Archive for August, 2006

Lessons for Rufus: Emulating and composing for string orchestra

Thursday, August 31st, 2006

My dear Rufus,
I read with interest that you are including a string quartet in your recent recording sessions. I also have read that you will be producing your next album as well. I hope that soon you will stop relying on others to orchestrate your music as well. The best way to learn how to [...]

J. Tarbell: Substrate

Wednesday, August 30th, 2006

Visit J. Tarbell’s SUBSTRATE.
Lines likes crystals grow on a computational substrate. A simple perpendicular growth rule creates intricate city-like structures.
Click on the small, medium or large button and watch the “complexification art” of j. tarbell. His Gallery of Computation is a remarkable experience.

Leonard Cohen: Suzanne (excerpt of live performance)

Tuesday, August 29th, 2006

At The Isle of Wight festival

CAGES: reel one

Tuesday, August 29th, 2006

I spent yesterday doing a little preparation work for CAGES, the film by Graham Streeter, that is in post-production. Back from “vacation” I’m in the middle of composing, performing and recording music for this film. Today I finished reel one, which includes the very important opening credits and is about 17 minutes long. On this [...]

Leonard Cohen: Suzanne

Tuesday, August 29th, 2006

As long as we’re on a Leonard Cohen roll, here is the song that grabbed many of us for the first time, making us lifelong Cohen fans. I got to know the original as well as the haunting Judy Collins rendition and love them both. The video finally showed up on YouTube, and there is [...]

Leonard Cohen: Dance me to the end of love

Tuesday, August 29th, 2006

Every once in a while, a song comes into your life and it colors your entire season, say summer. And whenever you hear this song, you go back to that place. Allow me to highly recommend a song that will take you over and be your soundtrack for a few weeks, if not months: “Dance [...]

Trip around Western Maui

Monday, August 28th, 2006

Here is a map that shows the structure of Maui. On Friday, Mark and I went up the mountain on the right (Haleakala Crater) and you saw the pictures we took and heard the story. Saturday we decided to go around the left mountain. We had been warned the the road on the northern [...]

Rufus Anthology?!!!

Sunday, August 27th, 2006

musicroom.com is selling [no they're not] a Rufus Wainwright collection called “Anthology” for £14.95. I have been deluged by Wainwright piano playing enthusiasts begging me for my transcriptions. I have denied them all, bitch that I am. But now, a light appears from the UK! Is it? Is it? could it really be? an anthology? [...]

Tennis elbow??

Sunday, August 27th, 2006

Dude, I don’t even PLAY tennis and my right elbow is killing me. My doctor said “if it is still a problem after 3 months, come back and I can give you a cortisone shot, but I’d rather not do that. Here are some exercises.” I think I’m bending my elbow all the way when [...]

Back to LA

Sunday, August 27th, 2006

It’s 4:30 in the morning; up to catch a 6 hour flight back to LA. I have one more post that I’ll make tonight. We drove around the entire West Maui mountain. Wowie.
What was odd is that the moon didn’t appear a single time during our entire stay until last night at dinner where we [...]