Sunday, January 9, 2022

Success Pistols - First Shot (January 20, 2022 Amalgam)

BANG! ZAP! POW! Success Pistols is Dustin (tenor saxophone, composition), Scott Bevins (trumpet), Eli Davidovici (bass), and Mili Hong (drums).

Their sound borrows from new music, improvised music, and avant-minimalist traditions. Scores consist of instructions that Finer teaches the group orally; specificity of each instruction varies and unspecified elements are improvised. The result is that each piece retains an identifiable sonic fingerprint while differing every performance. Works are taught orally, rather than by providing the written text scores, so that the music must be memorized immediately. This demands a high level of concentration and fosters a unique performer experience where modalities of listening and memory are used as compositional parameters. Some works also feature game elements that encourage the musicians to interact in playful ways, such as cueing one another with subtle winks.

First Shot is Success Pistols' debut recording.

1. Pastiche No. 1
2. Speed Eater
3. Pastiche No. 2b
4. Descenders
5. three miniatures
6. Just ON3 Thing

Dustin Finer - Tenor saxophone, composition
Scott Bevins - Trumpet
Eli Davidovici - Bass
Mili Hong - Drums

Recorded by James Benjamin and Sam Rae.
Mixed by James Benjamin at Breakglass Studios.
Mastered by Jonathan Kaspy.
Artwork by Isaac Vallentin.