Radio Eclectus celebrates the 70th birthday of Shelley Hirsch with an exclusive interview and an extensive survey of her career as a composer, vocalist and icon of the Downtown New York improv movement. Listen to Shelley reflect on key influences and collaborators (including David Weinstein, Jerry Hunt, Cecile Pineda, and a high school English teacher with a penchant for Bartók and Ornette Coleman), and describe how her most formative artistic inputs have often come from outside the music world. Hear how her unique synthesis of improvisational singing and extended vocal techniques evolved, through a carefully curated sampling of solo and collaborative albums, plus archival and unreleased recordings receiving their broadcast premiere.
Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments.
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Annotated playlist for show #106
Intro [0:00]
1. [1:59] Shelley Hirsch: War of Dreams. From States (Tellus, 1997, reissued 2002 by Tzadik on The Far In, Far Out Worlds of Shelley Hirsch) with Shelley Hirsch (vocals, live processing), David Weinstein (sampling keyboards). NOTE: Produced 1991 at Harvestworks, text by Angela Carter
2. [10:05] Voice break
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Shelley Hirsch interviewed by Michael Schell - Part 1: Beginnings [11:04]
1. [24:55] Shelley Hirsch, Donald Joyce: Burnt Norton (unreleased). With Shelley Hirsch (voice), Donald Joyce (organ). Recorded live 1976 or 1977 at Grace Church, New York
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Interview - Part 2: Singing, States [33:09]
1. [35:11] Shelley Hirsch: Utanussa. From Singing (Apollo, 1987) with Shelley Hirsch (voice), David Simons (drums, prepared slide guitar)
2. [39:34] Shelley Hirsch: Tenderly (the Body Is The Biggest Recorder Possible). From States (Tellus, 1997) with Shelley Hirsch (music mix, vocals), Leslie Lavelanet (recording engineer)
3. Shelley Hirsch: Club Enchantment (I Opened The Cage And The Bird Flew Out Of My Heart). From States (same credits)
4. Shelley Hirsch: Blue Moon (And Then Suddenly It Appeared Before Me). From States (Tellus, 1997)
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Interview - Part 3: Family, Weinstein [54:12]
1. [1:00:06] Shelley Hirsch: My Father Piece - 2. In the Basement. From Crosstalk (Bridge, 2008) with Shelley Hirsch (vocals), David Weinstein (pre-production engineering). NOTE: Realized 2000
2. [1:03:10] Shelley Hirsch, David Weinstein: Weinstein and Me. From Weinstein and Me (Bandcamp, 2022) with Shelley Hirsch (vocals and electronics), David Weinstein (keyboards). NOTE: Recorded live 2007 in Stuttgart
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Interview - Part 4: Duets [1:12:56]
1. [1:15:57] Shelley Hirsch, Kazuhisa Uchihashi: song3. From Duets (Innocent, 2002) with Shelley Hirsch (voice), Kazuhisa Uchihashi (guitar). NOTE: Recorded Live November 21, 2000 at Big Apple, Kobe, Japan
2. [1:20:45] Shelley Hirsch, Simon Ho: Never. From Where Were You Then? (Tzadik, 2012) with Shelley Hirsch (vocals), Simon Hostettler AKA Simon Ho (accordion, piano), Dave Hofstra (tuba)
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Interview - Part 5: Koch-Schütz-Studer [1:24:45]
1. [1:29:46] Koch-Schütz-Studer, Shelley Hirsch: Auf dem Land. From Walking and Stumbling Through Your Sleep (Intakt, 2013) with Shelley Hirsch (voice), Hans Koch (reeds, electronics), Martin Schütz (5-string electric cello, cello, electronics), Fredy Studer (drums, percussion), Martin Pearson (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded November 26, 2010 at Powerplay Studios Maur, Switzerland
2. [1:31:29] Koch-Schütz-Studer, Shelley Hirsch: L. Russolo's Nightmare. From Walking and Stumbling Through Your Sleep (same as above)
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Interview - Part 6: Mystery tracks [1:38:28]
1. [1:41:10] Luciano Berio with Cathy Berberian: Visage (excerpt). From Les Espaces Électroacoustiques (Col Legno, 2016). NOTE: Realized 1961. Alvise Vidolin (remastering)
2. [1:47:00] Anthony Braxton Quintet: Composition 6 P II (excerpt). From Town Hall 1972 (Trio, 1972 reissued 1992 by hatART as "Town Hall (Trio & Quintet) 1972") with Jeanne Lee (voice), Anthony Braxton (alto sax, soprano sax, flute, clarinet, E♭ clarinet, contrabass clarinet, percussion), John Stubblefield (tenor sax, flute, bass clarinet, gong, percussion), Dave Holland (double bass), Barry Altschul (percussion, marimba), John Sadler (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live May 22, 1972 at Town Hall, New York
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Interview - Part 7: Influences [1:53:37]
1. [2:09:32] Jerry Hunt: String 2 - Mail Order Church. From Song Drapes (Tzadik, 1999). With Shelley Hirsch (text, vocals), Jerry Hunt (electronic music), Jon Rosenberg (recording engineer). NOTE: Electronic music realized 1992 as fixed media
2. [2:10:53] Jerry Hunt: String 5 - Birds. From Song Drapes (same as above)
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Interview - Part 8: New things [2:13:58]
1. [2:16:48] Shelley Hirsch, Michael Foster, Michael Evans, Gordon Beeferman: Squeegee (unreleased). With Shelley Hirsch (voice), Michael Foster (saxophones), Michael Evans (drums), Gordon Beeferman (keyboards)
2. [2:18:28] Shelley Hirsch: Her Hair is like an ocean (unreleased). Recorded live August 28, 2021 at Second Ward, Hudson, NY
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Interview - Part 9: Agamemnon the Opera [2:22:32]
1. [2:29:47] David Avidor and Nicole V. Gagné: Agamemnon - Act 4: Cassandra and Chorus 4. From Agamemnon (Bandcamp, 2012) with Cassandra: Shelley Hirsch (singing voice), Chorus: Robert Ashley (speaking voice), David Avidor (Emax, percussion), Nicole V. Gagné (percussion). NOTE: Recorded and realized 1992
2. [2:51:39] Ennio Morricone, John Zorn: Erotico (The Burglars). From The Big Gundown: John Zorn plays the music of Ennio Morricone (Nonesuch, 1986) with Shelley Hirsch (voice), Big John Patton (organ), Bill Frisell (electric guitar), Bobby Previte (drums), Laura Biscotto (sexy Italian vocals)
3. [2:56:02] Outro
Photo credits: David Weinstein and Shelley Hirsch by Eric Muzzy, Jerry Hunt by Lona Foote, Shelley Hirsch via Roulette, Robert Ashley by Joanne Savio, Shelley Hirsch and Simon Ho via the artists, Shelley Hirsch by Ka Baird, Kazuhisa Uchihashi via the artist, Donald Joyce via Discogs, Anthony Braxton and Jeanne Lee by Kai Kowalewski, Cathy Berberian by Rob Mieremet/Anefo.