tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post116344146663603379..comments2024-03-26T01:59:52.206-04:00Comments on Just outside: Brian Olewnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08567239067604835372noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post-1164219836831125502006-11-22T13:23:00.000-05:002006-11-22T13:23:00.000-05:00Uli, my man! Good to see you here.Uli, my man! Good to see you here.Brian Olewnickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08567239067604835372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post-1164207612341441882006-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:002006-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00Cool blog, Ollie!Cool blog, Ollie!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post-1163690345950128632006-11-16T10:19:00.000-05:002006-11-16T10:19:00.000-05:00Thanks, BG. Annette mentioned that Phosphor has ma...Thanks, BG. Annette mentioned that Phosphor has material ready to be issued and that they're looking around for a label. They have a nice disc on Potlatch from several years back and were interesting when I saw them at Nancy in 2002. Maybe a tad on the dry side, but still. She said that their dynamic range is much wider these days. I think it's the same personal aside from Alessandro Bossetti's departure.Brian Olewnickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08567239067604835372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post-1163608661214692362006-11-15T11:37:00.000-05:002006-11-15T11:37:00.000-05:00to keep my response short - well said. (I just dr...to keep my response short - well said. (I just dropped the same accolade on DJ Rupture, maybe that is the mood I'm in)<BR/><BR/>I don't know you personally, but I know where you're writing from - and assume you know (or have met) most of the artists you'd be writing about. New improv is a small scene (one reason why it has reached out so easily into noise and laptoppy scenes), and it is easy to meet and get to know people. and, given the improv climate, you might get to play with them (while nyc is full of musicians and places to play, it is missing something open and magnetic like Eddie Prevost's workshops - which are fantastic no matter who is there...)<BR/><BR/>that said, this type of music <I>is a peronal music </I> and is best reviewed by those "in the know" (or whatever) who have spent time with the artists (even if only at gigs) and understand the larger language they are working with when its put to record (selected, edited, mastered material representing a much larger performed output).<BR/><BR/>regardless of my own stories, knowing the folks can bring great insight into great music, but what if you don't like what yr friend or acquaintance is playing? that is a sticky situation. been in it a few times...<BR/><BR/>as for Annette Krebs, she did play a great show at Monkeytown. next you are in contact w/her, demand she release more recordings that I can actually track down!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post-1163600941390528782006-11-15T09:29:00.000-05:002006-11-15T09:29:00.000-05:00Hey Robert, good to see you here. I was thinking a...Hey Robert, good to see you here. I was thinking about your comments last night.<BR/><BR/>I can only speak for myself of course, but I've found that my increased "friendship" (such as it is, which really isn't that extensive) with musicians is more a combined function of age, location, the Net and, to be sure, my having become a writer about the stuff.<BR/><BR/>Back in the late 70s when I worked at Environ, I came to know a number of musicians. But, aside from those in the immediate orbit of Fischer, none were "friends". Partly this was because I was 22-25 years old and most musicians were far older, partly because I was simply more shy about interacting, all the more so with artists I'd admired from afar for a long time. After Environ folded, from about 1980-96 (pre-Net), I really had no friends involved with the music, either jazz or eai. For that matter, I had few friends in the visual arts scene either, in which I was exhibiting my work. I had a number of close friends, they just weren't into the same aesthetic areas that I was.<BR/><BR/>Come the Net, I found discussion groups a good fit for me, with enough remove provided that I felt secure in voicing opinions within groups of people I could get to "know" from a distance. Living in NYC, it soon became natural enough to meet at shows. The idea of actually writing about music at a level "above" discussion groups really had to be urged on me, initially by Walter Horn (the liners for his first Screwdriver disc); I was real reluctant to do so. Putting myself out there in that context wasn't something I was eager to do. But the reception I generally received was positive enough that it seemed worthwhile and, admittedly, the ego-stroking didn't feel bad either.<BR/><BR/>Still, I'm not normally the type to intrude on others' privacy, especially performing artists. Part of what changed that was simply hanging out with Abbey who, of course, schmoozes relentlessly (! hey, Jon!) and in whose company one automatically meets a lot of musicians, some of whom one comes to like personally and, in the normal course of things (outside of the music deal) become friends with just as I'd do with anyone with whom there is a mutual attraction. Keith was one such. Part of it is just attaining an age and maturity where one (or, at least, I) felt more at ease interacting with near-strangers than I would have in my 20s.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, because I do write about the stuff (and, I suppose, because some musicians or producers like the way I do), I am often approached personally or via e-mail by individuals some of whom, in the normal course of things, also become friends. It wouldn't be my nature to avoid friendship with someone due to "professional" (hah) concerns. That may well be seen as a black mark, but so be it. As I said, I try to be open about these things, allowing readers to form their own judgments about the merits of my writing. <BR/><BR/>Your tastes and mine (and Richard's, for that matter) seem to have a fairly strong degree of overlap. I imagine you, after reading a review of mine, take the opinion, weight it with whatever biases you've assigned me and act (or not) from there. Perfectly fine! I think we all do that, consciously or otherwise. <BR/><BR/>More later, maybe. I'm winging this off before, ahem, doing my job so if it makes less sense than it should, well...<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the kind words about the blog!Brian Olewnickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08567239067604835372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post-1163542206918125422006-11-14T17:10:00.000-05:002006-11-14T17:10:00.000-05:00While you argue your case well Brian, I think that...While you argue your case well Brian, I think that issue comes up only because of a desire to "be part of the scene" that drives a lot of people. I have been following "eai" for as long as about anyone and I can't claim any of the established musicians* as friends. I've met and been acquainted with a number of them and have even had lengthy discussions with a few of them. There are certainly a lot of great guys and people that would be good friends. But I have always felt that musicians must tire of being approached by fans and have never tended to so so. So I would argue that the position that you find yourself in is one that you brought upon yourself. It would be very easy (my case in point) to not be a "hermit" and not become friends with the musicians. In my case I have done this solely over this perceived notion of not wanting to harass the poor guys. If I was a music journalist I would pursue this distance even more aggressively. One can be friendly without compromising ones objectivity. This is the same issue that makes theatre, film and political reporters of diminished value, when you have to take them with a grain of salt. Of people discussing "eai" I have built up a 'profile' of what I think are their biases and one always has to apply that. But I do think it is more valuable when someone is outside of the scene in reviews. We don't really need the additional information that a closer relationship brings for a work of music should be a thing of itself.<BR/><BR/>* I would consider several up and coming musicians to be friends.<BR/><BR/>p.s.<BR/>Great work on the blog and glad to see you keeping it up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28154988.post-1163448547514126152006-11-13T15:09:00.000-05:002006-11-13T15:09:00.000-05:00Brian, you're right, most of us know you are writi...Brian, you're right, most of us know you are writing Keith Rowe's biography, but I can assure you that noone anywhere thinks there's any chance of you ever finishing it ;)<BR/><BR/>This is an interesting subject that has caused me problems in the past. I don't write very much, but when I do I would never worry about other people's opinions are on my motives for liking/disliking something.<BR/><BR/>There is the point to remember that often you will be closer to the music of acquaintances, so you may gain a greater understanding of it, and therefore possibly take more pleasure of it.<BR/><BR/>This has definitely been the case for myself, and this has resulted in people accusing me of seeing the music of friends through rose tinted glasses, but the one thing I have always tried to be is honest, and as long as you remain true to yourself to hell with what anyone else thinks!<BR/><BR/>Also, Annette is indeed a very charming person... if you see her again before she goes home buy her a cider from me? :)Richard Pinnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00168522717135806763noreply@blogger.com