I'm sorry, I've already forgotten your name
is about the experience of meeting Dave King, the drummer of the noted jazz trio The Bad Plus. I saw the group first when I was 21 years old, their set blew me away and when I spoke to King after the performance I was obnoxious. I was extremely enthusiastic about the music but oblivious to the kinds of social cues that should have told me to wrap it up after a brief thanks. When I shook his hand, I think I even said to him the phrase that is the title of this piece. I shudder to think of this even today.
While social awkwardness is not pleasant, I’m actually very grateful for the underlying cause of the experience, which is the impulse toward hero worship. Some see this tendency as a bad thing, but I would argue that today when so many people see music as something small – just a pleasant outing or aural wallpaper – the ability to absolutely loose yourself in the work of a great artist is a gift.
Instrumentation:
Vibraphone
Drum Set: Kick, Snare, Hi-Hat, Ride
Percussion: Piccolo Snare, 3 Toms, Glockenspiel
Download score
Commissioned by Struck Percussion with support from the MacPhail Center for Music