On Dec 9, 2013, at 6:26 PM, mark weiss wrote:
mazel tov to you, sarah.
mark weiss
is it okay if I repost this to my “plastic alto” blog?
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Where I’ve been
San Francisco to NYC and the woods in between…
So. It’s been a very long time since I’ve written.
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Neil Young was quoted in the New York Times on 9/19/12 as saying: “For whatever you’re doing, for your creative juices, your geography’s got a hell of a lot to do with it. You really have to be in a good place, and then you have to be either on your way there or on your way from there.”
(see: “Neil Young Comes Clean” by David Carr–ed.)
For me, that’s a place close to NYC but with more trees and owls and things. After 2010’s Dandelion Clock (Posi-Tone), I went through some tumultuous times and my saxophone and I had a few misunderstandings. I’m happy to say that I’ve now put that behind me, and I’m in the midst of a creative renaissance which I’m celebrating with the release of my fourth album, Harmonious Creature (Posi-Tone 2014) on January 21st.
Featuring Eyvind Kang on viola, Jonathan Goldberger on guitar, Rene Hart on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums, much of the music was written when I was a 2012 Fellow in Composition at the MacDowell Colony. MacDowell was my first experience as an artist receiving the space and time to create without restriction, along with a wonderful roof over my head, delicious food, and inspiring colleagues. MacDowell helped give me the courage to continue at a time when I needed it the most.
As I come out of hibernation, I’d love to hear from you. As the folks who listen to my work, you are such an important part of my life. Thank you for taking the time to hear what I have to say as a musician and as an artist struggling with the philosophical questions that arise on the creative path.
See you soon.
Over the last year, I’ve also been doing some playing with Zion80, a fascinating Jewish Afrobeat project that took me to Austria in August. It was my first overseas trip, and it was beautiful and thrilling. I also had the opportunity to play with John Zorn during the final night of the band’s residency at The Stone in the East Village – he helpfully said that we provided the consonants that night, and he provided the vowels.
Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss 