Arbus

I would never insult a real musician by referring to myself as one. I am a visual artist, a painter, and I teach painting and drawing at a small university in the southern United States. Where music is concerned, I am a sort of an assemblage artist, I suppose, putting together bits and pieces gleaned from loops, which I depend upon. I also like just recording sounds of all types and incorporating them in various ways into these assemblages. Occasionally, I make my own loops, as I am able to pluck out a few chords on piano. Otherwise, I haven’t the foggiest idea what I’m doing. Just having a little fun, really.

My taste in music is eclectic. I have no real musical intellect; I just like what I like. I seem to like jazz of every flavor, and I love hearing it fused and melded with other genres.

Mostly, I just like hanging out where people who create are about. My attitude is that even those whose creations resonate the least with me are still doing more than the squares do.

A tiny bit of piano, a little bit of drums, and I can play the same blues riff on harmonica in several tempos.

I use Garage Band on my trusty old Mac.

Um, see above.

In the past month, I've been listening a lot to Amy Helm, Levon Helm's daughter. Subsequently, it's made me dig out some of my old Band albums, and an old Robbie Robertson solo album I haven't listened to in years. I've also been listening to Mose Allison. Also, an old Buckshot LaFonque album. Alternately, I've been listening to three tracks by Calexico, over, and over, and over for days now. I get stuck on stuff.

These are or, at least, have been favorites in the past. I really can't zero in on ten albums that are my all time favorites. But these are all good.

Miles Davis, Bitches Brew
Captain Beefheart, Safe as Milk
The Band, Rock of Ages
Parliament, The Mothership Connection Live album
Grateful Dead, Anthem of the Sun and American Beauty
T-Bone Burnett, Proof Through the Night
Rolling Stones, Exile on Mainstreet
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Egypt 80 Live in Amsterdam
King Crimson, Discipline
Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland
Guru, Jazzamatazz
and other stuff.

Amateurish, but hopefully not boring.

For my living I teach painting. I also sell a few paintings from time to time. Those are my happy days.