Thollem has released four new albums in his excellent 25 album series Astral Traveling Sessions out on the Austin, Texas-based label Astral Spirits. The 12-month subscription series includes improvised recordings and performances the keyboard/pianist made with over 70 different musicians during his world-wide touring schedule in 2019. The four new additions are January and February’s installments. They include a collaborative set with fellow musicians Peter Valsamis, Orlando Greenhill, Jacqueline KIM, and duos with John Dieterich, Alex Cline, and Susan Alcorn.
Thollem / Valsamis / Greenhill / Kim joins the keyboard/pianist with LA-based percussionist, composer, sound designer Peter Valsamis, bassist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and music instructor Orlando Greenhill, as well as the composer, visual artist Jacqueline KIM. The quartet was recorded by Valsamis at his LA studio. Discussing the quartet, Thollem explains:
“This was a meeting of 4 people with varying degrees of familiarity. I had played a bit with Orlando, more so with Peter and had never met Jacqueline. This was also Jacqueline’s first foray into improvisation which is always exciting to me! The result is pretty stunning regardless of the history, or non-history, as a group of individuals. I think this document illustrates the potential of improvised music to navigate many different territories. This album is definitely an adventure!”
January’s second installment from The Astral Traveling Sessions is a duo with guitarist, composer, and producer John Dieterich. The pair have previously collaborated on the albums All For Now and Bad News From Houston. Additionally, the two joined Mike Watt and Tim Barnes on the project Hand To Man Band, releasing the 2012 effort You’re Always On Our Minds. On this newest meeting recorded at Dieterich’s Albuquerque, NM studio, the guitarist plays a Dobro, and Thollem performs using a Waldorf Blofeld synthesizer.
Thollem’s Astral Traveling Series continues into February to include a collaboration with the pedal-steel guitarist Susan Alcorn. Recorded by her at her home in Baltimore, MD, the set finds Thollem once again performing on the Waldorf Blofeld synthesizer.
The series will close February with a performance from Thollem and the drummer/percussionist Alex Cline. The 40-minute set was recorded at the Santa Monica Library in the MLK, Jr. Auditorium as part of the Soundwaves Series run by Jay Schwartz). The performance finds Thollem on piano alongside Cline on drums.
Look for Thollem / Alcorn and Thollem / Cline to be the first releases from the series to be issued on CD by Astral Spirits. Eventually, this fantastic 25 LP series will be released as a box-set from the label featuring two albums per CD. Coming up in March, a trio with Avreeayl Ra and Matt Lux recorded in Chicago, and a duo with Ravish Momin recorded in Philadelphia.
