SPRING ‘06

New for 2005/06, Dean is visiting faculty at Bard College, teaching ‘musical
phrasing for dancers’ and ‘extended percussion technique’. He is also a guest lecturer in ensemble improv and song writing at Poughkeepsie Day School in
upstate NY.
He was recently commissioned to write and perform “what dreams these are made of...” for the Deep Listening Dream Fest (Pauline Oliverios Foundation).
Meet The Composer/Creative Connections has also awarded a grant for him to write and perform new works for ensemble & live video at the New Vanguard series in October/November of ‘06.
While preparing to record Sharp ensembles 3:2:1 (Ken McGloin and Russ Johnson) and Mission Statement (with Johnson and ani Difranco bassist Todd Sickafoose) later in 2006, co-led project Earmight (w/ Dean Jones, Ken McGloin and Johnson) took on the task of the performance and recording of ‘Cashing Out’ (the Johnny Cash songbook in free interpretation!) in spring 2006. Dean has also been called in to collaborate with flutest Steve Gorn in the creation of a number of film scores by independants set for summer/fall ‘06 release.
2006 will also see the release of Dean’s fourth record with avantepop chanteuse Rachael Sage and the second effort by oddballian songwriter Richard Mcgraw.
Also on tap for the coming months are mix/recording projects with Steve Rust (duo w/ Sharp) and Louise Taylor (co-producing) and live dates with trumpeter Shunzo Ono, Rachael Sage, and Todd Sickafoose’s Blood Orange.

FALL '06 /WINTER ‘07

This past summer saw a LOT of changes for young Sharp....
SONic 150 (duo w/Russ Johnson) at the New Vanguard series was graced by the bass presence of one Michael Bisio. It was a stunning moment, marked also with notes by reedist David CasT. The afternoon’s performance was captured on video AND audio, so there’s no telling where or when it might turn up.
One can only dream....
Dean’s relationship with Bisio continues with the formation of a trio with multi-
instrumentalist (piano/electronics/shofar) Bob Gluck. Gluck heads the SUNY Albany electronic music program. Watch out for this ensemble’s college and grant-endowed perfomances in ‘07.
Earmight’s foray into the Johnny Cash songbook (CASHING OUT) is nearing completion....mixes are in the final stages with help from the engineering genius of Robert Frazza (Tony Levin, David Torn, Bill Bruford, etc). Also on a creative tear, triO LocO has been busier than ever, with a verve reignited by the flame that started it all....an irreverent love of the jazz and pop genre! With this renewed lust for the ODDnormal comes....what else....the latent beginnings of a new record. To be recorded at the Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY, this is certain to find it’s way into the world sometime in late 2006!! The Face the Music folks have had a marvelous few months as well this summer and fall. and the year’s not done. An even bigger year is in works for ‘07....this group of musicians and consultants are sure to put the global workforce into a tailspin.
This summer/fall brought forth the beginnings of a wonderful relationship between Sharp and multi-reedist/composer Joe Giardullo. ‘The Pearl Road’, duo improvs
utilizing motifs by Giardullo and his work with the late Steve Lacy, made it’s
premier at a New Vanguard performance in August ‘06 and hopes to record in late ‘06/early’07.
“This event was a personal milestone for me as I felt a new voice emerged out of our work together....as if I was allowed to finally speak a language I’d known for some time but was unable to utter!” This voice is what Dean is tapping into for some upcoming solo/duo percussion performances, the first of which will come to bear in November ‘06 as 1: 2: 1 (with mallet-mate David Arner). This winter and spring will see many more of these events as Sharp explores more deeply his unique extended technique on drumset, gongs and loops.
Armed with a newfound vocabulary, his amazing new AGOP signature 26” dark ride cymbal (yup....that’s 26 inches!!!!!), a new signature stick/mallet from ProMark, and a newly revamped 15” powerbook MACdaddy (“thanks to Travis at the Apple store in Albany!!”) the rest of ‘06 and the start of ‘07 look mighty nice for this young’un....

Dean Sharp musing with....

dates to come

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