Looper's Delight Archive Top (Search)
Date Index
Thread Index
Author Index
Looper's Delight Home
Mailing List Info

[Date Prev][Date Next]   [Thread Prev][Thread Next]   [Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index]

update: LOOP.POOL SUMMER TOUR 2003



I wanted let everyone know about the status of my European/British Isles
tour.

For anyone interested,  I was forced to prematurely end my tour of Sweden
with Per and Matthias due to returning home to the California after 
learning
my mother had
passed away suddenly.

Chris and I have been grieving and processing these events with my brother
and sister
and their spouses.   We have a lot of work to do to take care of my 
mother's
estate
(a very modest one at that) and to take care of all of the arrangements
surrounding her
death (clearing out her house, arranging for all of the legal things that
occur when someone
dies in this culture).  Hopefully we will have some kind of informal
memorial service for her next week.  She hated the ritual of death in the
U.S. and wanted us to not stress or make too much of a fuss about this.

My mother was explicitly clear with me on the phone the day before she 
died:
She told
me that she really wanted me to follow my dreams and continue my tour no
matter what happened.   She told me she loved me and all of her children.

In her spirit,  Chris and I will attempt to return to Europe and will try 
to
pick up
the tour in Belfast, Northern Ireland with my performances with Paul
Marshall, the great
percussionist and found sound artist.

I have unfortunately, been forced to cancel my remaing dates in Sweden
(which broke my heart because I was having such a wonderful time with both
Per and Matthias) and the dates
in Dingle, Ireland.     I have good friends who are both expat American
musicians who live
in Dingle and have been assured that there will be another time when I can
return to
play with them.

I also wrote a couple of lengthy entries to my tour diary but the craziness
and
huge amount of travel that we have been forced to make in the past two 
weeks
have
not left my wife anytime to post them yet.   We'll try to get that up in a
few days.

Matthias also has two MP3s of improvs we did in Sweden: one with he, Per 
and
I and one with
just he and Per (after we had left for the states).   I think there is a
good chance he may
post them very soon.

I was so loving playing with Per and Matthias.  They are both really
interesting and
idiosyncratic musicians and we were all coming from really disparate
stylistic places
and yet we were really moving towards an interesting group aesthetic.
We all felt that we had just scratched the surface of what is possible with
this
trio and were all looking forward to the next series of gigs when cruel 
fate
interrupted us.
I feel strongly convinced that I want to return to Sweden as soon as I can
to pick up where we left off but it will, unfortunately, not be this 
summer.
This makes me so
sad but we have to take what life gives us and move on with grace and
strength.

I want to send out my heartfelt thanks to Per who, in his first self booked
tour did
an incredibly professional job of getting us gigs and exposure.  I'm so
damned impressed with him (not only his beautiful artistry, but just how
together he is as a promoter, booker and human being).  He is also funny,
intelligent, wise and a great person to tour with.
Thanks brother!!!

I also want to send out my heartfelt thanks to Matthias who's strong
spiritual
approach to his music has been a real inspiration to me.   He sat up with 
me
all
night the night when my mom died and was incredibly nurturing to me
emotionally during
my darkest hour.   Thanks to you to my brother!!!

Lastly I want to thank all of the generous loopers who sent Bill and I
e-mails of condolences.    Many people (including a lot of off list 
e-mails)
had really wonderful
stories of their encounters with my mom..................mostly at LIVE
LOOPING gigs
(if I"m still allowed to use that term with impunity here on loopers
delight......<wink>).
They have enabled me to see my mother in a light that makes me appreciate
her gift
even more.

LOOP ON MOM...................I'll be with you someday!

Yours,  Rick Walker