ERR26: ReDDeer: New York - St. Johann

1 Barbed (5:22)
2 Frontman (6:53)
3 Drip (2:30)
4 Drop off (19:14)
5 The Attic (3:26)
6 Bridged (6:39)
7 Tight Tangle (3:00)
8 This is... (6:09)

Total playing time: 53:29

Tracks 1,4 & 7 recorded live by Stefan Gieringer, March 9, 2012 at Festival Artacts ‘12, at Alte Gerberei, St. Johann in Tirol, Austria
Mixed & mastered by Chales Wienand
(Harnik/ Lash/ Victor)

Tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, & 8 recorded by Jochem van Dijk, 2011 at I-Beam, NYC, USA
Mixed by Jochem van Dijk
(Harnik/ Victor)
Added lyrics written by Fay Victor

*Drop off: lyrics from "Sometimes" (composed by F. Victor/ J. v. Dijk)
*Frontman: text
*Drip: improvised text
*Bridged: text "Soul Power: inspired by a conversation with Darius Jones"
*This is...: haiku

All music by Harnik/ Lash/ Victor, ©akm
Thanks to Jochem van Dijk, Charles Wienand and Music Omi International Arts Center
Released with kind support from Hans Oberlechner and Musik Kultur St. Johann/ www.muku.at <http://www.muku.at/>
Design: Lysander le Coultre (strangelove creatives)
Photography: Monique Besten

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Liner notes by Fay Victor

What on earth could a word like 'ReDDeer' have to do with three improvisors/composers from different parts of the world? Are there red deers in all of their native countries? Do they all share childhood stories that include such a beast in their midst?

It's simple really.

Pianist Elisabeth Harnik (Graz, Austria), double bassist Dominic Lash (Bristol, UK) and vocalist Fay Victor (Brooklyn, NY) met as residents at a collaborative residency for musicians in 2010 held deep in the countryside of upstate New York. A beautiful place full of wildlife coming at you including quite a few deer, usually red in color. On any given day, just before dinner was served, two or three would come to feed on the apple trees right outside of the houses where the fellows slept. All of the residents attempted photos of the swift beauties only to see them jump, leap or dart into the bushes. Never to be seen again until tomorrow.

The Music Omi residency had other allures as well, since the entire objective was to put together a disparate group of musicians from around the world with varying credentials for 2 weeks to play and create music together. In this milieu Harnik, Lash and Victor found each other to be kindred spirits, leading to a few fiery sessions during their time as residents there, and then the decision to keep the trio going after the residency ended.

As luck would have it Dominic Lash relocated to New York for a short while about 6 months after the residency, joining the dynamic NYC scene which offered more opportunities to keep the music going with Victor. Elisabeth Harnik came to New York to perform with the trio once again (on the critically acclaimed Korzo Series run by James Carney) as well as a duo concert with Victor at I-BEAM which was recorded just a few months before the group appeared at the ArtActs Festival in Harnik's native Austria. All three meeting once again in St. Johann, laughing, catching up, feeling free to play and improvise with trust and abandon which lead to a rousing set, some of which you have in your hands and will soon have in your ears.

100% improvised music with a radical and vast dynamic range of expression coming from three strong and powerful musical voices in improvised music today.