Phoebe Legere
BLUE CURTAIN: Magically 14th Street
(EIN 015/CD)

A deeply felt eco-feminist musico-religious document, the idea for Blue Curtain began last August when Phoebe led her Psychonaut ensemble in four marathon improvisation events. Psychonaut was such an overwhelming creative success that a recording session was in order to try and capture the creative exhilaration of the ensemble.....
" I didn't know what would happen. Jim, Ikue and I had done gigs together at the Vision Festival and the Texaco Jazz Festival, and each time it was magic... but I was shy about asking them to join me in this project.. there has been resistance among Roulette royalty to the 'tyranny' of an imposed, regular rhythm. .. I love to dance, and I really feel best when I'm in a really funky groove situation... the presence of a deep soul groove helps me to unlock all kinds of stuff in myself ... I was thrilled when Jim and Ikue said "yes." And they are so brilliant.. I'm blessed...." Legere asked D.J. Fumee, a Nigerian Afrogroove specialist and producer of Fema Kuti, to select some rhythm patterns as a foundation for the recording session. Blue Curtain begins with the Native American "Ghost Dance Song" for voice and midi accordion. This opening gambit, sung in Arapaho, gives way to collective improvisation. The instrumentalists: IKUE MORI (Legendary NY No Wave group DNA, winner of the 1999 Ars Electronica Prize), JIM STALEY (Mumbo Jumbo, Jim Staley's Don Giovanni, Tone Road Ramblers), Todd Horton (Swingalicious, Psychonaut) and Steve Butters (Jim O'Rourke, Ken Vandermark, Tone Road Ramblers) move the listener through all the emotions brought up by apocalyptic dread: denial, fear, horror and rage. Phoebe Legere sings and plays an 1890's Steinway while singing a text which moves from astrophysics to fashion and back again. The CD ends simply with a return to 'tonality'. Here Legere is still experimenting as she eases away from dissonace, running rapid cross-tonal riddles and seducing the ear with her clever, mellifluous voice.