Recording: Sympathetic String Band

Artist: Sympathetic String Band

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Sympathetic String Band & Friends), April 26, 2026.

Sympathetic String Band - [excerpt]

Although I caught some earlier evolutions of this ensemble, I had missed 'em as they transitioned into a Tranzac residency, gathering likeminded friends to dig deep into tunings and other esoteric string-related inquiries. This night saw them inviting Gayle Young to join in for some theory-talk and sonic exploration, though the group, in quartet form this time out, also took this journey on their own.

[It looks like The Sympathetic String Band are bumped from their regular timeslot this month, but they will be back in the Southern Cross on June 28th.]

Recording: Gayle Young

Artist: Gayle Young

Songs: [solo piece] + Stick Fire (with Sympathetic String Band)

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Sympathetic String Band & Friends), April 26, 2026.

Gayle Young - [solo piece]

Gayle Young & Sympathetic String Band - Stick Fire

A fascinating meeting of the minds at The Tranzac, with the Sympathetic String Band invting composer/performer/theorist/inventor Gayle Young out for a session, bringing her 25 string amaranth (played with bows, mallets and more) — "the music theory machine" as she referred to it. After giving an introductory overview of the instrument, she played the first piece here, accompanied by a field recording. And then, after an improvisation by the Sympathetic String Band, everyone joined together for a closing exploration of another of her pieces.