Jeph Jerman

If I were simply to tell someone in words what Jeph does in the first track, that person might understandably respond that anyone could do this: to drop lids onto sugarbowls in varied positions. But it is immediately apparent when listening that most of us simply *can't* do what Jeph does. It requires a special set of ears and hands. It is his touch that reaches so deeply into the nature of these objects. With the subsequent tracks, his touch is also evident, though less directly. Although anyone could place objects on a vibrating surface (which is part of the elegance and beauty of the work), it is Jeph's choices that make his compositions so compelling. He does not choose carelessly; on the contrary, he must be entirely careful to make the choices appropriate to remove his hand, and through the mechanism of the springboard let the objects speak for themselves. This reminds me of a Chinese story in which a man visits a famous doctor, and compliments him on his skill. The doctor responds that he is in fact not so talented, but that people are impressed because he can cure diseases when they have become very serious. He mentions that he has two brothers who are both more talented than he: one who is able to treat disease before it has become serious, and another who is the most talented of the three, who is able to treat a disease before the sufferer has identified its presence at all. This is the direction I hear Jeph taking in much of his work (my exposure is admittedly very limited), particularly through his use of field-recording. Although he referenced many of his recordings with the appellation 'Hands To', it is perhaps his choices regarding how to remove his hands that have been most critical. This is something that is not possible to force: what remains is the sound of life.