Ches Smith's Clone Row quartet provides an opportunity to ponder what Schoenberg might have sounded like as a rock-n-roller, while Frederic Rzewski takes us on a road trip, Henry Threadgill writes for six acoustic guitars (and two pianos), and the Signum Quartet surveys the state of South African string quartet music. Zeena Parkins plays duets with William Winant, and our "50 years ago in the avant garde" feature looks back at gems by François Bayle, Maurice Ohana and the Roscoe Mitchell Quartet all unveiled in October 1975. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, originally broadcast October 5 on 91.3 KBCS Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma.
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Tracklist
Playing tracks by Ches Smith, François Bayle, Henry Threadgill, Zeena Parkins, Frederic Rzewski and more.
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Flotation Device 2025-10-05: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Clone Row at Earshot Jazz [0:00]
1. [1:57] Ches Smith: Clone Row. From Clone Row (Otherly Love, 2025) with Liberty Ellman (guitar L channel), Mary Halvorson (guitar R channel), Nick Dunston (bass, electronics), Ches Smith (drums, vibes, electronics), Ben Greenberg (recording engineer, Applehead Studios)
2. [9:02] Ches Smith: Clear Major. 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)
3. [24:22] Mary Halvorson on playing alongside Liberty Ellman on Clone Row
4. [25:46] Ches Smith: Heart Breakthrough. From Clone Row (Otherly Love, 2025) with Liberty Ellman (guitar L channel), Mary Halvorson (guitar R channel), Nick Dunston (bass, electronics), Ches Smith (drums, vibes, electronics), Ben Greenberg (recording engineer, Applehead Studios)
SET 2: Back on the road [28:31]
1. [32:29] François Bayle: Vibrations composées - Deuxième série: petite polyphonie. From 50 ans d'acousmatique (INA-GRM, 2012). NOTE: Realized 1973, premiered October 7, 1975 at the Grand Amphithéâtre de la Sorbonne, Paris
2. [33:52] Henry Threadgill: Listen Ship F. From Listen Ship (Pi, 2025) with Brandon Ross (acoustic soprano guitar), Bill Frisell, Gregg Belisle-Chi, Miles Okazaki (acoustic guitars), Jerome Harris, Stomu Takeishi (acoustic bass guitars), Maya Keren, Rahul Carlberg (pianos), Henry Threadgill (conductor), Akihiro Nishimura (recording engineer, Power Station)
3. [35:54] Zeena Parkins: Pink Cup by Day. From Modesty of the Magic Thing (Tzadik, 2025) with Zeena Parkins (acoustic harp, wooden bows, microphone tracer), William Winant (Lou Harrison just-tuned tenor bells, Leon Schneiderman microtonal bells, 3 Japanese temple bells, D4 almglocken, small tam-tam, large tam-tam, suspended cymbal)
4. [41:50] Frederic Rzewski: The Road - Part 2: Tracks (excerpts). From The Road (Passacaille, 2025) with Daan Vandewalle (piano), Yannick Willox (recording engineer, Acoustic Recording Service). NOTE: Composed 1995–2003. First complete recording
5. [57:49] Outro with 900 Miles (Barbara Dane)
6. [1:01:29] Robert Fokkens: Glimpses of a half-forgotten future (excerpts). From A Dark Flaring: Works for String Quartet from South Africa (ECM, 2025). Signum Quartett: Florian Donderer, Annette Walther (violins), Xandi van Dijk (viola), Thomas Schmitz (violoncello), Christoph Franke (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2012
SET 3: 50 years ago in the avant-garde [1:08:58]
1. [1:10:43] François Bayle: Vibrations composées - Première série: rosace 1, respiration; Deuxième série: polyrythmie. From 50 ans d'acousmatique (credits as above)
2. [1:17:29] Roscoe Mitchell: Dastura, Tnoona, Cards (excerpts). From Live at "A Space" (Sackville, 1976, reissued 2013 with additional tracks) with Roscoe Mitchell Quartet: Roscoe Mitchell (soprano, alto and tenor saxophone), George Lewis (trombone), Spencer Barefield (guitar), Muhal Richard Abrams (piano), Dan Allen (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live October 4–5, 1975 at "A Space", Toronto
3. [1:25:21] Roscoe Mitchell: Nonaah. From Live at "A Space" (credits as above)
SET 4: The Rite of Autumn [1:27:45]
1. [1:31:45] Henry Threadgill: Listen Ship H. From Listen Ship (credits as above)
2. [1:38:07] Maurice Ohana: T'Hâran-Ngô. From Concerto pour violoncelle, T'Harân-Ngô, Concerto pour piano (Timpani, 1997) with Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Arturo Tamayo (conductor), Emmanuelle Bailliet (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1974, premiered October 8, 1975, Radio France, Paris
3. [1:55:24] Outro with Maurice Ohana: Signes
Photo credits: Zeena Parkins by Andy Newcombe, Henry Threadgill via Pi Recordings, Clone Row (Ches Smith, Nick Dunston, Mary Halvorson, Liberty Ellman) by Bianca Zwerlein, Robert Fokkens via Music Theatre Wales, Maurice Ohana by Dominique Souse, Interpret It Well (Craig Taborn, Mat Maneri, Ches Smith, Bill Frisell) by Bianca Claircidor, François Bayle creating Vibrations composes, William Winant by Dennis Letbetter, Frederic Rzewski by Michael Wilson.