Live At The Stone was intended to be Pauline Oliveros’ tribute to the life and work of pianist Connie Crothers who passed away on August 13, 2016. Sadly, Pauline Oliveros passed away on November 25, 2016. This CD, Pauline’s memorial for Connie, is now a memorial for both women.
Pauline’s original dedication: “This recording resulted from my one and only performance with Connie Crothers at her invitation during her amazing residency at The Stone in August 2014. I was honored to play with Connie and did not realize that this would be a memorial recording. We have lost an extraordinarily original musician too soon on August 13, 2016. Here is her statement about her week-long residency: “I will be performing in every set with these great musicians–from Tuesday, August 19 through Sunday, the 24th. I am very happy about this, especially since every set will be very different from the other sets. Not only are the musicians different, the way they approach improvisation is different. A friend, noting this, said, “You like a challenge.” I responded, “Yes, I thrive from a challenge. That is where the fun is.” That’s also where the surprises are, and the joy.”
I certainly was challenged by the energy and power of Connie’s performance during our set. Like Connie I thrive with challenges. The concert felt remarkable and very satisfying for me. I am grateful that Connie had the foresight to arrange for this excellent recording. She was looking forward to this release. May this recording be a tribute to Connie Crothers. Her spirit will always be present in the wonderful community of musicians in New York and around the world and most certainly in my heart.”