Photo: Courtesy of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Archive

COULD I TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY ABOUT THAT?

Liam Mooney next performed “Could I Tell You a Little Story About That?” by Brian Harnetty, on the vibraphone. This began in retro fashion with a vintage cassette tape recorder playing soundtracks from old TV shows. The dialogue was definitely dated – perhaps mid-20th century – with a distinctly rural character. Soft, solitary tones came from the vibraphone and this added a warm, nostalgic feel to words heard from the tape track. One could almost imagine a black and white TV set with the family gathered around. The archival recordings created a powerful empathy and the soothing sounds from the vibraphone perfectly complimented the scene. “Could I Tell You a Little Story About That?” is imaginatively conceived and was beautifully played.
— Paul Muller, New Classic LA

Could I Tell You a Little Story About That? (2014) combines samples from the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Archive in Shawnee, Ohio, with a live solo performance on vibraphone. Residents of the southeastern Appalachian Ohio region speak about their lives and work, including coal mining, labor struggles, and social life. The piece was commissioned and performed by Aaron Michael Butler.

An extended essay on this piece, along with the recording and score, was published by the Experimental Music Yearbook in 2015, and can be found here.

 

issue 2015