In Search of The Heart Treasure
This compact disc has not yet been presented to the media for reviews as only a small number of copies were printed. In Search of The Heart Treasure is a concert recording of music created in the moment, before a live audience, performed by the Jarek Czechowicz Ensemble.
The ideal in this type of music making is to have two or more musicians create music spontaneously without any prior discussion or preparation
The preparations for each spontaneous composition were very minimal. Here's an example. In track 3, More Grace, the bass and the electric guitar start playing. Voice and drums enter at a later stage. That's all the preparation the musicians had for the performance of this piece. All other elements in that track are spontaneous.
It often seems as though the musicians know in advance where the music is going. In fact they don't even know how or when it's going to end. Consequently many of the endings tend to fade out as the music comes to a close.
From left to right: Jarek Czechowicz, Peter Haydon, David James, Gregory Moulatlet (drums), Michael Livett (multi-intumentalist, standing), Philip Carson-Crickmore, Ria Soemardjo, Anne Norman
A few rehearsals were arranged before the concert so that the musicians could meet socially and experiment with new ideas. Some of the ideas that emerged at the rehearsals reappeared in concert in new and unexpected ways.
The creation of this music could be attributed to coincidence or quick thinking. There is also an element of intuition and a lot of positive attitude. Whatever the explanation, this is a wonderful way of making music.
Another ideal of this music is to maintain a meditative or contemplative frame of mind while playing. This encourages the mind to be receptive to subtle changes that occur in the music. Musicians are not obliged to take this approach. They are free to play and contribute in any way that is comfortable for them. The most important consideration is that the creative environment be a mutually supportive one. The physical environment should also be conducive in so much as it provides peaceful and reasonably spacious surroundings.
As well as containing some divine music the recording offers great insights for students of improvisation and for people interested in the practical application of intuition.
The Musicians
Jarek Czechowicz
Anne Norman
Ria Soemardjo
David James
Peter Haydon
Michael Livett
Philip Carson Crickmore
Gregory Moulatlet
Jarek first explored the guitar in his early teens. This led to a study of electronic music with Australian composer Felix Werder. He later travelled to Poland for private tuition with Witold Rudzinski, Senior Professor of composition at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. Jarek's focus has been on the creation of music in the moment of performance. You can find more of Jarek's Intuitive Music on the compact discs titled Once, Gift and You Are Here.
Anne took up the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) in 1986 while living in Japan. Her teacher was Japan's National Treasure, Yamaguchi Goro. She also studied with the Grand Master Tajima Tadashi. Anne is a member of the ensemble Jouissance and Artistic Coordinator of Nadoya Music and Dance Company. Anne holds a Masters degree in Ethnomusicology, a Bachelor of Music degree and a Diploma of Education. www.annenorman.com
Ria sings as a soloist and chorister with the Melbourne Bulgarian Womens Choir, 'Petrunka'. She studied traditional Javanese music on a grant from the Ian Potter Cultural Trust and performs with the Melbourne Community Gamelon. Ria is also a student of fine art and is currently completing her honours year in textile art. www.soemardjo.com
David is a self-taught flautist whose interests include popular music and jazz, particularly the music of Miles Davis. He has performed for many years in big bands, Brazilian-jazz groups and various duets. David also holds a PhD in English literature. David has set selected passages from the plays of Shakespeare in a jazz context on a CD titled Globe and recorded a CD of intuitive music with Jarek Czechowicz titled Once. David has also written many music critiques that have been published widely in Australian national press. www.musicspeare.com
Peter studied music and literature at the University of Melbourne. He majored in voice and composition. Peter is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass, woodwinds, keyboards and percussion. Peter has been involved in art rock, jazz, cover bands, bush bands and free improvisation ensembles. He has written scores for radio and film and has produced, arranged and performed on several albums. He is currently recording an album of piano improvisations.
Michael is a multi-instrumentalist who uses his voice in a boldly instrumental manner. Michael brings a unique performance style to the Didgeridoo, Vietnamese zither, guitar, hand drums and tuned percussion. His music effortlessly crosses ethnic and stylistic boundaries. Michaels most recent recording is a CD with Anne Norman titled 'Driftwood'.
Philip is a master craftsman and he is one of Australia's leading guitar-makers. He provides regular workshops and courses on the art of guitar making, particularly acoustic, classical and jazz arch-top guitars. Philip's work has been featured on ABC TV The Arts Show and he is one of the founders of the Melbourne Guitar Makers' Festival. www.carson-crickmoreguitars.com.au
Gregory is a self-taught percussionist and drummer who started his musical journey with the blues and then jazz fusion. His early influences included the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Billy Cobhan. His current intersts cover a broad spectrum of modern jazz styles. Gregory also appears on the CD Globe by David James.
Gasworks Theatre
Thanks to Gasworks Theatre management, Robert Hughes and Shona Johnson, who donated the theatre and all its facilities for this project.
Gasworks Theatre is set in the beautiful Gasworks Arts Park, within walking distance of the beach, at Albert Park in Melbourne. The theatre is well known for its exhibitions of sculpture, photography and, of course, its regular theatre programs.