Support
Looper's Delight
|
Support |
|
|
I wanted let everyone know about the status of my European/British Isles tour. For anyone interested, I was forced to prematurely end my tour of Sweden with Per and Matthias due to returning home to the California after learning my mother had passed away suddenly. Chris and I have been grieving and processing these events with my brother and sister and their spouses. We have a lot of work to do to take care of my mother's estate (a very modest one at that) and to take care of all of the arrangements surrounding her death (clearing out her house, arranging for all of the legal things that occur when someone dies in this culture). Hopefully we will have some kind of informal memorial service for her next week. She hated the ritual of death in the U.S. and wanted us to not stress or make too much of a fuss about this. My mother was explicitly clear with me on the phone the day before she died: She told me that she really wanted me to follow my dreams and continue my tour no matter what happened. She told me she loved me and all of her children. In her spirit, Chris and I will attempt to return to Europe and will try to pick up the tour in Belfast, Northern Ireland with my performances with Paul Marshall, the great percussionist and found sound artist. I have unfortunately, been forced to cancel my remaing dates in Sweden (which broke my heart because I was having such a wonderful time with both Per and Matthias) and the dates in Dingle, Ireland. I have good friends who are both expat American musicians who live in Dingle and have been assured that there will be another time when I can return to play with them. I also wrote a couple of lengthy entries to my tour diary but the craziness and huge amount of travel that we have been forced to make in the past two weeks have not left my wife anytime to post them yet. We'll try to get that up in a few days. Matthias also has two MP3s of improvs we did in Sweden: one with he, Per and I and one with just he and Per (after we had left for the states). I think there is a good chance he may post them very soon. I was so loving playing with Per and Matthias. They are both really interesting and idiosyncratic musicians and we were all coming from really disparate stylistic places and yet we were really moving towards an interesting group aesthetic. We all felt that we had just scratched the surface of what is possible with this trio and were all looking forward to the next series of gigs when cruel fate interrupted us. I feel strongly convinced that I want to return to Sweden as soon as I can to pick up where we left off but it will, unfortunately, not be this summer. This makes me so sad but we have to take what life gives us and move on with grace and strength. I want to send out my heartfelt thanks to Per who, in his first self booked tour did an incredibly professional job of getting us gigs and exposure. I'm so damned impressed with him (not only his beautiful artistry, but just how together he is as a promoter, booker and human being). He is also funny, intelligent, wise and a great person to tour with. Thanks brother!!! I also want to send out my heartfelt thanks to Matthias who's strong spiritual approach to his music has been a real inspiration to me. He sat up with me all night the night when my mom died and was incredibly nurturing to me emotionally during my darkest hour. Thanks to you to my brother!!! Lastly I want to thank all of the generous loopers who sent Bill and I e-mails of condolences. Many people (including a lot of off list e-mails) had really wonderful stories of their encounters with my mom..................mostly at LIVE LOOPING gigs (if I"m still allowed to use that term with impunity here on loopers delight......<wink>). They have enabled me to see my mother in a light that makes me appreciate her gift even more. LOOP ON MOM...................I'll be with you someday! Yours, Rick Walker