T. A. Zook is primarily a nylon-string guitarist; however, in live performances he plays basscello through digital signal processors; at studio sessions, he also plays a variety of digitally-processed, non-traditional analog instruments such as bowls, rainsticks, slidewhistle, whistle-flutes, oceanharp, etc.

T. A. Zook began his study of the guitar in Chile and Uruguay (the latter under the guidance of Luis Acosta), and continued upon his return to the U.S. in the early 1960s under Sophocles Papas (classical) and Frank Mullen (jazz). Beginning in 1999, he has been studying improvisation under David Darling.

Solo works:

- http://soundcloud.com/uberepic-productions/snaefellsj-kul-s-lseturr-kkur — “Snæfellsjökull Sólseturrökkur” is a work inspired by trips to Iceland and the view of Snæfellsjökull volcano (http://bit.ly/hZEvse; http://www.skimountaineer.com/ROF/Beyond/Snaefellsjokull/SnaefellsjokullMap.jpg ; http://g.co/maps/ygrs9) from approximately 60 miles across Faxaflói Bay from Keflavik at sunset (sólsetur) and the following twilight (rökkur); hopefully, you might enjoy the descending-pitch entropy suggestive of twilight’s end at the clip’s conclusion (that is, if you’re still awake . . . .)

- http://soundcloud.com/aoi-theme-and-alterations is a solo compilation based on a repeating, 1-minute loop initially recorded at a Music for People “Art of Improvisation” workshop, subsequently processed at my home)

- In October 2010, Sig. Croce’s Ozky e-sound’s netlabel released “T. A. Zook Basscello” (http://modisti.com/releases/?p=11817), which documents a solo basscello performance at the Sonic Circuits Festival of Experimental Music Benefit II ( http://www.dc-soniccircuits.org/) at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring, MD, USA (http://www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org/).

- http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=938383&songID=10344838 is a rare MIDI work based on a Morse code-based algorithm, composed in support of the effort to save the Arlington County Planetarium.

T. A. Zook’s principal collaborative project is the Lost Civilization’s experimental music project (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/lostcivilizations), a duo with virtuoso reeds player Mike Sebastian. (http://www.alkem.org/mikesebastian/ ; http://dcic.alkem.org/band.html)(bass clarinet; tenor sax; saxello) and T. A. Zook (basscello; lap steel guitar and KORG Monotron synthesizer). It began in 2008 and has featured guests such as Larry Gomez (Tabla, Cymbals, Misc. percussion), Louie Rozier (Flute; Percussion), Fugazi’s Jerry Busher (percussion), Aaron Martin (Alto Sax, Soprano Sax), Doug Kallmeyer (bass; electronics)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/302_Acid; http://sesshinnofi.wordpress.com/; http://www.myspace.com/302acid; http://www.myspace.com/themantis), Emre Kartari (Percussion), Sam Lohman (percussion), Ben Azzara (percussion) and Angela Morrish (vocals).

Performances by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project are totally unscored, unrehearsed and extemporaneously improvised on the spot. It has been described as:

“Combining atmospheric strings with Ayler-esque expression, this group provides a fundamentally different approach to improvisation, with a focus on mood, landscape, and intensity.”

Recent recordings by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project:

http://archive.org/details/oz047 (a live performance, with Angela Morrish (Phonic Riot; Washerwoman) on vocals)

http://bit.ly/sCS93C (a live performance by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project with Jerry Busher (Fugazi) on percussion)

http://bit.ly/uITI6n (with Angela Morrish on vocals and Doug Kallmeyer on electronics)

http://bit.ly/sH47iX (a live performance by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project with pedal steel icon Susan Alcorn)

http://bit.ly/Aj3kVY (a live performance by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project with Sam Lohman (Akris; Trio OOO) on percussion)

http://bit.ly/Aq45TN (a live performance by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project)

http://bit.ly/sLb7dw (a live performance by the Lost Civilizations experimental music project with Ben Azzara (DC Improvisers Collective) on percussion)

http://archive.org/details/oz033 (“Lost Civilizations VII”, with Larry Gomez on percussion)

http://bit.ly/Kh1wST (May 15, 2012 live performance at Dynasty Ethiopian Restaurant)

http://bit.ly/KOJcCC (May 19, 2012 live performances at Artomatic 2012 with Doug Kallmeyer and Jerry Busher)

http://bit.ly/KlIzCu (May 20, 2012 live performance at Arlington’s
Galaxy Hut with Doug Kallmeyer)

http://bit.ly/K8IJu6 (June 14 live performance at Baltimore’s An die Musik with Doug Kallmeyer and Jerry Busher)

http://bit.ly/LGcOUs (June 21 live performance at The Fillmore Silver Spring)

http://bit.ly/M3xDbZ (July 15 performance at Capital Audiofest 2012)

“september impressions” has been released by ICTUS Records: http://www.amazon.com/September-Impressions/dp/B004VCO2Q6/ref=tmm_msc_title_0. There’s an interesting “backstory” to this release: The renowned Italian-American percussionist Andrea Centazzo (http://www.andreacentazzo.com) stayed at T. A. Zook’s home while he was in town for his appearances in the 2010 Sonic Circuits Festival (http://www.dc-soniccircuits.org/festival/2010/), which included a solo performance at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage (http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M4402) and an appearance with the Lost Civilizations experimental music project (http://www.soundclick.com/lostcivilizations) at The Mansion at Strathmore. On September 23, the day following Dr. Centazzo’s Kennedy Center appearance, two of T. A. Zook’s colleagues in the Twenty-first Century Chamber Ensemble (http://www.myspace.com/xxichamberensemblepartone), Janel Leppin (cello) and Mike Sebastian (reeds), came over to his home to jam. That date was an anniversary of Coltrane’s birth — thus, “impressions” in this work’s title to honor the master’s legacy. Coincidentally, it was also the anniversary of the Twenty-first Century Chamber Ensemble’s Millennium Stage appearance in the 2009 Sonic Circuits Festival (http://www.dc-soniccircuits.org/festival/2009/). Mr. Zook set up my recording rig to capture what he could. It was, in Dr. Centazzo’s words, “battlefield conditions”: his expansive percussion rig in the living room, T. A. Zook’s basscello rig in his music room, with Janel Leppin and Mike Sebastian squeezed into the very short connecting hallway. Although Dr. Centazzo used some pre-recorded material during this session and did a magnificent job in augmenting the session in postproduction, the music that Janel Leppin, Mike Sebastian and T. A. Zook contributed was unscored, unrehearsed and improvised extemporaneously on the spot — and it was the first time they had all played together.

T. A. Zook’s friend and mentor (and 2010 Grammy winner!) David Darling (http://www.daviddarling.com) was kind enough to offer the following review:

“I would easily say that this cellist and this group is inspirational and the cellist has the best lines and sound that I have ever heard including myself… Great and Unique music.”

“Lost Civilizations VII” has been posted (for free download) @ http://www.archive.org/details/oz033 . There’s an interesting backstory to this: Massimo Croce, the proprietor of Ozky e-sound (http://www.myspace.com/crocemassimo ; http://www.archive.org/details/ozkye-sound-netlabel ), the netlabel releasing this work, is an Italian who was drawn to Cairo (where he now lives) by the wonderful streetsound panorama there, which provides the sonic palette for his personal sounddesign work. Sig. Croce is a prominent scholar/musician in the field of experimental music and biographer of the trailblazing Luigi Russolo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Russolo; http://emusician.com/remixmag/artists_interviews/musicians/remix_luigi_russolo/; http://modisti.com/releases/?p=6869); he somehow found Lost Civilizations on the Internet, which led to him proposing this release.

Sig. Croce subsequently released “The Lost Civilizations experimental music project with Angela Morrish — Live at Arlington’s CD Cellar” : http://www.archive.org/details/oz047

Many thanks to Sig. Croce for his untiring efforts in bringing the music that comes through us to a much wider public than it would otherwise reach.

Here are some links to other music that T. A. Zook has been involved with:

http://bit.ly/tvOfxZ (from the cutting-room floor of the september impressions (http://www.amazon.com/September-Impressions/dp/B004VCO2Q6) session with Italian-American überpercussionist Andrea Centazzo (http://bit.ly/j9YClz), Janel Leppin (cello), Lost Civilizations’ Mike Sebastian (reeds) & myself (basscello)

http://www.reverbnation.com/tazook

http://www.myspace.com/tazook (none of T. A. Zook’s many MySpace sites are monitored; sadly, MySpace’s recent “enhancements” have rendered the biographical sections useless for most practical purposes)

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http://www.myspace.com/xxichamberensemblepartone

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsmusic

http://www.myspace.com/morelostcivilizations

http://www.myspace.com/merellasebastianzook

http://www.myspace.com/sebastianandzook1

http://www.myspace.com/sebastianandzook2

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsatorpheus

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsvi

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsvii (free, full-length release @ http://www.archive.org/details/oz033 )

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsviii

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsix

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsx

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsxi

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsxii

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsxiii

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsxiv

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsxv

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsxvi

http://www.myspace.com/lostcivilizationsxvii

http://www.myspace.com/martinandzook

http://www.myspace.com/zookfieldrecording (authentic mountain music that T. A. Zook’s wife and he recorded)

http://www.myspace.com/zooksounddesign

T. A. Zook is currently involved in six projects:

-the Lost Civilizations experimental music project with reeds player Mike Sebastian (http://www.soundclick.com/lostcivilizations);

-the Twenty-first Century Chamber Ensemble, with Janel Leppin on cello and electronics, Anthony Pirog on guitar and Mike Sebastian on reeds (http://www.myspace.com/xxichamberensemblepartone);

-the Rosati & Zook project, with vocalist extraordinaire Susan Rosati (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=1170226&songID=10593280);

-the centazzo leppin sebastian zook “september impressions” project led by the acclaimed Italian-American percussionist Andrea Centazzo (http://www.andreacentazzo.com)(http://www.amazon.com/September-Impressions/dp/B004VCO2Q6);

-the Boyce, Chimiak, Compton & Zook Project (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=938383&songID=10358444); and

-the Chimiak, Sebastian & Zook Project (website pending).

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I am forever indebted to my teachers Luis Acosta and Sophocles Papas (classical guitar), Frank Mullen (jazz guitar) and my mentor, David Darling (music; improvisation)(see links posted below). I am equally indebted to Mr. Papas’ teacher, the great Andrés Segovia, whose insight into the essence of music is revealed in the following:
“. . . sonority and its infinite shadings are not the result of stubborn will power but spring from the innate excellence of the spirit.”

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Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from David Darling:

“Music is the only source of energy that I have known in my life that gives humans a chance to be instantly transformed into spirit.”

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“The Spiritual Significance of Music: I believe that the the spiritual significance of music is an intelligence, and consciousness that we are all given by our life. Babies in the womb respond to music and as our ears our emptied of the water at birth sounds/music begin their profound influence on our life. Music is the highest spiritual entity that I know about in my life. Music transforms our daily life moment by moment. We walk, run, dance, sing, chant. whistle, hum, groove to music our entire life. We are moved to tears by music and of course it is the key element in all rituals of the human experience. We are born into musical sound, and we pass to the next dimension with music as our friend and guide.

One of the sadness I feel about modern civilization is that the birth right to be musical has been taken away from many humans who have suffered from very narrow minded and uninformed teachers of music as well as society in general when there is criticism of any human of failing to sing or groove to some artificial standard.

What we know about music is that it comes to each individual in a personal way and when our outpouring of singing or grooving is approved of and encouraged great things happen for each individual. All of us succeed when we are surrounded by love rather than negative action.”

— David Darling, October 2008

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Alberto Ludwig Urquieta: “El universo es tremendamente creativo, lo que nos obliga a abrirnos a lo desconocido…” (The universe is tremendously creative, which obliges us to open ourselves to the unknown . . .)

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A Bill of Musical Rights — Developed by David Darling/Music for People

-Human beings need to express themselves daily in a way that invites physical and emotional release.

-Musical self-expression is a joyful and healthy means of communication available to absolutely everyone.

-There are as many different ways to make music as there are people.

-The human voice is the most natural and powerful vehicle for musical self-expression. The differences in our voices add richness and depth to music.

-Sincerely expressed emotion is at the root of meaningful musical expression.

-Your music is more authentically expressed when your body is involved in your musical expression.

-The European tradition of music is only one sound. All other cultures and traditions deserve equal attention.

-Any combination of people and instruments can make music together.

-There are no “unmusical” people, only those with no musical experience.

-Music improvisation is a unique and positive way to build skills for life-expression.

-In improvisation as in life, we must be responsible for the vibrations we send one another.

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A very thought-provoking observation shared by Renato Ciunfrini: “Life is more ancient than death”.

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LaDonna Smith: “Every human being should have a musical instrument.”

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From “The New Atlantis” by Sir Francis Bacon (written in 1624!)(http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/bacon/atlantis.html) with thanks to Sound on Sound’s April 2008 issue and in tribute to the late Daphne Oram of BBC’s The Radiophonic Workshop:

“We have also sound-houses, where we practise and demonstrate all sounds and their generation. We have harmony which you have not, of quarter-sounds and lesser slides of sounds. Divers instruments of music likewise to you unknown, some sweeter than any you have; with bells and rings that are dainty and sweet. We represent small sounds as great and deep, likewise great sounds extenuate and sharp; we make divers tremblings and warblings of sounds, which in their original are entire. We represent and imitate all articulate sounds and letters, and the voices and notes of beasts and birds. We have certain helps which, set to the ear, do further the hearing greatly; we have also divers strange and artificial echoes, reflecting the voice many times, and, as it were, tossing it; and some that give back the voice louder than it came, some shriller and some deeper; yea, some rendering the voice, differing in the letters or articulate sound from that they receive. We have all means to convey sounds in trunks and pipes, in strange lines and distances.”

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An excerpt from address to parents of the incoming freshman class at Boston Conservatory, given by Karl Paulnack, pianist and director of the music division at Boston Conservatory (brought to my attention by the incomparable oboist, english horn player and singer-songwriter Marianne Oisel):

“The first people to understand how music really works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you; the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the position of things inside us.”

(source: http://amandamichellewhite.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/speech-by-karl-paulnack-of-boston-conservatory/)

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Snæfellsjökull

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