From November 11 to 15, acclaimed clarinetist and composer Stuart Bogie will join forces with organist Buck McDaniel to present “November Variations”, a free series of daily musical improvisations at Church of Our Savior on Park Avenue. Each performance begins at 9 AM, offering a rare, spontaneous collaboration that invites audiences to experience live music as a form of meditation.
This week-long event draws on the essence of Bogie’s recent recording projects, such as Morningside (with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem) and Patient Music (with Josh Kaufman and Sam Cohen), where improvised rhapsodic clarinet melodies meet improvised ambient drones. For “November Variations,” McDaniel’s organ work provides a dynamic canvas at a huge scale for Bogie’s soulful improvisations, creating a reflective and immersive soundscape amid the hustle of Manhattan mornings.
“The entire sanctuary becomes part of the sound—like being inside the belly of the organ,” says Bogie. “When I play with chordal instruments, I try to immerse myself in their resonance, and here, the audience and I will inhabit that space together.”
The performances are part of a broader tradition of Bogie’s exploration of music as a healing practice. Inspired by his quarantine-era improvised clarinet sessions streamed to friends and followers, November Variations continues Bogie’s commitment to fostering connections through sound.
“From our first improvisation, I knew Buck and I had something special,” adds Bogie. “Performing this music early in the morning five days in a row amidst the noise and chaos of Manhattan, will be a unique meditation on presence and connection.”
