Dear Inquisitor,

To-day’s entry shall be two-fold, for yesterday was a remarkably eventful day – full of developments which are pertinent to the purpose of this periodical.  First was a pre-production session which took place here at the parsonage.  The New Transcendentalists, as they are coming to be known, did grace the Great Room with their presence, in experimenting with various modes of accompaniment to an initial collection of my compositions which are soon-to-be documented through a revolutionary new ‘sound-recording’ process.  When our work was complete, we took a moment to give our-selves and each-other-self a complimentary pat on the back before caravanning across town to witness a performance at The Basement by Laura Veirs.

~The Rehearsal~
One-by-one, these uniquely gifted personages stepped into the antechamber.  Each was greeted as a distinguished guest, and so should it be in this account.  I would like to acquaint the reader with each of these lofty figures in adherence to my heart’s decorum.  Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my distinct honor to introduce you to Mr. Tommy Perkinson.  This punctual personage, the first to arrive, is the pocket-watch of our ensemble.  He is percussionist through-and-through – classically trained yet au courant – a gentle soul and sympathetic instrumentalist.  Next to arrive is the beauteous Ms. Stephanie Dickinson.  She might be regarded as our heart-beat, an expert bass-violinist – impeccably in time and in tune – steady and true – an extroverted and lovely woman moreover.  Enter Mr. Jason Goforth.  I want to address his personality first – farcical!  This man has a wit to be matched by no-one, albeit in stark contrast with the seriousness of his approach to music.  He is the electronic wizard of the group, providing a lush and haunting landscape of organic ambience to each selection using lap-steel, harmonica, and a switch-board of analogue devices.  Next to make entrance is Mr. James Wallace – mad scientist of the pump organ and electric piano, and amiable associate.  His incomparable contribution is in the realm of melody, adding brilliant inflections which could only come from such a mind. Last, but not least, came Mr. Kevin Dailey – guitarist extraordinaire and kind soul, whose belated arrival was expected, due to a preceding engagement.  This was his first appointment with our ensemble and I must say that he performed skillfully, injecting discriminating riffs on guitars of six and twelve strings, which served as the proverbial ‘glue’ for all of our swirling auditory complexities.  On the whole, it was a juxtaposition of colorful characters which made for a transcendent musical and social experience.  I now have before me the task of revisiting the notes and recordings which were transcribed during this experimental session, as to plot our next course.

~The After-Party~
I have to admit that I was not familiar with the name Ms. Laura Veirs, but what I found was a sound completely unique and alluring to my ears!  Her band was phenomenal as well!  Nashville was one of their many stops on an on-going tour, each hailing from either Seattle, Washington or Portland, Oregon.  I will not attempt to intellectualize their artistry, but I do highly recommend a focused interest in the music of Ms. Laura Veirs and her latest album July Flame (which I did purchase myself, yet am still intending to give the attentive listen which it deserves).  During said transaction, I met the cheerful (and very pregnant) Ms. Veirs and her husband – Grammy-nominated record producer Tucker Martine who is also known for his work with The Decemberists, Mudhoney, Sufjan Stevens, Spoon, Bill Frisell, and others.  It was quite an honor to meet them both! 

The hour was late and I was growing tired.  The time had come to end this especially eventful day.  In bed, I tossed and turned uncharacteristically – saturated with the energy of excitement.  This is the sort of day from which one never recovers, as it leaves an impress so deep that the course of future events is altered by it.  I have awakened to a whole new world, where old experiments will no longer render familiar results.  I have drank-up all of the old wine.  New wine goes into new bottles.  And so it is….

Among The New Transcendentalists,
Mister Hazelwood