This week’s Flotation Device highlights a new nonagenarian and an incipient octogenarian as we continue our survey of newly-recorded orchestral music by Sofia Gubaidulina (1931–), and a new box set from Wadada Leo Smith (1941–) that honors civic and artistic leaders from Chicago with help from Henry Threadgill and Jack DeJohnette.
We also feature neo-medieval music from Europe, a deconstruction of Bach from Korea (via NYC), an avant-rock homage to Varèse from France, free improv from ZRL and Seattle band Hound Dog Taylor’s Hand, and Dave Flynn’s unique hybrid of Celtic traditional music and postminimalism. Finally, our “50 years ago in the avant-garde” feature pays its respects to a pair of unusual works by Takemitsu (for Baschet instruments) and Alice Coltrane that originated in November 1971. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell.
Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments.
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Flotation Device 2021-11-14: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Hound Dog Taylor's pipes [0:00]
1. [2:00] Hound Dog Taylor's Hand: After All. From After All (Bandcamp, 2021) with Jeffery Taylor (guitar), John Seman (contrabass), Mark Ostrowski (drums)
2. [6:35] Hannah Lash: Suite (Remembered and Imagined) - 4. Gavotte, 5. Gigue. From Filigree (New Focus, 2019) with JACK Quartet
3. [10:00] Dave Flynn: Quintet No. 1/String Quartet No. 4 "The Cutting". From Irish Minimalism (First Hand, 2021) with Mick O'Brien (uilleann pipes), Irish Memory Orchestra Quartet (Aoife Ní Bhriain, Niamh Varian-Barry, Ciara Ní Bhriain, Cormac O'Briain), Alan Kelly (recording engineer)⠀
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SET 2: Bach, then and now [25:11]
1. [28:19] Yoon-Ji Lee: Shakonn. From Wild At Heart (Sono Luminus, 2021) with Pauline Kim Harris (violin), Daniel Shores (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2014
2. [36:05] Adrián Rodríguez Van der Spoel: Distopía. From Melancolía (Pentatone, 2021) with Música Temprana, Adrián Rodríguez Van der Spoel (artistic director), Tom Peeters (recording engineer)
3. [38:29] Jean-Philippe Goude: Éternité. From Hieros (Fuga Libera/Outhere, 2021) with Ensemble Céladon, Paulin Bündgen (direction)
4. [42:13] Tōru Takemitsu: Toward (excerpt). From Seasons/Toward (Deutsche Grammophon, 1972, reissued 2004 on Complete Takemitsu Edition 5 by Shogakukan) with Koichi Yamaguchi, Yasunori Yamaguchi, Hidehiko Sato, Satoru Takahashi (musical sculptures by Bernard and François Baschet). NOTE: Source recordings made at Expo 1970, Osaka, realized by Takemitsu in November 1971 at NHK Electronic Music Studio, Tokyo
5. [50:01] ZRL: Hardly Slept. From Our Savings (American Dreams, 2021) with Zachary Good (clarinets, recorders), Ryan Packard (percussion, electronics), Lia Kohl (cello)
6. [53:58] ZRL: Remarkable Savings. From Our Savings (credits as above)
7. Outro with J.S. Bach: Chaconne⠀[57:41]
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SET 3: The Light of the Gubaidulina [1:01:37]
1. [1:02:35] Sofia Gubaidulina: The Light of the End. From Dialog: Ich und Du, The Wrath of God, The Light of the End (Deutsche Grammophon, 2021) with Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons (conductor). NOTE: Composed 2003; first recording⠀
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SET 4: Wadada world [1:26:45]
1. [1:29:54] Wadada Leo Smith: Gold Symphony No. 1 - 3. Pastoral: Joseph Jarman, As If It Were the Season of Seasons; Sherry Scott, Voice; Thurman Barker, Charles Clark and Christopher Gaddy. From The Chicago Symphonies (Tum, 2021) with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn), Henry Threadgill (alto saxophone, flute, bass flute), John Lindberg (double bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Robert Musso (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded 2015
2. [1:37:10] Wadada Leo Smith: Sapphire Symphony No. 4, The Presidents and Their Vision for America - 5. Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America. From The Chicago Symphonies (Tum, 2021) with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn), Jonathon Haffner (alto and soprano saxophones), John Lindberg (double bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Scott Petito (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded 2018
3. [1:43:12] Aquaserge: 1768°C (à Edgard Varèse). From The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge (Crammed Discs, 2021) Audrey Ginestet (bass), Benjamin Glibert (guitar), Camille Emaille (percussion), Julien Chamla (drums), Manon Glibert (clarinets), Marina Tantanozi (flutes), Olivier Kelchtermans (baritone saxophone), Robin Fincker (tenor saxophone, clarinet)
4. [1:50:16] Alice Coltrane: A Love Supreme. From World Galaxy (1972, Impulse!) with Alice Coltrane (organ, harp), Frank Lowe (saxophone, percussion), Leroy Jenkins (solo violin), Reggie Workman (bass), Ben Riley (drums), Elayne Jones (timpani), Swami Satchidananda (voice), string orchestra. NOTE: Recorded November 15–16, 1971, New York; John Coltrane composition
5. [1:56:31] Outro with Wadada Leo Smith: The A.D. Opera
Photo credits: ZRL (Ryan Packard, Lia Kohl, Zachary Good) by Maren Celest, Aquaserge via the artists, Wadada Leo Smith by Tom Beetz, Hound Dog Taylor, Tōru Takemitsu via Wikipedia, Sofia Gubaidulina by Priska Ketterer via Boosey & Hawkes, Hannah Lash via the artist, Mick O'Brien via the artist, Música Temprana via the artists, Dave Flynn by John Kelly, Yoon-Ji Lee via the artist, Alice Coltrane via the artist.