My experience of Kazakhstan and love of the Kobyz. A very simple composition I did after my experience in that wonderful country.

Kobyz

Konyr - Sax

Lost For Words

A long time ago I wrote a piece for my jazz quartet that this work borrows from. It wasn't long after the the 9/11 attacks. I was, like many people, shocked and saddened by the loss of lives that day. My next thought however was worry for us all. In fact my first comment on it was 'George Bush is going to war and he doesn't care who with' and to be honest I didn't think he was bright enough to know what chaos he and others like him would cause all over the world. Or aware of the hatred that would spread among people. Today, of course, my predictions have sadly come true.
 
After the fire bombing of a church and the death of 6 children, (an act of racial hatred and bigotry), John Coltrane wrote Alabama. A stirring, powerful and mournful work. My piece was called Terra (Earth) because I saw that we all were in danger from the behaviour of society in general to react in a violent and tribal way. And I was mourning the relative peace we had then in the world. Or at least the opportunity to increase global stability and kinship in an internet age. An opportunity for the many destroyed by the ignorant and bigoted few around the world.

Terra was ambiguous in it's tonality. It seemed both major and minor but ended very obviously with major because I believe there is hope for us yet. Something I learned one day feeling sad about the bigoted nature of people. A hope I felt when listening to Bach's 'St Matthew Passion' and thinking, 'It took only one man to make that.'

Growing up in a turbulent Belfast, Northern Ireland during the 70's and 80's there was a phrase that I heard often and said to myself often. It's a phrase that I believe people from every culture, every ethnicity, every religion and every nationality are saying to themselves today. 

In Latin that is 'Non In Nomen Nostrum'. Keeping with the original Latin of 'Terra'.  In English it's the four note ostinato that dominates this work and restrains the darker original theme. 

In English it is 'Not In My Name'. 

And I hope we all say it louder every day. 

One World, One People.

Non In Nomen Nostrum

No it's not all in Dorian mode but it certainly spends a lot of time there and I feel it conveys a sense of uneasy beauty. Romance with a bit of tension or a hidden darkness. A bit like Mr Gray in Oscar Wilde's novel maybe?

A Picture Of Dorian

A mysterious and peculiar dance with romantic and dark elements. This one is a bit quirky. Much like myself.

A Peculiar Step

The Elders

I have always hated giving names to my music. Really, I'm with the classical period guys on this. I'd rather call my music something like, '11/8 experiment in lydian mode' or something like that. It says more about it than the romanticised named that seems to influence the listeners perception of the music (not uncalled for in certain circumstances). 
This piece has this title because I didn't know what to call it. I'd rather have called it 'Cool modal groove I love playing over'. But then again, I'm a weird musician.

Haven't The Foggiest

I've always loved the music of the minimalist composers. Morton Feldman, John Adams, Steve Reich. And it was that passion for wonderful compositional technique that was the basis of this piece. It's a space I'm going to explore in much greater depth over the next year but this is from nearly twenty years ago. This time I might leave myself some space to breath.

Ineffable

Acoustronic Derry Jazz Fest Rehearsal

Based in Ireland, Lewis Smith has performed at many Jazz and contemporary music festivals in Europe for over 20 years, including the Glastonbury Festival on its Jazz/World stage. 

He has also performed on numerous television and radio productions. After performing in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, Lewis traveled back to Kazakhstan to research Kazakh traditional music for influence in some of his compositions. 

Though he's a Classical musician by training, Lewis is still a regular in the Jazz circuit and he enjoys exploring many different styles.

Lewis Smith

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