Flotation Device honors Meredith Monk for her 80th birthday with a cherishing two-hour mini-marathon that traces the career of this beloved representative of America's performing avant-garde, starting with her experimental (and surprisingly varied) origins as a dancer and singer, through her earliest solo albums, her first touring ensembles, her long association with ECM Records, and her later, more ambitious works for large forces. We assess Monk's position in the lineage of minimalism, extended singing and new music theater, and try to identify just what it is that gives her music an edge over its many imitators.
Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world, with host Michael Schell. Originally aired November 20, 2022. Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments.
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Flotation Device 2022-11-20: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Meredith Monk at 80 [0:00]
1. [1:16] What Does It Mean?. From Key (Increase, 1971 reissued 1995 by Lovely Music) with Meredith Monk (travelling voice, electric organ)
2. [5:14] Travelling. From Pianos in The Kitchen (Orange Mountain, 2011) with Meredith Monk (voice, piano). NOTE: Composed 1973, recorded live April 10, 1983 at The Kitchen, New York
3. [9:11] Paris. From Pianos in The Kitchen (Orange Mountain, 2011) with Meredith Monk (piano). NOTE: Composed 1972, recorded live April 10, 1983 at The Kitchen, New York
4. [12:23] Scared Song. From MONK MIX: remixes & Interpretations of Music by Meredith Monk (The House Foundation, 2012) with Pamela Z. NOTE: Composed 1987
5. [17:11] Choosing Companions. From ATLAS: an opera in three parts (ECM, 1993) with Alexandra: Meredith Monk (voice), Chen Qing: Chen Shizheng (voice), Franco Hartmann: Stephen Kalm (voice), Erik Magnussen: Robert Een (voice), Susan Iadone, Darryl Kubian (violins), Kathleen Carroll (viola), Anthony Pirollo, Arthur J. Fiacco Jr. (cellos), John Cipolla (bass clarinet), Wayne Hankin (conductor, orchestration), James A. Farber (recording engineer). NOTE: Video at https://youtu.be/WZeFpPKFi0A⠀
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SET 2: Echoperplex [24:58]
1. [30:52] Duet for Voice and Echoplex. From Beginnings (Tzadik, 2009) with Meredith Monk (vocals), Daniel Zellman (Echoplex delay system, recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded September 1967 at Expo-67, Montreal
2. [34:10] The Tale. From Beginnings (Tzadik, 2009) with Meredith Monk (vocals, piano). NOTE: From Education of the Girlchild (1973). Recorded live May 10, 1976 at WBAI Free Music Store, New York
3. [35:57] Ester's Song. From Turtle Dreams (ECM, 1983) with Meredith Monk (voice, Casio), Martin Wieland (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1975
4. [37:12] Downfall. From Memory Game (Cantaloupe, 2020) with Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble: Theo Bleckmann, Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Allison Sniffin, Michael Cerveris (voices), Bang on a Can All-Stars: Ken Thomson (reeds), Mark Stewart (electric guitar), Ashley Bathgate (cello), Robert Black (bass), Vicky Chow (keyboards), David Cossin (percussion), Rob Friedman (recording engineer). NOTE: From The Games: a sci-fi opera (1983), arranged by Ken Thomson
5. [41:08] Double Fiesta. From Do You Be (ECM, 1987) with Meredith Monk (voice), Edmund Niemann, Nurit TIlles (piano), Martin Wieland (recording engineer)
6. [46:30] Vessel: an opera epic - Epic. From Facing North (ECM, 1992) with Meredith Monk (voices, organ), Jan Erik Kongshaug (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1971, recorded 1992
7. [55:59] Outro with Meredith Monk: Dawn
8. [1:00:35] Candy Bullets and Moon. From Beginnings (Tzadik, 2009) with Meredith Monk (vocals, bass), Don Preston (drums, organ, recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded July 1967 at Garrick Theatre, New York⠀
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SET 3: Ringing [1:05:00]
1. [1:06:56] Prophecy. From Our Lady of Late (Wergo, 1986) with Meredith Monk (voice, glass). NOTE: First recorded April 1, 1972. This recording from May 1973
2. [1:10:07] Jew's Harp. From Songs from the Hill/Tablet (Wergo, 1979) with Meredith Monk (Jew's harp, voice), Bob Bielecki (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded 1976
3. [1:12:36] Travellers 1, 2, 3. From Book of Days (ECM, 1990) with Robert Een, Meredith Monk, Andrea Goodman, Naaz Hosseini, Nicky Paraiso, Ching Gonzalez (voices), Jan Erik Kongshaug (recording engineer)
4. [1:15:08] ascent (excerpts). From Songs of Ascension (ECM, 2011) with Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble: Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Ching Gonzalez, Bohdan Hilash, John Hollenbeck, Meredith Monk, Bruce Rameker, Allison Sniffin, Todd Reynolds Quartet: Todd Reynolds, Courtney Orlando (violins), Nadia Sirota (viola), Ha-Yang Kim (cello), The M6, Montclair State University Singers, James A. Farber (recording engineer)
5. [1:21:32] Ringing. From On Behalf of Nature (ECM, 2016) with Katie Geissinger, Meredith Monk, Ellen Fisher, Sidney Chen, Bruce Rameker (voices), Bohdan Hilash (clarinets), John Hollenbeck (vibraphone), Allison Sniffin (French horn), Laura Sherman (harp), James A. Farber (recording engineer)⠀
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SET 4: Monumental music [1:25:02]
1. [1:29:23] Dolmen Music (excerpts). From Dolmen Music (ECM, 1980) with Andrea Goodman, Meredith Monk, Monica Solem, Paul Langland (voices), Robert Een (cello, voice), Julius Eastman (percussion, voice), Martin Balk (recording engineer)
2. [1:44:11] urban march (shadow). From Mercy (ECM, 2002) with Katie Geissinger, Theo Bleckmann, Ching Gonzalez (voices), Allison Sniffin (synthesizer), John Hollenbeck (piano), Scott Lehrer (recording engineer)
3. [1:47:21] maybe 1. From Impermanence (ECM, 2008) with Ellen Fisher, Katie Geissinger, Theo Bleckmann, Ching Gonzalez, Bohdan Hilash, John Hollenbeck, Meredith Monk, Allison Sniffin (piano), James A. Farber (recording engineer)
4. [1:49:24] Duet with Shifting Ground. From On Behalf of Nature (ECM, 2016) with Katie Geissinger, Bruce Rameker (lead vocals), Meredith Monk, Allison Sniffin, Sidney Chen, Ellen Fisher (voices), Allison Sniffin (violin), Bohdan Hilash (clarinets, seljefl0yte), John Hollenbeck (vibraphone), Laura Sherman (harp), James A. Farber (recording engineer)
5. [1:54:50] Outro with Meredith Monk: Astronaut Anthem
Photo credits: Meredith Monk in Songs of Ascension by Cameron Wittig, MM in 1981 by Johan Elbers, MM in Our Lady of Late by Gaetano Besana, Collin Walcott and MM by Martha Van Burek, Atlas (Stephen Kalm, MM, Shi-Zheng Chen) via MM, Volcano Songs (Katie Geissinger, MM, Dina Emerson, Allision Easter) via ECM Records, Dolmen Music, MM by Julieta Cervantes, MM in Santa Monica in 1970, Astronaut Anthem, MM in Key by Peter Moore, Robert Een in Book of Days, Greger Hansen and mob in Book of Days, Katie Geissinger in Songs of Ascension by Marion Gray and Dyanna Taylor.