Try Your Wings – in memory of Mr. Michael Barr (1927-2009)

Michael Preston Barr would have been 89 today. Here’s a fine version (by Blossom Dearie) of a wonderful song he wrote with Dion McGregor.
Try Your Wings

Last stages of Andreyev disc fundraiser! Musical and other rewards!

ENSEMBLE PROTON BERN’S NEW CD OF MUSIC BY SAMUEL ANDREYEV: JUST A FEW DAYS REMAIN TO HELP MATERIALIZE THIS PROJECT!

Among other items being offered in appreciation of your contribution is Evidence, Samuel’s 2009 book of poetry from Quattro Books.

Evidence by Samuel Andreyev (Quattro Books)

Samuel Andreyev and ensemble proton bern

Another exceptional Andreyev recording project!

“intense, exotic, disorienting, utopian and extremely complex”

The Equal Ground Says Dreaming Like Mad is “Great Entertainment”

Thanks to The Equal Ground’s Ted Rogen for this very positive and thoughtful review.
http://www.theequalground.com/indie-music-album-reviews/dion-mcgregor-dreaming-like-mad-with-dion-mcgregor

USA Today on Dreaming Like Mad

Splendid article on the new Dion McGregor album by Whitney Matheson in her USA Today column Pop Candy.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/popcandy/2014/08/05/dion-mcgregor/13629087/

Dreaming Like Mad Release

The official release date of the new Dion McGregor album is July 20th. Pre-orders have been filled—and it’s truly exciting to get some enthusiastic early reactions to the audio, the CD package, and the t-shirts/tank tops (featuring Kerry Zentner’s cover art).

To see related posts, kindly drop by the Dreaming Like Mad Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/dreaminglikemad

I’d better start tweeting, too, now that I’m into the getting-it-out-there phase!
https://twitter.com/torporvigil

There’s still work to be done before the 20th, but everything’s up and running on the Dion McGregor Bandcamp site (with the possible exception of shirts and prints):
http://dionmcgregor.bandcamp.com/releases

What have I got for a picture this time … ? How about the earliest known photo of Dion (photographer unknown):

Best from Torpor Vigil HQ in Toronto,

Steve

 

A Bit of Unreleased Vigilant Torpor

Composer James Blight is one of those rare beings who can combine a delirious spirit with rigorous craft. Here’s some unreleased audio from a 1998 collaboration, in which Jim does something astounding to my words. The texts are excerpts from glossary entries found in a couple of my early books, such as Straunge Wunder (Steve Venright; Tortoiseshell & Black, 1996)

Christian Bök Reads Eunoia

Cover of Christian Bök’s Eunoia CD (released by Coach House Books; recorded at Torpor Vigil)

Eunoia, anyone? Here’s the Coach House Books-released Torpor Vigil recording of Christian Bök reading his phenomenal book Eunoia in its entirety:

Two Classic Dreams by Sleeptalker Dion McGregor

Richard A. Kirk’s cover illustration for the 2004 Dion McGregor album from Torpor Vigil Records

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Dream World of Dion McGregor (Decca, January 1964), here are a couple of my favourite McGregor somniloquies. These are from the 2004 Torpor Vigil album The Somnolent Adventures of Dion McGregor: More Outrageous Recordings of the World’s Most Renowned Sleeptalker. The new album—Dreaming Like Mad with Dion McGregor—is scheduled for release in April of this year. These recordings were made by McGregor’s roommate Michael Barr. McGregor, amazingly, was fast asleep at the time.

There will be more and more Dion McGregor activity as the year goes along. Currently, there are projects underway on many fronts, including audio, film, publishing, theatre, and illustration. Hang on a minute and I’ll also post the promo video for the forthcoming release!

Steve Venright

Further Somniloquies cover by Richard A. Kirk
http://www.richardakirk.com/