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Improvisations Vol. 2

by James Ball

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about

~ The considerations, context, and reflections made about the first volume of these improvisations apply equally here, and by the content of the examination given there, do not and cannot change the nature of the music itself. It can be listened to in a variety of ways, by any person for any reason - with or without regard for this discussion - and the response it elicits (positive, negative, or any shade of a more complex feeling) will reflect the unique and personal nature of each of these experiences. There is a directness to the way music relates to and effects a particular instant, one which I hope is reflected in the directness of my intention and conception of this collection - unplanned and fleeting; a distillation of immeasurable prior hours, experiences, and explorations; a focus on a specific idea, a focus into a transient moment; forming something of deeper substance, but still coloured by the spontaneity and momentary nature of its creation.

~ I’ve been contemplating the notions of sincerity, honesty, and authenticity, across several modes of expression, including speech, movement, conduct, ethics, and music. Although still in the early days of reading and researching the nature, distinctions, merits, and applications of these concepts, I see a lot of potential for them to frame reflection on my musical work, and the degree to which it mirrors my life as a whole. These outlooks need a deep alignment of thought, feeling, and articulation, which is almost impossible to manufacture without a genuine congruence, one that I believe speaks more deeply than the mode of expression they exist in. Honesty, when present, is salient in music regardless of its complexity, style, or conceptions of mood and expressive intention, and when it is coherent with a broader sense of personal intentions, motivations, and beliefs, forms an authentic position of expression.

~ It is difficult to disentangle the myriad hindrances and barriers that are entwined in playing music (or other actions, or even living) with this objective, one that is surely a universal ambition. Questions of purpose, context, experience, the necessities demanded by various structures of thinking and expression, and structures of presentation - these and other factors make it hard to embody this position unimpeded by some doubt, compromise, or in a more insidious form, irony. Even when this ideal is achieved, there is no guarantee that sincerity alone ascribes intrinsic value - naivety and ignorance can be sincere, but a more comprehensive regard is necessary to establish a perspective that is both genuine in conception, and accountable for the way it interacts with the world beyond it.

~ Seeking to embody a position of authenticity and honesty in improvising is necessarily vulnerable. For me, it has demanded an ongoing exploration of not just my expressive motivations and intentions beyond any given musical context, but their value and purpose, and how that speaks to my motivations and intentions as a person, articulating myself through an instrument. This compounds the technical demands of meeting these aspirations, which I don’t always achieve here, but choose to present anyway in acceptance of their material flaws, and out of greater deference to their intangible substance. In the context of these improvisations, I feel there is a deep unity of the principles and gestural elements of my playing and my personal values beyond music. In my grand, slightly vague, and likely impractical conceptual designs of life, I would like this sense of unity, uncompromising sincerity, and compassionate honesty to define my interactions and regard for everything, and hope that the value I see in it can be effected onto the world.

credits

released December 7, 2018

Recorded sporadically between 2016 & 2017
Everything improvised by James Ball

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James Ball Melbourne, Australia

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