What a cool experience it was to create this poster for the 10th Anniversary celebration of Tompkins Square Record Label in NYC. This show has such a dream line-up of musicians, and now that it's one month away it's finally almost here!
The first time I came across Peter Walker's beautiful 1968 album "Second Poem to Karmela..." some years ago in the basement of Plan 9 Records, I remember pulling it for a listen based purely on the appeal of its lovely cover art of swirling hand-drawn illustrations around a black & white photo filtered in pink. All too often this particular "pretty cover, must listen!" judgement call doesn't work out as well as hoped, but this record quickly became one of my favorite and most listened-to finds during those days, and I would never have imagined a time that I would be carefully painting his name out in watercolor for an actual event in 2015!
The case is the same with Michael Chapman, who I had the great pleasure to see when he came through town a few years ago and played two mesmerizing sets that conjured up magic both dark and beautiful with his particular style on guitar. And as a note to those also in the Richmond area, I hear he will be coming back through town again to play on October 7th at Black Iris - mark your calendars!
So the ethereal, transporting sounds of Peter Walker's "Second Poem" and his earlier "Rainy Day Raga" from 1966, Michael Chapman's fantastic "Rainmaker" (1969), and Ryley Walker's latest album "Primrose Green" remained steadily on repeat during the process, with the hopes that some of the spirit within their music would be injected into the artwork.
Please come if you will be in New York on October 9th, it's sure to be a special and once-in-a-lifetime event!! Truly perfect sounds for the changing season and another Autumn on the way.
Tickets / Event Info
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