Tag Archives: saxophone

Evan Chapman: Caustics

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Percussionist, composer, and filmmaker Evan Chapman recently released Caustics, an album of solo drum set and electronics works, including “Bird Fish,” a piece by our saxophonist Anna Meadors. The album includes pieces by composers Ted Babcock, Ian Chang, Robert Honstein, Molly Joyce, Alexis C. Lamb, Alicia Walter and Evan Chapman himself.

Anna developed her piece in the studio, finding the sound world of the piece by putting a low pass filter on some recorded saxophone ideas, which gave the saxophone an underwater texture. After recording several short phrases, she was able to play along with the ideas on the studio’s drum set, just to get some basic parts. After getting the structure of the electronics done, she scored the piece out, and sent the materials to Evan.

Evan recorded the album at his Four/Ten Media studio space in Philadelphia, PA, and premiered the pieces at So Percussion‘s Brooklyn Bound series in November 2018, on a night that featured Evan, Jason Treuting’s Go Placidly With Haste, and the trio version of Joy on Fire. The album was released online on April 10, 2020 and is available for purchase on Bandcamp (link below) as well as for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. The album is dynamic, and the composers, a combination of percussionists and non-percussionists, approached their pieces in widely different and thoughtful ways. Evan’s playing is always fantastic, and the album—which made Wilco’s Spring 2020 Recommended Listening list—expands the vision of what a solo drum set record means.

Joy on Fire Featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered

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2019 is off to an AMAZING start for Joy on Fire. Two weeks into the new year and we find ourselves honored with a spot on NPR’s All Songs Considered, hosted by Bob Boilen.

On this episode of the podcast, Bob features JoF’s latest single Hymn which will appear on the upcoming album of the same name. Of Joy on Fire, Bob says, “It’s a perfect name for the band, and they just blew me away—they are just so fantastic.” The Joy on Fire segment begins around the 14-minute mark, but check out the whole show. We’re in good company, as other segments include Lana Del Rey, Telekinesis, and The Wild Reeds.

Joy on Fire at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, June 9, 2018.
Photo by Brian Jenkins

Hymn, written by John Paul Carillo, is a hopeful and bittersweet celebration of the life of his mother, whose passing inspired him to capture her sense of humor and joyous spirit in song. You can listen to the song on our bandcamp page, where you’ll also find our first two releases, Fire with Fire, released November 1, 2017 on Procrastination Records, and The Complete Book of Bonsai, released independently on September 1, 2013.

Bob is an aficionado of vintage synthesizers and makes adventurous electronic music, which is how we first came to meet him.  He sat in regularly with DC-based improvisational renegades Heterodyne during the band’s lifespan.  Joy on Fire shared the stage with Heterodyne many times and has become friends and comrades with the group.  Be sure to check out Heterodyne’s deep archive of expansive improvisations, as well as Bob’s absolutely beautiful ambient album, Take It To Bed: Music For Clouds.

Bob performing on the Arp Odyssey synthesizer with Heterodyne, led by Maria Shesiuk and Ted Zook. Photo by Aaron Mertes

So, thanks very much to Bob Boilen, All Songs Considered producer and co-host Robin Hilton, and the whole All Songs Considered crew for an auspicious start to the new year. We are grateful for your support and enthusiasm. Stay tuned for much more excitement in 2019.