Album Notes

Gary Fieldman Dimension Traveler

"Dimension Traveler" is a compilation of many of my contemporary classical, chamber like compositions. Written over several decades, the “Dimensions” refer to the modes, the various philosophical, spiritual and psychological states (not necessarily in that order) I was in at the time of composition. They span my time living in New York City and later, Boston, and were written at home, in cafes, in subways. Some were composed initially on paper, or created from transcribed recorded semi-improvisations, or conceived ahead of time, with the first performance being the final composition. (Well I did that once).

The artwork on the CD package is by my Boston, North End friend, Vincent Bataglia, 1925-2006. These compositions are dedicated to him.

The following is from the CD liner notes.

Dimension One:

The notes on the page… “I need to play them correctly.” At dinner we were comforting ourselves regarding a colleague’s incompetence, (I tried to resist) then we felt better as I felt better earlier in rehearsal, when someone next to me screwed up. We are not bad people. We are just cornered animals who know there is no going back, and ahead of us, only the notes.

When the concert comes, it all works out. The energy, fear, and self judgment….all funneled into the moment. Afterwards there is the release. There is transcendence. The streets glow with a brilliant light. Small puddles left over from the rain shine like diamonds.

Dimension Two:

“This is that ‘Free’ crowd. What has happened to me? What bad decisions have I made?” I have achieved the solidity of the world, and now choose generality and formlessness. The music begins from nothing and I find myself on a wave. When I control, I fall through, so I balance. “What are these notes? What are these sounds? We don’t create them. They just arrive.” Then I understand. Music is.

Afterwards the world is depth, translucent purple and violet. Forms and objects of various distinctions intermix. (Projections of the unconscious?) Things are moving and changing. This is the true nature of things. Concrete reality was just an illusion.

Vincent admired Norman Rockwell, and loved Andy Warhol. Our first conversation was on Bernstein. He was a conservative beat whose ship was torpedoed in World War Two. “The sharks were circling…just toying with us.” He heard Charlie Parker back in the day. He believed Christianity was the fulfillment, Judaism the foundation. He was our common friend…the Dimension Traveler.

Gary Fieldman
Caffé Paradiso, Boston, MA. (North End) 02.10.2009