JazzTimes is honored to premiere the video for “Dance of the Bee” by Endless Field, the acoustic duo of guitarist/percussionist Jesse Lewis and bassist/percussionist Ike Sturm. The track is taken from the group’s second album, Alive in the Wilderness, which will be released by Biophilia Records on June 12. Recorded entirely outdoors using solar power in various remote locations in southern Utah over a two-week period, Alive in the Wilderness is a multimedia album (every audio track has an accompanying video) that both captures the beauty of America’s wild landscapes and serves as a call to help keep them healthy. Endless Field is donating 100% of the album’s proceeds to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), in support of their work combating climate change and protecting wild places.
Lewis says about this particular track: “‘Dance of the Bee’ was recorded near a stream in southern Utah in a breathtaking valley filled with sunflowers. The breeze and brilliant light moved through the plants as they danced in the sun. We played foot percussion to open up the musical possibilities of our acoustic duo. One of our final recordings, this was captured on day 13 of our adventure. As sounds reverberated off the uneven surfaces (much like those imitated in a recording studio), we were stunned by the clarity and acoustics of this field!
“You can see and hear bees flying around us. We were fascinated by the concept that bees literally dance to communicate and ended up naming the tune after our experience. Our recording engineer swatted around his head at the insects until he realized their sounds were being translated through the stereo image of the mics in the headphones. We were grateful to capture these intimate sounds throughout the album, indelibly imprinting the sound and feel of every space.”
To learn more about Endless Field, visit their website.
