been a percussionist since college where he met the great avant gard composer Harry Partch and played with him and his ensemble for over 20 years. If you want a real kick look Partsch's instruments up and you'll see all the stuff Randy had to learn to play, giant bass xylophones, train whistles, the Quadrangularis Reversum etc...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Partch


When I met Renata I thought, 'now here's a real musician, she reads notes and she has a phd in cello'. I was completely intimidated. But I asked her to play with me anyways, and hummed out little parts for her to play w the ensemble that were well beneath her ability. She was fun, she was smart and she was up to putting together an ensemble with me that was new and different. 


Years ago, a wise businessman said to me; "Whatever you don't don't get attached to the people you work with in the music business." Seemed look a good idea, but I never figured out how to employee that advice. I either fall in love with the music, musicians, business partners or it's sort of a slightly extended one-off date. 


I remember reading somewhere, (in maybe the 1967 interviews between Paul Williams and David Anderle) that Brian Wilson used to write his songs hearing the sounds of the instruments in his head, he could hear the drums of Hal Blaine, the bass playing of Carol Kaye, the voices of his brother and cousin and friends and they were all sounds he was in love with, inspiring new and intriguing melodies. 


I've felt this way for many years about these two musicians, and some of the others too, that were pulled by the gravity of the music. You serge me forward, helping me reach for greater heights artistically. I am forever indebted to the music you've inspired. Where the music actually comes from is still a mystery, but there's another one ahead now, it's gravity pulling us into it's orbit and a song is born.