Andrew Drury writes:
I’m involved in planning some kind of tribute/memorial/performance/manifestation in NYC. All the details have yet to be figured out. It will probably happen after Labor Day since I’ll be out of town for all of August. Anyone interested in participating or attending can send me an email (andrew@andrewdrury.com).
If you would like to receive occasional announcements about Matthew-related news, join the MatthewMail mailing list using the form here. If you don’t check this site regularly, the mailing list should provide a good way to stay on top of things.
Dan Plonsey says: I had been invited to be on Chris Brown’s KPFA show, Sunday, June 29, 10PM, to play my music, but instead will be playing Matthew’s music (with the help of Shiurba, Gelb, and whoever else).
KPFA.org often has streaming audio on the net, although I could not find a specific link to this show. Let me know if you find one, please.
Chris DeLaurenti has written a brief but passionate obituary on Matthew for thestranger.com.
With his long fingernails, agile bow, and arsenal of objects inserted between the strings, his double bass clattered and thwacked, creaked and moaned, thundered and sang. But beyond his extraordinary musicianship, Matt was a warm, welcoming guy.
We’ve gathered 93 photos (so far) of Matthew from various sources and put them online in a photo album gallery. Each album represents a different contributor. The gallery is somewhat labyrinthine — check the links carefully to make sure you catch all the images.
If you have digital (or digitized) images of Matthew you’d like to contribute, please contact me and I’ll set up an album for you (albums can be loaded up remotely, from your own browser).
In 1998, Elliott Aldrich made an amazing QuickTime VR movie inside the Columbarium. Once the 1MB movie loads, click and drag your mouse side to side or up and down for 3D view of the inside of the chapel (the movie is actually shot in a chamber two rooms down from Matthew’s).
Doesn’t quite replace being there, but if you’re on the other coast, this is about as close as you can get to experiencing the peace and beauty of these chambers. The architecture is that of Julia Morgan, who designed many gorgeous buildings in the Bay Area around the turn of the last century.
John Shiurba reports:
Limited Sedition is preparing the first two entries in a series of releases documenting Matthew Sperry’s unreleased music. The first is a solo bass cd and the second is a quartet recording with Sean Meehan, Scott Rosenberg and John Shiurba. Information will be available at www.limitedsedition.com later this week. John is trying to get the first two ready for the memorial concert on Thursday.
Update: We previously did not have a direct link to the page describing the project. Now we do.
Anyone with recordings should e-mail John and let him know what they have. The hope is to release what’s releasable, and to at least make copies of anything interesting for Stacia and Lila.
Wonderful piece (scroll down destination page for article) in today’s Oakland Tribune on Matthew’s death, on the shivah that ended last night, the memorial funds, the upcoming concert, and Sam’s dedicated work standing at the accident site with a sign, seeking witnesses. The story quotes visitor comments from this web site.
Stacia is no longer accepting donations.
Thanks for your contributions over the years!
This concert doesn’t mention Matthew specifically, but does take place in the Columbarium where some of Matthew’s ashes are to be stored, and where he played with Dan Plonsey. It’s a truly lovely location, and with his memory fresh, this concert will no doubt evoke Matthew’s memories in more ways than one. Dan Plonsey writes:
News about my favorite annual new music concert:
New Music Bay Area and Chapel of the Chimes present their tremendously popular summer solstice celebration Garden of Memory: a Columbarium Walk-Through Event at Chapel of the Chimes, a labyrinthine Julia Morgan-designed columbarium and
mausoleum replete with gardens, fountains, and stained-glass skylights. The program will feature simultaneous performances in different parts of the building by Bay Area composers, musicians, and other performers presenting a variety of acoustic and electronic music, installations, and interactive events; the audience is free to move throughout the building during the performances.
4499 Piedmont Ave., next to Mountain View Cemetery, in Oakland on Saturday, June 21 from 5 to 9 pm.
Admission is $10 general, $5 students and seniors.
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
For information, call New Music Bay Area at (415) 563-6355, ex. 3 or write to: listings@newmusicbayarea.org. Also, see:
http://www.gardenofmemory.com/
Composers and Performers:
Monique Buzzarte * Sarah Cahill * Ed Campion (with John Campion and
Danielle deGruttola) * Luciano Chessa * Christi Denton * Paul Dresher
Gabriela Frank * Miguel Frasconi * Phil Gelb * Brenda Hutchinson
Henry Kaiser and Chris Muir * Elaine Kreston * Miya Masaoka * Greg Moore
Roberto Morales * Ohana Overtone Singers * Frank J. Oteri * Maggi Payne
Dan Plonsey and Gino Robair (and kids) * Randy Porter * Dean Santomieri
Jason Serinus * Laetitia Sonami * Three Trapped Tigers * Pamela Z
The Cornelius Cardew Choir * Elaine Kreston along with Ray Regan and
Scott Railsback, playing a trio of instruments constructed from a
single agave plant.
This year’s event is especially poignant for many of us in the improvisation/new music community, having just lost our wonderful friend, Matthew Sperry. The Chapel of the Chimes was one of his favorite places, and his family has chosen to place some of his ashes there.