stringed instruments, string quartets, Haiku of Basho, trees, sky, Arvo Pärt, Bartok, Kaija Saariaho, Scelsi, Mozart piano sonatas, poetry of Tennyson, Jane Austen, Nabokov, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Charles Mingus, Bach cello suites, Björk, Radiohead, folk music, Morton Feldman, foo fighters, John Cage composed pieces, many others.
Sounds Like
For booking or other inquiries, please contact: WesSwingMusic@gmail.com
"For musician and singer-songwriter Wes Swing both the poet and the idea of less is more are at the heart of the music he makes. A classically trained musician who began playing violin at the age of 4, Wes Swing is creating a very unique and personal style of music that is unlike most of what I’ve heard in Charlottesville. By drawing together elements of minimalism and modern classical pieces with expressions of folk that are at times reminiscent of the late Nick Drake, Swing hopes to push upon the boundaries of what defines the singer-songwriter genre."
To this end, Wes Swing’s music relies heavily on a limited number of instruments including violin, cello, and guitar (all of which Wes plays in addition to piano). Prior to arriving in the Charlottesville area in 2005, Swing worked on an instrumental piece for eight cellos while living in Boston and in recent years he has been composing a series of themed works that he describes “as short, powerful, and evocative” and center around the idea of family. Through these pieces Wes hopes to highlight how one single idea can be interpreted to possess a wide range of feelings, emotions, and experiences.
And while the modern classical and minimalism paths have clearly been the well-travelled ones, in the last year or so Swing has begun to explore new ground by adding the element of singer/songwriting to the music he writes and now performs. When I mention the Nick Drake reference that I hear in his voice, Wes admits to being a definite fan but he is also quick to point out his love for Bjork and Radiohead, two contemporary artists whose music cannot easily be defined as simply being rock and who both employ aspects of an almost avant-garde quality to their sound. They seem like proper choices for an artist whose own music does not fit so neatly into one well-defined genre.
As the conversation turns to focus on his songwriting, I happen to mention a recent show at the Gravity Lounge that I attended where Wes opened for Paul Curreri. I bring up the fact that I noticed that there was a strong literary component to his writing. As Swing explains it, a great deal of what he writes about is drawn from what inspires him and that in some cases he writes in response to those sources of inspiration. As such, he points to his song “All Other Love” which came to him after reading a quote from T.S. Eliot which reads “all other love finds speech, but this is silent”. In other instances he mentions the song “Ulysses”, which was written as a personal reaction to the themes of Tennyson’s poem of the same name and to the use of Ezra Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro” as the lyrics for one of his songs. When I say that Wes Swing is playing it smart, it can be taken in the most literal of meanings."
-Shaun Harvey, Cville Muse
dude, i can't believe what i'm seeing on your myspace!! it's been so long that i forgot that you were pursuing your music. it looks as though everything is going well tho!! i'll be in c'ville at somepoint this year. (i know...not very specific..but what do you expect? I'M ASIAN!!!) hahahhaa~
ahh, brings back memories. hit me back, brotha. i wanna know how you've been. later player.
so my friend, it would appear that i have been put on 'standby' by nxne. i have my fingers crossed and prayers petitioned to the heavens that we'll get a spot. if so, i'd be driving up from nyc i think after returning from vienna...crazy eh?
So Wes Swing. It's been a looong time since we've seen you at Rapunzel's for open mic. I think last Febuary actually was when you came and I got your cd. And look! It's about to be Febuary again! Whoo!
2nd Friday of every month. You really should consider coming by. :)
Hello Virginia!...my trio is playing in Harrisonburg this Wednesday night (11/19) @ a great restaurant/bar/music club called Clementine (153 S. Main Street - www. clementinecafe. com). Show starts at 9. It would be great if you could make it.
Wes . . . out here in southern France right now, so plodding through email . . . and learn about your winning the songwriting contest. What wonderful news! Many congratulations, good wishes, exultations, joyful expressions!
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