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Flotation Device salutes the uncommon Americanism of Mel Powell, a student of both Willie “The Lion” Smith and Paul Hindemith who recorded his neoclassical compositions for the Vanguard jazz label before working on Tom and Jerry cartoon scores, building one of the first electronic music studios and winning the Pulitzer Prize as a modernist composer. Powell stands as a quintessential “20th Century American Composer.” We also explore those threads with tape pieces from Luigi Nono and Polish composer Bogusław Schaeffer, a recent remix of the JACK Quartet by bassist/composer Nick Dunston, and an extended work from the Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra, plus an overdue nod to the late Wally Shoup on his birthday month with help from long-time associates Bob Rees, Reuben Radding, Paul Flaherty, Chris Corsano, and Thurston Moore.
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Flotation Device 2026-08-23: Annotated playlist by host John Seman - PART ONE
Intro and SET 1: Mel Powell [0:00]
1. [1:32] Mel Powell: Sonatina for Piano. From Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions (Vanguard, 1954, reissued 2025 by Mosaic) with Mel Powell (piano). NOTE: originally released 1953 on Vanguard 10-inch
2. [12:49] Mel Powell: Bouquet. From Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions (as above) with Mel Powell (piano), Ruby Braff (trumpet), Bobby Donaldson (drums)
3. [17:42] Mel Powell: Filigree Setting for String Quartet. From Music of Mel Powell & Milton Babbitt (Son-Nova, 1961) with Claremont String Quartet: Marc Gottlieb, Vladimir Weisman (violins), William Schoen (viola), Irving Klein (cello). NOTE: composed 1959
4. [23:24] Mel Powell: Events for Tape Recorder. From Music For Electronic & Older Instruments (CRI, 1968) with Lee Bowman, Martha Scott, Mildred Dunnock (voices). NOTE: composed 1963
SET 2: tape [30:12]
[34:37] Bogusław Schaeffer: Project for solo contrabass and tape. From New Music For Contrabass (Finnadar, 1977) with Bertram Turetzky (contrabass), Boguslaw Schäfer (tape). NOTE: composed 1970
[49:29] Luigi Nono: La Fabbrica Illuminata. From La Fabbrica Illuminata (Wergo, 1992) with Carla Henius (soprano), Coro di Milano della RAI, Marino Zuccheri (engineer). NOTE: for voice and tape, composed 1964
[1:06:15] Wally Shoup Trio: Moiling. From Blue Purge (Leo, 2004) with Wally Shoup (sax), Reuben Radding (bass), Bob Rees (drums)
Flotation Device 2026-08-23: Annotated playlist by host John Seman - PART TWO
SET 3: Shoup [1:13:41]
[1:15:34] Thurston Moore, Chris Corsano, Paul Flaherty, Wally Shoup 4tet: Languishing In The Jazz Section. From The Roadhouse Session Vol.1 (Columbia Music Entertainment, 2007) with Thurston Moore (guitar), Chris Corsano (drums), Paul Flaherty, Wally Shoup (saxophones)
[1:32:00] Nick Dunston: Ouroboros. From Colla Voce: Praylewd (Out of Your Head, 2025) with Nick Dunston (remix), The JACK Quartet: Austin Wulliman, Christopher Otto (violins), John Richards (viola), Jay Campbell (cello), Guy Stremberg, Ryan Streber (recording engineers)
[1:46:54] Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns: Bitches Blues. From Bitches Blues (Rune Grammofon, 2026) with Hedvig Mollestad (guitar), Ståle Storløkken (organ, synth), Ole Mofjell (drums), Johnny Skalleberg (recording engineer)
SET 4: Muhal [1:54:20]
[1:56:43] Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: The Heart Is Love and “I Am”. From Rejoicing with the Light (Black Saint, 1983) with Muhal Richard Abrams (piano, conductor), Janette Moody (soprano voice), Warren Smith (percussion, timbales, vibraphone), John Purcell (clarinet, bass clarinet, piccolo, alto saxophone, oboe, flute), Jean-Paul Bourelly (guitar), Vincent Chancey (French Horn), Eugene Ghee (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone), Patience Higgins (clarinet, alto clarinet, baritone saxophone), Marty Ehrlich (clarinet, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute), Craig Harris (trombone), Baikida Carroll (trumpet, flugelhorn), Howard Johnson (tuba, baritone saxophone, contrabass clarinet), Abdul Wadud (cello), Rick Rozie (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums)
Photo credits: Nick Dunston by Zosha Warpeha, Weejuns (Ståle Storløkken, Hedvig Mollestad, Ole Mofjell) via the artists by Eirik Havnes, Mel Powell via Yale University, Luigi Nono and Nuria Schoenberg Nono via Ricordi, Muhal Richard Abrams by Hiroyuki Ito, John Seman and Wally Shoup by Jack Gold.