Downtown Tucsonan - November 2008 - (Page 13)

Downtown Live Collaborative Souls by Lee Gutowski olehill orkestrah, tucson’s hometown bohemian gypsy band, celebrates cians put out the call to other musicians all over tucson, and a burgeoning rotation of its 10th anniversary this year with the grand finale and official after-party 30 or more players started showing up for weekly experimental jams in preparation for for the 19th annual all souls Procession. the band’s music -- indescribable the Procession. cello player chambers recalls, “People on percussion, voice, flutes, without using a string of adjectives -- is a perfect accompaniment to the sax, you name it, all showed up to put together dirge marches for the Procession.” Procession’s rhythmic, non-moEventually the larger group organically pared torized and ultimately ethereal journey. itself down to an ensemble of about six players Molehill’s traditional all soul’s gig, along with for the 1998 all souls Procession gig, and Molethe release of their 4th cd, Language of Bones hill orkestrah was born. ask any band member and their 2008 Best of tucson taMMIEs award how the outfit works and almost immediately in the world Music category are the perfect they cite that 1) there is no main songwriter and keepsakes for the band’s “aluminum anniversary.” 2) everyone contributes to the arrangements, the members of this collaborative miasma, emotional landscapes and ultimately the resultthis collective that creates a musical journey, a ing “completed” pieces of music that they play. whirling dervish dance party and/or a spectacuIn addition, all the original members came to the lar performance art piece during any given apband possessing a musical background and a wellpearance, might each have a different characversed -- some classically trained -- command of terization of the band’s music, but it’s not at all their instruments. that said, certainly the group surprising that the majority of them point to one of half a dozen or so that has communicated, “gig” as the most memorable experience they’ve communed and somehow committed to playing shared in their decade of playing together. together for the past 10 years have also evolved But let’s start with the string of adjectives. as players and artists through the process. “International Mediterranean contemporary “I think that was the thing that appealed to with traces of jazz, punk and psych(edelic) folk” me about it. It was so open-ended. Really an exis the way guitar and bouzouki player (and foundploration of music and social dynamics,” is how ing member) cliff Kuhn explains it. “Post mardalzell puts it. “our music borrows heavily from ginalist is one of the funniest ways I’ve heard it a lot of traditions that we all collectively like and described,” according to Michael dalzell, manappreciate.” dolin player and another band member who the collaborative nature within the band is also was there from the start, “although I’d add neothe main factor in their relationships with groups traditional.” drummer/percussionist chris Kallini like Flam chen and Big Head Puppet works, as waxed descriptive about collaborations with well as the ever expanding and changing commuFlam chen Pyrotechnic company, another tucnity of musicians that sit in on the band’s recordson institution and integral part of the all souls ings and live shows. Paul weir, technical director Procession, on “original processional dirges spun of Flam chen, recalls, “we were all in the same off old Eastern European melodies of lament.” scene of friends and Flam chen grew as a group core band members who still reside in tucbecause the Procession needed something to son include the aforementioned Kuhn, dalzell happen at the end.” and Kallini; Mona chambers (cello) and Risha Molehill guitarist Kuhn explained the original druckman (violin) round out the list. the cast collaborative efforts with Flam chen: “we would of regular collaborators, however, include other give them a bunch of stuff to listen to, and they tucson stalwarts like Jimmy carr (accordion would kind of choose and tweak among that stuff --from the molehill orkestrah’s tour book and percussion), Katy coleville (bass), and horn according to the rhythms and dynamics of their on board the molehill bus playing brothers tony, dante and Marco Rosano. performances. the way we functioned in the the seeds of the Molehill epic were sown band, someone would come up with a melodic in the underground art scene in tucson’s wareintro, or a rhythmic intro, and the song would house district in the mid-90s. Kuhn, Kallini and evolve from there over many approaches.” chambers were living in the ace tomato compaMolehill and Flam chen have been associny compound. “It was pretty much a warehouse ated with the all souls Procession since 1998, with a house on the premises. we’d regularly have but weir notes that it wasn’t until 2006 that these big parties and potlucks where all these the band was asked “to create an official commembers of the art and music community would position for the after-Procession festivities. show up.” Meantime, in an old tin-roofed shack that’s really Molehill’s forté -- to create mubehind the adobe they lived in near tucson High, sic for a dance-release of that sort of energy.” dalzell and “nervous” duane (another founding Every wandering band of gypsies needs a tour member of Molehill who has since relocated to bus, and Molehill is no exception. of course, the new orleans) were getting together regularly with periwinkle blue 1966 bookmobile which they conKuhn to play in the “nervous duane orkestrah.” verted for this purpose is another example of the “I’m not sure how ‘Molehill’ came up. I cerband’s group efforts. tainly didn’t think of it, because I don’t remember cruising neighborhoods one day in 2000 in where it came from. all of a sudden it was just search of a vehicle for sale, Kuhn, Kallini and dalthere,” says dalzell about the band’s name. and zell came across the broken down dodge parked Kuhn mentions something about “not making a in a dusty, weeded-over lot. “as a matter of fact, mountain out of a molehill.” al Foul and his crew were driving by in their tequila Mobile at the same time we spotted the group of musician friends soon became inextricably intertwined with the dis- it. we had a little Mexican standoff about it,” Kallini laughs. tinctive tucson art scene that hatched the exhilarating dia de los Muertos festivities for the Molehill gang ended up securing the bookmobile, getting it running, and overwhich the town is famous. “I had gone to an organizing meeting for the all soul’s Pro- hauling the interior to meet their needs. chambers did the beautiful quilted patchwork cession,” Kuhn recalls. “this was in 1998. the idea emerged that we should put togeth“Molehill” continued on page 25 er a special musical project to play during the event.” the ace tomato group of musi- M lightning flashed fireflies fluttered a band of gypsies changed the air under the tree and moon and rain november.08. downtown tucsonan 13

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Downtown Tucsonan - November 2008

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