Photo: Maria Marquez
Lisa Mezzacappa & Nightshade
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Nightshade was formed in summer 2009 to perform at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts as part of a concert series of musicians responding to visual works in the galleries. I composed "Delphinus" after a conversation with Los Angeles artist Edgar Arceneaux, whose installation addressed the lost signs of the Zodiac. "Cosmic Rift" is named after Yehudit Sasportas' sprawling wall-sized work installed in the gallery where we performed; I was fortunate to be welcomed by Yehudit into her studio in Berlin earlier in the summer, and it was a real gift to be able to speak with her and get sense of her work and process. That conversation actually informed much of the music the group performs.
Cory Wright, clarinets
John Finkbeiner, electric guitar
Tim Perkis, electronics
Kjell Nordeson, vibraphone and percussion
Lisa Mezzacappa, acoustic bass
Nightshade playing live to films by Alfonso Alvarez, June 2010:
Dream #1
Dream #2