Join host Michael Schell as he honors the 50th anniversary of the Mahavishnu Orchestra with new avant-rock in its lineage from Nancy Bigfoot and the French band PoiL (coupled with vocalist/biwa player Junko Ueda for some 13th century Japanese war prog). Next comes a sampling of new compositions from John Harbison, Christian Wolff and Erkki-Sven Tüür, followed by four different takes on postmodern repetitiveness from Bernhard Lang, Wolfgang Mitterer, Anna von Hausswolff (on Europe’s largest meantone organ) and the late “Blue” Gene Tyranny. We cap things off with a remarkable Don Cherry octet jam from 1968 that’s just been rediscovered following decades of oblivion. Creative and improvised music from around the world!
See Comments for an annotated playlist and photo credits.
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Flotation Device 2021-08-15: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Avant-Mahavishnu [0:00]
1. [1:33] Mahavishnu Orchestra: Awakening. From The Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia, 1971) with John McLaughlin (guitar), Rick Laird (bass), Billy Cobham (drums, percussion), Jan Hammer (keyboards, organ), Jerry Goodman (violin). NOTE: Recorded August 14, 1971
2. [5:01] Nancy Bigfoot: Mustelid Jabberjaw. From Polyester Honey (Already Dead, 2021) with James Searfoss (electronics, tape loops), Alexander Adams (drums), Janna Lee (vocals), Daniel Van Duerm (keys), Julien Palomo (synthesizers), Vincent Searfoss (banjo), Sean Hartman (saxophone)
3. [21:57] PoiL Ueda: Dan no ura. From Dan no ura (Dur et Doux, 2021) with Junko Ueda (voice, satsuma-biwa), Benoit Lecomte (bass), PoiL: Antoine Arnera (keyboard), Boris Cassone (guitar), Guilhem Meier (drums)⠀
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SET 2: New solo and chamber compositions [30:36]
1. [33:41] John Harbison: For Violin Alone - 2. Dance 1, 5. Dance 2. From Bach & Beyond, Part 3 (Cedille, 2021) with Jennifer Koh (violin), Judith Sherman (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2014
2. [41:10] Christian Wolff: Exercise 37a. From Trio IX and Exercises (Wergo, 2021) with Trio Accanto: Marcus Weiss (saxophone), Nicolas Hodges (piano), Christian Dierstein (percussion), Michael Morawietz (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2018
3. [43:25] Erkki-Sven Tüür: String Quartet No. 2 (Lost Prayers). From Lost Prayers (ECM, 2021) with Signum Quartett: Florian Donderer, Annette Walther (violins), Xandi van Dijk (viola), Thomas Schmitz (cello), Christoph Franke (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2012
4. [57:30] Outro with Bach: Partita No. 1 - Corrente⠀
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SET 3: Repetition [1:00:12]
1. [1:00:53] Anna von Hausswolff: All Thoughts Fly. From All Thoughts Fly (Southern Lord, 2020) with Anna von Hausswolff (meantone organ). NOTE: A video accompanying this album is at https://youtu.be/1x11nd1Ft-4
2. [1:13:14] Bernhard Lang: Intermezzi - 2. Abstract Machines #1. From Works for piano (KAIROS, 2021) with Wolfram Oettl (piano), Stephan Schmidt (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2015–16
3. [1:19:55] Wolfgang Mitterer: temp tracks - temperance, temperate, temporize, template. From temp tracks (Col Legno, 2021)
4. [1:25:29] "Blue" Gene Tyranny: The Driver’s Son (excerpts). From Degrees of Freedom Found (Unseen Worlds, 2021). NOTE: Recorded live May 7, 1999, Roulette Intermedium, New York⠀
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SET 4: Don Cherry in 1968 [1:32:19]
1. [1:37:03] Don Cherry: Summer House Sessions - Side B. From The Summer House Sessions (Blank Forms, 2021) with Don Cherry (pocket trumpet, flute, percussion), Tommy Koverhult (tenor saxophone, flute), Bernt Rosengren (tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet), Kent Carter, Torbjörn Hultcrantz (basses), Bülent Ateş (hand drum), Jacques Thollot, Leif Wennerström (drums), Göran Freese (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded July 20, 1968, Kummelnäs, Sweden
2. [1:57:34] Outro with Don Cherry: Untitled Summer House Session 2
Photo credits: Junko Ueda via the artist, Christian Wolff by Nicolas Hodges via Wergo, John McLaughlin by Brian McMillen, Jenny Koh by Jürgen Frank, Blue Gene Tyranny via Unseen Worlds, John Harbison by Julian Bullitt, Don Cherry via Wikimedia, Erkki-Sven Tüür by Ave Maria Mõistlik, Anna von Hausswolff by smial via Wikimedia, Wolfgang Mitterer by Florian Voggeneder, Bernhard Lang by Harald Hoffmann.