Happy New Year, friend!
I hope you survived the holidays and perhaps even enjoyed them. It’s an intense time of year, even in the best of cases.
I planned to send this message out several days ago, but an ME/CFS flare up knocked me on my ass. I’m still recovering but doing much better.
Last year was a hard one. My health took a downturn last February, and I wasn’t able to continue hosting house shows like I had planned. Making music got harder in general. I didn’t see many visitors. In general, it was a step backward.
However, I did recently get another DC Artist Grant. That should help fund whatever musical endeavors come next. And while I haven’t written many new songs lately, I do have a pile of older tunes that I’ve been meaning to record properly.
If all goes as planned, I’m hoping to make an album of guitar improvisations at some point soon too. It won’t be a Soft Punch record, it’ll likely just be under my name. I might record some duo instrumental work with a friend as well. I may be down, but I’m not out.
Speaking of instrumental music, a lot of great instrumental works came out last year. Here are some albums that I really enjoyed:
Flore Laurentienne – 8 tableaux
(Gorgeous synthesizer compositions)
Jeff Parker ETA IVtet – The Way Out of Easy
(Jazz meets hip-hop meets neo-soul; great grooves)
Mary Halvorson – Cloudward
(Possibly my favorite avant-jazz guitarist, so very colorful)
Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet – Four Guitars Live
(Steve Reich meets Derek Bailey)
Jim White – All Hits: Memories
(Percussion-centric solo album from a legendary drummer; inspired Brendan to start working on a solo album)
Daniel Bachman – Quaker Run Wildfire (10/24/23–11/17/23) for Fiddle and Guitar
(Fingerstyle guitar, digitally manipulated in wild ways)
Loren Conners & David Grubbs – Evening Air
(Guitars, amps, & free improvisation; more chill than challenging, but it gets out there)
YAI – Sky Time
(New Age jazz duo with harmonized saxophone and a wide spectrum of percussion)
Janel Leppin – Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is To Love
(Ferociously talented DC players get melodic and groovy, taking occasional far out flights of fancy)
I hope you’re surviving the chill of January. Your support still means the world to me and keeps me functional!
Best,
Rye
