Ode to Collaboration: James Murphy

Some people are so talented that the artists they surround themselves with are made even more talented.  James Murphy makes the act of musical collaboration so effortless and inspiring for a non musician such as myself that imagination quickly manifests creation.

James and I first met at the weekly Rising Tides Open Mic at the Mosaic Piano Bar.  Eventually he became a member of the house band, and I relied on his improvisational ability weekly.  When I went up to the mic to freestyle on Josh the Scribe's theme, I often gave nonsensical musical requests such as "play the care bears reading Shakespeare to their grandmothers".  Mike would look at James, James would look at Mike, and what would ensue from their instruments would not only express my suggestion but also blend well with my tone and cadence as I rambled thoughtfully for an audience.

A little over two years ago I collaborated with James and our good friend and talented poet from the Rising Tides, Darlin' Nikki Janzen.  I shot some publicity stills for the album James was producing for Nikki and in exchange I asked him to write a song with me. That afternoon I hummed the chorus to an idea in my head; the very next day we met at his house and within a few short hours wrote and recorded the following song: The Lovesong of Angelo Muscat.

 

Since then James and I have written and recorded 4 songs together for my musical project, The Sacred Heart of John Wanke.

But as I mentioned earlier not all of our collaborations have been musical.  James first modeled for me about 2 years ago.  His facial structure is reminiscent of my personal muse, David Bowie, and he has the patience required to stand still in front of a camera.

2010

We were both so pleased with the images that he later asked me to help style his onstage presence.  When he released his own solo album, Nothing Special At All, last year I was thrilled to photograph him for the flyers and album art.   

2011

I also helped James paint a small number of one of a kind album covers; I cut two larger water colors into 12 smaller pieces and hand wrote the album information over his watercolors.
 

2011

2011

For the CD release show itself I decorated the venue and worked directly with James to buy used t-shirts which were each upcycled into a piece of unique band merchandise.

2011

2011

I hope to finish my own album but I do not plan to continue my musical career much further.  My musical abilities are almost entirely dependent on James supplementing my skills with his own tremendous talent.  Unsurprisingly James works with many other poets, musicians, and artists.  He is almost wholly dedicated to his artistic pursuits, in a way few others are.  He is the type of friend who makes me wish I could be rich, so I could pay him to do what he lives for, since he'll always make music regardless of whether or not he's making a living.

Jaem's Murphy and the Vedic Eden are on facebook.  You can download Nothing Special At All on Reverbnation here.

Here is a video of James performing my personal favorite track, What You Don't Know.

Ode to Collaboration: Jamie and Alexis Soup

Many years ago I started my now epic artistic relationship with what I call surrealist self portraiture.  I was feeling impulsive and playful and animal all at once.  I sat on the floor in the bright afternoon light pooling beneath my western facing third floor windows.  I threw a piece of blue cloth over the chair behind me and photographed myself as I applied and then obscured layers of make up and plastic gems and exaggerated facial expressions. It was revelatory.

2006

A few days later I tried to recapture the same surrealist energy by adding intoxication and my good friend and fellow poetess, Jamie.  New magics were accomplished and what I expect to be a lifelong partnership was forged.

2006

2006

Jamie and I have now been partners in mischief for almost a decade, and our greatest collaboration is no doubt a friendship which has survived and thrived throughout all manner of trials, tribulations, and adventures (including being roommates in 2007 and 2008).  We have also produced a diverse body of collaborative work with many other wonderful artists and poets, chief among them fellow surrealettes.  We've left a paper trail of post-it haikus, artist trading cards, and exquisite corpses.

2011

And our digital trail is twice as long and infinitely detailed.  We've generated more pixels of us as a pair than any other duet I know.

 

2007

2008

2011

2012

I sometimes note, with hints of both jealousy and pride, that Jamie has taken inspiration from our exchange of ideas and then outdone me.  After I made a series of self portraits on my work's photo copier, she did a series using her home scanner that exceeded mine in both creativity and aesthetic.

2008

2010

It is quite easy to make art when that act is one of play, and in Jamie I have a like minded playmate.  We both know and love the same games: dress up, mad libs, and idea jar (and then later, idea jar in an envelope, and then even later, idea book jar house).  Rarely do the two of us meet without art ensuing.

During the years our friendship has been long distance, we've exchanged magic through the United States Postal Service.  Jamie is among the world's finest pen pals.

Jamie currently sells handmade steam punk jewelry in her etsy shop, Jamie Demolition and the Mysterious Tinker (the photo in their shop banner was taken by yours truly).

 
I am currently encouraging Jamie to increase her online presence; she has a deviant art account under the name jamiedemo that is filled with some of her past work.  I am currently encouraging her to join instagram.  We also have a collaborative blog that we fully intend to actually begin posting to one of these days: Jamie and Alexis Soup.