Gideon Freudmann
CelloBop
Flowers and gigs are poppin' and boppin'!
I have several gigs, and happily, many of them are close to home here on my secret island. 'How cool is that?' (he asked rhetorically).
A few notable shows this month:
5/1 Dallas, OR, Dallas Cinema, silent film, "The General", 6pm Another show in Oregon - I'm doing a soundtrack for one of Buster Keaton's best films and arguably one of the all time greatest films, The General. Much of it was filmed in Cottage Grove, not far from where this event is happening. It's a Civil War comedy and, lemme tell you, that ain't easy to pull off. Keaton was a genius.
5/7 Clinton, WA, Skein and Tipple, 7pm I'm playing at the opening of a new business which is a speakeasy - it a yarn store with a nightclub in back. It's the business equivalent of a mullet - business in front, party in back. So come in and let your hair down.
5/21 Langley, WA, Clyde Theatre, silent film, "Sherlock, Jr", 2pm This will be my first silent film show on the island and it's in the historic Clyde Theatre. I'm accompanying Buster Keaton's "Sherlock, Jr" - another brilliant film by the unbreakable stone-faced hero. In this film he's a movie projectionist with aspirations to be a great detective.
I recently played in Idaho - a show that was scheduled a few years ago and got held up due to the pandammit. I played an afternoon outreach program in a school gym (not the most spectacular acoustical environment for music) and had bleachers full of kids enthusiastically singing along. 'How did I do it?' (he asked braggingly). I suggested they not worry about approval from the person sitting nearby but instead try to sing loudly in the hope of annoying them. It worked like magic!
Then I played an evening concert in a sedate setting (a church with a lingering Easter afterglow) where I managed to get a crowd of largely sept- and octogenarians to sing along. ""how did I do it?" No idea.
All in all I'm reminded what a privilege it is to play music for people everywhere, and what a nuisance it is to travel with a cello. "Who's to blame for that?" Enough questions!
The CDs on my website are now priced at $10 each or 2/$18. Streaming music is nice, but you can't use a stream as coaster. You can't make a ninja throwing-disc out of a stream. You can't put a stream in your CD player. I think I've made my point.
One day I hope to create a loop jam in every key though it's tricky playing in L and Q minor. In the meantime here we have one in A - a perfectly reasonable key.
This waltz has been kicking up its heels for a good long time in various configurations. Here's a pared-down trio featuring six hands, twelve strings and not one face. There's another version of this below.
It's all about the choreography and the warbly piano. But not the melody. It's a melodious thunk. Don't come looking for something you can hum.
One cello, no pedals. This plucky bluesy thang has been in my live repertoire for a while and the time had come to record it.
This is the title cut from Caravan Gogh's 2nd CD. Following this release, Jim and I toured in Australia and this video documents that trip.
There are more videos on my YouTube channel. and even more still on my Patreon page.
Here is a little collection of videos with covers and unusual versions/setting of my music.
Denmark - Scavenger Hunt
A filmmaker from Vancouver made this fun video featuring drone footage of Portland
Lilia's 3-Step - Bandaloop
I like that JFK is keeping a very close watch on these elegant wall dancers
Nine - PCP
A few years ago I composed a piece for a Portland Cello Project CD dedicated to Elliott Smith. I was given a 5 note phrase which was extracted from one of his songs. I began with that phrase and ran with it.
12 masked cellists keeping their balance. At 2:51 they start smacking their cellos and things get pretty tense.
Multiple cellists in different rooms cooperating from afar. It's not easy putting something like this together. The fact that they did such a wonderful job is impressive, flattering and humbling.
Midnight Moon - Live at Ear Trumpet Labs
I am joined by Annalisa (playing a Stroh violin) and friends at a boutique microphone maker's shop in Portland, OR.
Sheet music for all of these are available.
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