Chromesthesia by James Armstrong

"Chromesthesia" represents my continued research in the areas of orchestral color and texture. Preparation was based largely on detailed works by Bartók, Busoni, Ravel, Debussy, Albéniz, Granados, Chabrier, Messiaen, and de Falla.

There's also a distinct influence from my late friend Andrew Hill and from Kikuchi Masabumi, whose works I know from recordings and transcription.

From these disparate resources, certain patterns have emerged: a novel, highly malleable sense of form and rhythm. The compositions nos. 1-5 are based on contrasting tonal centers. No. 6 is a brief dedication piece, "Blues for Art Tatum".

Forty years after university, I continue to explore the intersection of improvisation and modern classical music, through the medium of concert grand piano. Purposely removed from electronic effects, this is a content-driven music centered on extended, real-time performance; an original practice that has moved beyond the political barriers that exist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

jamesarmstrongmusic.com