Variete

Description

Amy Denio is a Seattle-based multi-instrumental composer of soundtracks for modern dance, film and theater, as well as a songwriter and music improviser. Often called an unclassifiable avant-garde jazz musician, her main instruments are voice, alto saxophone, clarinet, accordion, acoustic and electric guitars, electric bass, and theremin. Among her current musical involvements are The Tiptons Sax Quartet (formerly The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet) and Kultur Shock, an international Balkan gypsy/metal/punk group based in Seattle. She has also collaborated repeatedly with the Pat Graney Dance Company, David Dorfman Dance Company, Victoria Marks, and with many other choreographers. Her first recording was No Bones released as a cassette on her record label Spoot Music in 1986. Her first LP was with the Entropics. She founded Tiptons in 1987, and also started Tone Dogs with bassist Fred Chalenor. Tone Dogs' first release Ankety Low Day was nominated for a Grammy Award. She has performed and recorded with (among others) Matt Cameron, KMFDM, Curlew, Fred Frith, Pointless Orchestra, Francisco Lopez, Danny Barnes, Pale Nudes, The Danubians, Chris Cutler, Guy Klucevsek, Pauline Oliveros, Derek Bailey, Chuck D, Bill Rieflin and Die Knoedel. Vicky Lee at the Seattle Theater Group commissioned Denio to compose a new soundtrack for the classic German silent film Variete for their ongoing silent film series at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. After months of preparation, the 12-piece ensemble performed the score live at the Paramount Theater on February 2, 2019 ~ in the midst of that year's snowpocalypse. Though the city shut down, the show went on ~ to rapturous applause. Wanting to hear the music again, Amy reassembled the ensemble in 2023 and began putting together the necessary resources to produce the audio recording. With the assistance of Articifial Intelligence to spell out the recording schedule to include nursing breaks every two hours, they recorded 32 sections in two eight-hour days. You can hear 30 of the cues on this release.