PRESS KIT
Here is some material from my personal archive. Much more may be available sooner or later. For now, let's start with some basic documentation:
A Concise History of the Motor Totemist Guild
My latest interview (September 2000)
What the critics said about my music
MUSICAL SCORES
Next we have two complete musical scores. These files require the Adobe Reader plug-in, which will allow you to print the scores, for study only. Performances require permission, please. Narcotic Lollipop contains examples of rhythmic counterpoint, motivic cells, and stylistic hybrid. Yamatonadeshiko is an example of graphic notation.
View "Narcotic Lollipop" (54 pages)
from City of Mirrors, © 1999 All rights reserved - BMI
for flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, xylophone/percussion, and drums
View "Yamatonadeshiko" (16 pages)
from All America City, © 2000 All rights reserved - BMI
for electronics, guitar, piano, and bass
VIDEO
Just added: ROTARY TOTEM on YouTube
AUDIO
And by popular demand, some more mp3 renderings of my music. This music is unavailable elsewhere. Please do not post these files elsewhere, and of course, do not offer them for sale.
The U Totem performances are 100% live in concert. The group featured Emily Hay (voice & flute), Sanjay Kumar (keyboards), Eric Johnson-Tamai (bassoon), David Kerman (drums) and I'm playing bass.
Let's open with the setting of a verse by D Kerman. "Imperfections" was the starting point for U Totem, though originally it appeared on an album by 5uu's. "One Nail Draws Another" was first released on the
U Totem debut album. This version is from a concert at LACE we co-billed with Colorado's legendary Thinking Plague!
Listen to "Imperfections" by U Totem (3:52)
September 23rd, 1989 COMA Day of Music, Long Beach, California
© 1989 All rights reserved - BMI
Listen to "One Nail Draws Another" by U Totem (14:49)
June 30th, 1990 Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
© 1990 All rights reserved - BMI
Then, here are some recent compositional sketches from the next MTG album, City of Angles. The first one features some serial and combinatorial shenanigans and the next is an example of polyrhythmic cut-outs, or form by erasure.
Listen to "A Famous Recluse" by James Grigsby (1:17)
© 2006 All rights reserved - no public performance please
Listen to "Bluebird Scans" by James Grigsby (4:11)
© 2006 All rights reserved - no public performance please
COMING SOON
A musical collaboration between Rod Poole and James Grigsby, originally recorded between 2001 and 2003, to be released for the first time. Watch this space for more details.
ROD POOLE - a unique musician, teacher, and dear friend was senselessly murdered on May 13th 2007. Here is my EULOGY FOR RODERICK POOLE. A tribute for Rod was also held on June 3rd - see Pictures from the Tribute. Check out his DISCOGRAPHY and let me know if I've missed anything. And here's Rod discussing and playing his music in May 2002:
Listen to "Let's Just See What Happens"