Italy’s foremost living composer channels his inner Chopin while ruminating on the rubble of modern warfare. Join us to contemplate this gripping new work by Salvatore Sciarrino whose pertinence has only grown since it was conceived as a reaction to the war in Ukraine.
We also survey recent improvised tracks by Todd Sickafoose, Steve Coleman, Anthony Tidd and Miles Okazaki, who all performed in Seattle in October 2023. Plus, ceremonial percussion music by Missy Mazzoli, an unorthodox big band chart by Steve Lehman, and a gory Alaska travelog by Yotam Haber. Throw in some dark ambient music from Sweden that features a traditional keyed fiddle, a bit of noise music from Glasgow, and an underappreciated sonorist masterwork by György Ligeti in honor of its 50th anniversary, and you'll have a most diverse and engaging playlist for your morning, afternoon or evening.
Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world. Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments.
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Flotation Device 2023-10-15: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Coleman, Tidd, Okazaki in Seattle [0:00]
1. [2:07] Miles Okazaki: The Memory Palace, Part II. From Music for Drums and Guitar (Cygnus, 2021) with Miles Okazaki (guitar), Dan Weiss (drums), Michael Marciano (recording engineer)
2. [7:52] Miles Okazaki, Trevor Dunn, Dan Weiss: The Timing Is No Accident. From Hive Mind (Tzadik, 2021) with Miles Okazaki (guitar), Trevor Dunn (bass), Dan Weiss (drums), Marc Urselli (recording engineer)
3. [10:17] Steve Coleman: Compassion (drum solo) - Ascending Numeration - DeAhBo (Reset). From Live at the Village Vanguard Volume II, Mdw Ntr (Pi, 2021) with Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Steve Coleman (alto saxophone), Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Kokayi (wordsmith), Anthony Tidd (bass), Sean Rickman (drums), Geoff Countryman (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded May 2018 at The Village Vanguard, New York
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SET 2: Sickafoose in Seattle [26:27]
1. [30:35] Todd Sickafoose: Shovel Ready. From Time to 1.5: Soundtrack to Threshold Season 4 (Secret Hatch, 2022) with Jonathan Goldberger (guitar), Mathias Kunzli (drums, percussion), Todd Sickafoose (other instruments, recording engineer)
2. [32:56] Todd Sickafoose: Bent Into Shape. From Bear Proof (Secret Hatch, 2023) with Ben Goldberg (clarinet), Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Adam Levy (guitar), Rob Reich (accordion), Erik Deutsch (piano), Todd Sickafoose (acoustic bass), Allison Miller (drums), Adam Muñoz (recording engineer)
3. [36:30] Ewa Justka: evolution of a knob-head. From don't you want followers? (Bandcamp, 2023)
4. [41:28] György Ligeti: Clocks and Clouds. From Ligeti: Clocks and Clouds - EP (SFS Media, 2023) with San Francisco Symphony Chorus, San Francisco Symphony, Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1972–73, premiered October 15, 1973 in Graz, Austria by ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Friedrich Cerha. This recording made in 2021. For more on Ligeti's music see the articles at https://tinyurl.com/LigetiOdyssey and https://tinyurl.com/LigetiLateWorks
5. [54:01] Outro with Todd Sickafoose: Water Table
6. [1:01:09] Missy Mazzoli: Millennium Canticles (excerpts). From Between Breaths (Cedille, 2023) with Third Coast Percussion: Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, David Skidmore (percussion)
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SET 3: Nordic memories [1:10:11]
1. [1:11:26] Yotam Haber: Bloodsnow. From Bloodsnow (Sideband, 2023) with Talea Ensemble: Laura Cocks (flute), Marianne Gythfeldt (clarinet), Karen Kim (violin), Hannah Levinson (viola), Christopher Gross (cello), Steven Beck (piano), James Baker (conductor), Paul Schaedig, Dustin Kellerman (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed 2020
2. [1:22:54] Jakob Grunditz, Michael Grunditz: Fantasier #3. From 9th Annual Report Mid Year Edition (Unexplained Sounds, 2023) with Jakob Grunditz (Nyckelharpa), Michael Grunditz (synthesizer)
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SET 4: Wind and dust [1:30:36]
1. [1:34:21] Steve Lehman: Alchimie. From Ex Machina (Pi, 2023) with Steve Lehman (alto saxophone, electronics), Chris Dingman (vibraphone), Orchestre National de Jazz, Frédéric Maurin (conductor), Philipp Heck (recording engineer)
2. [1:37:20] Salvatore Sciarrino: Paesaggi con macerie - 1. Vento e polvere. From Paesaggi con macerie (Kairos, 2023) with Icarus vs Muzak: Giovanni Mareggini (flute), Orfeo Manfredi (oboe, English horn), Alberto Delasa (clarinet, bass clarinet), Yoko Morimyo (violin), Hugo Soto Mendoza (double bass), Giorgio Genta (guitar), Francesco Pedrazzini (percussion), Diego Petrella (piano), Marco Angius (conductor), Arunas Zujus (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2022. See https://youtu.be/wIidZ3spsLY for more on this piece
3. [1:42:00] Salvatore Sciarrino: Paesaggi con macerie - 2. Frantumi. From Paesaggi con macerie (as above)
4. [1:53:31] Salvatore Sciarrino: Paesaggi con macerie - 3. Cancellazione. From Paesaggi con macerie (as above)
5. [1:55:03] Outro with Chopin: Mazurka No. 13 in A minor
Photo credits: Yotam Haber via the artist, Salvatore Sciarrino by Bettina Zironi, György Ligeti by H-J Kropp, Bear Proof (Erik Deutsch, Allison Miller, Rob Reich, Todd Sickafoose, Adam Levy, Kirk Knuffke, Jenny Scheinman, Ben Goldberg) by Alex Chaloff, Jakob Grunditz with nyckelharpa by Stefan Lindgren, Steve Lehman via the artist, Missy Mazzoli by Marylene Mey, Miles Okazaki by John Rogers, Five Elements (Kokayi, Steve Coleman, Jonathan Finlayson, Anthony Tidd, Sean Rickman) by Milo Bosh, Ewa Justka via the artist