Flotation Device pays its respects to the late Gloria Coates: composer, painter, glissando enthusiast, sonorist-minimalist, heterodox symphonist, and one of the most underrated of American mavericks. We offer a mini-retrospective of her music, contemplate her unique life and career, and try to deduce her true birth year (was it 1938 as has usually been reported, or 1933 as her family now claims?).
We also celebrate guitarist Michael Gregory Jackson for his 70th birthday, enjoying his art in the company of Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, Pheeroan akLaff and Abdul Wadud. And we explore new releases of music by Anthony Davis, David Lang, Quatuor Bozzini, Michael Bonaventure, the Alexander Hawkins/Nicole Mitchell and Izumi Kimura/Gerry Hemingway duos, and Tomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio, with its unusual instrumentation of vibes, cello and drums.
Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, on KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma.
Global chart history
Top position held by this upload
Comments
Flotation Device 2023-08-27: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Miraculous Pith [0:00]
1. [1:26] 274 Tomas Fujiwara: Swelter. From Pith (Out of Your Head, 2023) with 7 Poets Trio: Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Tomeka Reid (cello), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Nick Lloyd (recording engineer)
2. [5:59] Alexander Hawkins, Nicole Mitchell: Miracle Witness. From At Earth School (Astral Spirits, 2023) with Nicole Mitchell (flute, vocals), Alexander Hawkins (piano), Pedro Subtil (recording engineer)
3. [14:49] Michael Bonaventure: OMEGA. From 9th Annual Report Mid Year Edition (Unexplained Sounds, 2023)
4. [21:16] Michael Gregory Jackson: Ab Bb 1-7-3°. From Clarity (Bija Records, 1976, reissued 2010 by ESP-Disk) with Oliver Lake (saxophone), Michael Gregory Jackson (electric guitar), Doug Pomeroy, Jonathan Freed (recording engineers)
⠀
SET 2: Michael Gregory Jackson at 70 [25:15]
1. [29:09] Michael Gregory Jackson: Heart & Center. From Frequency Equilibrium Koan (Golden, 2021) with Julius Hemphill (alto saxophone), Abdul Wadud (cello), Pheeroan aKLaff (drums), Michael Gregory Jackson (guitar). NOTE: Recorded live 1977 by Jackson at The Ladies Fort, New York
2. [38:54] Michael Gregory Jackson in conversation with Michael Schell, March 21, 2021 (excerpt)
3. [39:21] Izumi Kimura, Gerry Hemingway: Water Thief. From Kairos (Fundacja Słuchaj, 2023) with Izumi Kimura (piano), Gerry Hemingway (drums, marimba, vibraphone, voice)
4. [44:02] Michael Oesterle: Daydream Mechanics. From Quatuors (Collection QB, 2022) with Quatuor Bozzini: Clemens Merkel, Alissa Cheung (violins), Stéphanie Bozzini (viola), Isabelle Bozzini (cello), James Clemens-Seely (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2001
5. [56:19] Outro with Michael Oesterle: String Quartet No. 4
6. [59:29] Anthony Davis, Kyle Motl, Kjell Nordeson: Lady of the Mirrors. From Vertical Motion (Astral Spirits, 2023) with Anthony Davis (piano), Kyle Motl (bass), Kjell Nordeson (drums), Andrew Munsey, Andrés Gutiérre Martínez (recording engineers). NOTE: Recorded February 13, 2018 at UC San Diego. Composition by Anthony Davis
⠀
SET 3: Sacred words [1:06:30]
1. [1:07:58] David Lang: Alleluia Amen - Alleluia. From An Old Hall Ladymass (2L, 2023) with Trio Mediæval: Linn Andrea Fuglseth, Anna Maria Friman, Jorunn Lovise Husan (voices), Morten Lindberg (recording engineer)
2. [1:11:23] David Lang: Alleluia Amen - Amen. From An Old Hall Ladymass (credits as above)
3. [1:13:50] Gloria Coates: Time Frozen - 3. Where there is life, there is time. From Symphony No. 2 et al (CPO, 1998) with Ensemble Das Neue Werk Hamburg, Dieter Cichewiecz (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1988/94
⠀
SET 4: Gloria Coates (1933?–2023) [1:22:15]
1. [1:24:41] Gloria Coates: Symphony No. 8 (Indian Sounds) - 2. Indian Mounds. From Indian Sounds et al (New World, 2002) with Kathleen Eberlein, Rose Bihler Shah (voices, stones), Musica-viva-ensemble Dresden, Jürgen Wirrmann (conductor), Bernhard Albrecht (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1991, recorded live February 27, 1992 at Munich Philharmonic (Chamber Hall), Gasteig, Germany
2. [1:33:30] Gloria Coates: String Quartet No. 7 (Angels) [excerpts]. From String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 (Naxos, 2003) with Philip Adams (organ), Kreutzer Quartet: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Gordon MacKay (violins), Bridget Carey (viola), Neil Heyde (cello), Michael Finnissy (conductor), David Lefeber (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2000
3. [1:41:32] Gloria Coates: Symphony No. 2 (Illuninatio in Tenebris) - 3. Dawn. From Symphony No. 2 et al (CPO, 1998) with Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Wolf-Dieter Hauschild (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1984/88
4. [1:46:41] Gloria Coates: Symphony No. 7 - 2. Glass of Time. From Symphonies 1, 4 & 7 (CPO, 1996) with Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Georg Schmöhe (conductor), Wolfgang Rothe (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1990–91, recorded 1991. "Dedicated To Those Who Brought Down The Wall In PEACE"
5. [1:52:47] Outro with Gloria Coates: Symphony No. 1 (Music on Open Strings)
Tune in live to Flotation Device every Sunday night 10pm–Midnight Pacific Time on 91.3 KBCS Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma, streaming worldwide at www.kbcs.fm. Seattle's finest and longest-running radio program devoted to avant-garde music.
Photo credits: Michael Gregory Jackson by Mark Coelho, Gloria Coates via the artist, David Lang by Peter Serling, 7 Poets Trio (Tomeka Reid, Tomas Fujiwara, Patricia Brennan) by TJ Huff, Gerry Hemingway and Izumi Kimura via Fundacja Słuchaj, Michael Bonaventure via the artist, Anthony Davis via Wise Music, Alexander Hawkins by Anoush Abrar, Gloria Coates: The Colors (1987), Michael Oesterle via the artist.
Photo credits: Michael Gregory Jackson by Mark Coelho, Gloria Coates via the artist, David Lang by Peter Serling, 7 Poets Trio (Tomeka Reid, Tomas Fujiwara, Patricia Brennan) by TJ Huff, Gerry Hemingway and Izumi Kimura via Fundacja Słuchaj, Michael Bonaventure via the artist, Anthony Davis via Wise Music, Alexander Hawkins by Anoush Abrar, Gloria Coates: The Colors (1987), Michael Oesterle via the artist.