New Album: "Beside the Lake, Beneath the Trees"
Available Now.
Saxophone, Piano, Electronics and Production by Alexander Harris
Mastering by Adam Skinner
Artwork by Arthur Banach
©Alexander Harris 2024
Rare Medium Records
Firstly, a shout out to all those who listened to and bought last month’s album, and for all the lovely messages of support. If you missed it, check it out here.
Thank you for joining me for the second release, as part of an experimental project where I challenge myself to record and release an album of improvised music every month (in less than a week).
For this album, I recorded a session of piano through FX ( and a little sax), and then on the second day, a session of saxophone and FX. A few of the tracks contain sustained sounds or drones of varying textures throughout the track, and this is a thing I have been working on recently for use in my live set. I may post a little behind the scenes of some examples next time.
I pilfered the name of the title track of Beside the Lake, Beneath the Trees, from Wordsworth’s Daffodils, but my studio also happens to be both beside a lake and beneath a number of trees, in a converted barn an hour north of New York City. Attached to the barn is a chicken coop, and the girls occasionally show up on recordings. I always leave them in, so listen carefully.
The final track, She’s Here (There Will Be No Words) is dedicated to my niece who was born last week in Belfast. Hello and welcome! Congrats and love to A&A (and a tip of the hat to the wonderful Spike Milligan - I included his poem below).
You can listen to Beside the Lake, Beneath the Trees now, before the album is available elsewhere here. The best way to show your support for this music is by buying the album, and Bandcamp is the best way to do that.
Thank you for following along on this little journey of ours, please enjoy the music and feel free to reach out and say hi.
There Is A Song
by Spike Milligan
There is a song in man
There is a song in woman
And that is the child's song.
When that song comes
There will be no words.
Do not ask where they are.
Just listen to the song.
Listen to it-
Learn it-
It is the greatest song of all
© Alexander Harris 2024
I spotted these turkeys just outside the barn yesterday evening. They walked through a flower bed and into the woods, where they kindly took a little break on a fallen branch while I grabbed my camera.
Happy Pride month to all those celebrating! Please enjoy part of my lake view. (Thanks A&P)
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