Category Battstone Music

“Appunti Onirici – Dream Notes”

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1 L’albero Dell’incantatore L’albero Dell’incantatore

2 The Forest Within, Pt. 1 The Forest Within, Pt. 1

3 The Forest Within, Pt. 2 The Forest Within, Pt. 2

4 Beyond the River Banks Beyond the River Banks

5 Attraverso I Rami Attraverso I Rami

6 The Flowers of Benten The Flowers of Benten

7 Window into the Night, Pt. 1 Window into the Night, Pt. 1

8 Window into the Night, Pt. 2 Window into the Night, Pt. 2

9 Blue/Ocean of Hearts Blue/Ocean of Hearts

10 The Mist of Morning Waters The Mist of Morning Waters

11 Song of Daphne Song of Daphne

“These are travel notes in a forest that inhabits the dream, a revelation, an enchanted journey… the piano, the flute, the sounds of animals.”( DC )

From the moment I saw the works of Daniela Chionna I had a strong affinity for them. They were a visual representation of the music that I was playing. Likewise Daniela, upon hearing the music that I was making, found a familiar and sympathetic resonance.  Her “Immersion” series of paintings were done while absorbed in the Elements and Kaleidoscope recordings.  Thus a collaboration was born.  From our initial meeting we both thought to combine visual and aural artworks. The preset work is the result of the cultivation and maturation of our shared vision.

“When I listen to your music, my inner gaze opens up to new scenarios. It is a journey though unknown territories, yet imbibed with distant memories over time. Everything is a continuum.” ( DC to PB )

When she did this series, ”Dream Notes”, I immediately wanted to play music to these paintings. They were quite different that her previous works, having a Japanese ambience, with a barrenness and voices calling from beyond. They also were set in winter, so I made my travel plans for a winter date.

Giorgia Santoro was my first and only choice for a musical companion for this adventure. Beginning with our first encounter on New Destinations, we played conversational duets, even in the midst of ensemble playing. Our subsequent meetings further solidified that aspect of playing – Question and Response, Change and Adaptation,  Emotional Cohesion, and a deep familiarity of where the other is going – bond of musical and personal friendship.

I was very happy when Giorgia and Daniela bonded as  friends, completing the circle. 

As we say  1+1+1 = 1

This session was a shared experience between the three of us. Though Daniela did not play, her presence  and creative energy was with us;  we could sense it strongly while playing. A simple glance in her direction affirmed it. It was through her paintings that this discourse was made possible.

“Dream Notes”

Giorgia Santoro and Pat Battstone

Improvisations to the artwork,”Appunti Onirici”, of

Daniela Chionna

Giorgia Santoro –  Flute, bass flute, bansuri, xiao, piccolo, voice, mouth harp, effects

Pat Battstone –  Piano

track 1             6:06     L’Albero dell’Incantatore

track 2             5:34     The Forest Within( pt 1)

track 3             2:44     The Forest Within( pt 2)  

track 4             5:28     Beyond the River Banks

track 5             5:20     Attraverso i Rami 

track 6             6:44     The Flowers of Benten

track 7             4:13     Window into the Night ( pt 1 )

track 8             7:29     Window into the Night ( pt 2 )

track 9             5:11     Blue/Ocean of Hearts

track 10           3:17     The Mist of Morning Waters

track 11           4:57     Song of Daphne

Recorded 2 April, 2019 at Waveahead Studios, Monopoli Italy. Mimmo Galizia recording engineer

Edited and mixed by Craig Welsch at Rear Window Studios, Brookline, MA.

Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA

Assistant Mastering Engineer : Maria Rice

Artwork by Daniela Chionna

Graphic design by Christine Atturio

Photographs by Fabio Centrone

Produced by Pat Battstone

Artist/Band Name:
Pat Battstone featuring Chiara Liuzzi and Giorgia Santoro

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Album Title:
The Last Taxi : New Destinations

Song 1:   Twilight Departure               Twilight Departure                                                3:20
Song 2:   Attravesro la Citta               Attravesro la Cittá                                                 5:52
Song 3:   Inside the Dark Castle               Inside the Dark Castle                                          5:35
Song 4:   All the Birds have Flown               All the Birds have Flown                                       4:24
Song 5:   Where Sea-Creatures Slowly Dance               Where Sea-Creatures Slowly Dance                   8:05
Song 6:   Escape Syndrome               Escape Syndrome                                                 1:53
Song 7:   Sunrise over a Painted Desert               Sunrise over a Painted Desert                             4:52
Song 8:   The Markets of Marrakech               The Markets of Marrakech                                  5:43
Song 9:   Rewind               Rewind                                                                    2:04
Song 10: Morning in a Japanese Garden               Morning in a Japanese Garden                          6:31
Song 11:  Absyinthe              Absyinthe                                                               7:53
Song 12:  Looking Glass Woman              Looking Glass Woman                                         4:33
Song 13:   L’Amore Reve             L’Amore Rêvé                                                      3:37

Group Members :

Chiara Liuzzi  – Voice, electronics, and sound objects

Giorgia Santoro – Flute, bass flute, bansuri, xiao, piccolo, voice, effects

Adolfo La Volpe – Guitar, live electronics

Giacomo Mongelli – Drums

Chris Rathbun – Bass

Pat Battstone – Piano

Recorded June 18, 19, 2018 at MAST Studios, Bari, Italy. Massimo Stano recording engineer

Editted and mixed by Craig Welsch at Rear Window Studios, Brookline, MA.

Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA

Assistant Mastering Engineer : Maria Rice

Artwork by Daniela Chionna

Graphic design by Christine Atturio

Photographs by Marialuisa Capurso

Produced by Pat Battstone

All compositions by Battstone, Liuzzi, La Volpe, Mongelli, Rathbun, Santoro except L’Amore Rêvé (13) by Mongelli only.

+++++++++++ Liner Notes +++++++++++++++++++

The Last Taxi : New Destinations

The Last Taxi began in 2009 when two drivers would meet at the stop for a smoke. Their intent was to find a mutual voice in which conversations and observations could be expressed. Initially we painted simple and honest pictures until a musical entity appeared. Following that, it became easy to add other voices to the existing core sounds.

The Last Taxi began taking passengers in 2012 during A Conversation. At the onset, the ride was one of urgency and immediacy, with a sense that you but one opportunity to enter. It was a vehicle of escape and of a safe transport.

Later, it evolved into an international experience, In Transit from foreign locations. Constantly evolving – Travelling Light, Making Connections –  the Last Taxi was a bridge that connected new and unforeseen Elements .

The Last Taxi is now en route to New Destinations A sense of surprise and wonder fills us with each new mooring; much of which we have never experienced prior to embarking on these journeys. New sounds, new colors, new textures, new breaths; the Last Taxi has become a living entity.

Our hope is to share the life of the Last Taxi with all those who are curious, observant, and courageous to approach.

We hope you enjoy the ride

The Last Taxi : Traveling Light

Listen to SAMPLES from this CD

Purchase your own DIGITAL copy for $7.50

You can read my REVIEW here!

Total Length : 56:34

Personnel:
Pat Battstone – Piano, Modulated Fender Rhodes
Marialuisa Capurso – Vocals,bells, aluminium panel, music box, ocarina, electronics.
Todd Brunel – Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Chris Rathbun – Bass
Joe Musacchia – Drums

Recorded at Dimension Sound Studios, Jamaica Plain, MA (USA) July 14, 2017. Engineer – Joe Stewart
Edited, mixed and mastered at MAST Studios, Bari, (Italy) June, 2018. Engineer – Massimo Stano
All compositions by Battstone, Capurso, Rathbun, Brunel, Musacchia

Artwork and Photos by Daniela Chionna
Graphics design by Christine Atturio
Executive production by Stefano Giust
Produced by Pat Battstone

LINER NOTES :

The Last Taxi : Travelling Light

In this dispatch, we offer a Light version of The Taxi – new drivers,
smaller vehicles, enhanced capabilities. Able to traverse quickly to unimagined places.
One will experience new colors and forms that come from beyond our normal perception; a magical voyage that takes place only within the Last Taxi.

Taxi! Can you give me a lift?
Certainly. What is your destination?
It’s a long way from here.
We can get you there. May I take your bags, sir.
That won’t be necessary. I have no baggage.
No baggage, but the trip is long.
That’s correct. I’m Traveling Light

P.Battstone
Montreal, QC.
10/12/2018

The Last Taxi is a transport vehicle. Its routes are many and its Destinations are unknown . You have but one chance to board, as it’s mission is immediate and urgent. Yet you know that you MUST go in, otherwise you will be walking alone in a desolate place

Once inside the taxi, you are going home, yet you understand that home is an endless journey. What was your world is now seen through the window as a dream that is passing, an obscure and blurred image.

Your travelling compagnions share the experience of the Last Taxi with you, yet each’s preception is different from the other’s. The Taxi is a forum of life stories, sometimes you tell yours at other times you listen, sometimes you discuss the stories with a few travellers, other times they all discuss.

Your ride in the Last Taxi is free, you may come and go as you please. Yet, once you have ridden, your life will be forever seen through a different perspective.

“One’s Destination is never a place, but a new way of looking at things”  – Henry Miller

Feb 2018, Bari, Italy

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FULL CD HARD-COPY ($15.00, includes postage)

FULL song SAMPLES

Song samples (coming soon)

I met Gianna Montecalvo during my first trip to Italy. From the very onset, we had a bond of friendship and held a mutual admiration for the other. She arrived at an old barracks that Antonella Chionna and I were about to play, so I asked her to join us . Up to that point, all I knew about her was that she was the beloved vocal professor at the conservatory in Bari.

I was unprepared for what I was about to hear. She vocalized as an instrument, and her sound was filled with stars and glimmering objects. It took me well over 5 minutes before I played a note.

After the set we discussed my next trip – “We should record together”.  A few months later I returned and we recorded, dined, and share stories. We knew there would be more times to share.

In Oct 2017, Gianna arrived in America with Antonella. Anto had been to Boston the previous year and knew her way around the city and also knew a lot of the prominent musicians.  She was the perfect travelling compagnion.

During Gianna’s stay she met with old friends – Cinzia Spata, Maria Sartori, Simona De Rosa, Enrico and Giancarlo di Trizio, and new friends – Chuck Fertal, Ron McClure, Harvey Diamond, Jon Dreyer, Kit Demos, as well as the crew of the Last Taxi. Her performances included The Outpost186, Ryles Jazz Club, Third Life Studio, and the MIT Chapel in Boston plud Kitano and The Drawing Room in NYC.

This CD, The Last Taxi : In Transit, documents her travels in the new land with the Last Taxi.

Listen to SAMPLES from this CD

Purchase your own DIGITAL copy for $10.00

You can read my REVIEW here!

And here’s a review from All About Vocals!

Pat Battstone Sextet                                                                                                                                   

Featuring Marialuisa Capurso

Pat Battstone, Marialuisa Capurso, Mariasole De Pascali,

Adolfo LA Volpe, Francesco Massaro, Giacomo Mongelli

The ancients had four elements ( fire, water, wind, and earth ) that, when combined, constituted a fifth – Spirit. In this work, we each came with our own element that, once combined, created Music. This was a collective improvisation, a community creation.  There was no “band leader”, yet we were all leaders as well as followers whenever it was our calling

Listening to the music you will note that there were very few “solos”, and very few tracks where everyone played the entire track.  It was as if the music played us. The music was a conversation between friends in which not everyone spoke at the same time and not everyone was involved with every conversation. There was no prior discussion about what we were going to play or what the ensemble arrangement would be. Everything was spontaneous, including each’s silence.

From the instant that Marialuisa sounded the bell and echoed “Aquatico”, the dream-trance began. It was an effortless session – no heavy lifting, no assertion of ego, and everyone accepting their roles. The Muse called and we responded.

We played three, 20-30 minute sets with breaks between them,  That was a time for jokes and silly-ness in the control room –  a refreshing return to childhood. Then we returned and we began anew. When we were finished, we had three long tracks with 79 minutes of music.. The only editing done was to separate out individual cuts from the larger tracks. This CD has preserved the entirety of the session, minus a small fragment where there was talking at the beginning of the track.

This was a Nexus of our travels. I had just arrived in Italy from the States, Marialuisa had just arrived following a tour of Germany with a Canadian drummer, and Francesco and Mariasole were about to go on vacation away from Italy. We had only one day where we could all be together and the studio was available that day.

As Marialuisa describes :

Elements of different worlds, little ones, wet ones, aquatic planets, ironic realms. How does the wind sound under water ? The 6 musicians did not know each other before, they did not talk, it’s their music connecting their pulsing nets. It’s one trip to a free land, to the undiscovered planet, the new one of Elements.

— Pat.Battstone, NYC, Dec. 2017.

A couple of photos of the players are shown below…

Enjoy the Music!!  Purchase your own DIGITAL download copy!

You can read the ALLABOUTJAZZ review here!

Jazz Sensibilities review is available, too.

Read the CONTEMPORARY FUSION REVIEWS review!

From the moment I read Robert Desnos, I realized he was writing with the same process as musical improvisations. As I read his life and that of those around him during his creative period , the more I was convinced of this. 

The creative processes of self-abandon, trance, automatic actions, spontaneity, etc. are means by which the artist transcends the “reality” of the six walls that surround us and peers into a new but deeper vision of a sur-reality; one where the “movie screen” that we are all viewing suddenly melts and we are left staring at that which was behind our illusory conception.

Desnos was a master of going into his subconscious, through hypnotic trances and séances, to where he could both see and describe, that which was beyond our normal perception. In words, he described what artists like Kandinsky and Klee ( as well as the surrealist painters of his time ) described in paintings and what composers like Scriabin described in sounds.

It was only natural that improvised music and Desnos’ poetry be fused. During the mid-80s, our musical circle captured the spirit of this idea, yet none of the fruits were ever realized into a recording. However, this idea haunted me for the next 30 years.

Finally, commencing this work became an obsession. Who could do it? I found poets, yet none of them wanted to recite other’s works. I observed people in bars and approached some. Theatre groups and operatic groups were also queried. Lastly, I started reciting a selection during recording sessions and performances.

In March 2016, during a collaboratory period with Italian vocalist Antonella Chionna, I sent the recordings to her. On the same day, I receive a book of her poetry ( I was unaware that she was a writer/ poetess ) and suddenly the pieces fit. A few months later, she arrived in America and we began to fuse Desnos with an improvisation ensemble. Two pieces were done publicly, and one was recorded for the CD Rylesonable. Here is a video of Pat’s performance, with Richard Poole, of “Spaces Inside Sleep”:

In September 2016, I spent time in Italy, and brought Antonella into a studio without any agenda. On the second track, we decided to try The Voice of Robert Desnos. We both looked at each other and knew what was next – A collection of Desnos’ poetry. The second session was booked and all the texts were in hand. One take for each poem was all that we needed. The results are this CD.

We would like to thank Marilyn Crispell, Gianni Lenoci, and Mimmo Galizia for their support and advice that helped realize this work.

Antonella Chionna, a young Italian vocalist and poetess fromSouthern Italy meets Pat Battstone, a long term Boston pianist. It started as a random contact – a friend of a friend – then a surprising response, followed by a dialog. Finally a collaboration was born that eventually included their musical circles spread across 2 continents.

The subject remained the same – Voice – as did the process of finding and developing it:

||: Record, critique, eliminate the worst, focus on the best : || ( repeat ad infinitum )

It was through this process that the Poole-Battstone, Demos-Battstone, and Demos-Poole-Battstone musical dialogs were formed which produced 6 CDs over the past 5 years.

In Spring 2016, La Chionna arrived in Boston for a vacation, and the process of finding a voice started. From the very first day, it was clear – we wanted to find our voice. After 2 weeks of touring and recording, a musical Voice appeared – Antonella Chionna Meets Pat Battstone – though a much different voice than the previous ones; this contains a 19th century romanticism and lyricism. Yet it did not abandon the “Chamber Improvisation” that was born with the initial Poole-Battstone collaborations. The addition of accompanying surrealist poetry recitations as well as playing de-constructed standards added even more colors and flavors to the existing voices.

Her final days in the US were spent recording with Richard Poole, Kit Demos, and myself. The results were the union of the new and previous Voices – 4 soloists, 6 duets, and 4 trios under the guise of a quartet. As with our other CDs, what is presented on this effort is a cohesive set of a tracks that fit together as a unified work, capturing the highlights. Our recording sessions are similar to live performances in that all combinations of instruments make up a set. But for the economy of the recording, not all made the final cut, even though they may have been the better tracks.

One day we hope to release a CD of Abandoned Tracks.

As LaChionna states:

“I met these cool guys, for the first time, on my way to USA in the spring of 2016. I was 25 and quite impressed by the easiness
that came from this kind of musical connection: blessed by the circumstances and privileged by a providential empathy, placed in
the charming town of Cambridge (MA) at Ryles Jazz Club.  To me, that sounds Rylesonable.”

Pat Battstone, 12 December, 2016, Cambridge, MA

SAMPLES:

1) Under a Persian Sky Under A Persian Sky (Rylesonable)

2) Rather Life Rather Life (Rylesonable)

You can PURCHASE this CD direct from the following locations:

Hard copies from the publisher, Dodicilune

On iTunes

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From Dream to Dream

Pat Battstone and Kit Demos

This CD represents my latest musical effort in what has been become known as “conversational improvisations”. This voice began taking form in 2009 and has since continued to evolve. All the initial elements – the “chamber – jazz” sound, the ethereal aspect, the personal, solitary voice – have been preserved and various new sounds have been added. From the beginning, our development efforts hinged on the concept that “improvement is based upon eliminating the worst thing that you do”. That idea has become the process by which the music has progressed – recording, critiquing, discussing, returning to the studio, and consciously avoiding eliminated aspects.

Though Kit Demos and I have been playing in ensembles fall 2012, it wasn’t until spring of 2015 that I thought of forming a duo with him. At that point we started recording, hoping to find and develop our musical voice as a two piece ensemble. After our second recording session, it became obvious that we shared similar compositional concepts, as well as having a mutual understanding of the each other’s dynamics – melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically.

All of these tracks are free and spontaneous, yet they are not totally random. During our initial recording sessions, there were certain improvisational elements, or premises, which echoed our mutual voice. Notions like “Random Intervals up the Piano”, “The Mystic Chord”, “Ruthless Exchange”, and “Don’t Wake the Baby”, are examples of these premises and have become our repertoire.

When the sessions were over we noted that there were two categories of results – those of slow, trance-like odysseys and those of short “wake – up” tunes – tracks that got you out of the trance and prepared you for the next story. The lines separating these were not set in stone, and often the trances and wake-ups are intertwined. This CD has been arranged in the form of a suite, juxtaposing contrasting themes and sound to give this a cohesiveness.

Most of the track titles relate to our experiences during the time spent recording and relaxing in Woodstock, be it a fantasy or an impression of an event or place. Of course, one’s impressions are often different that the other’s. So rather than explain each title’s meaning, we invite the listener into our world of dreams with the hope they can realize a dream of their own meaning.

Pat Battstone

Woodstock NY

Dec 13, 2015

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1 CD – digital download $7.50

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Song samples

You can PURCHASE this CD direct from Patrick Battstone – SUPPORT the ARTIST with direct purchase!!!

OPTIONS:

1 CD – digital download $7.50

1 CD – Hard Copy $12.00

Song samples

CD Description!

“Keep your eye on the prize”

Whenever I sit at the piano, a diary entry is made; and whenever I record a song, that entry is captured in time. By the time the entries become a CD, a chapter in my autobiography has been written. This set of entries occurred during a period of great losses, any one of which could have been devastating. Yet this was also a very creative period in which many boundaries were crossed and previous obstacles were eliminated. The experiences gave me a new and deeper musical vocabulary to draw upon; hey also gave me a priority of what to preserve while what had been my world was suddenly disappearing in front of me.

All these pieces are spontaneous improvisations – nothing was written or thought of prior to sitting at the piano. What is being presented in this work is a selection of diary entries, arranged so that each track is a complement to the one preceding and following it, giving the CD a natural flow. As what often happens, the best pieces are not used as they have no context with the other pieces. A painter once explained that he often creates a portion on his canvas that is exquisite, but because it doesn’t fit with anything around it, it has to be scraped. The same thing happens with music.

One day I will make a CD from out-takes and call it My Masterpieces.

These recordings have their birth with the passing of my mother’s life and are concluded just before an anticipated, major chagrin. This work is therefore both very personal as well as being communicative; one could call it Life Stories, as these pieces reflect the depth of the drama, the sadness, and the revelations of what was happening to and around me at the time. When I finally sent the master for reproduction, it felt like all the events of that period went with it and that chapter in my life was closed.

“I REALLY love Beyond the Horizon– it’s very beautiful. I can feel the depth, sadness and beauty in it – I’m really looking forward to the release of the CD – as I said, I think it’s very beautiful and felt very affected by it.” ~Marilyn Crispell

With No comments

You can purchase a digital download of the entire CD, or a hard-copy of the CD direct from the artist:

FULL CD – all tracks, plus cover art and bios  ($7.50)

FULL CD HARD-COPY ($12.00, includes postage)

Song samples

This current work is a collection of musical conversations. Our initial works, “Through an Open Door” and “Mystic Nights”, established a language, a musical dialog, between Richard Poole on vibes and myself on piano. In this effort, we have kept our “chamber jazz” voice and expanded it to include Chris Rathbun on bass and Todd Brunel on bass clarinet. Richard now plays drums in addition to vibes.  Like most conversations, not everyone speaks at once and not everyone is a part of every conversation.

All of the works are spontaneous improvisations. Only “A Night at the Hotel Avery” had a predetermined theme – a blues, whose form was never once realized. What transpired were reminiscences of places and activities that happened either in reality, or in a subconscious state. Yet the act of recalling the past was, at the same time, an act of creating in the present tense.

Both Chris and I had been bell-hops at the Hotel Avery, a sleazy hotel in the middle of Boston’s red light district. Richard had played drums at the clubs. We knew the club owners and their “friends”, the dangers in the alleys, and the sights and people of the street. Our conversations went into the late hours where empty beer bottles were filled with cigarette ashes, yet we kept talking. Sometimes we talked of being at sea, of wandering around les rues désolés de Paris, of our escapes, and of our flights of fantasy.

Everyone has their vision of the Last Taxi – the sense of urgency, the sense immediacy, the sense that you have to catch it or you will be stranded in an undesirable place. All the passing faces, the trestles driven under, and the bumps of old trolley tracks are but a blur. You are going home and that’s all that matters. We’ve all been there.

Much can be said about how each of us envisioned the music. Yet none of our descriptions matched each others’. Each had his own interpretations of the colors, shapes, and varying textures that are presented here. With this in mind, we invite the listener to be drawn into these pieces and evoke his own vision.

“Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it ‘creative observation.’ Creative viewing.”
― William S. Burroughs, Ports of Entry

Pat Battstone, July 27, 2014, Cherry Valley, NY