The Archivist

Observe time passing. #johnabercrombie has long been favored by the Archivist over many other well known names. It is pleasing to the Archivist to know only one degree of separation exists. That this degree is @genrebuster is more pleasing still. Scott Sawyer is one of a vanishingly small number who have managed to navigate the Archivist’s pathological refusal to follow directions, orders, suggestions or instructions. Out of deep respect for the traditions of #jazz the Archivist does not claim to be a practitioner, only an enthusiast. The Archivist will enthusiastically claim @sharp9gallery deserves its accolades in @downbeat_mag for the third consecutive time. To have witnessed @theobleckmann live here was a treasure. The same will be said for witnessing Scott debut a new rhythm section. @iajhi embodied what fascinates the Archivist most about #drums currently, especially in performing with @sandyewen ; On the throne, one may feel fully the joy in observing and listening to talented, creative folks both as audience and participant. One may describe the experience of time as a river that flows by while standing on its bank. Often it is assumed one looks forward towards the oncoming current and events drift by the conscious mind with the future ahead and the past behind. This is at odds with the experience of memories from the Archivist’s perspective. It stands to reason that the future is behind us, not ahead. In this way one may regard a memory as proof of a future event. It is easy to remember and so hard to forget.

The Void is unconcerned with superstition. The Archivist, however, believes this @titantotachyons shirt brings good fortune. Observe its use on this day of tracking #drums for an upcoming release from the Archivist. A break for lunch offers a moment to ruminate on the virtues of #honey and coincidences. As a youth, the Archivist spent many non-consensual hours on a family farm with the maternal grandfather. One small comfort was his ritual of sharing honey with the comb from a mason jar. Many years later, after his passing, the Archivist traveled to #australia and #newzealand to visit relatives that had been previously unknown. It was a joy in the Archivist’s heart to learn that honey was a prize without parallel in this family as well. One may consider the #bee when confronted with the cleverness of primates. The superiority humans imagine for themselves is undermined by both the bee’s industriousness and by the callous disregard for their role in the delicately balanced chaos of an ecosystem. The Archivist prefers to avoid the sensation of feeling clever, and yet succumbs to the same temptations all primates suffer. That said, on a recent viewing of the the film Whiplash, the Archivist was surprised to realize the 330 bpm double-time swing would have been much easier for all three drummers had they played less from the elbow and more with the wrist and fingers. It is unclear what catastrophic effects this realization may manifest.

Events move in unexpected and welcome ways. A surprise leads to a brief postponement of a current project. This window allows the Archivist to explore a few older ideas with a fresh perspective. One such idea has been a difficult horse to saddle for nearly the entirety of the Archivist’s creative life. It is pleasing to be able to take the time to finally set it free to roam instead. Many thanks to @gdfx for both the surprise and for the ability to open the gates to the stable. “We are the gods that we worship Out on the plains we stay free Our broken bridles will mark all the graves Of any masters looking for steeds”

Consider the nature of expansive interests and of dreaming, and of where these ontological entities inform one another. Both only exist in an individual consciousness and are also able to be described coherently across distance, discipline, time, culture and language by multiple individuals. There are many studies on the nature of visualization. It is curious to consider the similarities of dreams, desire, and the hallucinatory nature of imagination. It is more curious still to consider the nature of synesthesia in this context. It is even yet more curious to consider art manifest dreaming. The Archivist dreams of taking the throne for an @acdc tribute band. The Archivist desires the @kennygrohowski #traditionalgrip jazz shuffle blast beat. The Archivist imagines both are #inevitable.

The Weight of Heralding the Void requires cross training in a variety of disciplines. Rehearsal is the antithesis of improvisation. However, improvisation requires dutiful practice. There is no reliable prescription for this practice. The more one improvises the more comfortable and fruitful one becomes at improvising. The Archivist feels fortunate to have been given wide range as a youth to explore a variety of interests without the collar of instruction. Having grown with one in the childhood home, the piano has always been a joy in the Archivist’s heart. The guitar is the instrument chosen for the work of composition. Percussion is the area of choice for study. The keyboard is for play and imagination.

Observe the brutal nature pathological curiosity. Often, rudiments and scales are presented in a heuristic manner that does not speak to the Archivist’s heart. The Archivist is unwilling to accept instructions without principle and rejects the idea of relying on “licks” to navigate an instrument. For these reasons lessons with @gdfx have proven fruitful. The exercise above is similar to a “rudiment pyramid” with some pertinent distinctions. Most notable is a focus on the quarter triplet. Internalizing this rhythm early on opens one to the world of polymeter and polyrhythm, as well as switching the lead hand fluidly. Rather than committing to only playing “open” or “closed”, one may use whichever hand is available or convenient and cross or uncross at their discretion. To be clear, there is a very specific set of sequences to learn and become comfortable with. The difference is subtle but distinct. “LRRLLK” is an example of a heuristic approach; Learn this “lick”, apply it everywhere on the instrument, and now one very useful technique has been learned completely out of context to any other useful technique. In the methods outlined above, one arrives at this “lick” by the necessity of the music or the imagination.

Observe the Archivist in an awkward and vulnerable state. The “Boat” has proven to be the most frustrating exercise from @gdfx since the 3/2 quarter triplet ostinato. The Boat pattern is essentially a phrase created by playing a slow Swiss Triplet with the kick accent on 1 and 2 of 4. One may leave the boat at their leisure and swim, then return and repeat. The simplicity is revealing. The pattern is curious. What emerges is a syncopation constructed from each hand playing a double stroke at different tempos. Once internalized, this is not the challenging part. To carry the metaphor: The boat is steady and floats on the water, which is inviting and also deep. The boat is easy to leave but prone to tipping on reentry. To avoid drowning, one must swim calmly and confidently.

Activity and routine are the methods the Archivist relies on to make sense of uncertainty and the unavoidable. This is the dichotomy of doing and not doing. Do what is here, now. Don’t do what isn’t. Let the desire to do otherwise exist without resistance or agitation. Be cool and know there is more Voidward material unfurling.

Consciousness remains mysterious. One possibility considers it a fundamental aspect of the universe, in the manner of gravity or electromagnetism. To paraphrase a well known cosmological personality: that a conscious being is able to describe existence is proof that the universe is able to know itself. The passing of a conscious being is a moment of gravity. The persistence of memory is proof of their existence. It has been the Archivist’s privilege to know this animal for the entirety of its life, and to be present during the transition with kind words and tender gestures. Eventually, all are called forward, into the Void. #willyoubecomevoidward

Observe: The weight of Heralding the Void demands cross-training in a variety of disciplines. The Void wishes @sandyewen well on the rest of her cross-country tour and looks forward in time to future encounters. It is a privilege and pleasure to know and work with excellent #folks full of talent and imagination. The Archivist has always relied on #intuition regarding those with whom the weight of Heralding the Void is carried. It is validating to know these instincts remain clear and consistent across disciplines and distance. A concept emerges in the Archivist’s mind. The path forward is obvious while the destination remains unknowable until arrival. All consciousness exists to know the Void. Eventually, all are called forward. The question remains: #willyoubecomevoidward

The Voidwardian Era is upon us all. These observations are irrefutable courtesy @stompyd