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Freehand

by Tim Stevens

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    The first solo album from Tim Stevens, recorded in Sydney, 2002. Free improvisations and original compositions

    Includes unlimited streaming of Freehand via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Full Digital Discography

    16
    releases

    Get all 16 Tim Stevens releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The ace of hearts is high, The beauty of the way and the goodness of the wayfarers, There'll be some changes played, Later still, this autumn year, with whom you can be who you are, I'll tell you later in December, Media vita, and 8 more. , and , .

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1.
Proem 01:34
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2.
Generating 04:22
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3.
Freehand i 07:48
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4.
Jitters 05:53
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5.
Freehand ii 05:45
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6.
Freehand iii 02:43
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7.
Life at Greystanes 04:51
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8.
Freehand iv 03:35
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9.
Craft and art 05:26
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10.
Freehand v 03:51
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11.
Creative control 04:05
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12.
Freehand vi 05:03
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about

At different times, solo piano performance seems both the best and the worst of what goes on. It's easy to exaggerate the horror of what we know (stretching the definition) as cocktail piano, but although it provides an easy and a remunerative means of developing or revolving one's repertoire, and a diverting environment in which to practise, it can be pretty ghastly at times. On the other hand, a performance to a small number of people on a fine instrument in a suitable room can be a rare and wonderful experience. I speak from the performer's perspective, at least; and in this connection I recall with enormous fondness several evenings at Mietta's in the early 1990s.

The Creative Music Series, organised by Dr Tony Gould with the late Mietta O'Donnell, commenced in 1993 and ran over a couple of years, featuring performances by improvising musicians, mostly of original compositions. Small ensembles prevailed. The unique environment of the lounge at Mietta's, and the undisputed assertion that the music was the focus, while the music lasted, left an impression which is treasured all the more keenly as years pass and such experiences, sadly, become still rarer. I performed short solo recitals in the series, during a time when, having completed my Bachelor's degree at the Victorian College of the Arts, I was pursuing a Diploma of Education and threreby trying to avoid a quiet but insistent sense of directionlessness. The invitation to perform original music in such a forum as the CMS brought me gently back to things which, dare I say, matter. I began composing with more energy, and before too long the Browne - Haywood - Stevens trio was formed; once I'd outlived the Dip Ed I returned to the VCA for further study, which I have no doubt was the right decision. All along I felt distinctly enriched by the influence of people unwilling to compromise; musicians and supporters who are prepared to admit the indispensability of art in their lives.

The support and encouragement of Tony Gould – something like a William Shawn for piano players in Melbourne – has been constant in the last twelve years and I can't speak highly enough of his perceptiveness, his intuitive sense of what the student needs, and his effectiveness in getting his message across with the minimum of words. It's impossible to get a lesson from him, but then that's okay because he never stops teaching. Mietta O'Donnell provided an example of what was possible if one resisted trends, remained open-minded, and maintained one's standards. Although I did not know her well, I appreciated deeply the lengths to which she went in supporting and developing the arts in Melbourne. Her generosity to musicians was well known, and her preparedness to stage unusual and inventive events – Monday night trios in the small bar, 'My Dinner with André' (that is, everyone's dinner with André) in the small dining room, an apparently limitless variety of entertainments in the lounge – made her passing in 2001 particularly upsetting. And her establishment in Alfred Place had gone before, choked off by the banality of gambling. There was nowhere quite like it then, and there's nowhere like it now. The opportunity provided by the working together of Tony and Mietta was, in the end, decisive for me, and I wish to record my gratitude to them.

It makes me feel exceptionally fortunate, then, that another such opportunity arose when Tim Dunn telephoned, suggesting this recording. If those performances at Mietta's quickened some creative urge, then this recording is the latest step in what they began. Tim and Tony Gorman have shown enormous faith in me throughout this project and have provided a level of freedom and encouragement that is itself an honour. As guiding spirits they have been exemplary, and I thank them. Thanks also to Ross A'hern at Sony Studios, and Terry Harper, to Hutchings Pianos, to Simon Barker, Mark Lau, Donna Coleman, Mum, Dad, Michael, Liz, and with all my love, to Sall.

Tim Stevens
Summer 2002

credits

released May 24, 2002

Tim Stevens piano and compositions (Copyright Control)

Produced by Tony Gorman
Recorded by Ross A'hern at Sony Studios East Sydney on January 8 and 9 2002
Mastered by Paul Bryant at Sony Studios
Executive Producer Tim Dunn
Design by Cheryl Orsini
Painting 'Head and Raised Hand' by Dave Brewer 1992

For Tony Gould, and in memory of Mietta O'Donnell

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Tim Stevens Melbourne, Australia

Improvising piano player and composer, Melbourne, Australia

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