A send off for 2023
Hello friends!
I feel like this year has held the events and energetic shifts of at least three. Whether your thinking locally or globally, it's clear to me that we are in times of change. I have no idea if we'll end up better or worse off in the long run, but in everything from the music scene to geopolitics, things are breaking apart at the seams.
I know this sounds heavy for an end-of-year post, but for me it's important context for appreciating the good things that have come our way , and also gives us a chance to reevaluate what things we think are actually good.
In terms of my musical life, 2023 was probably the busiest of my career so far, which has forced me to think a lot about what I value most.
I started the year deep in creative mode recording the Raro album (De Tu Miedo Aprendí) and a Sophie Rae album that is still forthcoming. The intense amount of rehearsals for those projects got me thinking very compositionally, so I began work on a new suite of music for cello, electric guitar, vocals, percussion and bass. Progress on that music has been methodical to say the least, spread out over a handful of Calculated Discomfort concerts this year. Honestly I was hoping to be a little farther along with it, but I think we're ready to make a really nice recording in early 2024, which I'm really excited about.
As the year went on, part by necessity and part by circumstance, I found myself moving more into get-work-done mode. I played jazz gigs, pop covers at various events, African drumming workshops, and lots of Latin music. I definitely learned and played the most "non original" music I've ever played in a year. On one hand this soothed one of my major insecurities as a musician, and definitely deepened my sense of craftsmenship on my instrument. On the other hand, doing more jobbing lead me to several moments of identity crisis. Original music and the exploration of sound are my main passions in music. Getting to play some pretty sweet gigs with great repertoire bands and still feeling something was missing reminded me of this. Getting back to work on my next album, The Harmony of Rhythm, has given me a feeling of rediscovering myself and I can't wait to share the sounds with you this winter.
I released the live album The Best Part of Capitalism is the Snacks, produced a show called the Chicago Rhythm All Stars, and played some fun Calculated Discomfort and Prosthetic shows in 2023, but I feel my main form of creative expression came through jam sessions. For the first 3/4 of the year I held down my monthly residency at the Golden Dagger, where I hosted jams for the past five years. I began building a new version of Prosthetic, and continued connecting with new friends and collaborators. When the Dagger shut down in September, I was given the opportunity to do the session weekly at Porkchop Edgewater. So far it's been a total blast watching a little community building around improvisation in a laid back setting, and of course continue workshopping our own improvisational language with Prosthetic.
I don't talk about it enough, but I also got to jump-start the Chicago Noise Orchestra in June with Luna Rail at the Agitator Gallery. As the principle conductor and a fellow performer, this group has allowed me to go even further into the idea of sound expression. It's also started to help me apply my love of science fiction to music, and rediscover my interest in electronics. This is a jam open to all and we do it every third Thursday of the month from 7-11pm. I'd highly recommend stopping by to contribute noise or just let it wash over you.
All in all, it's been a musical year, and I'm so grateful for that. The challenges to society are immense, but sharing in collective sound making is a small thing I feel can at least brighten day-to-day life. If we shared space this year, I hope you feel the same way. Whether your you celebrate new years, a different seasonal holiday, or just think time is a stupid flat circle, I hope you have a great week ahead, and I hope to see you soon. As a parting gift, here's a little musical treat from Prosthetic to send you into 2024, featuring some of my most frequent collaborators this year.
Tommy