Kramer has shared the focus track, “At Apollinaire’s Grave,” of his new LP, WORDS & MUSIC, Book One, with words by Allen Ginsberg, music by Kramer, and a music video by Ryan and Debbie Hover.
Each track on the album features ambient music composed by Kramer and described by him as “liquid foundations for the words to float upon.”
Kramer expands on the new track and video:
“‘At Apollinaire’s Grave’ has always been one of my favorite poems by Allen Ginsberg. I’d seen/heard him read it at St. Marks Church more than once in the 1980s (including one time in particular, when Gregory Corso was heckling him from the crowd), but I had never heard this Library of Congress recording of him reading it until Michael Minzer sent it to me.
“When Allen and I were working together at Noise New York in 1987 on a song called ‘Dear M,’ I had told him that I’d wanted to compose music for his ode to ‘Apollinaire,’ but we’d just never got around to it, as our respective schedules just never coincided. He was the hardest working poet on earth, always accessible to any young writer or poet looking for guidance. And now he is gone. But his words will never die, and the gentle thunder of his voice rings eternal. Few poets wielded the kind of power Allen possessed. He was Zeus tossing words of lightning down from Olympus, like so many raindrops. I was lucky enough to have been caught up in a few of those storms, at least for a little while.”
He adds: “This piece from my WORDS & MUSIC, Book One LP has been in-the-making for almost 40 years. I hope it speaks to you, just as Allen always spoke to me … with love.”
Watch the video for “At Apollinaire’s Grave” here:
For more from Kramer, find him on Facebook.
Photo courtesy of Kramer
