My quintet project was dormant between 1998 and 2002 when I was instead focused on the Quartet formation and working primarily in the States. When I reconfigued the 90's quintet on invitation from Rui Neves I organized a single performance and three days at the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon, Portugal culminating in a performance on October 30th of 2002. These three days gave me time to rehearse this very difficult music and also to record the entire program on the day of the performance without an audience in the concert hall. The personnel for this performance and recording included Frank Gratkowski (Germany) on reeds, Wolter Wierbos (Netherlands) on trombone, Amit Sen (Sweden) on cello and Kermit Driscoll (US) on acoustic and electric bass. Editing and production of the multitrack recording took quite awhile and was finally released in 2004 on Between the Lines label.
Along with "Marmalade King" and "Little Suite", "Double Blues Crossing represents another of my contributions to long form composition.
This recording is still in print and can be purchased directly from Auricle Records:
Frank Gratkowski - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Wolter Wierbos - Trombone
Amit Sen - Cello
Kermit Driscoll - Acoustic & Electric Bass
Gerry Hemingway - Drums, Marimba, Sampler
Double Blues Crossing (suite in 5 parts)
1a. Buddy Luckett's Dream By The Dry Grass Pt. 1 5:10
1b. Where The Once Never Blues
2. Buddy Luckett's Dream By The Dry Grass Pt. 2 4:55
3. Don't Melt Away Pt. 1 & 2 7:52
4. It Ain't Slippery But Its Wet 6:42
5. Joe Cracklin Left This Before The River Got Him 4:58
Sound Directions, Inc. originally commissioned “Double Blues Crossing” in 1993 for the collective Illiad Quartet with support from the Meet the Composer/Reader's Digest Commissioning Program. Special thanks goes to the performers in that quartet, which included James Emery, J.D. Parran and Michael Formanek, for their contributions in developing this material.
Special thanks also goes to Rui Neves for presenting the quintet at Centro Cultura De Belem. His interest in this project, along with Lennart Nilsson's support in Sweden has helped keep the quintet from becoming an archived project only of the 80's and 90s. Additional thanks to James Emery & Sound Directions, Inc. for helping facilitate this performance in Lisbon. And special thanks to Stefan Deistler & Jim Hemingway for their over and above help with the production and as well of course to Frank, Wolter, Amit and Kermit who gave considerable energy and creative input to this challenging repertoire.
A story .....
Double Blues Crossing
"Nab it you will, nab it you won't" Rosa Abigail repeated for the third time on this unusually brisk fall morning while settling down on her milk crate and cushion, known locally as the county seat for all who passed by with enough idle time to hear her strong willed opinions. Certainly it was rare enough to feel a chill in this whistle stop of Meeksville, Alabama as temperatures regularly climbed into the 90's this time of year. "You can't fault Joe for leaving that morning" she continued, "he'd waited long enough for his brother to return from the service. And if it wasn't for that crazy Buddy Luckett tellin' him all his dreams and visions while they out working the fields, day in day out, goin' on about 'the dry grass' when everyone knows its nothing but rain come August. But I suppose it doesn't really matter" she drifted oft mid sentence like a radio losing it's reception. My eyes wandered across her front porch as a long silence hung like windblown laundry wrapped around the clothesline almost undoing the thread of the story she had begun. I waited to hear more. The stillness that lingered was rustled by occasional wisps of wind hushing the bundled chickweed near the front door's awning.
I sensed Rosa was through with reminiscing and was feeling it might be time to go when she leaned forward, resting both palms on her cane, looked me straight on and quietly began a crescendo of revilements. "I heard say that it was him they should have found lying dead in that beat up Pontiac by Bilshim's farm, you know right near river's bend where it ain't slippery, buts its always wet. Everyone's been using that landing for fishing out the river trout. Nothin in there worth eating with Judd Brewer and them dumping god knows what up by his piece of the creek, don't know why theys even try" She settled back in her seat. Dusk was approaching, streaks of pink golden sunlight were popping through the clouds dotting Rosa's front porch with a ginger hue. It might of felt like an impressionist painting if it had it not been juxtaposed by the otherwise unsettling tale that had emerged in cryptic fragments from Rosa. "Here go ahead and take this" her voice coarser now as she produced a time worn envelope from a wicker basket near her feet. "Joe Cracklin left this before the river got him." Judging from its condition the envelope's contents might carry writings from before the war, maybe from the days when Rosa's family carried a certain prominence in Pike County.
"Where it took him I don't know," she mused "makes no sense that nobody could find a clue ... well, maybe you can find something in there that can help you make sense of it." With that, the shards of this tale had become mine to reassemble. Abigail was now ready to part ways without remorse or ceremony. "Nab it I will Missus Abigail" I tried to assure her, but Rosa was already making her way toward the Franklin stove and the scraps of wood she would rally from her barely standing shed to fire up this evening's sustenance.
Auricle Records is the artist owned label established in 1978 by composer, percussionist, visual artist and songwriter Gerry Hemingway. For more information visit his website.
Revered saxophonist enlists UK jazz heavyweights old and new for this ever-shifting collaborative endeavor, recorded during lockdown. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 24, 2021
supported by 6 fans who also own “Double Blues Crossing”
I remember seeing Bloodcount play at Leeds Irish Centre about this time…the band very nearly outnumbered the audience… but it was one of the best gigs (out of very many) I ever saw and the band were terrific…on fire…25 years ago!! Who says you can’t time travel? This rediscovered recording took me right back…what a find! Thanks Tim…Love & Respect. Marc Ducret? My wife remembered his “scary sunglasses”… John Cratchley
