It’s been a while since I posted, but this new saw video will hopefully make it worth the wait. This video is by Johnnie Day Durand. It’s a beautiful combination of saw and a music box sound. The saw is great in this recording and she plays using harmonics at about 1:16. So pretty. For the record, she plays an alto Blacklock Special, the only saw she’s ever had.

Johnnie Day Durand is part of a band called “Silver Bridget” out of Vermont. Dan Bolles writing for Seven Days says ” Durand’s every pass of the bow across steel shrouds the tunes in mystery- even pop standards by the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Like the warped sci-fi sounds of the theremin, the saw’s shimmering voice seems alien. Also, like the theremin, the saw is generally seen as a novelty. Rarely do bands deploy the ‘singings saw’ as a lead instrument, much less their melodic centerpiece. But Durand, with her group and other projects, is cutting through that perception one tremulous note at a time.” The band plays a variety of popular songs, “from the Beach Boys to Radiohead to Henry Mancini.”

Fascination is a beautiful waltz, written in 1904, that’s been recorded hundreds of times. It’s a perfect tune for the saw and music box.

I love the collage on this video, a mix of the goddess Serket, flowers and fruit salad. The colors are great and you can just imagine the jelly quivering along with the saw playing. Thanks Johnnie Day Durand for the great experience!