Gideon Freudmann
CelloBop
It's always exciting to announce the release of a new CD! This is the first concert album in my catalog. Trio Quartetto is a Portland based group (except for me) with Courtney von Drehle on accordion, Ralph Huntley on piano and Ji Tanzer on drums. The album includes mostly originals, a few covers and a groovy tune in 7 by Ralph the mutton-chopped pianist. There's a palpable sense of joy on this recording; it's a pleasing blend of music that is rehearsed, improvised and some happy accidents.
I've been playing some of these pieces for years but never put 'em on an album till now. Others are alternate versions of tunes from earlier albums, and some of the songs are as new and fresh as a summer rain.
I made a few cassette albums back in the olden days, then graduated to LP just before wax started waning. Then it was CDs all the way, baby! "These are here to stay" we were promised. But now discs are becoming quaint and maybe creeping toward extinction. How's my sales pitch going so far?
But CDs work like a charm, allow you to play a whole album as it was conceived, they come with album art, liner notes AND can double as coasters. Everybody love shiny coasters!
For now this album is only available on CD. You can get a copy for $10.
Venmo: @Gideon-Freudmann
Paypal: gideon@cellobop.com
It's not yet listed on my website but you could order another CD there and request I send this one instead. That should be exhilarating.
Last winter I scored a documentary called, Max: A Short Life
The filmmaker writes:
The true story of Max Ligon's short life and ultimate death and the friends and family he left behind. Told through video and animation, the movie is both humorous and heartbreaking. A story of grief and a celebration of a short, quirky, adventurous life. For more info go to: maxashortlife.com
The website with film trailer is maxashortlife.com
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I also contributed music to a film called #RevolutionAnyone
which is a movie about working class life in the south of England. It examines problems with the system and ways to fix it. Information and a trailer for this film can be found at https://ko-fi.com/revany1
There are reviews and also a link at that page to see the entire film
It won the Hastings Rocks International Film Festival award for Best Documentary.
I have a number of shows close to home this summer. One I'm especially looking forward to is a beach party house concert in Langley, WA.
Sunday, July 21, 2024 at 2:00 pm Wine, light hors d'oeuvres, and good music provided - - Suggested donation is $25 To secure your reservation and receive the location address, email robert.finke@Whidbey.com
I was asked to play a 45 minute set which seemed to me a long time to play for an audience who paid a lot of money to hear the other guy.
The hall was sold out and my set went very well, but I had decided ahead of time that, no matter how much clapping I heard, there was no way I would play an encore. So I finished playing, walked off stage and listened to some sustained applause. But I did not move.
Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and Richard, the headliner, said, "I think you should go back out there, lad". So I did. I thanked the audience for their enthusiastic reception, played one more tune and then encouraged them to stick around for the next act who, I assured them, was quite talented.
It's funny the things that stick in my mind. The next day I was on the road driving to Ouray on the western slope and stopped at a phone booth. Remember them? I called my wife who was pregnant with our first child and she told me that she had just had an ultra sound and could see a brain developing in the fetus. I thought"oh my god, there's a brain growing in my wife's belly". That evening I played at the Ouray Opera House which eventually lead to my move (many years later) to Puget Sound. But that's another story.
Oh wait, there's more. Before I left for western leg of the tour, I was told that Joan Armatrading was going to perform at Chautauqua in 2 weeks and would I like to open for her. Well, heck yeah! So at the end of my tour I left my cello at my friends' house and flew home, intending to return shortly. But I got an ear infection. A bad one. I went to the doctor who made insightful comments like, "hmmm" and "hrmph" and "not good." I told him I planned to fly to Colorado in a few days and asked if that was ok. He said "you could - and the eardrum may not burst." Yikes. I asked him, "and if it does?" He replied, "you might not lose your hearing in that ear." My friend packed up my cello and shipped it to me. So sad because I already decided which song I wanted to play for my encore.
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