LYRICS
Alone
(available on Alone, 4 Horns & What?, The Code and Prayers)
Windswept heart(s)
beneath our crushing waves
Tears seek joy
soaked mountains in it’s way
Alone
not lonely
Alone
only in my way
Joyous tears, hopeful fears
blinded by my mind’s eye — (s)
Wind from rain
sails briefly from our fog
breathing life, gasping thoughts
holding out for
reign
~pah lyric, February 2013
Hayphil Music, BMI
Alone, sung by Nicholas Horner
Ballad for Heike
(available on Continuum and 4 Horns & What?)
When the breath of life divines a kin,
one finds and kneads moist rhymes, a creed,
from eyes so keen, yet calm.
As our journey bends through fresh love’s door
these days slide fast and then cry flight.
Spinning seasons change, choice retires,
there’s no rebirth in time, less fire.
As we join to play,
claiming blue happiness,
it’s time to change our mourn.
Should the seeds of May re-strike our core,
there shall only be subtle lines of free blossoms,
fragrant with lore.
~pah lyric, April, 1997
Hayphil Music, BMI
Ballad for Heike, sung by Nicholas Horner
Dawn on the Gladys Marrie
(available on Mirrors and Prayers)
The fog rolls gently in, the gulls cry keen
and he gives dull earth the slip, aboard Gladys Marrie.
Wrapped ’round in filmy veil, kissed and slapped by sea
he glides in pearly still, a dory brave is she…
Yes, it’s dawn, Gladys Marrie.
The sun on deep salt brine, melts mist to sea
‘Neath the waves the silvers shine, below Gladys Marrie.
The jetty riffs and strains against fresh’ning seas,
Breasting waves trapp’d twixt rock arms, a dory strong is she…
Yes, it’s dawn, Gladys Marrie.
O how she darts forth quickly. How she delights in the breeze!
And when the ocean roughens… She sails calm and sturdy
like his own Gladys Marrie.
~ Mary Elizabeth (Haynes) Lee lyric, April, 1995
Hayphil Music, BMI
Dawn on the Gladys Marrie, sung by Nicholas Horner
FALL
(available on Continuum)
Drift, float, fall away, the seasons cede
– crisp light colors bright –
a breeze today, hard frost in they
the leaves fill eves —
Though, winter’s breathe looms near,
ice sickles yet to pierce our souls or wit,
the long nights come —
Drift, float, fall, our leaves unveil seeds,
life held ‘til March is done.
Gold and crimson retiring years spin by our sides
– like our minds recall the blooms of May –
this life falls fast yet lives in those
— who last.
~pah lyric, February, 2012
Hayphil Music, BMI
Incantation
(available on The Code and Prayers)
“
Create-r of all — bless our lives with desire — to inspire
Creat-or of all, bless our lives (with fire), to inspire
Creator of all, bless our lives with your fire to inspire
”
~pah lyric, 2003
Hayphil Music, BMI
Incantation, sung by Nicholas Horner
Last Dance
(available on Prayers and Organicity)
our time is not done when heartbeat — slips away
one’s journey ripples long, found
resonant from truths lived —
our actions echo more, than words or faith
a father marks deep, leaving us not alone
we leap with his cry now —
reaching out — touching will — resounding still —
~pah lyric, February, 2013
Hayphil Music, BMI
Last Dance, sung by Nicholas Horner
Nick Horner, baritone
http://www.nicholashorner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.horner.14?fref=ts
WORDS (or)
(not) Lyrics (yet)
Lyric Verse(?)
HONOR
(The Code – poetic atmosphere)
Remember Honor
Your Zen-self always seeks one
Our in / out world
~pah Haiku, July, 2013
POST MAXIMAL-ISM
(The Code – found poetry)
Incantation
to swing, or not to swing . . .
anti-grav
the code
truths honor
longer – shorter
alone
dark — blues for Israel — zen lieb
to swing, or not to swing
longer – shorter
dave
awakening
that is the question
phil
~pah, February, 2013
A Kind Of . . .
reflective verse upon Bill Evans’ composition, Blue In Green,
and Miles Davis’ “Great” Sextet’s iconic late 1950’s LP, A Kind Of Blue:
A Kind Of Blue
(reflective verse)
a kind of blue
a kind of beauty
assorted feelings common
a kind of beauty
assorted blue empathy’s
purity rarely universally expressed
a kind of blue
a kind of breath
questions our world air:
Honest intimacy reigns embryonic
Blues delight without quenching
Mists past inform future unity
Spores ignite precious roots
Rainbow equality access awaits
a light of beauty
a diversity openly fair
supplies each life sustenance
creating a-new shared differences
universal feelings untethered
love rare yet sought
a blue beauty questions life:
All, are we hearing
Are we hearing for all
~pah, July, 2013
Sanctuary
(found poetry)
“
Lore – Mantra:
refine fresh expression
Relevance – Answer:
sanctuary sculptures awaken
Phil Haynes
”
~pah, August, 2013
No Fast Food
(found verse concrete)
NO
together –
drew it gress –
phil food haynes –
david work liebman –
FAST
(in’)
~pah, August, 2013
LYRIC VERSE,
Notes (or)
Lyric Liner Notes(?)
(artist notes)
Brooklyn – Berlin
Brooklyn – Berlin,
which is which?
My first bridge,
1983,
meeting Andreas Willers, then
1989,
touring w/ Willers & Gebhard Ullmann’s
“Out To Lunch” [Nabel] . . .
Eurojazz w/ Brooklyn
Phil(s)!
Fast forward
several tours, past Gebhard’s first
“Basement Research” [Soul Note] . . .
1995
produces our collective
trio “Trad Corrosion” [Nabel] . . .
A post Zorn, acoustic, hushed universe.
Back to Brooklyn,
1989:
Andy Laster’s “Twirler” [Sound Aspects] .
Herb and I first meet, beginning our ritual duets. . .
True, free (dom), music, two
Zen vessels growing.
Zap past “4 Horns & What?” [Open Minds x 2] . . .
past Robertson’s “Certified” [JMT]. . .
Herb’s no longer just of Brooklyn,
nor born only of New Jersey:
now, married expatriate living in Berlin,
1998.
Must document “Ritual” [CIMP 222] . . .
clarinets live in the Northcountry,
2000,
too?
Thanks
Bob!
Which conception?
Brooklyn?
Berlin?
Perhaps our
past century has created just one:
lyrical; pointillistic; nuanced; democratic; worldly . . .
less self . . . more organic . . .
spontaneously composed . . .
improvisation.
~Phil Haynes, June 2000
(artist notes concrete)
TOGETHER — WORKIN’ IT
THREE
is a number significant in human aesthetic and spiritual organization
democratic voices balance individual freedom while affecting collective expression
assembled virtuosos demand enhanced ensemble sensitivity, communication, & responsibility
TRIOS
evolved emancipated accompaniment in less than a single mid-20th century decade:
Scott Lafaro expanded & revolutionized the bassist’s role via his counterpoint with Bill Evans
McCoy Tyner’s “tacet” performances w/ John Coltrane literally unshackled Elvin Jones & Co.
Chick Corea’s Now He Sings, Now He Sobs presented Vitous & Haynes as frequent equals
RECORDING
of live concerts have a special energy through their passionate authenticity:
Bill Evans and John Coltrane’s Live at the Village Vanguard dates
Miles Davis quintet’s Plugged Nickel releases
Circle’s The Paris Concert
Lee Morgan’s and Elvin Jones’ Live at the Lighthouse sides
Duke Ellington’s legendary . . .
(the list continues w/o end, re-discovering & fueling our tradition)
SAX
– ophonists have been arguably the dominant progressive jazz voices since Satch & Diz
guru David Liebman is one of a handful of truly influential post-Coltrane saxophone artists,
plus, his alluring wooden flutes, tenor & soprano sounds each recall fine vintage Margaux
BASS
– ists remain the most indispensable contributor to traditional & modern rhythm sections
titan Drew Gress’ depth/sound/harmonic impact is unsurpassed in real-time new music today,
plus compositionally and improvisationally, no one is currently more elegant nor relevant
DRUM
musicianship and conception are poised to blossom throughout the coming decades
– mers currently still overlook and/or under-utilize their great thematic and harmonic potential
lore celebrates African talking drums, yet what are we are trying to say with them today
– ming may be collaborative & community building call/response contribution or . . .
ORIGINAL
composition speeds the sharing of personal motivic, harmonic and formal languages
improvisers strive to utilize the freshly framed ideas of each work for sculpting expression
bands synthesize member histories via common creation, intuitive reaction & invaluable trust
FOOD
enriches & sustains life
is always best when enjoyed with others
, like sound/silence, began nourishing each of us not later than the time of first breath
FAST
is relative – and may be efficient, or not
reading presented al dente, sparked NFF’s Jazz@Bucknell debut of 9/5/12
Jon Rosenberg recorded NFF again 9/6 @The Bop Shop + 9/8 @Elk Creek
KNOW
witness and enjoy
it is all about modern time
spreading the Together word, too, ‘yo!
~ Phil Haynes
12/16/12
(artist notes & found verse)
Sanctuary
According to family lore, I have been regularly creating solo percussion works since I was 18 months old. It was not until nearly 20 years later, while attending Coe College in Iowa, that I confronted face to face the solo music passion of Anthony Braxton, and upon his insistence realized that adding my voice to this most revealing of idioms would eventually become mandatory.
Teaching myself how to create effective improvised solo pieces, faithful to what I could spontaneously produce for live audiences, became a kind of mantra. It was not until my mid-thirties, however, that I felt ready for “the microphone” and document such personal music for drum-set.
Learning to perform as a solo artist forced me to refine an approach to all ensemble improvising and writing, Since this realization, I have been on a quest to help bridge the gap between successfully composed modern “classical” works with that of music composed in real time (new music improvisations, jazz, free, etc).
I often marvel at both the independence and strength of J. S. Bach’s fugal part writing. His approach serves to remind me to be more internally consistent in my own development of parts, in all settings, so that they might be interesting in and of themselves. Thinking in such a “Bach-ian” way – frequently after I have intuited my first themes – has helped me to discover both a more consistent and fresh music.
Whenever work by great improvisers disappoints me, it is usually due to a lost sense of collective artistic discipline (sufficient self editing), thus presenting unbalanced musical “run-on sentences”. Such stream-of-consciousness expression can collapse under its own weight/length when it lacks the quality and clarity of sturdy thematic ideas meshed with well timed and edited formal development. Some of the most exciting material ever conceived, however, comes via such spur of the moment pre/subconscious “Ah ha” creations. Bridging the apparent opposites of conscious vs. subconscious creativity is a perennial challenge for every artist.
“Legit/classical” percussion writing can fall short too, especially when it relegates percussionists to that of mere sound effects generators – or worse yet, un-imaginative, ill-orchestrated and non-lyrical “drummer parts”. I’ve attempted to reshape our role in all situations – as more than just a time keeper, colorist, and percussive engine – striving toward a style that also suggests melody, counterpoint, harmony, and compositional relevance, seeking to contribute to my instrument’s evolution.
Hence, my answer to the puzzle of developing a progressive solo concert approach seems simple enough: improvise first theme(s) spontaneously; develop the ideas generously while adopting one of the earliest exit points for each movement; group these contrasting movements into larger multi-sectional works during performances via experienced intuition; allow significant pause to provide sounds with their natural decay – creating appropriate space before beginning another movement or introducing a new compositional sequence.
In order to capture the magic of good live concerts, I decided to record Sanctuary in complete hour-long non-stop sets, at the invitation of SFB Radio, Berlin. Over a two day period, we documented four of my concert sets for potential airplay (3 were suitable for release), then I selected movements from each of these sets to craft this edited 5th Set for CD publication.
Final musical preparation for the session took place in the cellar of Gebhard Ullman’s apartment complex in the Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin. Often so soft and unusual(?) were my sound sculptures, as I attempted not to be heard by anyone, that neighbors periodically would venture downstairs searching for unknown fantoms, yet never quite being able to localize or identify them in the large, resonant, and partitioned basement. The closer they crept, the softer and more sparse I became, leaving the befuddled tenants searching in vain for their suspected ghostly vermin(?). Practice of such intimate soundscapes sharpened my ability to consistently communicate the universe of percussion music that is frequently too soft for practical live presentation – yet ideally suited for the acoustics of SFB’s distinctive and live room (originally built in the 1920’s for the Berlin Philharmonic to record in).
All said, I simply hope that my rather “Zen meets West” approach to solo music might awaken a new appreciation for the vast language(s), orchestrational color, and formal development available to improvising artists – as well as more traditional composers – able to utilize the “new percussion”. Do enjoy your tour of my personal sanctuary.
~ Phil Haynes, October, 2010
“
Lore – Mantra:
refine fresh expression
Relevance – Answer:
sanctuary sculptures awaken
Phil Haynes
”
~pah, August, 2013
Incantation
“
Create-r of all — bless our lives with desire — to inspire
Creat-or of all, bless our lives (with fire), to inspire
Creator of all, bless our lives with your fire to inspire
”
~pah lyric, 2003
Hayphil Music, BMI