Larry Kart

Looking at/listening to minimalism as that music is commonly regarded, it strikes me as a kind of gated community and/or a club, very much an inside and outside phenomenon. That is, inside and outside in terms of musical practice or effect, even though a minimalist piece might be designed to arouse broad involvement and assent in an audience. Feldman's music -- in practice or in effect -- is not at all like that. Jim's point above about Glass versus Feldman is a good one, I think. Another possible related point of difference is that Glass' and Adams' and Reich's music is often at times overtly dramatic and about things "out there" (e.g. Ghandi, the Holocaust, Palestinians versus Jews,, Nixon visiting China, etc.) and Feldman's is not.

Bought it when it came out how many years ago and have always enjoyed it. A gem all the way around. That 5/4 tune! My memory tells me that this was a really good one.

One of the hallmarks of most if not all minimalism that I'm aware of are its, for those who are susceptible to them, seductively repetitive motoric rhythms. These are not at all to be found in MF's music.

One might say that MF's music is descriptively minimalist in terms of other musics -- that is that there is in it less literal activity and/or fewer "events" than one typically finds in other musics. But MF's "less" is less only in that measuring how much of what sense. To susceptible listeners, and I would assume to MF himself, it is quite full in the experiential sense, nor is its "less" a matter of avoidance on MF's part of what happens in other musics. Above all, perhaps, while MF's music could be said to be descriptively minimalist in that how much of what sense, his making of it is and one's experiencing of it is free of "isms." I think of three stories that MF likes to tell. In one of them Stockhausen asks MF what his secret is. At first MF denies that he has one but then says that if he does have a secret it's that "I don't push around the sounds." To which Stockhausen says, " Not even a little bit?" Second story -- MF's second composition teacher was the wonderful composer Stefan Wolpe. A committed Marxist who came of age in Germany in the 1920s, Wolpe tells MF that his music is too elitest, that he needs to write for "the man in the street." MF looks down from Wolpe's apartment, at the corner of 14th St. and Sixth Ave., sees Jackson Pollock walking along and says, "There's the man in the street, and he likes my music." Third story -- in the early 1950s, after a concert of aggressively experimental works, someone came up to John Cage in the lobby and said, "Don't you think there's enough pain in the world?" To which Cage replied, ""On the contrary I think there's just enough."

MF has said a numbers of times that he sees no connection between his music and minimalism -- historically, sonically, or whatever. I think he's right.

Hope you like it. All I can say for sure is that I much prefer their version of For John Cage to the other two I have and and that I also prefer Fong's version of For Aaron Copland to the other one I've heard. BTW, Fong was a member of the Grand Rapids orchestra. Yesterday a copy of Feldman's Violin and Orchestra arrived. What an opulent work at times, at leasts by MF's standards. This thought probably would have driven him crazy, but I was reminded a bit of the opening movement, "Nacht," of Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony.

Any fans out there? I've been one since high school when I encountered Columbia's Feldman LP with liner notes by Frank O'Hara. I'm curious at the moment about recordings of Feldman's "for John Cage" (for piano and violin). Over time I've acquired three of this 1982 work -- one by Christina Fong and Paul Hersey in a 2-CD collection on the obscure Ogre/Ogress label of all Feldman's chamber music for violin, viola and piano, one with Eric Carlson and Alec Karis on Bridge, and a third with the late Paul Zukofsky and Marianne Schroeder on CP2. Going by names/reputations, one of the latter two would seem to be the choice, but I much prefer the uncannily intimate Fong/Hersey version -- it seems to progress on a series of continuous underlying breaths, and the seemingly incalcuably varied in timing pauses between piano and violin are full of rhythmic meaning -- geez, at times it almost swings! Carlson and Karis, by contrast are recorded rather close up, and phrasing is rather abrupt and segmented at times, while Zukoksky and Schroeder are somewhere in between. FWIW Fong/Hersey runs 66 minutes, Carlson/Karis 71:46, and Zukofsky/Schroeder 77:10. I'll add that Fong's performance of Feldman's "For Aaron Copland" (1981) is a gem and reveals that the hushed somewhat grainy tone she brings to "For John Cage" (this I find ideal for the work) is not the only string in her bow, so to speak. On "For Aaron Copland" her approach is warmer, more songful, and at times it even has a slight Hebraic throb.

I believe that's Porter Kilbert, not Gilbert.

The Cage performance is magical. The Cage performance is magical.

The tune titles suggest that this one is on the cheesy side but Keating's ""Swinging Scots" (Dot) is a gem. it can be found on CD on a baritone saxophonist Ronnie Ross compilation. 9Fot)

Among, per Allen's post, the many errors in that Monk piece in the Baffler, the person in the anecdote therein about Monk and Alfred Lion meeting for the first time is not editor Robert Gottlieb but photographer-writer William Gottlieb. At the time that meeting is supposed to have taken place, Robert Gottlieb would have been in kneepants.

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Not anymore, but when I was a junior in high school I listened obsessively for some weeks (maybe even longer) to Gil Evans' then recent album "New Bottles, Old Wine," in particular to Gil's hypnotic setting of Fats Waller's "Willow Tree."

'"puck-puck-paw"

Carl Saunders From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search This article is about the musician. For the former football (soccer) player, see Carl Saunders (footballer). Carl Saunders (born August 2, 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator who has performed with such luminaries as Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Bill Holman, Clare Fischer, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, and Paul Anka. Contents 1Career 2Discography 3References 4External links Career[edit] Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Saunder's first five years performing were mostly spent on the road. His uncle was trumpeter Bobby Sherwood, who was led the popular Sherwood Orchestra that had hits such as "Elks Parade" and "Sherwood's Forest." Saunders's mother Gail (Bobby's sister) sang for the Sherwood Orchestra and Stan Kenton. When Saunders was five, he and his mother settled in Los Angeles, living with his aunt Caroline and her husband, saxophonist Dave Pell. Saunders heard records by the Dave Pell Octet and was influenced by the style and phrasing of trumpeter Don Fagerquist.[1][2] Saunders began playing trumpet in the seventh grade and discovered that he had a natural ability, learning to play by ear without ever having lessons. He played in school bands, and after graduating from high school got a job with Stan Kenton's Orchestra. He auditioned for Kenton's band and was given a choice: wait for the first opening in the trumpet section or join the band the following week as a member of the mellophonium section. He chose the latter and spent much of 1961–62 on the road with Kenton. Saunders has said about the experience with the mellophonium band, "I was developing perfect pitch from playing the trumpet. However, once I joined Kenton to play the mellophone, my whole system got mixed up because the trumpet is in Bb and the mellophonium is in F, so needless to say my confidence in perfect pitch was shaken and I ended up with relative pitch."[3] After spending part of 1962 and 1963 traveling and playing drums with Bobby Sherwood's group, Saunders settled in Las Vegas where, over the next twenty years, he played lead trumpet while performing with Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra. He traveled as a lead player with Paul Anka and Robert Goulet and worked with Si Zentner, Harry James, Maynard Ferguson, Benny Goodman, and Charlie Barnet. In 1984, Saunders moved to Los Angeles where he was soon playing lead trumpet with Bill Holman's Orchestra. He has also worked with Supersax, the big bands of Bob Florence and Gerald Wilson, and the Phil Norman Tentet. In 1994, he became a member of the Dave Pell Octet (in Don Fagerquist's old chair). In addition, he is often heard at the head of his own groups. Discography[edit] 1995 Out of the Blue 2000 Eclecticism 2002 Be Bop Big Band 2003 Salute to Chet Baker 2004 The Carl Saunders Sextet: Live in Union Square 2004 Plays Henry Mancini 2005 Can You Dig Being Dug? 2007 The Lost Bill Holman Charts 2014 America 2020 Jazz Trumpet Carl Saunders Born August 2, 1942 (age 80) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. Genres Jazz Instrument(s) Trumpet Relatives Bobby Sherwood (uncle) Dave Pell (uncle)

Scrolling through Organissimo posts last night I ran across a long thread from several years back about what younger tenormen we liked. Opinions were volleyed back and forth; then eventually there was a post, which I’d never seen before, from Ned Goold asking me to get in touch with him at his web address. This I had no desire to do, feeling pretty sure that he knew I didn’t care for his playing and thinking that he wanted to admonish me/set me straight or some such. But I idly Googled his name to see if could find out who the sidemen were on one of the two Goold CDs I have, the one with the title song from “Guys and Dolls.” And lo and behold I found running on my computer screen a very explicit Asian porn video. Yikes!!!

Eleven septet arrangements from 1977, unheard until this was recorded 20 years later. Topnotch Holman writing, even more linear and transparent than usual thanks to the septet format. Highlights Include the almost impossibly extended solo lines from Saunders, and the Fontana-like work of trombonist Andy Martin. My only quibble is with the "chicken tenor" solos of Pete Christlieb, but some people like that.

Max Beerbohm "Zuleika Dobson"

Bueno Rollo means "good vibes." I forgot to mention that the album also includes a fine version of "Strayhorn's ""Something To Live For."

Vividly recorded in Barcelona way back in 1998, with pianist Fabio Miana, bassist Chris Higgins, and drummer Marc Miralta, this is a gem that ought not to be forgotten. Stewart is in very fresh form, the rhythm section is ideal (this was a working group) and the program includes Mingus' "Dizzy Moods," Monk's "Pannonica", Freddie Redd's "O.D." and a nutty Stewart original "Scotch Thing."

Frank Morgan! A "bitcher and whiner" in the top class. I posted before about the time he time he berated the house rhythm section (Willie Pickens, Larry Grey, Wilbur Campbell) at the Jazz Showcase after the first set of the first night for no good reason at all, after which Willie, who grew up with Frank in Milwaukee, said that that's the way he always was -- adding that he thought it was because Frank had a deep fear of failure because his father had been very hard on him as a boy. BTW, Wilbur was far from happy to be spoken to that way.

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I did an interview with Weston and Jo Stafford. Two lovely people. We talked a good deal about Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Weston's easy listening albums are beyond tasty.

"Intricate ... a lot beyond the surface" --you can say that again. And yet everything sounds quite organic and unique to Madna, though my friend composer-arranger Bill Kirchner, who pointed me to Madna, detects a strong Thad Jones influence. Thad in fact tried to hire Madna to write for him but Madna had to decline because of teaching obligations. I hear some Thad in terms of intricacy, but Madna's writing doesn't sound like Thad's to me. BTW a word should be said for the Dutch Jazz Orchestra. They have their own deep warm sound and play beautifully. Fine soloists too, Povel and tenorman Ton Roos among them.