Music Seen, at Field Gallery, April 6, 2007
By IAN PAIGE | April 18, 2007
Robert Stillman |
Field, a narrow gallery on India Street, is the perfect place for a certain kind of musical showcase. There were only a few people that made it out for the early show, and we had to huddle around the space heaters, but there were some killer hot dogs grilling outside for all attendees.
Portland prodigal son, Robert Stillman of Brooklyn outfit Robert Stillman’s "Horses," is a lonesome organist one-man-band. Settled in at a Rhodes electric piano with a kick and snare drum played by each foot, the gifted musician performed a series of instrumentals, including an accompaniment to an antiquated 1910 film portraying the sportsman’s life on a Maine lake.
The feel of Stillman’s rhythmic tones resurrect the silent-film era, yet the compositions, while playful, are evidence of serious compositional acuity and an awareness of jazz-inspired post-rock catalogs that pushes his contemporary music into new spheres of creativity.
Sarah Ramey is most familiar to Portland as the lead singer of Seekonk, with an ability to hit every note with emotional force while maintaining a whispering quietude that makes you lean in to hear the words. Ramey accentuates this power in her solo work by accompanying herself with only a guitar and a capo, rhythmically fingerpicking in a simple folk style which gives her voice has a little more elbow room to break into colorful glissandos that stretch her carefully chosen lyrics over several bars of music.
Here’s to free shows, hot dogs, and rock. It’s going to be a great summer if it ever gets here.
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Topics:
New England Music News
, Entertainment, Music, Sarah Ramey, More
, Entertainment, Music, Sarah Ramey, Robert Stillman, Less
