Oct. 12th, 2006 @ 11:29PM
Musicians are magicians, but not all of us do magic for the same reason. I play music to project and effect a heightened state of consciousness, to the best of my somewhat limited technical ability. But, as one of my teachers observed, passion and enthusiasm can make up for the limits of skill and talent, and so I hope you will accept these humble musical offerings in the participatory spirit in which they have been created: that none of us should go to the grave with our songs unsung. May this music inspire you to express your own highest aspirations.

I have been playing piano ever since I was tall enough to reach the keys. I have always been totally fascinated with pianos, but have always been too lazy, intimidated, or busy to take lessons, so I have evolved a style that I would call folk piano. Imagine people sitting around a campfire, playing their pianos and singing songs.....

I took up saxophone in my teens from a love for the big band music of the thirties and forties, then got my mind blown by Ornette Coleman and Jerry Garcia. I have never played sax commercially, but have played informally with many guitarists and drum circles through the years. I also play hand drums, in part because it seems rude to play saxophone all the time in such contexts. As W.C. Fields once remarked, A gentleman is somebody who can play the saxophone and doesn't. So I am a gentleman some of the time.

I have always loved to sing but only recently, with the help of a voice instructor, have I figured out how to consistently sing at least passably. Before that, I had some horribly embarrassing moments.

Sometimes the electric keyboard is merely to provide the appearance of bass, drum, and organ accompaniment, but sometimes I do like to take full advantage of the possibilities of modern electronics.

So this band is called Brother Martin and the Intangibles, in part because I am the only tangible member of the band. I enjoy playing music with others but haven't been able to figure out how to play saxophone and piano and sing my best all at the same time! Someday, perhaps, a solution will present itself......

Meanwhile, I would be happy to play acoustic piano (and occasionally sing) in a tobacco-free Amsterdam-style coffeehouse...similar venues will be considered. Make me an offer!.