Gideon Freudmann
CelloBop
March is nearly over, a month famous for notable days like St Patty's, the infamous Ides and more birthdays than you can shake a stick at - three in my family alone. It's Women's history month, there's the equinox and my personal fave - world sleep day. And of course the clocks jumped forward and for that we may all rejoice.
And then comes April with the ever popular and much despised April Fools Day and, more importantly, National Burrito Day.
On March 30th I will play a solo show at Bailey's Corner Store, a very casual venue in the woods where esoteric cello music pairs nicely with beer'n'burgers.
I'll be playing at Baileys a couple more times this summer, each show with different collaborators.
The Whidbey Island String Trio has a show at Ott & Hunter in Langley on April 13. This trio is rolling along, adding wacky songs and Bach to our 3clectic repertoire. It's getting more fun every show. Tickets
The Whidbey Island String Trio has been subsumed by AI. Originally a classy string trio, now they are bad-ass steampunk cyborgs. Clearly this new look requires a new moniker. Please will you help? All suggestions are welcome. You can click here to see the nutty graphic
David Longey and I knew each other since elementary school. We were in touch through all these many years, hanging out together and often with our mutual life-long friend Peter who also left us much too soon.
My friend left an incredible catalog of artwork. He was wildly prolific and his style was entirely unique, whether working with pen and ink, paint, film, music or digital media. He was kind and an enthusiast always up for an adventure. Dave was keen observer, a collector of friends, a film buff and a tireless creator of art. He was extremely articulate and never shy about sharing his opinion. We grew up in New England and that quality that is both familiar and welcome.
I moved to the west coast almost 20 years ago and in that time he and I regularly talked and emailed. Dave continued to help me with album art as he had done since college days, making posters and an LP cover for Holiday Clocks, my duo with Peter Cummings. Dave also designed my website and cover art for several of my solo CDs. We would get together every time I visited Massachusetts, taking walks and sharing animated conversations.
He called me shortly after his cancer diagnosis. Throughout his illness he was candid, brave and he maintained a positive tone. Dave was great guy with a great sense of humor, a big heart and I will miss him.
I have a sampling of artwork he created for me over the years which I posted on the dreaded Facebook and also included in an email newsletter (you can click the link below to sign up). Alas, I haven't figured out how to include it here.
Buster Keaton made a string of brilliant films at and Sherlock Jr is a personal favorite of mine. This is an excerpt from that film with my cello soundtrack. Clocking in at 8:37 it's a big ask nowadays, but I think this may just hold your attention.
Our hero is a mild-mannered film projectionist with aspirations of being a great detective. He is, of course, in love with a sweet young lady but his slimy competitor just framed him so it looks like Buster stole something from her father.
This scene opens where he is asked to leave the house and she returns the ring he had just given her. Moments later the slime-ball exits and Buster is hot on his trail. Hilarity ensues. Later on, back in the projection booth, he is dejected and sleepy. As he begins rolling the film, he goes into a dream sequence which is cinematically brilliant and wonderfully bizarre.
This excerpt concludes as the 'dream movie' (think Wizard of Oz) begins, shortly before the debonair Sherlock Jr appears. Sherlock Jr excerpt
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