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Product Description
Contents: This is the second collaborative work by John Convertino of Calexico and Naeem Amor. An imaginary collection of instrumental pieces woven together through the exchange of audio files. John Convertino is known as the drummer of Calexico, a renowned band that, along with Giant Sand, upholds the tradition of desert rock originating from Tucson, Arizona. And Gabriel Naeem Amor, an outsider who changed his artist name to his full name after his previous work, "Moments Before," and has been showcasing his stylish guitar playing. Furthermore, bassist Th?ger Lund, who also participated in their first collaborative album, "Western Suite and Siesta Songs," released by LM Duplication, run by Jeremy Burns and Heather Trost of A Hawk and Hacksaw, has created an instrumental album for a hot summer night, woven together in the form of an exchange of letters between the three. Like their previous works, this album draws inspiration from jazz, Latin, instrumental guitar, and film music, creating an imaginative and romantic sound that transcends time and place. As expected from musicians known for their skill, the result is a light and elegant yet deeply flavorful and profound ensemble. The sensual ensemble and, above all, the raw and vivid sound of each instrument are hard to believe, considering it was created through countless exchanges of audio files over two months. The layered ambiance, which seems to distort space and time, may hint at the shadow of the pandemic era behind its superficially pleasant sound. We hope you can feel the special atmosphere of this album, which could be described as an "elegy to live performance," something that could only have been created in the spring of 2020, in every aspect of it. Liner notes: Toru Watanabe Limited edition: 500 copies Tracklist 1. Alone Bolero 2. White Shirt and Watercombed Hair 3. Path To The River 4. Lullaby and Clusters 5. Reset 6. Ballroom Rumba 7. Framed in Black 8. Home 9. In the Blue Waters of My Mind 10. Letter From a Friend 11. The Laughing Letter An exceptional and unprecedented time began, and I was confronted with several essential questions. One was whether, as a musician, I could respond in any way to this new situation in which a global pandemic was shaking the world. Another was how I could transform this isolation and potential anxiety into something that would nurture and validate my existence as a musician. Correspondents is an album in which John and I tried to overcome the distance between us. We created it by exchanging audio files and their instructions back and forth almost daily for the past two months. Just like a good exchange of letters, we responded well to everything we sent each other. We didn't cling to any of the suggestions, reject or ignore anything, but instead made an effort to properly explain each other's ideas. The fact that we both opened up to each other and listened to what this project had led us to gave me a wonderful sense of freedom, even in the spring of 2020. /Gabriel Naeem Amor The reality of the pandemic was undeniable, with lockdowns for safety, and I thought everything was going to change. A new place for work, learning, and making music. It wasn't a serious emergency, but it was around that time that Naeem approached me about exchanging files and making new music during this difficult time. I said yes. And within a few days I sent him drum tracks. I changed my setup, added an extra rack tom, and a few cymbals I wasn't using. I also got my vibraphone and marimba ready. The first track was a bolero beat, a familiar one that I often play with brushes. I played it while visualizing the song's form in my head, thinking not about the melody, but about the feeling within that form. Then I listened to it again and sent it to Naeem. The next day, he added a melody to the form I had put together on drums, and that's how our correspondence began. We wrote to the music, connecting with each moment of this hardship, trying to create something that could become the story of a song. To create something, even when everything else had come to a standstill. And here, even in the midst of such difficult times, I was able to find one aspect of what love can accomplish. / John Convertino Media reviews and more The second collaborative work by John Convertino of Calexico and Naeem Amor. An imaginary collection of instrumentals spun through the exchange of audio files. (C)RS
About the Artists: John Convertino & Gabriel Na?m Amor. John Convertino is a renowned drummer who has been the backbone of Giant Sand, Friends of Dean Martinez, and Calexico. Gabriel Na?m Amor is a guitarist/singer-songwriter who started his career in Paris, France, before moving to the United States and settling in Tucson, Arizona. The two have long had a close relationship, and began releasing collaborative works starting with "Western Suite and Siesta Songs" (LM Duplication), released in 2017. "Correspondents," released in 2020, is their second collaborative work.