In this episode, IMC’s director Kenneth Killeen sat down with US pianist Craig Taborn to discuss all things improvisation prior to his triumphant Dublin concert. Craig was kicking off his European tour in support of his latest ECM solo release, “Shadow Plays” - released 10 years after his first offering, “Avenging Angels.”

In this wide ranging conversation, they talked about Craig’s approach to improvisation and how it forms his distinctive process of spontaneous composition; Taborn is famed for developing complex, rich, dynamic and beautiful soundscapes entirely “in the moment”.

Throughout, Craig talks about the variety of approaches that he incorporates, including the use of themes and structural frameworks. “One of the most challenging aspects of creating improvised music is that you can so easily get lost in your own imagination while performing”; Craig mentions a few tricks and devices that he uses to get out of his head to enforce continuity throughout his creative process.

One of Craig’s most compelling points is the idea of considering himself as an audience member during his performances - Taborn feels that there is no separation between him and the audience as he is also listening in the same way as the audience members within the concert hall.

Dive into this wide-ranging and informative chat now and be sure to share it with your friends if you enjoyed it!

Find Craig's work on his website: https://craigtaborn.com

Follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craig.taborn and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigtaborn/

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Improvised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ie

Thanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness