It's been a long time since I have written about my travels.
Much of the reason for my absence is because I have been traveling and recording too much to write. I have also had some difficult family issues to deal with that has been very consuming emotionally as well as involving much of my time...
Anyway, since the beginning of this year I have been back and forth to Europe four times, recorded several new albums and released several new albums. I have included the new additions to my discography at the bottom of this update.
First of all Angela, my wife, is not teaching anymore and has become my manager, this is very exciting for both of us!
A little more than a month ago I gave a concert on the only piano Claude Debussy owned the last 14 years of his life. This piano is housed in Musee Labenche in Brive-La-Gaillarde, France.
www.musee-labenche.com
The piano was found by the director of the museum (Claire Moser) in an antique shop. She did some research on the piano and found it had belonged to one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. When Debussy died in 1918 the piano was adopted by his step-son, then by the step-son's daughter, and then by the family doctor. In WWII the doctor fled the Nazi occupation of Paris and left the piano behind. For 60 years no one knew the significance of the piano. While on a 6 week tour of Ireland, France, and Switzerland earlier this year I was invited to compose and perform on this piano and make the first ever recording of it. In turn I invited Stefano to join me to play comprovisations of mine that I wrote specifically for the occasion as a 21st century homage to Debussy.
Here is an article from the San Jose Metro on the event:
www.bohemian.com/metro/09.24.08/alleys-0839.html
Some of my music has recently been used for short films. One by Tuia Cherici who is also making a documentary of the Debussy project that will include interviews with me, Stefano, Claire Moser, Joan Jeanrenaud from Kronos Quartet, and the american composer Terry Riley. Tuia set my music to one of her films and can be viewed here: (This is not part of the Debussy documentary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urEhd_2biD4
NY filmmaker Martha Colburn has been using my music of late. I will be accompanying some of her films at the Berkeley Art Museum Dec. 2nd. I joined her in NY at the grand opening of the NY Museum of Art and Design a couple of weeks ago for a night of her films. You can view the latest of hers with my music here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4VhL0ZjX-A
Here is Martha's web-site:
www.marthacolburn.com
I have also been working with a dancer named Germaul Barnes, we call our performance Bitahkiz Ayeli which means Between Between in Navajo and Cherokee languages respectively (Germaul is part Navajo and I am part Cherokee). We had a performance at Teatro do Campo Alegre in Porto, Portugal last June. You can view some of it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caVNE3s91Us
I had a mini-tour of Northern Italy with Waristerror Terroriswar to promote our first album The Brutal Reality Of Modern Brutality.
www.virb.com/waristerror
We also recorded a second album in the midst of this tour.
This album will be dedicated to Marcella Sali Grace Eiler who was recently murdered in Mexico while working on Justice issues. A remarkably inspired/inspiring young woman. She touched MANY people in her short life!
I had a profound experience staying at her families house in St. Louis last week. Here is a little about her, it is very easy to find more, please do...
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/30/18542076.php
Currently I'm in Austin, Texas playing four concerts this week. Tonight I will be joining a dance company called SpankDance in a beautiful hall in the center of town.
www.spankdance.com
Immediately after Austin I will be headed to New Orleans to play the Open Ears Series at The Blue Nile, then New Mexico, the Bay Area and finally rounding out the year in the Northwest for a week between the 5th and 12th of December.
Well, that's some things I've been doing. Please check out the newest additions to my discography at the bottom of this e-mail. Please let me know how You are doing, and please consider purchasing on of my many new albums to help support Angela and I on our new leap of faith. I have some time to respond this week since I won't be traveling for 6 days...
Life, Thollem
p.s. Thanks to Trevor Baca for lending me the keys to his home and car while I'm here! Trevor is a composer presently in Europe for the performance of his works...

New albums and recording Projects:
1. A duo piano live concert with Nicola Guazzaloca in Bologna, Italy.
www.myspace.com/nicolaguazzaloca
Will be released on AmariniRecords early next year.
www.amiranirecords.com
2. A second Waristerror Terroriswar album in Nipozzano, Italy.
3. A concert on Debussy's piano with Stefano Scodanibbio in Brive, France.
www.stefanoscodanibbio.com
4. A duo album with Saxophonist Rent Romus in San Francisco, CA.
www.edgetonerecords.com/romus.html
Albums that have been released in 2008 or coming soon:
1. Somuchheaven Somuchhell, a solo piano album of compositions (Saravah, France).
www.saravah.fr/_INIT/PROMO/THOLLEM/Thollem_UK.html
2. Intuition, Science, and Sex, a duo album with Arrington deDionyso on Bass Clarinet along with Indian drone machines (EdgetoneRecords, SF). www.edgetonerecords.com/catalog/4067.html
3. The Brutal Reality Of Modern Brutality, the first Waristerror Terroriswar album (EdgetoneRecords, SF).
www.edgetonerecords.com/catalog/4075.html
4. Prismatic Season with Bloom Project (EdgetoneRecords, SF)
www.edgetonerecords.com/catalog/4068.html
5. A trio album with Enzo Franchini, and Valerio Cosi (PorterRecords, FL).
www.porterrecords.com

Finally, congratulations to Barack Hussein Obama and the millions of people for thousands of years that have worked for justice and equality in this world...