Sunday, June 6, 2010

marimba ragtime!


In the 1920s and 1930s -- the early days of radio broadcasting -- the xylophone was one of the most popular instruments on the radio. The crisp brilliant sound of the wooden bars came through the earphones and primitive speakers with a clarity that other instruments lacked. Rags were always a favorite source of material for xylophone solos. Performers including George Hamilton Green and Harry Breuer played ragtime music on the radio for enthusiastic audiences, and also gave live performances at dances and other events.
In the twenty-first century, marimbist Jane Boxall delves into the rich, engaging ragtime repertoire, performing the music of Green, Breuer, Joplin and others on a vintage (1926) Deagan xylorimba -- half xylophone, half marimba. Jane's fast-paced, toe-tappin' ragtime set can also feature special collaborations with pianist Rose Chancler (Jane's partner in piano-marimba project Ricochet Duo) and drummer Michael Allen.

Full Battery

"Killer technique and inspired musicality"
DRUM! magazine


Starting in summer 2010, Jane Boxall offers a new drumkit workshop/clinic/performance.

The dynamic power and raw energy of live drumming combine with electronic music ranging from old-school rave to drum'n'bass and techno.

Full Battery is a high-energy, bombastic live performance, featuring lightning-speed drumming and razor-sharp rhythmic precision.

An educational component of the presentation shows young or intermediate drummers how the most basic beats and rudiments can be used at many speeds and in different styles of music, to great effect.

Now taking bookings for 2010 and 2011!

www.janeboxall.com
www.vicfirth.com

marimba mail june 2010

Happy summer, marimba mailers!

Hope you're enjoying the season -- I did my first bit of real gardening today since the 1990s, and it was a treat. A variety of worms and caterpillars were somewhat irritated by my gung-ho digging.

~~~moving in~~~
Michael and I bought a house in Vermont. The marimba, of course, occupies the largest room. This means I can now practice without hitting any walls. Huzzah!

~~~moving on~~~
No more day job for me -- I quit the law firm and am going 100% freelance as a musician and writer. No better time to do this than when freshly be-mortgaged, eh?

~~~moving around~~~
No June gigs as I will variously be gracing Iceland, England and Scotland with my presence, but the calendar is filling up for the rest of the year. July sees solo marimba performances and the debut of my live-drums+rave project, which I'll be delivering as a drum clinic in Brooklyn, New York. I still need a name for this project -- all suggestions gratefully received! In August I'll be piano/marimba duelling in the Northeast and studying marimba ragtime in Delaware with Bob Becker of Nexus. September sees some marimba action over in Europe, and US touring is shaping up for the autumn/fall and early 2011. I'm stocking up on plasters and Sudocrem already.

Until next time, take care,

Jane

www.janeboxall.com