Guitarist and composer Rex Shepherd will be releasing the
third installment of the “Never Buy My Self” series digitally on June 29th. The
first two volumes, released in 2014, featured Shepherd playing solo and in
various duets, and volume three continues the series with a new set of all solo
music consisting of both improvised and composed pieces. The new release
features four new compositions and ten more improvised tunes that demonstrate
Shepherd's musical range from thoughtfully written jazz ballads to fuzzed out
guitar mayhem including one piece in which Shepherd again uses the Theremin for
self accompaniment.
Says Rex, “I released a solo set in 2016 called
'Meditations,' and doing a new solo thing runs the risk of repetition but
'Meditations' was done in just a few sessions and was textural and harmonically
focused and the new stuff returns to my tendency to play and write in a linear
melodic way and the music on 'Never Buy My Self, Volume III' reflects that way
of thinking, and it's also different in that it was recorded over a span of
about two years and, like volume I, it includes one particular composition that
is very personal and is only for me to play. I have aspirations for new
projects with larger ensembles and to return to the No End of Now jazz rock
thing too so this will probably be the last solo thing I do for a good while,
and given the current socio-emotional environment these days I don't want to
come off as a narcissistic anti-social type. So I hope people enjoy and connect
with this music and, as always, much peace, happiness, and music to all people,
everywhere.”
Guitarist Rex Shepherd also recently released three albums
digitally: “Ohio”, “Sonority” and “Duets”. Combining elements of jazz
improvisation and harmony with an approach to guitar playing heavily influenced
by diverse players such as Jim Hall, Robin Trower, Fred Frith, and sitar
virtuoso Ravi Shankar, Rex Shepherd has forged a niche for himself with
original music that typically lies somewhere just outside the usual genre labels
but is still music that is approachable.
Says Rex, “This new music was recorded in my personal
studio, much of it with other musicians in duets, and at various times
throughout the last few years. The past several years have delivered to me a
greater understanding of the fleeting nature of this lifetime, so I decided to
release much of what I had accumulated, in part to satisfy my own need to
communicate musically with the world outside of my little sphere of existence,
but also I wanted to honor the musicians who played this music with me. It is
these musical and personal relationships that are at the heart of creating
music, whether composed or improvised, and for the people who listen to it I
hope it also creates a connection between us. Much peace and music to all
people, everywhere.”
Having been described as “Robin Trower meets Miles Davis”,
Shepherd's music spans from full on instrumental jazz rock tunes to traditional
jazz compositions with a good dose of free improvisation and sound experimentation
using “prepared” and effected guitar sounds and instruments such as the
“oceanharp” and the Theremin.
Shepherd's band, sometimes going under the name No End of
Now, employs a revolving cast of the most creative players he can find who are
willing to take part in a project that is often arranged while playing and with
no limitations on the players' expression of the music. The compositions are
also a blend of influences, from Wayne Shorter to John Cage, and most often are
directly inspired by people, literature and other art forms, and experiences
that hold significant meaning in Shepherd's life.
Previously released albums:
“Ohio”: With the exception of “Desire”, a ballad Rex wrote
several years ago, the music on this recording is all improvised. The songs
consist of duet recordings captured in his studio after he had returned home to
Ohio for a short time. https://rexshepherd.bandcamp.com/album/ohio
“Sonority”: This recent recording features a set of
improvised tunes that were arrived at after John and Rex conducted their usual
pre-roll discussions about the state of current affairs in the U.S.
https://rexshepherd.bandcamp.com/album/sonority
“Duets”: Except for the improvisations “Etude #2” and “April
9th”, this release features compositions by Rex that have existed anywhere from
15 years, in the case of “In the Shade”, to just two days before being recorded
like “Happy Little Trees”. https://rexshepherd.bandcamp.com/album/duets
To purchase Rex Shepherd's “Never Buy My Self Volume III”:
https://rexshepherd.bandcamp.com/album/never-buy-my-self-vol-iii
For more information:
Website: https://rexshep.com/
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