NOON
The Titanium Bell
At solar noon, 1:17pm, when the sun’s at its zenith for the year, we ring the Titanium Bell. The bell produces a deep, resonant roar, ringing for three minutes. In the Tank’s powerful reverb, the sound vibrates your bones.
The bell began its life as an oxygen fuel cylinder for a booster rocket in the Apollo Space Program. It had a small defect, though, so its maker, Robert Ulichny, drilled some holes in it and took it home to use as a barbecue grill. Next it became a planter in his daughter Shelley’s yard, where the sound artist Bruce Odland discovered it as a bell with some very special sonic properties. The photo below shows Robert, third from left, at Ladish Industries in Milwaukee, where the bell was forged.
Ron Miles: Cornet Tanksong 2
Clarinetist Ben Goldberg called Ron Miles one of the greatest melodists of his time. Ron Miles was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1963 and moved to Denver with his family in 1974. Ron has recorded as a leader for the Prolific, Capri, Gramavision, and Sterling Circle labels. This track is also from the concert Ron played for the 2018 Solstice Festival at the Tank.
Paul Klite: The Soaring Bird
Paul Klite was a sculptor, activist, environmentalist, radio producer and gypsy fiddler, all this after a successful career as a physician. He came to the Tank in 1991 with his violin and immediately dialed in to the space in his own special way. This early battery-powered recording, from the time when the Tank had no door, no studio, and no lights, embodies some of the Tank’s mystery and power in those early, totally illegal, magical days. Paul died in 2000, leaving a trail of inspiration for those who knew him, as well as this wonderful cut: “The Soaring Bird.”
Roomful of Teeth: Ring Out, Wild Bells by Jessica Meyer
Composer and violist Jessica Meyer came to the Tank for Solstice in 2017 to perform and to premiere this work with Roomful of Teeth. Her playing has been called “fierce and lyrical,” her compositions “other-worldly” and “evocative.” As a solo performer, Ms. Meyer uses a single simple loop pedal to create an orchestral experience, drawing from Bach, Brahms, Delta blues, Flamenco, Indian Raga, and Appalachian fiddling. A composer-in-Residence at Spoleto USA, Jessica has written work for Vox Clamantis, the American Brass Quintet, cellist Amanda Gookin for her Forward Music Project, Sybarite 5, PUBLIQuartet, NOVUS NY of Trinity Wall Street, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Rinde Eckert: Dry Land
Bruce Odland describes a visit to the Tank by the writer, composer and performer Rinde Eckert: “Rinde showed up at the Tank with a van full of instruments on a tour of house concerts across the country. The moment someone pops into that environment is a powerful experience, hard to grasp, and harder to capture. But I had hung the mics in anticipation of that moment, and so what you hear in this recording is truly Rinde’s first contact on planet Tank.” This song, Dry Land, is from that visit.
To see and hear all all our sonic selections for Solstice,
Dawn, Noon and Sunset,
click here.
The 2020 Solstice Festival at the Tank
is wholly sponsored by
Colorado Creative Industries
