HurdAudio Rotation: Jam Session for the End of Time

Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet: Way Out East. 2006. Songlines Recordings: SA 1558-2.

Wayne Horvitz: piano, electronics
Peggy Lee: cello
Ron Miles: trumpet
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon

This recording is quietly successful on many different levels.  Offering up a collection of jazz chamber works that balance the taut, textural beauty of Wayne Horvitz's compositions against the restrained improvisational prowess of four strong musical personalities.  The first impression left by this music is the inspired instrumentation of piano, cello, trumpet and bassoon.  This soon gives way to the voices lurking behind each of those instruments.  Ron Miles bringing sour notes into a placid texture that miraculously work their way into an essential part of the sound.  Peggy Lee lending her lyrical prowess at multiple points along the cello's register.  And Sara Schoenbeck deftly weaving the bassoon between the worlds of chamber music and improvised jazz while making a strong case for the timbral addition of the double reed instrument.  But at the heart of this music is Wayne Horvitz's compositions and his deft arrangements for this ensemble.  This is what gives this disc lasting power.  The calm, and often delicately dissonant-to-consonant textures find form and take deep root with this collection.  This one is well worth multiple listens.

Olivier Messiaen: Messiaen Edition [disc 4]. 1963, 1956, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1996, 2000. Teldec Classics/Warner Classics: 2564 62162-2.

Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1940-41)
Huguette Fernandez: violin
Guy Deplus: clarinet
Jacques Nielz: cello
Marie-Madeleine Petit: piano

Cinq Rechants (1948)
pour 12 parties vocales reelles

Solistes des choeurs de l'ORTF
Marcel Couraud: conductor

Listening to this disc is an interesting exercise in hearing both the familiar and the unfamiliar.  The Quartet for the End of Time is a deeply familiar work to these ears and yet this particular performance is new to me.  While the Cinq Rechants is something unfamiliar altogether (and composed for a capella performers, also unfamiliar terrain relative to instrumental chamber music).

The Quartet for the End of Time is an enormously significant work emanating from the darkness of the Second World War and literally composed from within the depths of despair within a Nazi prisoner of war camp.  Having heard multiple performances, it should not be surprising that the substance of this piece manifests itself in so many different ways.  And yet it is.  This particular take gives a much harder edge to the transitions within these movements than I'm used to hearing.  And while this isn't the most transcendent performance of this piece I've heard, the fifth ("Louange A l'Eternite De Jesus") and eighth ("Louange A L'immortalite De Jesus") movements come close to being the best interpretations I've yet come across.  The temptation to speed up the slow tempos on the cello and violin feature movements is resisted nicely, allowing the material to soar to the staggering heights that makes this piece so enduring.

The Cinq Rechants is a different beast altogether.  My non-French ears hear everything as sound and texture even as my mind understands that the language is an expression of faith.  The unapologetic use of twentieth century techniques and rapid changes through virtuosic passages makes for an expression of faith I can appreciate.  The depth of Messiaen's expressive and technical prowess makes for a towering presence along with a body of music that must be heard.

Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner Sessions [disc 3]. 2007. Sony BMG Music Entertainment: 88697 06239 2.

Miles Davis: trumpet, organ
Carlos Garnett: soprano saxophone
Cedric Lawson: organ
Reggie Lucas: guitar
Khalil Balakrishna: electric sitar
Michael Henderson: electric bass
Al Foster: drums
Badal Roy: tablas
Mtume: congas
Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone, flute
Pete Cosey: guitar

There is a free flowing density to much of these sets and outtakes that makes for a big, sloppy, funky mess.  But it happens to make for a delicious, sloppy mess.  And with this third disc we come upon the session tapes for "Peace" and "Mr. Foster" where Miles Davis has carved out some introspective moments that open up the density and allow one to hear into the way individual performers explore this groove-heavy terrain.  In many ways, this box set is a glimpse into a jam session populated by serious musicians.  Long forms give way to an endless expanse.  When one steps back to take in the whole of this massive sound an attractive mood and texture takes shape as it seemingly expands toward an infinite expanse.  Individual solo lines take on an equal urgency with the pulse of this music.  The long trumpet solo on "Mir. Foster" drives home the fact that Miles Davis was still in full command of his improvisational abilities at this stage of his recording career even as he churned out reams of music that remain to be understood on levels not yet realized.

HurdAudio Rotation: The Luminaries

The Wailers: Burnin'. 1973. Island Records: 07314-54889414.

Produced by Chris Blackwell and the Wailers.

For some reason, this timeless classic sounds even better on vinyl. "Get Up, Stand Up" is an incredibly important song that captures both the moment of rising up against injustice with determination and the inevitable sense of victory of being on the right side of history. A song that speaks to oppression of 1973 (the year of its release) and the current age of the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement. Not to mention the slow and steady victories toward realizing equality for people regardless of race, gender and orientation. It's the song I hear in my head almost involuntarily whenever social justice wins out. That's a transcendent quality few songs achieve. And then there's "I Shot the Sheriff" and the extensive life that song has taken on. And to my ears, "Pass It On" has an earnest, faith affirming quality that lingers with equal force. It's relatively easy to look backward from this perch in the early twenty-first century and acknowledge the significance of this record. It made the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2007 and its resonance is still ringing clear.

Thelonious Monk: The Complete Riverside Recordings [disc 3]. 1986. Riverside Records: RCD-022-2.

Thelonious Monk: piano
John Coltrane: tenor saxophone
Wilbur Ware: bass

Much of this disc presents Thelonious Monk, alone at the piano at the recording studio. Multiple takes of his own tunes reveal the composer working through new pieces at a time before they were enshrined as standards. There's seven takes and nearly a half hour of "'Round Midnight" with many false starts as Monk finds his way into the heart of one of his most beloved tunes. As startling as it is to hear the composer feeling his way around this great standard, it's even more surprising to hear him get there so completely on the final take. It's a revelation of process that recordings rarely reveal so starkly. The final takes of "Monk's Mood" bring in John Coltrane and Wilbur Ware for another dose of what this music sounded like at its Genesis. This particular disc is a wild ride that spans a wide range of "wrong notes" made right and jazz history changing course along the way.

Olivier Messiaen: Messiaen Edition [disc 2]. 2005. Warner Classics: 2564-62162-2.

La Nativite du Seigneur (1935)
Le Banquet celeste (1928)
Apparition de l'eglise eternelle (1932)

Marie-Claire Alain: organ

Several things stand out on this focused recording of these early organ works of Olivier Messiaen. First is the outstanding interpretation given to this music by Marie-Claire Alain. The dynamic range and evocative passion of this music is laid bare in this performance. Next is the outstanding sound of the organ of the Hofkirche in Lucerne as well as the quality of the recording from this setting. These elements speak to a sense of care and consideration for this session that these ears appreciate. I can only wish that the online database for this disc (as referenced by iTunes) exhibited a similar care in noting that these pieces were composed by Olivier Messiaen as opposed to "Messiaen Oliver." But then listeners of classical works within the iTunes environment are no strangers to having everything labeled as "songs" and track information riddled with the errors of philistines. Puncturing the air with the exquisite sound of La Nativite du Seigneur does more than make up for the annoyances of twenty-first century life. This music is clearly from the twentieth century while still maintaining its liturgical roots. Harmonically and rhythmically engaging while still indulging in an expressiveness that doesn't fall into the chasm of Romantic indulgences.

Tradition for the End of Time

Quatuor Pour la Fin du Temps by Olivier Messiaen @ Covenant Presbyterian Church of Chicago, May 17, 2011

Rebekah Cope: violin
James Falzone: clarinet
Karen Schulz-Harmon: cello
Rick Ferguson: piano

One of the more inspired Chicago traditions - now having been observed over the past three Palm Sundays - is the annual performance of Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time within the architecturally impressive Convent Presbyterian Church of Chicago. The large chapel playing host to one of the most vibrant, emotional and spiritually intense compositions of the twentieth century. A work that embodies the dual strains of serenity and anxiety as it was composed within the darkness of a German prisoner of war camp where Messiaen was interned.

The eight movements of this profound work of chamber music are an expression of faith. Faith as a foil against the despair of incarceration and an uncertain future. Faith as a necessary companion in the face of adversity.

Musically, it is a challenging piece that explores an elastic approach toward pulse and time and harmonic materials frequently drawing upon octotonic scales. Challenges deftly met by the well rehearsed quartet at Covenant Presbyterian.

James Falzone's use of a slide projector to display the composer's own notes for each movement was a welcome touch. His thoughtful introduction to the piece and post-performance question and answer session gently invited the audience to hear and understand this music. I appreciated the statement that Messiaen's music "is not entertainment." The best music often isn't. Fortunately, Chicago has no shortage of people intellectually curious enough to grasp, and even enjoy, music that challenges our sense of what is possible.

The cavernous echo of Covenant Presbyterian quickly added a thick layer to this sound that took some getting used to. I struggled to hear the rhythmic precision of the first movement and found myself concentrating to hear the cyclical patterns that were buried within a wash of sound. The room acoustics offered similar challenges for the Interlude and "Dance of Fury" movements with their rhythmically propelled energy washing against the acoustic delay. The solo clarinet movement, "Abyss of the Birds," took on an interesting quality within this space. While the long tails of sound at the end of each note and phrase were substantially different for these ears, the harmonies that came out revealed a new perspective on this familiar material. And the cello feature "Praise to the Eternity of Jesus" and violin feature of the final movement, "Praise to the Immortality of Jesus" were absolutely stunning within this wash of harmonic sound. Slow as these movements are, I imagine playing them even slower within that live space would accentuate the qualities of this music even more.

As a non-believer, this is a tradition I can respond to. Just as Messiaen's music draws upon a mysticism that can be admired (and even envied) from the outside. This is thoughtful, reasoned tradition that touches upon meaning and expressions of faith from a grounded perspective. A reason to perform this fantastic piece with these dedicated musicians. Something I'm happy to get on board with.

HurdAudio Rotation: The Sound of Creative Inevitability

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. 2004 release of the 1967 performance. BMG Classics: 82876-59418-2.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Seiji Ozawa: conductor
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

If the Turangalilia Symphony didn't already exist, it would have to be written. Olivier Messiaen took on a massive scale and scope and realized its full advantage. The work is a kaleidoscope of textures made available with a large orchestra augmented by the exquisite modern piano chops of Yvonne Loriod and the technological wonder of the ondes Martenot. A work featuring soloists who were both married to the composer at separate times adds yet another layer to a piece already saturated with passion. Filled with fire and aggression, this one hits like a meteor determined to reset the evolution tables.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: 125.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Ron Miles: cornet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

Faced with an embarrassing abundance of talent with a band stacked with ridiculous musicianship and talent, Jenny Scheinmann does the sensible thing in crafting a CD that balances sophistication and folksy simplicity. Melodically focused without losing sight of twists in the arrangements. The sonic fabric shimmering with the multiple strands of strong improvisers in full restraint mode in the service of realizing tunes. This one is deserving of many ears. A rewarding listen.

Thomas Chapin Trio: Sky Piece [disc 6 of the Alive box set]. 1996/1999. Knitting Factory Works: 35828-02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, flute, bass flute, pinkullo, bells, whistles, alarm clock
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums, percussion

Sky Piece opens up with the exquisitely sublime, soft interplay between the bass, drums and flute. Setting sail on a delicate note before effortlessly launching into the staggering diversity of the journey ahead over the next hour. Each moment along the way bears a unique relationship to groove, form and active dialogue between three master improvisers. While there are many composers and performers in the HurdAudio Rotation that have moved on from this mortal coil and are sorely missed. There is an extra pang for those who left far too soon. Recorded just two years before Thomas Chapin was lost to cancer. This release bears the spirit of one deeply at peace with himself, his musical muse and this incredible trio of wide expressive range.

HurdAudio Rotation: Noise, Love and Funk

Iannis Xenakis: Orchestral Works - Vol. I. 2000. Timpani: 1C1057.

Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg
Arturo Tamayo: conductor

Ais (1980)
Spyros Sakkas: baritone
Beatrice Daudin: percussion

Tracees (1987)

Empreintes (1975)

Noomena (1974)

Roai (1991)

The music of Iannis Xenakis is a necessary component of the orchestral literature. The Dionysian element of sound that treats the large ensemble as a fantastic noise maker that operates within a precision and indifference to polite restraint. Such indifference does not exclude the extremes of human utterance and experience. It actually revels in such extremes. As evidenced by some of the greatest program notes ever written: "[Ais is] a work of heroic attitude, it seems to concern a mythical hero who, with the support of a large orchestra, tells a story so extraordinary that most of its content is beyond normal, comprehensible words." Which neatly sums up the Xenakis aesthetic of pursuing an idea (and sound mass) to its logical end no matter where it goes. The Luxembourg Philharmonic bringing a precision of performance equal to the precision of composition. The end result is a beast with orchestral players and instruments along every limb. Stark, violent and beautiful.

Olivier Messiaen: Messiaen Edition [disc 3]. 1988. Warner Classics: 2564-62162-2.

Maria Oran: soprano
Yvonne Loriod: piano

Poemes pour Mi (1936)
Chants de terre et de ciel (1938)

Song cycles composed during an idyllic period in the young Messiaen's life. Written in the early days of his marriage as a gift and an expression of love. What is interesting here is how much of Messiaen's harmonic language is fully formed and how profoundly important his sense of faith is. All of this prior to the trials ahead that would test and solidify his connection to his faith. Also interesting here is the fact that these songs, written for his first wife, are performed by his second on this recording.

Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner Sessions [disc 2]. 1973, 1974, 2007. Sony/BMG: 88697062392.

Miles Davis: trumpet, organ
Carlos Garnett: soprano saxophone
Bennie Maupin: bass clarinet, flute
Herbie Hancock: electric piano, organ
Lonnie Liston Smith: electric piano
Harold Ivory Williams: electric piano
Colin Walcott: electric sitar
Michael Henderson: electric bass
Al Foster: drums
Billy Hart: drums
Don Alias: kalimba, African percussion
Badal Roy: tablas
Cedric Lawson: organ
Reggie Lucas: guitar
Khalil Balakrishna: electric sitar
Mtume: congas

Generous canvas slathered deep with the material of funk. The prolonged durations of groove slip this multi-layered material into a ritual of free form expression. The changes in texture clearly being directed by an unseen Miles Davis as he breaks things down and builds them up again. Leaving just enough space for soloists to appear and vanish at intuitively grasped intervals. The multi-disc experience of the "Complete" recordings allows the transcendent qualities of this experience to come to the fore. While the real listening reward lives within the details of this funky soup.

HurdAudio Rotation: Three Faces of the Piano

Thelonious Monk: The Complete Riverside Recordings [disc 2]. 1986. Riverside: RCD-022-2.

Thelonious Monk: piano
Art Blakey: drums
Ernie Henry: alto saxophone
Sonny Rollins: tenor saxophone
Oscar Pettiford: bass
Max Roach: drums
Clark Terry: trumpet
Paul Chambers: bass

A devastating document of this incredibly important slice of jazz history (much of this material recorded in 1956-7). On a box set that includes many alternate takes and "mistakes" there is only the one "false start" on this disc on the opening of "Pannonica," and even as one hears how this body of music was being birthed in the studio it essentially arrived fully formed. So much so that it's hard to imagine the jazz landscape without a "Bemsha Swing" or "Brilliant Corners." With recordings so strong that the ears naturally refer to these versions if they've ever encountered them before. Equally devastating is the way Monk's hands shaped the very sound of the jazz piano in his wake. His sturdy bridge between stride and bop that continues to color how improvisers approach the ivories. Also, Oscar Pettiford's solo on "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" got my attention. I need to hear more of his playing.

Olivier Messiaen: Messiaen Edition [disc 1]. 1963, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1996, 2000. Warner Classics: 2564-62162-2.

Petites esquisses d'oiseaux (1985)
Preludes (1928-1929)
Quatre Etudes de rhthme (1949-1950)

Yvonne Loriod: piano

Time extracted its continual erosion upon of musical history when Yvonne Loriod passed away last May. She was the widow of Olivier Messiaen and the leading interpreter of his piano works, some of which are documented on this disc. These are intense, difficult pieces that she executes with such grace that the tension rests entirely within the music and not in the feats of playing them. Her fingers passionately grasp the dissonances of Petites esquisses d'oiseaux while coaxing out the lyrical impressionist colors of the Preludes. Quatre Edudes de rythme makes surprising use of serial processes in the evocation of ritual. The considerable forces of intellect and heart brought into pitch-perfect balance for this recording. This direct connection to the composer and irreplaceable pianistic talent will be missed while recordings such as this are treasured.

Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd: In What Language? 2003. Pi Recordings: 08713-0092.

Vijay Iyer: piano, keyboards, electronics, compositions
Mike Ladd: voice, electronics, lyrics
Latasha N. Nevada Diggs: voice, electronics
Allison Easter: voice
Ajay Naidu: voice
Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet
Rudresh Mahanthappa: alto saxophone
Dana Leong: cello, trombone, flugelbone
Liberty Ellman: guitar
Stephan Crump: bass
Trevor Holder: drums

Music theater using multiple narrators to tell the modern day mythology (and terribly true tales) of airport security. The collision of global culture with anxiety and prejudice. "The airport is not a neutral place. It serves as a contact zone for those empowered or subjugated by globalization." The music crossing over several stylistic borders as the spoken voice and electronics with a hip hop sensibility. The sound is often unpleasant in exactly the same way that air travel is also unpleasant. Complimenting the uneasy truth of travel "with an uneasy proximity of tan." The individual elements of this piece work extremely well. The lyrics are smart. The music is polished and thought through. The visual theater of the experience in conspicuously absent. And this may account for my own reluctance to embrace this work. I'm left strangely unsatisfied even if I can't identify where this piece falls short.

HurdAudio Rotation: The Path from Heaven to Minneapolis

Olivier Messiaen: Messiaen Edition [box set] [disc 2]. 2005. Warner Classics: 2564 62162-2.

La Nativite du Seigneur (1935) - Neuf Meditations pour orgue
Le Banquet celeste (1928)
Apparition de l'eglise eternelle (1932)

Marie-Claire Alain: organ

This is the sound of devotion. Organ music born of faith and an expression of Messiaen's Catholicism prior to the trials of his faith that were in store after these pieces were composed. These are also prior to his discovery of bird song as a source of melodic inspiration. The sense of devotion that would carry Messiaen through those trials is already audible. Such faith has an other worldly quality. Without the talented composition and skillful performance by Marie-Claire Alain it would be hard to imagine the particular nerve this music touches.

Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner Sessions [disc 1]. 2007 (recorded in 1972). Sony BMG Music Entertainment: 88697 06239 2.

Miles Davis: trumpet
Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone
Chick Corea: synthesizer
Herbie Hancock: electric piano, synthesizer, organ
Harold Ivory Williams: organ, synthesizer
John McLaughlin: guitar
Colin Walcott: electric sitar
Michael Henderson: electric bass
Jack DeJohnette: drums
Don Alias: congas, percussion, kalimba, African percussion
Badal Roy: tablas
Billy Hart: wood block, cowbell, percussion, drums
Carlos Garnett: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Bennie Maupin: bass clarinet, flute
Dave Creamer: guitar
Lonnie Liston Smith: electric piano
Al Foster: drums

After such a heavy dose of spiritual edification, On The Corner pulls the body along with unedited master takes of some large ensemble, improvisational funk. Also an expressive necessity no more or less threatening than the devotion of Messiaen. This music created a stir among the jazz intelligentsia and critics of its day. Today it feels incredibly vital and absolutely necessary. A reminder of how aesthetic movements will counter-balance past excesses and gleefully leave behind those not ready to find the road (traveler, there is no road). These deep grooves are to rhythm what Kind of Blue's modal jazz was to harmony. A simplification that reveals incredible potential and an awesome beauty offered to the open ear. The physicality of a sound that invites dance and movement with a gravitational pull of Dionysian abandon.

Happy Apple: Youth Oriented. 2002. Sunnyside Records: SSC 3006.

Erik Fratzke: bass guitar, guitar
Michael Lewis: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, double bass
David King: drums, toys, waterphone, megaphone, mellotron

Great band. I appreciate the lines Michael Lewis spins through these tracks. The solid bass lines put down by Erik Fratzke. And David King is the same incredible drummer he is with The Bad Plus. You put these three together to realize their own creative compositions and out comes a complete winner like Youth Oriented. The range of textures out of this trio is remarkable. From the punkish energy of "Salmon jump suit" to the protracted open spaces of "Drama section" complete with a multi-stylistically informed range of gleeful genre-bending sounds in between. In a more just world this trio would be an overwhelming presence on the radio and tour circuit.

HurdAudio Rotation: Three Uses for a Violin

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. Seiji Ozawa conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. 1967 (re-released in 2004). BMG Classics/RCA: 82876-59418-2.

Seiji Ozawa: conductor
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
with
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

A grand aural greeting to the ambitious optimism of a new year. The sprawling, large-scale orchestral plunge through 20th century "modernism's" waters is all the more impressive in this outstanding performance featuring the Loriod sisters (Yvonne being Messiaen's second wife) on piano and ondes Martenot. Not to mention the exquisitely crafted textures of cascading piano, searing ondes Martenot and enormous orchestra. This was a commission where Messiaen decided to stretch as many boundaries imaginable. The result is intoxicatingly expansive and well worth waking up the neighbors with its explosive glory.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: CG125.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Ron Miles: cornet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

The textures are familiar for anyone who has spent time listening to the individual performers in this band. The Bill Frisell tones hang in the air like a welcome acquaintance in the service of these Scheinman compositions. The melding of Ron Miles with the Frisell sound is itself a familiar component. 12 songs of pleasant - and deceptively simple - beauty with a strange bend toward miss-spellings or puns in most of the titles: "The Frog Threw His Head Back and Laughed," "The Buoy Song" or "Satelite." The effortless and playful quality of these charts draw the ears in as a curiosity touching upon an Americana sound.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [disc 1-1]. 2006. Brilliant Classics: 93102/1.

Brandenberg Concerto 1
Brandenberg Concerto 2
Brandenberg Concerto 3

Performed by:
Musica Amphion
Remy Baudet: leader
featuring:
Frank de Bruine: oboe
Remy Baudet: piccolo violin, violin
Teunis van der Zwart: horn
Erwin Wieringa: horn
William Wroth: trumpet
Pieter-Jan Belder: recorder
Sayuri Yamagata: violin
Irmgard Schaller: violin
Staas Swierstra: viola
Marten Boeken: viola
Mariette Holtrop: viola
Rainer Zipperling: cello
Richte van der Meer: cello
Albert Bruggen: cello

A first immersion into a box set so overwhelming it takes a forklift to pick it up. Which is nearly an understatement of the overwhelming body of work - and the ocean of Western music history that flows from this singular head water. The first three Brandenberg Concertos are as good a point of entry as any with the music of J.S. Bach. A steady, pulsating reminder of a Baroque music at an apex. The performance on this disc is well recorded - offering a sonic clarity to a dense ensemble sound. And offering these ears a sense of gravity lurking within the rippling contours of this music.

HurdAudio Rotation: Ergotic Undertones

Killick: Smudgeriffic. 2007. Sul Ponticello: 021. (#9 of a limited, one-time run of 33)

Killick: guitar

The liner notes say it well: "me and a guitar, 7.9.07." An exploration of the electric guitar for a single take that treats every sounding part of the instrument as fair game. One can hear the joy and sonic meditation in just the on/off state of electricity coursing through this instrument. Killick reaches a unique state of consciousness through improvisation. Hearing the playback of that experimentation and sense of play reveals the particulars of the mind at work in this music. The sense of exploration and openness to sound weaves an interesting journey.

James Tenney: Melody, Ergodicity and Indeterminacy. 2007. Mode Records: Mode 185.

performed by The Barton Workshop
Poem (1955)
Ergodos I (1963)
Monody (1959)
Ergodos II (1964)
Seegersong #1 (1999)
String Complement (wigh Ergodos II) (1964)
Seegersong #2 (1999)
Instrumental Responses (with Ergodos I) (1964)
Ergodos III (1994)
Percussion Response (with Ergodos I) (1964)

Painted with strokes of solo monophonic instruments (flute, clarinet), computer music, strings, percussion and various combinations of all of the above the aesthetic strain that runs through James Tenney's music emerges with loving clarity in this recording. These are pieces for the ear to experience sound in its most essential, physical sense. There's no emotional calculation here. Just an austere beauty that hovers in the air when the mind finds its focus. The Barton Ensemble has recorded a remarkable representation of this singular aesthetic. The contrast in ensembles creates barely a ripple against the clear sensibility behind this music.

Olivier Messiaen: Messiaen Edition [disc 1]. 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1996, 2005. Teldec Classics/Warner Classics/Warner Music Group Company: 2564 62162-2.

Petites esquisses d'oiseaux (1985)
Preludes (1928 - 29)
Quatre Etudes de rythme (1949-50)

Yvonne Loriod: piano

Large scale solo piano by Olivier Messiaen performed by his widow. These are outstanding performances of intricate compositions that brings out a lot of details. If you have an ear for the Messiaen sound this is a definitive recording of a key part of twentieth century piano literature. The consistent density of ideas between the 1928 and 1985 compositions is striking. Equally striking is the contrast between the early and late pieces.

Mob Infiltration

Mobtown Modern: Sound Ecology @ Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, MD
October 1, 2008
The Light Within by John Luther Adams
Katayoon Hodjati: alto flute
Brian Sacawa: baritone saxophone
Ruby Fulton: violin
Nathan Bontrager: cello
Devin Hurd: piano
Wojciech Herzyk: percussion

Abime de oiseaux by Olivier Messiaen
Jennifer Everhart: clarinet

Night Chatter by Stephen Vitiellomulti-channel electronic media

Tourmaline by Alexandra Gardner
Brian Sacawa: soprano saxophone

Sea Tropes by Ingram Marshall
Katayoon Hodjati: flute
Jennifer Everhart: bass clarinet
Ruby Fulton: violin
Nathan Bontrager: cello
Wojciech Herzyk: percussion

Playing from within the "Abyss of the Birds" - the solo clarinet movement from Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time - the hushed spaces between Jennifer Everhart's phrases pulled the ears deeper within the unhurried melancholy of that work.  Composed during Messiaen's time as a prisoner of war during the second world war using bird song heard just ou

tside his confined quarters the profound introspection and solitude continues to resonate with contemporary performances.  In this case bringing a stillness into the midst of the well attended space at Baltimore's Contemporary Museum for a concert of works inspired by nature.  Abime de oiseaux was the solitary work from the twentieth century on the program - and the only piece that did not incorporate electronics into the sonic texture as early voices of the twenty-first century offered their aural ecology.

Alexandra Gardner's Tourmaline offered a dialogue between live and electronically manipulated soprano saxophone.  Named after a crystal known for it's layering of colors this piece carefully crafted an interaction between the two parts.  Gestures performed by Brian Sacawa would seamlessly blur into a timbral variant in the electronic part while sounds emanating from the speakers would transfer to the soprano saxophone as a singular phrase between two 

parts.  This allowed the electronic part to feel less like an accompaniment and more of an expressive component of the overall sound.  It also contributed to the geological sense of layering and vivid colors of its namesake.

Mobtown Modern concerts present music with a sense of single, tight sets presented without intermission.  This allows the palindromic logic of the set list to unfold.  At the center of this concert was Stephen Vitiello's Night Chatter - an electronic work for 5.1 surround speakers.  Without performers on stage, this was the contrast point within a program that moved from ensemble to soloist to empty stage to soloist and back to ensemble.  A cyclical sequence that reinforced an expansive sensibility of environment that may or may not include human presence.  But always offers sonic presence.  With Night Music the focus was on orchestration of environmental materials that imposed a beginning and an end upon excerpts from the larger world.

Ingram Marshall's Sea Tropes is a delicate, lush piece made up of lyrical threads that chart a course with a sea faring sense of rolling waves.  Having heard this piece come together from rehearsal to concert performance the sense of fragility was a wonder to behold.  The mix of modal materials, improvised sections and an electronic part of startling dynamic extremes comes together to form an attractive and unified piece.  

The Light Within by John Luther Adams forms a stasis of slowly moving harmonies made up of sustained parts.  Harmonies that transcend cadence and resolution by giving equal weight to severe consonance and rich dissonance.  Harmonies that sat under my own fingers as a performer on the piano part.  From the stage the click track from the headphones allows for the illusion of timelessness from the perspective of the audience.  As a performer, time takes on an interesting quality as one tracks it while playing outside of it.  Needing only to coordinate harmonic changes with the larger ensemble while sustaining a sense of stasis within the immediate texture.  The long durations of slowly evolving parts conveys a sense of vast, expansive landscapes of desolate extremes.  A beautiful work that finds a balance between human and geological scale.

HurdAudio Rotation: Bird Songs, 12 Songs and Haunted Iridium Nights

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. Recorded in 1967, re-released in 2004. RCA Records: 82876-59418-2.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Seiji Ozawa: conductor
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

A sprawling, epic orchestral work from a young Olivier Messiaen. One can sense the joy of composing for a massive battery of instruments after having survived his ordeal as a prisoner of war in WWII. The ondes Martenot is an excellent timbral match for Messiaen's bird song material. The textures and sweeping scope of this endearingly messy (and loud) piece are ambitious, over reaching and make for a fantastic listen. This is a favorite orchestral work in the rotation.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: CG125.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Ron Miles: cornet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

This is a warm sound for a cold night. Opening up this set with "The Frog Threw His Head Back and Laughed" this initially has the feel of a Bill Frisell CD. Hardly a bad quality. But from there it winds through a series of short, quirky pieces that bring out Scheinman's personality and melodic sensibilities. It's hard to imagine a better ensemble to bring these compositions to life. Frisell in particular is his usual, generous self on this session.

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 4]. 2006: Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Recorded live: March 17, 2006 at Iridium Jazz Club, New York City.

The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: composer, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet and Eb contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet

Disc 4 = Composition 353 - dedicated to the composer Butch Morris

A fitting dedication to a composer that pioneered the art of interactive conduction of group improvisation that marks so much of Braxton's Ghost Trance musics. This performance of Composition 353 has a swinging energy that pops into the sonic foreground from time to time as the pulsing lines make passing allusions toward a rich jazz history. Anthony Braxton adds some amazing solos into the mix in the waning moments of this music. This is a thick, vibrant sound that holds these ears for long spells.

Abyss and Trio

Sylvie Beaudoin/William Jenken/Peter Minkler Trio @ An Die Musik, Baltimore, MD
Sunday, October 21, 2007

Sylvie Beaudoin: piano
William Jenken: clarinet
Peter Minkler: viola

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Kegelstatt for piano, viola and clarinet
Olivier Messiaen: Abyss of the Birds for clarinet (from Quatuor Pour la Fin du Temps)
Henri Vieuxtemps: Capriccio for viola
Thomas Benjamin: Tangissimo! for clarinet, viola and piano
Jean Francaix: Trio for clarinet, viola and piano

One can hear the birds just outside Olivier Messiaen's 1940 German POW prison immortalized in Abyss of the Birds, the third movement, composed as a clarinet solo, from his Quartet for the End of Time. Balanced against long crescendos of single notes that emerge from silence and an expansive use of the range of the instrument the longing for the freedom of the birds is clear. William Jenken's performance of this movement conveyed the sense of longing while reinforcing the qualities that make this Messiaen work so enduring and "timeless."

With Mozart, I am well within the Charles Ives camp that finds his music too pretty and delicate for the contemporary pallet. Kegelstatt featured the regular phrasing and cadences one expects to hear from the Classical master along with a smattering of Alberti bass. All of it well arranged, and extraordinarily well balanced in this particular performance. While I still haven't developed a taste for Mozart, live experiences such as this one are an ideal way to hear and re-examine one's opinions of it.

Jean Francaix's Trio is a beautifully detailed work that was performed with great musicality for such a challenging piece. The deliberate "stumbling" rhythm used to break up the regular shuffling highlighted the deft interplay between the performers. It certainly piqued my curiosity to hear more of this French composer's music.

HurdAudio Rotation: Symphonies and Songs

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. Performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Recorded in 1967. Re-released in 2004. RCA Red Seal: 82876-59418-2.

Turangalila Symphony.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra with
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

The combination of ondes Martenot with strings and piano creates such shimmering colors and shades one wonders why this instrument didn't develop into a regular part of the orchestra going forward from 1948 on (the year this composition was completed). Turangalila Symphony is a massive-scale work - employing an expanded orchestral ensemble (with plenty of percussion and brass) along with the ondes Martenot and piano over a 10-movement, 80-minute work. And yet it's written with an almost chamber music quality and sensibility as clear, discrete lines and the familiar bird-calls of Messiaen's compositions maintain an easy focus in the foreground. The large-scale ensemble opens up a vast range of colors to augment the cyclical ideas and themes that give Turangalila Symphony its form. It's a spectacular piece that deserves a revival.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: CG125.

Jenny Scheinman: compositions, violin
Ron Miles: trumpet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

As a listening experience this CD is flawless. You put it on to hear the great band and the ears stick to the compositions. These short pieces cover a lot of ground with episodes of whimsy and seriousness. And all of it showcasing a real flair for arranging. Did I mention that the band is outstanding as well?

Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete Symphonies. - disc 3. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 1994: The International Music Company: 205298-305.

Symphony No. 4 in B flat major (op.60)
conducted by Barry Wordsworth
Symphony No. 5 in C minor (op.67)
conducted by Claire Gibault

Sandwiched between the "Pastoral" Symphony and the most famous dun-dun-dun-duh in history, Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 seems to receive less obsession and fetish than the rest of the cycle. The famous story is that Beethoven even set aside what would become his famous fifth already in progress and cranked out Symphony No. 4 to fulfill a commission that was more immediate. And it does sound like a throw-back to his earlier compositional style. To my ears, however, it sounds like he was revisiting some familiar territory while going through his transition and the end result is intriguing because of that. The second movement in particular caught my attention with some interesting modulations I hadn't noticed before.

As for the dun-dun-dun-duh... Symphony No. 5 may be one of the biggest warhorses of them all. A status partially earned by the quality of the composition and partially layered upon it by a bizarre fixation on the opening phrase of the first movement. How that phrase became shorthand for "foreboding" is a puzzle. It does set off an exhilarating, and maddeningly irresistible journey with all the unbelievable variation and development that follows.