video
The Land of My Youth (by John Collie, 1856)
Poem by John Collie (1834-1893),
from his book Poems and Lyrics in the English and Scotch Dialects, published in Banffshire, Scotland in 1856
Performed by his great-great-grandson Dave Edwards on banjo at Wairarapa TV in Masterton, New Zealand, 4 May 2019.
John Collie emigrated to New Zealand in 1858. This poem seems to anticipate his leaving Scotland forever, to start a new life in a new country on the opposite side of the world.
logistical torrents
31 July 2019
electric guitar and video by Dave Black,
Featherston, NZ.
One in a series of quickfire improvisations with video effects. Rather than finish an album before releasing anything in 2019, I’m opening a curtain on some of my demo ideas in progress.
11 through the viewer 7
11th July 2019
Improvised acoustic guitar and video effects by Dave Black,
Featherston, NZ.
Solstice Shards 19
I spent the longest night of the year at home and improvised this:
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As I’d been doing mainly solo acoustic songs recently this was a palette cleansing electric improvisation from the other side of my coin.
I think of acoustic as yin and electric as yang forces.
Cafes in Conversation
4th May 2019 at Wairarapa TV May Music Marathon
I wrote this in 1999, after moving to Wellington. I was at an open mic night, at an upstairs bar in Cuba Mall that no longer exists, waiting for my turn to play. I had to wait a while – hence a lot of lyrics.
It was my attempt at a beat poet vibe, reflecting my move to the capital city and discovery of a local jazz scene. Read the rest of this entry »
아리랑
Live 4th May 2019 at Wairarapa TV May Music Marathon –
Banjo rendition of a Korean folk tune 아리랑 (“Arirang”). The banjo is not typically found in Korean music – this would normally be played on a gayageum.
Eastern
4th May 2019 at Wairarapa TV May Music Marathon
Solo guitar version of a tune by the Electricka Zoo, from our 2017 debut album:
It’s based on the hijaz scale and a 7/8 rhythm.
