This podcast contains treats for viola fans in the form of a major 20th century composition that’s just been recorded for the first time as a viola solo. As a bonus, we hear Mat Maneri jamming in a unique quartet configuration with Ches Smith, Bill Frisell and Craig Taborn.
Meanwhile Whettman Chelmets (from Joplin, Missouri) and Alina Błońska (from Poland via Spain) offer two unique approaches to musical nostalgia: Chelmets straddling the border between audio art and dark ambient in memory of his late grandmother, Błońska drawing on Baroque instruments and spiritual minimalism to fashion a postmodern Easter cantata. Our "50 years ago" feature looks back on a transitional album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, while Matthew Shipp channels Nina Simone and the Ullén/Bergman/Lund trio channels Matthew Shipp. A sampling of tracks from Mick Barr in his Ocrillim guise and the new retrospective album by Liang YiYuan (a key figure in China’s musical underground) round out the playlist.
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Flotation Device 2022-08-07: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Interpretations [0:00]
1. [1:15] Ullén/Bergman/Lund: Come Together. From Space (Relative Pitch, 2022) with Lisa Ullén (piano), Elsa Bergman (double bass), Anna Lund (drums), Mats Äleklint (recording engineer)
2. [7:10] Liang YiYuan: Those That Die in a Dream. From Those That Die in a Dream: a twenty years retrospective (Unexplained Sounds, 2022) with 梁奕源 Liang YiYuan
3. [13:52] Ches Smith: Interpret It Well. From Interpret It Well (Pyroclastic, 2022) with Craig Taborn (piano), Mat Maneri (viola), Bill Frisell (guitar), Ches Smith (drums, vibes), Ron Saint Germain, Ryan Streber (recording engineers)⠀
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SET 2: Nostalgia I [27:26]
1. [30:43] John McLaughlin: Birds of Fire. From Birds of Fire (Columbia, 1973) with Mahavishnu Orchestra: John McLaughlin (guitar), Rick Laird (bass), Billy Cobham (drums, percussion), Jan Hammer (keyboards, Moog synthesizer), Jerry Goodman (violin). NOTE: Recorded August 1972
2. [36:20] Liang YiYuan: Low Frequency Communication Disorder. From Those That Die in a Dream: A twenty years retrospective (credits as above)
3. [38:43] Alina Błońska: Christ ist erstanden. From Noche Oscura (Dux, 2022) with Agnieszka Grzywacz (soprano), Enrique Sánchez-Ramos (baritone), La Spagna: Beatriz Amezúa, Adrián Pineda (Baroque violins), Alejandro Marías (Baroque cello, viola da gamba), Marija Pendeva (organ), Jesús Trujillo Sevilla (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2017
4. [53:46] Outro with Mahavishnu Orchestra: Revelation
5. [58:47] Matthew Shipp Trio: A Mysterious State. From World Construct (ESP Disk, 2022) with Matthew Shipp (piano), Michael Bisio (bass), Newman Taylor Baker (drums), Jim Clouse (recording engineer)⠀
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SET 3: Nostalgia II [1:05:59]
1. [1:08:18] Ocrilim: Blwch-ariam 1 and 15. From Blwch-ariam/Eiraddfa (Bandcamp, 2021) with Mick Barr AKA Mjopbroon (12-string banjo, Azeri tar, dulcimer, wallbong, Judy harp)
2. [1:11:25] Whettman Chelmets: Joan (excerpts). From Joan (Flaming Pines, 2022)⠀
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SET 4: Organic viola [1:29:22]
1. [1:31:42] Benjamin Britten: Suite No. 1, Op. 72 (arranged by Nobuko Imai). From Elegy (Aulicus Classics, 2022) with Simone Libralon (viola), Paolo Guerini (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1964 for cello. Premiere recording of the viola version
2. [1:52:09] Outro with Britten: Suite No. 2 (featuring Mstislav Rostropovich)
Photo credits: Matthew Shipp Trio (Newman Taylor Baker, Matthew Shipp, Michael Bisio) by Anna Yatskevich, Lisa Ullén/Elsa Bergman/Anna Lund by Tina Axelsson, Alina Błońska by Alejandro Trapero, Craig Taborn/Mat Maneri/Ches Smith/Bill Frisell by Bianca Claircidor, Mstislav Rostropovich and Benjamin Britten by Mikhail Ozerskiy, Mahavishnu Orchestra (Jerry Goodman, Jan Hammer, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Rick Laird) via Wikipedia, Mick Barr via the artist, Liang YiYuan via WV Sorcerer Productions, Whettman Chelmets via the artist, A Skeleton's Phantom Drama by Li Song.