On this installment of the podcast, I was joined in the studio by Liz Draper and Crystal Myslajek, two musicians that have been active in the Twin Cities music community for many years now. Liz Draper is a highly versatile bassist and composer who has performed in a wide array of groups and ensembles across a whole range of musical genres, from jazz and classical to folk, metal, improvisational, and experimental. She frequently collaborates with Charlie Parr, both in his solo work and in their trio together called portal iii with drummer Chris Gray. More recently, Liz also was a member of the band Low, touring extensively with them following the release of their critically acclaimed album, Hey What. Crystal Myslajek is a multi-instrumentalist who played in the band Brute Heart and later was involved in the group IE for a period of time. This past decade has seen her composing more solo material that combines elements of classical piano, minimalism, and pop music, and she is often found collaborating across disciplines such as experimental film, performance art, theater, and dance. Liz and Crystal have been working together in various projects over the years, but recently there has been a renewed focus on their duo work together under the name Chama Devora, a project that perfectly melds Crystal’s ethereal songcraft with Liz’s sturdy yet fluid upright bass lines.   

For this episode, Liz and Crystal joined me in the remote KMSU studio at the Arts Center of St. Peter. We discussed how they started collaborating together, some of the different projects that they have been involved in, and various aspects of their recent solo recordings. You’ll hear selections from some of those recordings discussed throughout too. Following our interview, we relocated to the lower level of the Arts Center where Liz and Crystal performed beautifully moving live sets, both solo and in their duo configuration as Chama Devora, for a small audience. This live session was recorded by KMSU general manager, Dwayne Megaw, and additional audio production work was completed by Andrew Weathers. In the second half of the show, you’ll get to hear those excellently captured live performances.

I hope you enjoy this episode! Feel free to get in touch if you have any comments or questions. As always, thanks for looking and listening.

• ~Introductory Music: Crystal Myslajek “Prism” Circadia (Water Wing Records)
• Chama Devora “Desenterra” digital single (self-released)
• portal iii “Ceylon” portal iii (Corrector Records)
• Crystal Myslajek “Shimmer” Circadia (Water Wing Records)
• ~Interview segment with Liz Draper & Crystal Myslajek
• Rainfields “Sea of Sound” Sea of Sound (self-released)
• Rainfields “Third Hand” Sea of Sound (self-released)
• ~Interview segment with Liz Draper & Crystal Myslajek
• Liz Draper “Garnet Road” Hours. Solo Bass EP (self-released)
• ~Interview segment with Liz Draper & Crystal Myslajek
• Aros E-V & Crystal Myslajek “To A Dwelling Place” Five Years of Æther Sound (Æther Sound)

Live performance at the Arts Center of St. Peter

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