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This podcast features a Flotation Device exclusive: John Luther Adams’s vivid sextet The Light Within as it sounded at its 2008 premiere by Seattle Chamber Players. We also celebrate Blank Forms’ new exhibit dedicated to Jerry Hunt’s life and work with a pair of rarely-heard electronic works from that eccentric Texan (featuring a cameo by LBJ). Plus we sample two approaches to non-conventional opera on Ancient Greek themes from James Dashow and an all-star team of 1980s Downtown New York musicians including Julius Eastman. And we survey new improvised music from three continents via the OGBJ Quartet, Tomas Fujiwara’s Triple Double, Perila, IZ band, and the duo of David Watson and Matthew Welch (with appearances by Scottish bagpipes and a Kazakh dombra). Historical items from Lennie Tristano and Anthony Braxton round out the playlist. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Mike Schell.
See Comments for an annotated playlist and photo credits.
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PART 1
Flotation Device 2022-02-20: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: What's new [0:00]
1. [1:22] Tomas Fujiwara's Triple Double: Docile Fury Ballad. From March (Firehouse 12, 2022) with Tomas Fujiwara (drums, vibraphone), Gerald Cleaver (drums), Mary Halvorson, Brandon Seabrook (guitars), Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet), Nick Lloyd, Greg DiCrosta (recording engineers). NOTE: Recorded 2019
2. [11:56] Perila: Untitled. From How much time it is between you and me? (Smalltown Supersound, 2021) with Aleksandra Zakharenko AKA Perila
3. [8:11] David Watson, Matthew Welch: Warp. From Weave (Room40, 2021) with David Watson, Matthew Welch (great highland bagpipes), Jason LaFarge (recording engineer)
4. [15:03] OGJB Quartet: Da Bang. From Ode To O (Tum, 2022) with Oliver Lake (alto and soprano saxophones), Graham Haynes (cornet, electronics), Joe Fonda (double bass), Barry Altschul (drums, percussion), Jon Rosenberg (recording engineer). NOTE: Barry Altschul composition. Recorded 2019⠀
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SET 2: John Luther Adams and the Greeks [24:11]
1. [27:54] John Luther Adams: The Light Within. Performed January 26, 2008 at Icebreaker IV: The American Future, On The Boards, Seattle. With Cristina Valdés (piano), Matthew Kocmieroski (percussion), Seattle Chamber Players: Paul Taub (flute), Laura DeLuca (bass clarinet), Mikhail Shmidt (violin), Joshua Roman (cello). NOTE: Composed 2007. This performance was the premiere
2. [39:57] James Dashow: Archimedes: A Planetarium Opera - Act I, scene iv - MECHANICS MIME. From Archimedes (Neuma, 2022) with Archimedes: Michael Kelly (baritone), Hieron: Adrian Rosas (bass), Citizens Quartet: Jennifer Zetlan (soprano), Toby Newman (mezzo-soprano), Brian Gibeler (tenor), Nicholas Isherwood (bass-baritone), Chorus: James Wright (baritone), Adam Abeshouse (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed and realized 2000–2008, recorded 2019. Libretto by Cary Plotkin with Ted Weiss
3. [44:32] James Dashow: Archimedes: A Planetarium Opera - Act I, scene iv - THE SHIP MOVES. From Archimedes (credits as above)
4. [50:18] James Dashow: Archimedes: A Planetarium Opera - Act III - EPILOGUE. From Archimedes (credits as above)
5. [53:41] Outro with David Avidor/Nicole V. Gagné (with Julius Eastman, Vera Beren, Charles K. Noyes): Agamemnon
6. [1:01:00] Jerry Hunt: Song Drape No. 2. From Sonic Circuits V (Innova, 1997) with Michael Schell (realization)
PART 2
Flotation Device 2022-02-20: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: What's new [0:00]
SET 3: Free in New York and Shenzhen [1:07:19]
1. [1:09:07] Lennie Tristano: New Pennies. From Personal Recordings 1946–1970 (Dot Time/Mosaic, 2021) with Lennie Tristano (piano, recording). NOTE: Recorded ca.1961 at Tristano's studio, Palo Alto Street, Hollis, NY
2. [1:14:18] IZ Band: Ɵli & Tiri 生与死. From 路过旧天堂书店 Drop by Old Heaven Books (Old Heaven Books, 2021) with 马木尔 Mamer (acoustic guitar, vocals), 夏力 Xalhar (acoustic guitar, backing vocals), 张东 Zhang Dong (percussion), 曾君 Zeng Jun，罗绿野 Luo Lvye (recording engineers). NOTE: Recorded live January 2, 2021 at Old Heaven Books, Shenzhen, China
3. [1:21:06] Lennie Tristano: Formation. From Personal Recordings 1946–1970 (Dot Time/Mosaic, 2021) with Lennie Tristano (piano), Lee Konitz (alto saxophone), Warne Marsh (tenor saxophone), Billy Bauer (guitar, recording), Lenny Popkin (restoration). NOTE: Recorded 1948 at Tristano's house, Flushing, NY, 1948. Previously unreleased, this anticipates the 1949 Capitol recording of Digression and Intuition with the same quartet plus Arnold Fishkin (bass) and Denzil Best (drums)
4. [1:24:36] IZ Band: Əjim 皱纹. From 路过旧天堂书店 Drop by Old Heaven Books (Old Heaven Books, 2021) with 马木尔 Mamer (dombra, classical guitar), 曾君 Zeng Jun，罗绿野 Luo Lvye (recording engineers). NOTE: Recorded live January 3, 2021 at Old Heaven Books, Shenzhen, China
5. [1:30:58] Lennie Tristano: Pinochle Jump. From Personal Recordings 1946–1970 (same credits as Formation)⠀
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SET 4: Jerry Hunt (1943–1993). NOTE: See JerryHunt.org and Blank Forms for more on Hunt's life and music [1:32:58]
1. [1:35:36] Anthony Braxton: You Go to My Head (Part 1). From Donna Lee (America, 1972) with Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone), Michael Smith (piano), Peter Warren (bass), Oliver Johnson (drums). NOTE: Recorded February 18, 1972 at Studio Decca, Paris. Song by J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
2. [1:41:55] Jerry Hunt: Bitom (stream): link. From Ground: Five Mechanic Convention Streams (OODiscs, 1992) with Jerry Hunt (cow horns, pianofortes, device arrays). NOTE: Composed 1991
3. [1:55:58] Outro with Jerry Hunt: Fluud
Photo credits: Seattle Chamber Players (Mikhail Shmidt, David Sabee, Laura DeLuca, Paul Taub) by Tom Summers, Alexandra Zakharenko AKA Perila by Marissa Patrice Leitman, OGJB Quartet (Joe Fonda, Oliver Lake, Graham Haynes, Barry Altschul) by Enid Farber, Triple Double (Ralph Alessi, Tomas Fujiwara, Brandon Seabrook, Gerald Cleaver, Mary Halvorson, Taylor Ho Bynum) via Firehouse 12, James Dashow via the artist, John Luther Adams by Cynthia Adams, Matthew Welch by Palma Fiacco, Lyndon Johnson by Arnold Newman (WHPO), Jerry Hunt and friend via Stephen Housewright, IZ Band woodcut by 刘庆元 Liu Qingyua.