Kazumi Umeda (piano, keyboards, bass, guitar, drums, percussion, voice, the occasional odd attempt at harmonica, shakuhachi & balalaika)
Influences
Solo Pete Townshend, The Beatles, Andrei Tarkovsky, Olivia Tremor Control, Toru Takemitsu, The Who, Ingmar Bergman, ABBA, King Crimson, The Roches, Robert Fripp's "Exposure" album, The Bee Gees, Lars von Trier, The Nields, Yes, Carmen Maki & Oz, Wong Kar-Wai, The Beach Boys, Stephen Sondheim, Lida Husik, Maya Deren, Jeff Beck, The Clash, Anton Webern, Yasujiro Ozu, The Jam, Grassy Knoll, Michelangelo Antonioni, Sadistic Mika Band, Nick Drake, Radiohead, The English Beat, Alexander Sokurov, Aimee Mann, Elvis Costello, XTC.
Sounds Like
It really changes from song to song but on the whole, it might be like XTC trying to record a film score for Hiroshi Teshigahara at Pete Townshend’s home studio while all of the above are yelling out suggestions, turning it into a frustrating but hopefully interesting mess.
Below are three contrasting examples of what I do: a film score, a love song, and a prog-ish instrumental.
New Providence is the name of my one-man band. Years ago, it was a “real” band that included people who have played with Trey Gunn, Microtones, The Action Verbs (the band that eventually became Babe the Blue Ox), and G.G. Allin. My background includes a degree in classical piano from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, jazz studies at the Eastman School of Music, some early collaborations with avant-gardist David Shea, and being a founding member of the hardcore punk band Teenage Depression.
I’ve been a huge Beatles fan for most of my life. When I was 11 or 12, I learned that Paul McCartney recorded his first solo album all by himself, playing all the instruments. “What a cool way to make music,” I thought to myself. So that’s what I've been doing for some years now.
I have also recorded with the avant-garde improvisation group Jagged Ice (see the blog above). I’ve scored films as well, and a couple of years ago I directed a short film called SOOTHSAYER which was screened at the Coney Island Film Festival and other venues.
"Honeysuckle 2008" is a new version of an old song. It'll be on the new CD, which hopefully will be out before the end of the year. "The Obvious," "The Passersby," and "Funeral Baked Music" above, as well as "Lightfeather" and "Remo" on the left (the music videos), are from my most recent CD, FUNERAL BAKED MUSIC.
"Agnes's Mother" is a favorite of mine. The lyrics are adapted from a beautiful sequence from Ingmar Bergman's film CRIES AND WHISPERS. This song appears on the first NP CD, NEW PROVIDENCE, which was mixed with the assistance of Kramer at Noise New Jersey.
"I had a terror" is a piece for flute and electronics, featuring my good friend Renée Oakford playing the flute. It's from a series of pieces in which the flute melodies are wordless settings of Emily Dickinson texts; a version of this piece was included in the score for THIRTY-TWO PROSPECT PARK FRAGMENTS, an experimental video by Montreal-based filmmaker Guillaume Hérisson.
You can also see my music videos as well as SOOTHSAYER at MY YOUTUBE PAGE.
Kazumi Umeda / New Providence's Friend Space (Top 24)
Now playing: SOUPYGATO SHOW #196 -- The SoupyGato Show interviews TREY GUNN, part 2 -- , featuring music by NEW PROVIDENCE!
There are several ways to listen to the SoupyGato Show – the easiest is to visit our website: www. soupygato. com – or subscribe to the show by visiting http://www. gcast. com/u/soupygato/main -- and it will download to your Itunes, Ipod, etc.
SoupyGato Show #196
Trey Gunn -- Hammerhead
Jim Wright -- Jazz Heretics Lisa B., IndieMusicReview. com -- call-in American Flag -- Time In The Middle Cobalt & The Hired Guns -- Chicago
talk with Trey Gunn
Trey Gunn -- Spirit of Flight
The Pandas -- Point of Beginning New Providence -- the Natto Song Trey Gunn -- Forest of Sighs
Happy New Year! I have a strong feeling that 2008 has wonderful things in store for you! Have a amazing new year!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again for your friendship... you are terrific! Taj
