Ann Menebroker | Kell Robertson | Mailbox Boogie | Zerx Press

This is an epistolary book, a mode of writing quite popular in the 19th century, a form Dostoyevsky used for his first novel POOR PEOPLE, the book he wrote before he went to Jail for a decade. But it wasn’t POOR PEOPLE that got Dostoyevsky sent to Siberia; it was “conspiracy.” Though I doubt Ann or Kell will get thrown in the slammer because of this tome, it is conceivable that with a few changes in politics, along Reaganistic lines, they might be indicted for this conspiracy, this honesty & openness, and life-long iconoclasm that necessarily personifies a poet in these days & times. It is a fine day when one receives a dispatch from either of these two. Both are consummate letter writers. Annie’s most often are typed out in long narrative prose lines, laying on the page like a poem. Kell’s are also typed, and go on for 2 pages and sometimes 4-. Both dip into memories and present thoughts freely, rambling with untarnished sincerity. Both do their writing in the mornings, before work, sometimes before the sun comes up. — Mark Weber Continue reading

Butch Morris Conduction Jazz Radio Show | Free Download

Butch Morris was quite eloquent and specific about what he needed from his music —- He came up in that modernist age where everything always had to be new, and he had enough perspective to see what parts of “new” were useful and what wasn’t —– He worked hard, the conduction method wasn’t born over-night, it took years to develop —- I was lucky to know him from our California days in the 70s —- and J.A.Deane was a close associate of the maestro and lived here in New Mexico at the time, so a radio show with his perspective was within our grasp —- I had interviewed Butch via telephone already a couple times on this Thursday jazz show, and he even called during this broadcast to say Hi and that he was listening in NYC via the Net —- (J.A. Deane was the production engineer for the 10-CD box set TESTAMENT that covered the first 50 conductions. Dino was a participant in many subsequent conductions with Butch performing all over the world. Dino also explored conduction from behind the podium himself when he launched his own long-standing ensemble Out of Context in 1996.) At the time of this radio show we did not know that Butch’s body had been assailed by cancer, nor did Butch. We were innocent that such dire history lay ahead. (Dino & Colleen relocated to Colorado in June 2o14.) — Mark Weber Continue reading

Mark Weber | Beautemous Everlasting | Zerx

After 20 years of writing narrative poetry I veered off into a style I call atmospheric / landscape poetry and this is the first examples of that. Too many musicians to mention all their names. Justine Flynn even wrote a complex chart for one of the numbers. (Mostly everything else is purely freeform spontaneous glorious intuition.) — Mark Weber Continue reading

Mark Weber | Time Zone Differential | Zerx

“During the mid-90s whenever I visited back home to Southern California rather than hang with my old friends on some street corner we’d book studio time and hang out there instead, and make music. They’d make the music and I’d tell stories. This is sorta like Volume 2 of my CD on the 9Winds label called OBBLIGATOS FOR TERPSICHOREAN DIPSOMANIACS which translates: Musical Ditties for Dancing Drunks.” — Mark Weber Continue reading

Mark Weber | Precarious | Zerx

“One great record if I do say so myself. Everything’s coming up roses. You got Ken Keppler on here, and Jeanie, and Mark Weaver’s nocturnal tuba, and Lisa Polisar’s clandestine flute, and Courtney Smith’s nautical harp, and Alicia Ultan’s eternal viola (we love you Alicia), and Stefan Dill’s auto transported flamenco guitar, AND AND AND ! Janet Feder (!) and her prepared & sautéed guitar.” — Mark weber (guitar & vocals & all songs & text & linocut) Continue reading