Dizzy Solitude was conceived and recorded between September 2022 and March 2023 when I spent most of my time in Greece and aptly describes my state of being. It is a creative breakthrough in many ways and for a number of reasons. The initial impetus was my immersion in Jon Hassell’s music as a way of coming to terms with his death, which led to various experiments with the harmonizer on synths, clarinet, and voice.
Every single one of these compositions is built from late-night improvisations of this kind, bearing forth my dream-like winter solitude in my ancestral house in Galaxidi. Oftentimes, these sessions would be interrupted by long midnight walks by the sea which cleared the mind, rested the ears, and brought forth more improvisational surges.
As the pieces began to form and get orchestrated, I had the benefit of relying on the brilliance of my friends from the Bar Bliss Ensemble and the monster rhythm section of Kong and Moutro, my old MT pals. Their input changed the music significantly, and for the first time I feel I have achieved the jazz sensibility that was my earliest musical formation as a child. This is evident in the swinging bass and drums rhythms, as well as the reliance on wind and mallet instruments alongside the keyboards. In retrospect, the musical atmosphere reflects my deep-seated sources of inspiration; the spirits of Frank and Sonny hover all over it.
This music is very personal, more so than any other. The joy of playing, of body and breath wrestling with an instrument, is imprinted all over, even in the most brooding of pieces. In this respect, playing in Notnef Greco was also catalytic—a new album is in the works, as well as an album in which the Bar Bliss Ensemble tackles a whole set of orchestral compositions. Meanwhile, get dizzy—in solitude or while partying on!
Count G (NYC, September 2023)
