Interdisciplinary vocalist Muyassar Kurdi and Chicago-born, NY-based cellist Nicholas Jozwiak use the ambient sounds of their recording spaces in Brooklyn to add a presence to their introspective dialogs that take an almost devout approach to their calmly measured performances, making an intimate and evocative album of unorthodox improvisation.
"I was in Europe a bit before I decided to move to Brooklyn last spring, which is where I first met Nicholas Jozwiak. I started collaborating with many new people upon my arrival, and we improvised in my bedroom in the hottest and coldest of weather or at my rehearsal space in Ridgewood right under the M train. I would just set my ZOOM recorder in the center of the room, and press 'record' after an inspirational conversation, some wine, a joint, coffee, or tea..just feel it out and journey through new zones together.
Nicholas and I had our first session on a suffocating summer day in my bedroom in Clinton Hill...unbearable weather, but we felt moved by the spirit and recorded a few hours of cello, voice, and gong. It was the beginning of opening up, building trust, and just being able to lock into something, create form in space, surrender to playfulness, joy, and openness.
We recorded another longer session over-night from 11pm to 4am at a church in Greenpoint called Park Church Coop..that was the time it was available to us after the performances that night had ended, and we weren't completely alone, as a friend happened to be sleeping in the balcony with her dog.
We were really excited to utilize the space, the acoustics, piano, and the organ. I envisioned improvising and performing around the space so that it sounded spatially cinematic and textural as a live recording; I was focusing on connecting with the environment and each other.
We were on the floor with the hymn books at one point opening and closing them, sliding around on hands and knees flipping through the pages or I would run in place while Nicholas played the cello, and then I started to sing and play organ. At one point I was singing in the balcony while descending the stairs; Nicholas was on the other side of the church dragging his cello. We embodied movement, theatre, sculpture, architecture, and silence..taking in sounds from the environment...the dog barked at one point when Nicholas played the piano, and we laughed a bit because we didn't expect the 'interruption' piercing the dark night's silence.
We built and expanded on these modes and sounds for several months leading up to the manifestation of Intersections and Variations this past November. I embodied movement in this album and Nicholas embraced silence- a sort of poetic mosaic. We both had a lot to give in the midst of feeling a sense of hopelessness; I believe that our trusting and listening to each other was very important to us. I am often thinking about what improvisation is: existing in a moment of trust with others with no judgment..just the freedom to exist and explore in time and space. For that, I am especially grateful to have gone on this boundless journey with Nicholas, and I look forward to opening up to more and more possibilities in the future."
1. Companions 15:44
2. Dew 03:39
3. What Does It Take 08:04
4. Chemicals 04:47
5. Alone 04:36
6. Clear Voiced 01:27
Cello, Voice -- Nicholas Jozwiak
Voice, Gong -- Muyassar Kurdi
Text -- Muyassar Kurdi, Sappho
