To the memories of David Drumm and Mary Ruth Wright.

recent work

Improvisational piano performances by Richard Fairhurst with additional instrumentation arranged and performed by Allen Wright. The piano used is in most performances is a fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 and recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London.

www.richardfairhurst.com/?fbclid=IwAR…JdBVd4sMwVHk

Topologies (with pianist Richard Fairhurst)

In collaboration with Keith Meldahl and Studio Cero (https://soundcloud.com/keith-meldahl):

Song composed by Keith (guitar and vocal).

Arrangement by AKW (sampled horn trio, Ome fretless banjo).

(With thanks to Sam Amidon and Nico Muhly for inspiration).

Poison Pill (with Keith Meldahl)

the busy life

Music and lyrics by Hank Williams

I wandered so aimless life filed with sin
I wouldn't let my dear savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord I saw the light.

I saw the light I saw the light
No more darkness no more night
Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord I saw the light.

Just like a blind man I wandered alone
Worries and fears I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord I saw the light.

I was a fool to wander and stray 
For straight is the gate and narrow the way
Now I have traded the wrong for the right
And praise the Lord I saw the light.

I Saw The Light

Words by Emily Dickinson, music by AKW.

Featuring:

Bridget Matros: lead vocal
AKW: backup vocals
Peter Evans: trumpet
Zack Hickman: bass
Alan Nemeth: drums
Scott Lang: percussion

---------------------------------------------
Summer is shorter than anyone -
Life is shorter than Summer -
Seventy Years is spent as quick
As an only Dollar -

Sorrow - now - is polite - and stays -
See how well we spurn him -
Equally to abhor Delight -
Equally retain him -

Summer is shorter than any one

Words by Emily Dickinson, music AKW.

Featuring Bridget Matros, harmony vocal and Nick Lyons, alto sax.

I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you–Nobody–Too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! they'd advertise–you know!


How dreary–to be–Somebody!
How public–like a Frog–
To tell one's name–the livelong June–
To an admiring Bog!

- Emily Dickinson

I'm Nobody! (sax mix)

Realized with acoustic instrument samples from Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra.

V Finale

Valence, or hedonic tone, is the affective quality referring to the intrinsic attractiveness/"good"-ness (positive valence) or averseness/"bad"-ness (negative valence) of an event, object, or situation. The term also characterizes and categorizes specific emotions. For example, emotions popularly referred to as "negative", such as anger and fear, have negative valence. Joy has positive valence. Positively valenced emotions are evoked by positively valenced events, objects, or situations. The term is also used to describe the hedonic tone of feelings, affect, certain behaviors (for example, approach and avoidance), goal attainment or nonattainment, and conformity with or violation of norms. Ambivalence can be viewed as conflict between positive and negative valence-carriers.

Theorists taking a valence-based approach to studying affect, judgment, and choice posit that emotions with the same valence (e.g., anger and fear or pride and surprise) produce a similar influence on judgments and choices. Suffering is negative valence and the opposite of this is pleasure or happiness. Suffering can mean all unpleasant emotions.          -Wikipedia

valence

All instruments by AKW. A slightly fragmented waltz...more Indonesia than Austria?

Penelope's Day

All instruments by AKW. Pretty mad stuff, I know...attention deficit disorder jazz? (Please note, however; it does go back to the head at the very end : )

jazmid

Piano improvisation by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by Allen Wright. 

Piano: Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London.

nebulae

Piano improvisation by Richard Fairhurst, other instruments and arrangement by AKW. (Piano: Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

zappa'd

topology

bricolage

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by Allen Wright.

troth

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, string arrangement by Allen Wright. 

(Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

strinGtheory

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, bass by Jasper Höiby, additional instruments by Allen Wright

instants

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by Allen Wright. 

(Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

recursion

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by AKW. (Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

semblance

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by AKW. 

(Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

fluster

A long-distance lockdown collaboration with Keith Meldahl (of Encinitas, California) on guitar and lead vocal, Mike Sharfe (Cincinnati, Ohio) on acoustic bass, and AW on organ and vocal harmonies.

The song was written by the late, great Jesse Winchester.

Mississippi You're On My Mind

Composition, Steinway piano, and MOTU bass by Allen Wright.

meiosis

For two guitars, french horn, violin, viola and bassoon. (September 2020)

Serenade for french horn, violin, viola, bassoon and guitars

Mixed feelings on February 24, 2017 - leaving London for the United States; leaving friends, leaving the marvelous, soulful metropolis that was our home for the previous ten years.

Thanks to Adrian Lever for inspiration on the guitar. Strings by the Woodley Quartet.

Leaving London

Piano: Restored Hamburg Steinway Model O circa 1920.
Strings: Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra

autumnal

Completed on election day, November 7, 2020; with joy for the present and cautious hope for the future.

cusp

...the smoke without any mirrors. (For Keith, my old and bold friend...Be well.)

bare autumn

Piano: Hamburg Steinway Model O circa 1920, restored with WNG action parts, Paullelo wire, and Ronsen hammers.

Guitar: Vicente Camacho (Madrid).

Dedicated to my Steinway... 100 years old in 2020.

November

1)Reverie   2)Caprice   3)Moderato

Piano: fully restored Steinway Hamburg Model O (ca. 1920).
Flutes, Violas and Trombone: IRCAM solo instruments by UVI.

Three Pieces for Piano, Flute, Viola and Trombone

Piano: fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model O ca 1920.
Chamber group: IRCAM solo instruments (UVI).

Moderato (from "Three Pieces for Piano, Flutes, Violas, and Trombone")

Piano: Fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model O #198978(ca 1920).
Harp: IRCAM solo instruments from UVI.
Tympani: Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra and UVI Workstation VST.

Photo: Hansa Studios, Berlin.

faith

Piano: Steinway Hamburg Model O ca 1920 (fully restored).

Cellos and violins: IRCAM solo instruments (UVI)and Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra.

Lento

I've repurposed this piece (which was previously solo piano by rerecording the sampled piano part using my Steinway and adding the violin and viola. There's a better flow now, I think...

Piano: Steinway Hamburg Model O circa 1920 (fully restored with Ronsen hammers).
Strings: IRCAM orchestral solo instruments (UVI).

supra et subter

untitled

For piano, prepared piano, ebow, and tympani.

Dedicated to Hu'o'ng Than.

five minutes for prepared piano

"The contemporary project is not really to build an epic work, but pieces of meaning and uniqueness; fragility."   - Thiago Coser

Allen Wright

Pinned to spotlight

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