Third Album Release of the Year + 2024 Roundup
Blake's third album of 2024 is now available
I planned to release three new albums this year, and the third one is out today: The Apprentice to the Surgeon of the Nightsky / Fourth World Volume XVII / by Vincent Curson Smith & Blake Leyh
The new record is a tribute to Jon Hassell who died in 2021 and has been a guiding star to me for decades. You can find it at all the streaming places and there’s a nice CD version for sale on Bandcamp. Maybe we’ll put out vinyl in 2025 if there seems to be demand? Demand, lol! I hear Ned Sublette’s voice: “We’ll sell dozens of these!” There is vinyl of the first two releases available from Bandcamp and it is of course a wonderful way to experience the music.
Twenty five tracks on two vinyl LPs and three CDs… This was a lot of new music to get together this year, made in diverse situations with wonderful collaborators. It’s gratifying to have it finished and out in the world for everyone to hear.
Some 2024 highlights
In early January Asako & I visited the Nick Cave murals at the 42nd D Train subway stop.
Had an amazing weekend in New Orleans for Krewe de Vieux, re-connected with so many friends. As much as NOLA changes it still always has that thing that is nowhere else. Michael Francis gave me this hat in a moment of Frenchmen Street weakness. It does NOT say LSU.
In February I sold my best electric cello, to downsize and raise funds for vinyl manufacturing. I miss it, but I still have my original black fretted 5-string, which got used on all three releases this year.
In March the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville was just extraordinary, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Brilliant performances by Laurie Anderson, Fred Frith, Caroline Shaw, Shabaka, Colin Stetson, a Henry Threadgill retrospective. And I gave a talk about film music and sound that was very well received. I’m planning to be there again in 2025, everyone should experience Big Ears. Also, it’s worth making the trip to Knoxville just for the curry babka at Potchke, I am not exaggerating.
In June I released NEW MODERN STRINGS, my album of Gravikord music. Here’s the video in case you missed it.
Younger daughter Ryo finished high school, won gold medals in New Zealand at the Choir Olympics with the Young People's Chorus of New York City, and then started at The University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Here she is on the day of her high school graduation.
Asako and I spent a month traveling in the UK, France, and Spain. We saw Massive Attack in Bristol, which was an amazing gig. Old friends The Psychedelic Furs were playing in Valencia, where we also had maybe my best meal of the year - an eight course tasting menu with wine pairing for €38 at the tiny Tanamadana restaurant in Russafa.
Back in New York at the end of September, older daughter Aiko visited for a week with her girlfriend Bella. She is living in LA working as a Behavior Technician with autistic kids, and they have an amazing cat named Harvey who actually likes to wear hats. Aiko did this spectacular drawing of Luigi a few days ago.
On October 30th our band N to The Power had a great record release concert at Nublu in NYC, and our second album MORE POWER came out the following day.
My mom Liz Leyh, an artist who is now 81 and has lived alone on a boat moored to an island in the Thames for the last 20 years, broke her leg at the end of September. My sister Gennie and I have been spending a lot of time in London helping her get sorted out. Although the National Health system in the UK has a lot of problems and has been hollowed out by 40 years of Thatcherism, it still feels like a socialist utopia compared to the US. Here’s my mom in her garden on the boat:
I’m in NY for the holidays, then heading back to London in early January. 2025 is looking good. Maybe some performances in London with me on cello and Vincent on Trumpet. Some more N to The Power gigs. I would love to do the Postmambo trip to Northern Brazil…
For now, I am sending wishes for PEACE ON EARTH, which is a thing people wish for at this time of year, amirite
x x Blake