THREE or ONE
Musik von J. S. BACH
12. 5. BAYREUTH, Steingraeber Klaviermanufaktur 19:30
14.4. FREISING bei München, Diözesanmuseum 11:00
Lena Neudauer violine
Anja Lechner violoncello
Fred Thomas piano und arrangements
Gemeinsam widmet sich das Trio einer breiten Auswahl aus Bachs Werk, darunter Kantaten, Tanzsuiten, Solostücke sowie Auszüge aus den Goldberg-Variationen und dem
Wohltemperierten Klavier. Die Bearbeitungen stellen die gewohnten Erwartungen an das Klaviertrio behutsam in Frage und offenbaren stattdessen die leuchtende Klarheit und die innere Freude, die den Werken innewohnen. In den Aufführungen des Trios bleibt die Musik ganz sie
selbst, zugleich jedoch befreit von den Grenzen von Zeit und Ort und hinterlässt den Eindruck, dass Bach alles durchdringt und umschließt.
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@lena.neudauer_official@fredthomasmusic@cellanja@steingraeberpianos@dimu.gram
#threeorone
#jsbach
Ah, sleep my dearest, for your daddy’s coming and he’s full of joy...
Ah, open up my lady, open the door, for I’m weary from ploughing the fields...
Ah, no! I won’t open, not for you - you’re not weary - you come tired - tired from your new lover...
You come to me from your new lover!
London album launch of „Za Górami” (ECM Records 2024)
Alice Zawadzki - voice
Fred Thomas - piano
Misha Millov-Abbado - double bass
Nani Nani - Traditional Ladino
📹- @freezeproductions
Motivic development practice on the jazz standard All the Things You Are.
Improvised counterpoint..good for my brain 🧠
You can hear more of it on my piano album Spinning Threads out on Bandcamp. Link in bio
#improv #polyphony #jazz #jazzstandards #solopiano
In 2019, thanks to Kees Boeke and his Settimana Musicale del Trecento, I discovered the vielle.
Two years later I locked myself in Jill Feldman’s flat in Arezzo, Italy, to record a solo album on this beautiful medieval fiddle made by master Fabio Galgani. It has 5 gut strings, tuned F C G F C, from top to bottom, with moveable frets positioned in Pythagorean tuning (a system built on pure perfect 5ths)
The sound of this instrument is hard to capture in words….’smokey’ comes closest. I found that I immediately connected with it in a deep way - something rare and precious that might only happen a couple of times in your life, if you’re lucky. It’s wild how the sound explodes into life in resonant spaces. And the way the strings are arranged means you can easily drone for yourself, or create strong dissonances that are very uncomfortable on modern string instruments.
I started to play around with repertoire that fit comfortably and naturally on the instrument. And it turns out that if you play John Cage or Paul Motian on the vielle, it sounds just like a medieval chant from a thousand years ago.
Here’s my solo album ‘VIELLA’, out on Bandcamp only. Link in Bio.
Engineered & mixed by Fred Thomas
Mastered by @albonney
Artwork by @bohemianlight
Huge thanks to @boekekees and @jillann.feldman above all
The Complete Works of Solage with Ensemble Tetraktys is now out!!!!!
I’m proud to be featured on this recording, and proud to have contributed to a project of such depth, investigation, research, love, care, and imagination. Working on this music with Ensemble Tetraktys - Kees Boeke, Jill Feldman, @fredthomasmusic@danielboekemusic@jaspersnowjaspersnowjaspersnow Cristina Greco and @zsuzsitothszusi was a remarkable experience.
Recorded last spring in Tuscany, this was a real medieval labour of love: bringing to life music by Solage that, in most cases, has scarcely been recorded or experienced in our modern world. It means a great deal to be part of sharing this extraordinary repertoire more widely.
I learned so much through the process, and I’m excited happy to see this album released into the world.
Listen on your streaming platform of choice.
We're playing a one-off gig at Sands Films on June 25th!
Joined by the one and only Dudù Kouate @dudukouate
Ancient story-telling, haunting vocals, virtuosic kora, cosmic percussion and insane grooves
Big honour and pleasure to join these two Griot masters onstage ❤️
#senegal #griot #bassplayer #multiinstrumentalist
Kadialy Kouyate, Dudu Kouate, and Fred Thomas
The trio converge for a unique night at Sands Films Studio.
�Drawing on the ancient Griot traditions of their ancestors, Kadialy’s intricate original compositions are brought to life through the cosmic free-jazz philosophy Dudu honed with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. ECM artist Fred Thomas anchors the trio, his broad practice as an improvising musical polymath grounded in a deep connection to West African music. The result is a rich tapestry of haunting vocals, virtuosic kora, exploratory percussion, and subtle double bass grooves. #livemusic #london
Here is ‘Gentle Lady’ from our ‘Za Górami’ ECM album launch at Kings Place in London.
It wasn’t supposed to be on our record, but when we played it to Manfred Eicher he asked us to record it during our sessions at the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano.
Composed by Fred Thomas
Text by James Joyce.
Za Górami is out on @ecm_records
Beautifully filmed and recorded by @pedrovelascomusic
Gentle lady, do not sing
Sad songs about the end of love;
Lay aside sadness and sing
How love that passes is enough.
Sing about the long deep sleep
Of lovers that are dead, and how
In the grave all love shall sleep:
Love is aweary now.
#ecm #trio #composition #zagorami #improv
