Scale of the Day: E Octave divided into 2 Equal Parts - reflected into the second pool

The E octave divided into 2 Equal Parts - reflected into the second pool - Scale as one would find it on any conventionally tuned, equal tempered instrument.

Scale of the Day: E Flat Lydian perfect 5 & augmented 5 mapped to the Square-root-of-2

The E Flat Lydian perfect 5 & augmented 5 mapped to the Square-root-of-2 Scale. Additive with quarter-tones.

Scale of the Day: E Flat Lydian minor 2 perfect 5 & augmented 5

The E Flat Lydian minor 2 perfect 5 & augmented 5 Scale as one would find it on any conventionally tuned, equal tempered instrument.

Scale of the Day: F Ionian diminished 5 & perfect 5

The F Ionian diminished 5 & perfect 5 Scale as one would find it on any conventionally tuned, equal tempered instrument.

HurdAudio Rotation: Arts and Poise

Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians. 2007. Innova: 678.

performed by
Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble
Bill Ryan: director
Gwendolyn Faasen, Stacey Van Vossen, Mary Crossman: voices
Amanda Duncan: voice, marimba
Alexander Hamel: xylophone, marimba, maracas
Samuel Gould: xylophone
Nicholas Usadel, Tim Church: marimbas
Joshua Puranen: marimba, maracas
Gregrey Secor: vibraphone
Daniel Redner: piano, maracas
Craig Avery: piano, marimba
Shaun MacDonald, Kelly Rizzo, Kurt Ellenberger, Lee Copenhaver: pianos
Mark Martin: violin
Pablo Mahave-Veglia: cello
Charlan Mueler, Alexander Kolias: clarinets, bass clarinets

A knockout performance of one of the major minimalist works combined with near-flawless production values. Every instrument has incredible presence in this recording as the one hour pulsating tour through eleven harmonies engulfs the air and any beings held in its sway. The slowly evolving harmonic progression is incredibly satisfying here. One of the lessons of minimalist music is how "change" can become such a focus when there is relatively little of it. In this piece it takes on a grandeur similar to the change from dawn to dusk unfolding across the skyline. The shifting of shadows and the coastal breeze blowing through the open windows almost dances along with the contours of each change as it plays through the speakers. An accompaniment to mid summer existence.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost [box set - disc 9]. 2004. Revenant: RVN 213.

Albert Ayler interview with Kiyoshi Koyama for Swing Journal.
July 25, 1970 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France

Don Cherry and Mocqui Cherry interview with Daniel Caux.
1971, Paris, France

There's a sadness to these interviews. A sadness of knowing of Ayler's mortality. The demise that would take this artist too soon not long after his 1970 interview and the discussion of the artist lost in Cherry's 1971 interview. A glimpse into a life of one so spiritually and creatively ahead of his time struggling with the petty reluctance of a world that values little. The touching belief and naivete that staying true to his innate direction would pay dividends in this life coupled with a longing to perform in better venues. At this point, Ayler had grown weary of the night club scene and was demanding the respect that his concertized, "classical" creations deserved. Once again, the artist was right and the world was wrong. The contour of a life interrupted traced to its completion in a box set that begins with Ayler playing "straight" takes on Rollins and Gershwin in Helsinki ends with a conversation in France. In between runs a forceful sound that will continue to shape generations of improvisers to come.

Brad Jones' AKA Alias: Uncivilized Poise. 1999. Knitting Factory Records: KFR-247.

Brad Jones: acoustic bass, electric voice, vocals
Abe Fogle: drums, percussion, vocals
David Gilmore: guitar
Jeff Lawrence: keyboards, vocals
Bob Debellis: alto saxophone, flute
with -
D.K. Dyson: vocals
Beans: vocals
Curtis Fowlkes: trombone

Two things found in abundance on this disc is monster chops on every instrument and wide stylistic range. At times sitting squarely in the late-90s Knitting Factory "downtown" sound (back when the Knitting Factory mattered) before veering off into hip hop beats or straight ahead Jazz Passenger swing. Every turn is met with ridiculous musicianship right down to the spot-on vocals and terrifying ability of David Gilmore on electric guitar. Occasionally polished to a fault, but never dull.

Scale of the Day: E Flat Mixolydian perfect 4 & augmented 4

The E Flat Mixolydian perfect 4 & augmented 4 Scale as one would find it on any conventionally tuned, equal tempered instrument.

HurdAudio Rotation: Sounds from Philadelphia, Lebanon and Saturn

Katt Hernandez/Evan Lipson: Hisswig. 2007. Limited-run mini-disc.

Katt Hernandez: violin
Evan Lipson: bass

A quick hit of the Philadelphia free improvised music scene as two of its most active players lock strings and sonic agility that alternates between aggressive and delicate. The wide, slowly oscillating vibrato of Hernandez's violin drifting within Lipson's orbit before launching toward slight melodic turns toward new vibrato centers. Lipson's fortissimo pizzicato drawing from the foundations of jazz traditions and uncompromising in-the-moment responsiveness.

Mazen Kerbaj: Brt Vrt Zrt Krt. 2005. Al Maslakh: 01.

Mazen Kerbaj: trumpet

There's two sides to this solo trumpet music. There's the "how the hell is he making that sound" side. And once one puzzles out the extremes of coaxing out such extended acoustic source the mind turns toward "how the hell do you record that sound." The virtuosity here is in the maniacal realization of a concrete soundscape without recourse to electronic manipulation. It's profoundly beautiful and fiercely like anything else. It draws the ears well into the inner plumbing of the instrument through the humanity of breath and mind. The geopolitical backdrop of this musician, record producer and cartoonist from Lebanon's somewhat isolated free improvised music scene adds a fascinating dimension that plays pathos against the fiercely independent qualities of this music.

The Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen: Points On A Space Age. DVD. Directed by Ephraim Asili. 2009. MVD Visual: MVDV4774.

When does Marshall Allen get his just due? A question forcefully posed by one of the surviving Arkestra members in this video as the final Marshall Allen chapter of the music and wisdom of Sun Ra is being written. "What will happen to the kids that really want to know this music? This guy is in his 80s! Where will they go to learn when all we are left with is mediocrity?" The practitioners of this music serve a dual role as disciples sent out by an absent Ra to prepare human beings for a future that almost defies comprehension within a society dominated by consumer-driven sensibilities. When reduced to spectacle and packaged entertainment along with an inability to discuss music in terms other than units sold (and downloaded) it becomes harder to impart the vision of a band leader who took such creative control over his own narrative. The man from Saturn preparing our souls for journeys that transcend.

Points On A Space Age documents a frustratingly brief slice of the Marshall Allen chapter. It's hard to imagine how a video of any duration could capture the nearly indescribable experience of a live Arkestra show. With just over half an hour this video doesn't attempt to bring that, though there are glimpses of performance footage - including a powerful segment of dance set to "Love in Outer Space" - that is rarely allowed to develop and unfold at its own pace as performances are spliced and manhandled by the editing process. There is also a small sampling of interviews with individual performers that brings out a taste of the mixture of belief and passion in the practice of this music. Segmented by Ra's poetry as read by director Ephraim Asil, there is no shortage of love in this video. But it is short considering the magnitude of the subject. A small document that scatters along multiple trajectories of sound, archival footage and interviews that hints at something much larger.

Scale of the Day: G Lydian 1% wide

The G Lydian 1% wide Scale. A slightly detuned version of the equal tempered Lydian.

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This completes another cycle of scales in the "Scale of the Day" feature. That's 24-cycles complete. Tomorrow, the 25th cycle begins with an additive scale.

HurdAudio Rotation: Stand Strong

Chris Mosley Trio: The Miraculous Aspect of Time. 2006. Red Button Records: RBR-101.

Chris Mosley: guitar, fretless guitar, 36-tone guitar
Damian Erskine: electric bass
Drew Shoals: drums

With a rhythm section this tight, and material this well crafted, it's easy to miss just how multifaceted this music is. Chris Mosley has his ears wide open and it's not just the miraculous aspect of rhythm that pins this sound down as it is his sense of harmony. (The miraculous aspect of frequency?) The two "Interlude" pieces performed on the 36-tone guitar suggest a small opening into a sonic sound-space that beg for immersion. They also demonstrate Chris Mosley's searching outside the established fretboard for new contours well served by his intuitive approach.

Myra Melford/Be Bread: The Image of Your Body. 2006. Cryptogramophone: CG131.

Myra Melford: piano, harmonium
Brandon Ross: electric guitar, banjo, voice
Cuong Vu: trumpet, electronics
Stomu Takeishi: electric bass, acoustic bass guitar, electronics
Elliot Humberto Kavee: drums

Has anybody else noticed the body of works Myra Melford has steadily been recording and polishing with these great ensembles she's assembled? "Yellow Are Crowds of Flowers, ii" with Cuong Vu tracing the melody along side Melford's thorny counterpoint before launching into an explosion of free improvisation within the compositional frame is a thrill that both scratches and inflames the Myra Melford itch that has developed within these ears. Adding the guitar tone of Brandon Ross to this world is an excellent choice. The intense spiritual grounding of this music cannot be overstated.

Nicole Mitchell/Harrison Bankhead/Hamid Drake: Indigo Trio Live in Montreal 2005. Greenleaf Music: GRE-P-03.

Nicole Mitchell: flute, wood flute, vocals
Harrison Bankhead: acoustic bass, vocals
Hamid Drake: drums, hand drums

Three musicians tapping into a pulsating vein of creativity. A nice documentation of the brilliant qualities that come to the fore in a live setting. It's also a slice of the Black Earth Ensemble material that Nicole Mitchell has been composing and polishing for some time now. Material like this in the hands and ears of these players is well worth a listen. Music that pulls from a sense of pride of African roots and identity that opens up into a sound of empowering inclusiveness. Not to mention deep musicianship combined with feeling.

Scale of the Day: G Lydian mapped to the Triative

The G Lydian mapped to the Triative Scale. The intervals of the equal tempered Lydian stretched to fill the 3/1.