Flotation Device celebrates Anthony Braxton's Creative Orchestra Music 1976 on its 50th anniversary with an in-depth look at two of its six iconic compositions, both in their original studio versions and in live renditions by Wet Ink Ensemble, Ferry Good Company and Braxton himself. We also pay tribute to the Iranian avant-garde with a sampling of new and recent recordings that show the persistence of free musical thought in that beleaguered nation. Alireza Mashayekhi (the father of Iranian experimental music), Reza Vali, Nasim Khorassani, Arash Yazdani, Anahita Abbasi, Sote and Alireza Amirhajebi are among the featured artists, as are Nima A. Rowshan and Idin Samimi Mofakham who collaborated with Laibach on their epic Alamut project that now seems prophetic. New albums by Kalevi Aho and Marc-André Hamelin round out the proceedings. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell.
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Flotation Device 2026-02-01: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell - PART ONE
Intro and SET 1: Good evening ladies and gentlemen [0:00]
1. [1:53] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 51. From Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (Arista, 1976, reissued 2008 by Mosaic on The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton) with Anthony Braxton, Seldon Powell (alto saxophone), Ron Bridgewater (tenor saxophone), Bruce Johnstone (baritone saxophone), Kenny Wheeler, Cecil Bridgewater, Jon Faddis (trumpet), George Lewis, Garrett List (trombone), Earl McIntyre (bass trombone), Jonathan Dorn (tuba), Muhal Richard Abrams (piano), Dave Holland (bass), Warren Smith (drums), Leo Smith (conductor)
2. [7:06] Marc-André Hamelin: Hexensabbat. From Found Objects (Hyperion, 2025) with Marc-André Hamelin (piano), Oscar Torres (recording engineer)
3. [16:45] Nasim Khorassani: Growth. From Sirventès (New Focus, 2023) with Katherine Bormann (violin), Eliesha Nelson (viola), Brian Thornton (cello), Robert Friedrich (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2017
Flotation Device 2026-02-01: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell - PART TWO
SET 2: New, free and Persian [23:54]
1. [27:48] Alireza Mashayekhi: Short Stories, Op. 106 - 4. From Music for Piano (Mahoor Institute of Culture & Arts, 2015) with Farimah Ghavamsadri (piano). NOTE: Composed 1993
2. [29:09] Ata Ebtekar: Little tales 4point5. From Ornamentalism: Ata Ebtekar and the Iranian Orchestra for New Music performing works of Alireza Mashayekhi (Sub Rosa, 2025) with Farimah Ghavamsadri (piano), Ata Ebtekar AKA Sote (electrocution)
3. [31:12] Anahita Abbasi: Sirventès (excerpt). From Sirventès (as above) with Amahl Arulanandam (cello), Nathan Petitpas (percussion), Robert Friedrich (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2017
4. [32:05] Reza Vali: Sornâ. From Esfahân (Navona, 2024) with Khosrow Soltani (Persian wind instruments), NAT 28 (chimes), Kristian Tchetchko (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2015
5. [36:36] Alireza Mashayekhi: Sokoot No. 4, Op. 154. From Celebration (Hermes, 2005) with Iranian Orchestra For New Music, Hassan Asgari, Hamid Asgari (recording engineers)
6. [44:28] Arash Yazdani: Gā Geriv (excerpts). From Propagation of Uncertainty (Kairos, 2023) with Maria Elonan (four multitracked flutes), Georg Melnitšuk (recording engineer)
7. [50:25] Laibach: Alamut (excerpts). From Alamut (Mute, 2025) with Laibach, Human Voice Ensemble, Gallina Vocal Group, AccordiOna Accordion Orchestra, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Navid Gohari (conductor). NOTE: Composed by Luka Jamnik (Laibach), Nima A. Rowshan and Idin Samimi Mofakham
8. [59:23] Outro with Alireza Amirhajebi: Integre 24
9. [1:02:34] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 58. From Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (as above). Solos: Leo Smith (trumpet), George Lewis (trombone), Anthony Braxton (clarinet), Jon Faddis (piccolo trumpet). Ensemble: Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone, clarinet), Seldon Powell (alto saxophone, flute), Ron Bridgewater (tenor saxophone), Bruce Johnstone (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet), Roscoe Mitchell (bass saxophone), Kenny Wheeler, Cecil Bridgewater (trumpets), Jon Faddis (trumpet, piccolo trumpet), Leo Smith (trumpet, conductor), George Lewis, Garrett List (trombones), Jack Jeffers (bass trombone), Jonathan Dorn (tuba), Dave Holland (bass), Karl Berger (glockenspiel), Warren Smith, Barry Altschul (snare drum), Frederic Rzewski (bass drum), Philip Wilson (marching cymbals). NOTE: "Parade music for marching creative orchestra"
Flotation Device 2026-02-01: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell - PART THREE
SET 3: 50 years ago in the avant-garde [1:09:21]
1. [1:11:15] Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 51. From Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978 (Hat Hut, 1995) with Dwight Andrews, Marty Ehrlich, Vinny Golia, J.D. Parran, Ned Rothenberg (saxophones, clarinets, flutes, piccolo, nagaswaram, ocarina), Rob Howard, Michael Mossman, Wadada Leo Smith, Kenny Wheeler (trumpets, flugelhorn), Ray Anderson, George Lewis, James King Roosa (trombones, tuba), Marilyn Crispell (piano), Birgit Taubhorn (accordion), Bobby Naughton (vibraphone), James Emery (electric guitar), John Lindberg, Brian Smith (basses), Thurman Barker (percussion, marimba), Robert Ostertag (synthesizer), Anthony Braxton (conductor). NOTE: Recorded live May 12, 1978 at Grosser Sendesaal, WDR Köln, West Germany
Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 58. Montage of three recordings:
2. [1:29:22] From Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978 (credits as above)
3. [1:31:22] From Anthony Braxton Portrait Concert (Wet Ink Ensemble, 2016) with Wet Ink Ensemble: Alex Mincek (saxophone), Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon), Peter Evans, Nate Wooley (trumpets), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Dan Peck (tuba), Josh Modney (violin), Greg Chudzik (bass), Eric Wubbels (piano), Ian Antonio (percussion), Jeff Snyder (electronics). NOTE: Recorded live January 20, 2016 at National Sawdust, New York
4. [1:34:25] From Selected Works of Anthony Braxton (Don't Look Back, 2024) with Ferry Good Company: Kristupas Gikas (flutes, tenor saxophone), Kazimieras Jušinskas (baritone, alto, soprano saxophones), Simonas Kaupinis (tuba, trombone), Dominykas Norkūnas (guitar, electric guitar), Gediminas Stepanavičius (double bass, trumpet, live electronics), Domantas Razmus (drums, percussions), Julius Aglinskas (recording engineer)
SET 4: Moonlight for the misbegotten [1:36:09]
1. [1:40:38] Kalevi Aho: Moonlight Concerto (excerpts). From Moonlight Concerto (BIS, 2025) with Hiyoli Togawa (viola), Alexej Gerassimez (percussion), Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Anja Bihlmaier (conductor), Christian Starke (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2020, premiere recording
2. [1:56:39] Outro with Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Alto Flute and Strings
Photo credits: Alireza Amirhajebi by AmirAli Piroozbakhsh, Laibach (Janez Gabrič, Luka Jamnik, Milan Fras, Donna Marina Mårtensson, Jani Novak) via the artists, Alireza Mashayekhi via Toos Foundation, Kalevi Aho by Kuva Rajattu, Marc-André Hamelin by Benjamin Ealovega, Anthony Braxton via Mosaic Records, Creative Orchestra Music 1976 artwork by Frederick J. Brown, Anahita Abbasi by Michael Schell, Nasim Khorassani via the artist, Wet Ink Ensemble (Antonio, Lesser, Pluta, Mincek, Soper, Wubbels, Modney) via the artists, Ata Ebtekar AKA Sote via the artist, Iranian Female Composers Association by Deniz Khateri, Hiyoli Togawa by Anne Hornemann.
Flotation Device features creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, Sunday nights 10pm–Midnight Pacific Time on 91.3 KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma. Visit us online at https://linktr.ee/MichaelSchell