Motivations. There was (almost) enough money in the Shih Shih Wu Ai Records “account” to fund it. (Since the label’s inception in 1972, all proceeds, save for money paid back to associate producers, have been recycled into further publications.) From there, I wanted to document the sound of my instruments in a solo context within the wonderful ambiance of Studio Toile d’Angles in order to more readily capture nuances that are not so apparent in an ensemble milieu. To be clear, the music is not an overview of my aesthetic concerns at this time. While certainly impacted by those concerns, it is, in the spirit of free improvisation, the snapshot of a process over the course of 3 sets — 1 per instrument[s]: drum set/percussion, clarinets, and piano — on 3 separate January, 2017 evenings.

The title is a slight paraphrase from Luis Bunũel’s biography, “The Last Breath”; the design a piercing dream from decades ago, whose residue I cling to dearly. (My deep gratitude to Paul Metzger for his patience and diligence in bringing this dreamscape to “life” and facilitating the technical aspects of readying everything for production.)

“The Only Dignity Is Oblivion” will be available at Studio Toile d’Angles concerts including and after April 7, 2017, and can also be obtained via mail order.