Robert Gregory and I collaborated on several pieces during a period of about 5 years while he lived in Miami. The most noted of those collaborations was 'Portrait: Bob Gregory' -also known as 'Bebop In The Forest of Lonely Rhythm' because that was the name of the poem he wrote in order to perform the piece. 'Bebop' can be found in the 5th issue of 'The Aerial: A Journal In Sound'. The work takes very minute speech sounds from Robert's highly unusual voice tone as they appear in a recorded interview. I think for 'Bebop' it was just the word "and". That word was dissected by setting into motion a sampling scheme that would scan and play back every sound contained in that word over the duration of the 10-minute piece. Robert simply read the text from 'Bebop' over the resulting sound sequence. 'Crypsis' -the track included in the Breath CD- was a stab at the same idea and it was performed as part of the Subtropics 6 Marathon in 1994. In listening to the recording, I think it was built around the words "so anyway so".

I have since lost track of Bob. All I know is he is somewhere in Kentucky. I also know he is a writer that deserves recognition for he is someone with a unique understanding of sound's potential to contain and deliver imagery. His poems are not unlike video-collages of sounds strung together like optic mirages, carrying within them a parallel world of flashing scenes and seemingly unrelated imagery. When I hear him recite, it is like a multimedia event happening inside my head. PS. Bob, if you happen upon this note, please drop me another. -Gustavo Matamoros

Robert Gregory

Robert Gregory is the author of two books of poems, INTERFERENCES (San Francisco: Poltroon Press, 1987) and BOY PICKED UP BY THE WIND (Emporia, KS: Bluestem, 1992). Poems recent or forthcoming in TERRA INCOGNITA, HANGING LOOSE, MANY MOUNTAINS MOVING, POETRY MOTEL, and WILLOW SPRINGS. Has also published essays and short fiction.

http://www.emporia.edu/bluestem/gregory.htm

http://www.midnightmind.com/profiles/gregoryprofile.htm


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