THE MULTIPLE PERSONALITY REUNION TOUR All compositions by Guy Klucevsek, except where otherwise indicated. Guy Klucevsek plays accordion on all tracks 1. Breathless and Bewildered (2009) 1:51 dedicated to Bulgarian accordion wizard, Ivan Milev., trumpet Brandon Seabrook, tenor banjo Marcus Rojas, tuba Kenny Wallesen, drums, percussion 2. Waltz for Sandy (2005) 2:48 written for a collaboration with percussive dancer extraordinaire, Sandy Silva, during a Lucas Artists Residency, Montalvo Arts Center, CA. Pete Donovan, bass John Hollenbeck, drums, xylophone 3. Gimme a Minute, Please (My Sequins Are Showing) (2008) 1:27 dedicated to The Swingle Singers commissioned by the Master Singers of Lexington, MA. Jo Lawry, Theo Bleckmann, Peter Eldridge, vocals Pete Donovan, bass John Hollenbeck, drums 4. Larsong (2009) 5:08 in memory of Lars Hollmer, a dear friend, and my Accordion Tribe colleague of 12 years. 5. Ratatatatouille (2009) 4:41 dedicated to Basque trikitixa (accordion) master, Kepa Junkera.
Jo Lawry, Theo Bleckmann, Peter Eldridge, vocals Pete Donovan, bass John Hollenbeck, drums, percussion, xylophone (6. - 8.) Three Hymnopedies Dedicated to Erik Satie. 6. Hymnopedie No. 1 (2010) 1:33 Commissioned by choreographer Lionel Popkin. A title eluded me for weeks. I kept thinking, it s partly a song, partly a dance, which eventually led me to hymn and pedi (foot). But, other than the title, this first piece has little to do with Satie s Three Gymnopedies. Steve Elson, clarinet, saxophones, trumpet Brandon Seabrook, acoustic guitar Marcus Rojas, tuba Kenny Wallesen, drums 7. Hymnopedie No. 2 (2011) 3:24 Once I had one Hymnopedie, I felt I needed two more, and this one is probably closest to the sound and feel of the original Satie piano pieces. Dave Douglas, trumpet 8. Hymnopedie No. 3 (2011) 3:23...is more of a program piece, though the program came after the music. Satie was fond of inserting tongue-in-cheek expressions into his scores to mock the impressionists, my favorite being open your head. My score includes the following text insertions: Monsieur S. samples the local goulash soup. Monsieur S. begins the beguine. Pardon, M lle, I did not realize that was your foot. Perhaps a bit more goulash? as the sun rises, Monsieur S. heads home on foot....whereupon, lifted by a gentle gust of wind, Monsieur S. is carried off into the heavens. Jeffrey Barnes, clarinets Carl Finch, piano, keyboards, percussion Little Jack Melody, fretless bass Accordion ad. lib. fills: GK
9. Pink Elephant (1999) 5:59 Title refers to an (in)famous accordion joke, about being lost in the desert...you can look it up. Jeffrey Barnes, saxophones Carl Finch, piano, keyboards Little Jack Melody, electric bass Accordion solo: GK 10. O O (2008) 2:54 dedicated to Martin Denny, father of exotica Jeffrey Barnes, ocarina, bag o birds, saxophones, ukulele, percussion Carl Finch, guitar, keyboards, accordion, sounds Little Jack Melody, fretless bass 11. Lädereld (Leather Camp Fire) (2000) 3:44 by Lars Hollmer, arranged by Guy Klucevsek The late Lars Hollmer dedicated this piece to Guy Klucevsek, Accordion Rider on his Utsikter album. Here I am returning the favor. After a rehearsal for the Brave Combo sessions in Denton, TX, Jeff Barnes took me to a jam session where I heard the amazing Ginny Mac live for the first time. I asked her to sit in with us on this one, and she graciously accepted. Ginny Mac, accordion, trumpet GK, melodica Jeffrey Barnes, clarinet, saxophones Carl Finch, keyboards, mouth percussion Little Jack Melody, electric bass accordion solos: Ginny Mac, GK Jeff Barnes Alex Meixner Little Jack Melody
12. The C&M Waltz (2009) 3:47 Dedicated to my dear cousins, Charlie and Marian Bartosh, exquisitely beautiful waltzers. They go dancing to live Slovenian/American bands every weekend they can, and have done for the 50+ years of their marriage. I have written this piece in the style of the Slovenian/ American waltzes I remember from my youth. Jeffrey Barnes, tenor saxophone, harmonica Carl Finch, piano, organ Little Jack Melody, fretless bass ad. lib. accordion obbligatos: verse 1, Alex Meixner, verse 2, GK 13. Moja Baba Je Pijana (Variations) 4:45 traditional; additional lyrics and arrangement by Guy Klucevsek This is one of the first Slovenian/American polkas I learned as a kid. Alex Meixner told me that the title, which translates literally as My Old Lady is Drunk was considered too racy for the 1950s, so they softened the English translation to My Wife, She is Happy, which is how it appeared on my sheet music. One of my favorite aspects of the Slovenian/American polka tradition is the virtuoso obbligatos (counter-melodies) ad libbed by the accordion players. Alex Meixner does it with the best of them; here he is, off-to-the-races, right out of the gate! My wife, she is drunk And I have to take her home I have to take her home right away. When your wife she is sad You should try to cheer her up, Try to cheer her up with a song. Alex Meixner, Jeffrey Barnes, GK, vocals Jeffrey Barnes, tenor saxophone, clarinet Carl Finch, piano, keyboards Little Jack Melody, electric bass Accordion solos in the Latin, minor, slow section: GK, Alex Meixner Carl Finch/Guy/Jeff Alan Emert
Acknowledgments: Thanks first and foremost to United States Artists for the 2010 Collins Fellowship. Simply put, without that award, this recording would not exist. Heartfelt thanks to Carl Finch. One could not ask for a more creative, instinctive, sympatico co-producer. Thanks to Brave Combo, for the enthusiasm and joy they bring to everything they touch. To John Kilgore, for his huge ears, searing intelligence, technical wizardry, and the good times. To Dave Willingham, for The Echo Lab experience: wonderful engineer, greatsounding room in a beautiful setting, and congenial atmosphere. To Silas Brown, for making the final mixes snap, crackle and pop. To Theo Bleckmann, for leading me to the amazing Jo Lawry and Peter Eldridge, can I ever thank you enough? To Jeff Barnes, for taking me to the jam session where I: 1) heard Ginny Mac live for the first time, and 2) learned that Jeff plays harmonica--surprise, surprise! To Philip Blackburn and Chris Campbell at innova for their support and enthusiasm for the project. To all the musicians--jeffrey Barnes, Theo Bleckmann, Pete Donovan, Dave Douglas, Peter Eldridge, Steve Elson, Alan Emert, Carl Finch, John Hollenbeck, Jo Lawry, Alex Meixner, Ginny Mac, Little Jack Melody, Marcus Rojas, Brandon Seabrook, Kenny Wallesen- -thank you for your beautiful contributions, you have made my heart sing! Tracks 1-7 Produced by Guy Klucevsek, with John Kilgore Recorded/Mixed at John Kilgore Studios, New York City, March/April, 2011 Engineer: John Kilgore Tracks 8-13 Produced by Guy Klucevsek and Carl Finch Recorded/Mixed at The Echo Lab, Denton, Texas, March, 2011 Engineer: David Willingham All compositions published by Guy Klucevsek Music, BMI, unless otherwise indicated. Lars Hollmer s work is published by Krax. This recording made possible by a 2010 United States Artists Collins Fellowship. This project is supported by the American Music Center s CAP Recording Program, made possible by endowment funds from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust. discface: Theo Dorian cover: upper left: Werner Strobel upper center (shadow): Eleanora Alberto lower right: Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos lower center: Eleanora Alberto accordions: Eleanora Alberto booklet: Guy, with large keyboard: Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos tray: Eleanora Alberto and Theo Bleckmann Mastered by Silas Brown at Legacy Sound. Innova is supported by an endowment from the McKnight Foundation. Philip Blackburn, director, design Chris Campbell, operations manager www.innova.mu
Guy Klucevsek The Multiple personality reunion tour innova 819 1. Breathless and Bewildered (1:51) 2. Waltz for Sandy (2:48) 3. Gimme a Minute, Please (My Sequins Are Showing) (1:27) 4. Larsong (5:08) 5. Ratatatatouille (4:41) 6. Hymnopedie No. 1 (1:33) 7. Hymnopedie No. 2 (3:24) 8. Hymnopedie No. 3 (3:23) 9. Pink Elephant (5:59) 10. O O (2:54) 11. Lädereld (3:44) (Lars Hollmer, arr. GK) 12. The C&M Waltz (3:47) 13. Moja Baba Je Pijana (4:45) (trad., additional lyrics and arr., GK) Total Time: 45:28 Tracks 1-10, 12 composed by Guy Klucevsek, published by Guy Klucevsek Music, BMI Track 11 by Lars Hollmer, published by Krax Guy Klucevsek. All Rights Reserved. 2011 innova Recordings is the label of the American Composers Forum. 332 Minnesota Street E-145, St. Paul, MN 55101 www.guyklucevsek.com www.innova.mu Guy Klucevsek The Multiple personality reunion tour innova 819