Our 50 years ago in the avant-garde feature gets a workout in this podcast with landmarks by Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, Derek Bailey, Luciano Berio and John Tavener, all unveiled during the same week in 1974. Alongside these superstars are new items by Steph Richards (trumpeter and bandleader), Daron Hagen (writing for a mix of Western and Japanese instruments), Brian Inglis (embracing the recorder as a vehicle for modern music), and Horse Lords (purveyors of microtonal, minimalist-inflected avant-rock). We give Paul Sperry a fond farewell with a survey of favorite recordings by this most unstereotypical of American tenors. A George Walker piano miniature in its premiere recording plus a John Luther Adams memento recorded by bassist Robert Black just before his death round out the playlist. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, originally aired June 30, 2024.
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Flotation Device 2024-06-30: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Live in Seattle [0:00]
1. [1:11] Horse Lords: May Brigade. From As It Happened: Horse Lords Live (RVNG, 2024) with Andrew Bernstein (saxophone, percussion), Owen Gardner (guitar), Max Eilbacher (bass, computer), Sam Haberman (drums), James Spankie (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live November 16, 2022 at Moth Club, London
2. [6:12] Horse Lords: Bending to the Lash. From As It Happened: Horse Lords Live (credits as above). Recorded live May 20, 2018 at Moers Festival, Moers, Germany
3. [13:57] Cecil Taylor: After All. From Silent Tongues (Arista, 1975) with Cecil Taylor (piano). NOTE: Recorded live July 2, 1974 at Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
4. [23:29] Horse Lords: Fanfare for Effective Freedom. From The Common Task (Northern Spy, 2020) with Andrew Bernstein (saxophone, percussion), Max Eilbacher (bass, electronics), Owen Gardner (guitar), Sam Haberman (drums)
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SET 2: Paul Sperry 1934–2024 [31:04]
1. [32:45] Cecil Taylor: After All No. 2. From Silent Tongues (as above)
2. [35:18] Hans Werner Henze: Voices - 4. The electric cop (Victor Hernandez Cruz). From Voices (Decca, 1978) with Paul Sperry (tenor), London Sinfonietta, Hans Werner Henze (conductor)
3. [38:37] Anthony Braxton, Derek Bailey: The First Set (excerpts). From First Duo Concert (Emanem, 1974) with Anthony Braxton (soprano saxophone, contrabass clarinet, flute), Derek Bailey (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Martin Davidson (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live June 30, 1974 at Wigmore Hall, London
4. [44:37] Charles Ives: The Cage. From The Complete Songs of Charles Ives, Vol. III (Albany, 1992) with Paul Sperry (tenor), Irma Vallecillo (piano), Judith Sherman (recording engineer)
5. [45:22] Anthony Braxton, Derek Bailey: The Second Set (excerpt). From First Duo Concert (Emanem, 1974) with Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone, clarinet), Derek Bailey (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Martin Davidson (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live June 30, 1974 at Wigmore Hall, London
6. [50:41] Bruno Maderna: Satyricon - Trimalchio ed il monumento. From Satyricon (Salabert, 1992 reissued by Naïve) with Paul Sperry (tenor), Divertimento Ensemble Milano, Sandro Gorli (conductor). NOTE: Premiered March 16, 1973 at Holland Festival by William Neil, Debria Brown, Paul Sperry, Radio Kamerorkest de Hilversum, Bruno Maderna (conductor)
7. Outro [56:36]
8. [59:44] Daron Hagen: Misterioso - 1. Kogō and Takafusa, 2. Kogō Alone, 3. Kogō and Nakakuni. From Heike Quinto (Naxos, 2024) with Duo Yumeno: Yoko Reikano Kimura (voice, koto), Hikaru Tamaki (voice, cello), Takehiko Kaneso (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2017
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SET 3: New and noteworthy [1:11:15]
1. [1:12:46] Steph Richards: Prey. From Power Vibe (Northern Spy, 2024) with Steph Richards (flugelhorn), Joshua White (piano), Stomu Takeishi (bass and electric bass guitars), Gerald Cleaver (drumset), Max Jaffe (sensory electronics), Andrew Munsey (recording engineer)
2. [1:17:15] Brian Andrew Inglis: Études de concert - 4. Tema con trasformazioni. From To Byzantium and Beyond (Kairos, 2024) with Elizabeth Knatt (recorder), David Clements (recording engineer)
3. [1:22:29] George Walker: Bauble. From Complete Piano Works • 1 (Naxos, 2024) with Alexandre Dossin (piano), Jack Gabel (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1979. Premiere recording
4. [1:25:28] John Luther Adams: Three High Places - 1. Above Sunset Pass. From Darkness and Scattered Light (Cold Blue, 2023) with Robert Black (double bass), Greg DiCrosta (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2007
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SET 4: From A to Z or whatever… [1:30:50]
1. [1:34:31] Luciano Berio: A-Ronne (excerpts). From Stories (Harmonia Mundi, 2011) with Theatre of Voices: Miriam Andersén, Randi Pontoppidan, Chris Watson, Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Paul Hillier (artistic director), Brad Michel (recording engineer). NOTE: Premiered June 30, 1974 as a fixed-media piece on KRO Radio, Netherlands. Subsequently arranged for live voices. Text by Edoardo Sanguineti
2. [1:53:05] Outro with John Tavener: Ultimos Ritos
Photo credits: Steph Richards by Chris Weiss, Duo Yumeno (Hikaru Tamaki and Yoko Reikano Kimura) by Kasia Idzkowska, Paul Sperry via the artist, George Walker by Frank Schramm, Cecil Taylor by Peter Yates, Luciano Berio and Bruno Maderna by Gisela Bauknecht, Anthony Braxton and Derek Bailey by Valerie Wilmer, Elizabeth Knatt by the artist, Horse Lords (Max Eilbacher, Owen Gardner, Sam Haberman, Andrew Bernstein) via the artists