hillbilly rocket-science

HILLBILLY ROCKET-SCIENCE
Dan Stearns

Denver, Colorado guitarist Neil Haverstick recently released his
fourth CD, If the Earth was a Woman. Haverstick is an accomplished
freelance guitarist and a longtime proponent of microtonality.

Haverstick began to document what has become an impressive repertoire
of material for the 19-tone equal tempered guitar on his debut CD,
The Gate. On his follow-up, the outstanding Acoustic Stick,
Haverstick would add 34-tone equal temperament and recently he's
taken up the fretless guitar. All of these instruments and their
corresponding microtonal characteristics are well represented on the
new CD's standout tracks, The Train, Project 9, Microseconds, and
Jimmy and Joe.

With each new CD Haverstick has made a notable departure from the
last; the loud blues based rock and roll of The Gate was followed by
the all-acoustic warmth of Acoustic Stick which gave way to the icily
beautiful electronics of Other Worlds. If the Earth was a Woman
continues this trend with a rollicking mix of musical half-cousins
and distant strangers all gathered under the unassuming auspices of
Haverstick's down-home eclecticism.

Haverstick makes his living as a freelancer and a guitar instructor,
so accommodating a wide variety of styles is a professional
responsibility. However, it's also an intrinsic part of what
Haverstick's all about, and understanding this helps underscore the
idea that creative hierarchies built on stylistic stratification are
antithetical to Haverstick's lifelong love and respect of all kinds
of music and creative catalysts--from Hank Williams to Robert
Heinlein and all points between.

If the Earth was a Woman is a freewheeling collection of country,
hard rock, reggae, blues and more. Actually, it's a freewheeling
microtonal collection of country, hard rock, reggae and blues... and
this recording is especially noteworthy for those instances when
these familiar genres are rendered in the weird, wilting technicolor
hues of 34 and 19-tone equal temperament. This improbable combination
creates the peculiar disarming dizziness that characterizes much of
Haverstick's work.

In a climate where microtonality is generally ascribed to bespeckled
academics, non-western cultures and fringe experimentalists,
Haverstick's all-American, bar-band spaceman might seem a little of
sync with our expectations. Yet it's just this sort of casual
concoction of the familiar and the fantastic that gives much of
Haverstick's work its charm and character, and microtonality is all
the better for the transgression.

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "daniel_anthony_stearns"

> In a climate where microtonality is generally ascribed to bespeckled
> academics,

what are they bespeckled with?

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "wallyesterpaulrus" <wallyesterpaulrus@y...> wrote:
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "daniel_anthony_stearns"
>
> > In a climate where microtonality is generally ascribed to bespeckled
> > academics,
>
> what are they bespeckled with?

Droppings from the starlings that nest under the eaves of the ivory towers. I thought everyone knew that...

Cheers,
Jon

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Jon Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

> Droppings from the starlings that nest under the eaves of the ivory
> towers.

ah yes, of course. and what do the starlings themselves sing?

http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/valdyas/taal/hanleni_halsen/spree
uw/jarrda.html

Spectacles, so make that bespectacled. That's what I read when I
proofed it (note to self; never do your own proofreading).

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "wallyesterpaulrus"
<wallyesterpaulrus@y...> wrote:
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "daniel_anthony_stearns"
>
> > In a climate where microtonality is generally ascribed to
bespeckled
> > academics,
>
> what are they bespeckled with?

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "wallyesterpaulrus"
<wallyesterpaulrus@y...> wrote:
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Jon Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
>
> > Droppings from the starlings that nest under the eaves of the ivory
> > towers.
>
> ah yes, of course. and what do the starlings themselves sing?
>
> http://www.xs4all.nl/~bsarempt/irina/valdyas/taal/hanleni_halsen/spree
> uw/jarrda.html

All we need to make this just about perfect is to get 126/125 into the
act.