#mode records

[garadinervi]

John Cage, Etudes Boreales (1978) – Ryoanji (1983), (two 12" vinyl records), mode 1-2, Mode Records, 1985 [midcenturyclassical. Cover Art: John Cage. © John Cage Trust, Red Hook, NY]

[acehotel]

Untouchable Numbers

"I have nothing to say and I am saying it and that is poetry as I need it" — John Cage

What does the turning of an age sound like? Is it possible that we might compose music for the instruments of ephemera in order to write a symphony? If so, please write the parts for the following sections of the orchestra: the wearing away of stone by water section, the rotations and revolutions of the earth section, the evaporation of water into weather section, the by and by's of infinite breath section,  and the caloric metamorphosis of food into energy in the body of a panther section. Now listen to the beautiful music made.

John Cage, the radical composer and visionary, opened the door to the thought that sound and silence could be music, and art and music have never been the same. September 5, 2017 is Cage's 105th birthday, and to commemorate and honor the profound sonic philosopher, Ace Hotel New York and The John Cage Trust present Untouchable Numbers, a 24-hour listening party curated by Mode Records. Beginning at midnight on 9/5, all Ace Hotels on this green earth will broadcast Cage's sounds and silences throughout lobbies and public spaces for all 24 hours of the day. The event is free and open to the public. The act of listening can be a celebration.

[redshift-13]

Music critic Alex Ross calls Mode Records “indispensable.”

Their news section hasn’t been updated since 2011.  Still, I’m finding a lot here I haven’t heard of before.

[bandcampotheque]

(via https://open.spotify.com/album/1byvTxSjuprB5W0ESq5YnV?si=z9Tjopm3QnOPSPGAAXWvfQ)

[bandcampotheque]

Duos impro violoncelle + guitare/bouzouki

[burlveneer-music]

Avant 17: Eric Mingus: Langston Hughes - The Dream Keeper (Mode Records)

Eric Mingus, voice David Amram, piano Larry Simon, guitar, music director

with Groove Bacteria: Don Davis, alto saxes, clarinets Catherine Sikora, soprano sax Cynthia Chatis, Native American flute, flute Scip Gallant, Hammond organ Chris Stambaugh, bass Mike Barron, drums Shawn Russell, percussion Frank Laurino, percussion

Langston Hughes (1902–67) was an American poet, novelist, social activist and playwright whose work showcased the dignity and beauty in ordinary black life. His African-American themes made him a primary contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. The hours he spent in Harlem clubs affected his work, making him one of the innovators of “Jazz/Poetry.” Hughes’ poetry is still powerful, relevant and contemporary today. The Langston Hughes Project came from jazz guitarist Larry Simon, who is the founder of JazzMouth, a unique festival in Portsmouth, New Hampshire that combines jazz and spontaneous music with readings by some of the finest poets.

Half of the poems are duos with Mingus and Amram. The instrumentally varied balance of the album are Mingus duos with electric guitar or Hammond organ; with woodwinds and percussion or with larger ensembles.

Hughes’ texts are brought to life by the rich, soulful delivery of Eric Mingus — son of Charles Mingus. For some years he worked as a session musician and backing singer, playing on dates with artists such as Carla Bley, Bobby McFerrin and Karen Mantler. He has also performed with the Mingus Big Band, Elliott Sharp’s Terraplane, Todd Rundgren, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Catherine Sikora and Levon Helm, and a featured performer in many of Hal Willner’s projects.

Simon also brought David Amram — composer, conductor, multi-instrumentalist, and author — to the project. As a classical composer and performer, his integration of jazz, folk and world music led him to work with Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Willie Nelson, Charles Mingus, Levon Helm and Betty Carter. Amram has composed more than 100 orchestral and chamber music works, and written many scores for Broadway theater and film, including the classic scores for the films Splendor in The Grass and The Manchurian Candidate. Amram collaborated with Hughes on his cantata Let us Remember, premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 1965. Importantly, Amram gave the first ever public jazz/poetry readings in NYC in 1957-58 with Jack Kerouac, the spontaneous creation of words and music which came to be known as “jazz/poetry.”

[thejazzspot]

Frank Rosolino Quintet – Frank Rosolino Quintet (1957, Mode Records ModLP107) – 1985, VSOP #16, USA

Despite his career have had a premature ending, Frank Rosalino was considered one of the greatest trombonists of his time, giving to Jazz his personality and the difficult to achieve technique.

Born and educated in Detroit but his activity as a musician would stand out in Los Angeles where he recorded and performed with some of the most prominent names of the American music scene as Tonny Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Quincy Jones, Shelly Manne and Michel Legrand, among many others. In the 70s, he joined the popular tribute band to Charlie Parker, Supersax which won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Group in 1974. His popularity earned him some participations in film and television programs, as a guest (Tonight Show) or as a permanent member (The Steve Allen Show).

Frank Rosolino was also a talented singer, with his own style of "scat -singing" that many used to call "wild". In his album "Turn Me Loose" we can simultaneously enjoy his great vocal and trombone skills. Of his work as co-leader, I would also highlight "Just Friends" (that I shall certainly bring for review) where Rosolino splits the main role with the trumpetist Conte Candoli.

This album that I bring you here, dates back to a 1957 session where Rosolino is accompanied by various musicians of his generation, as is the case of Vince Guaraldi (piano), Richie Kamuca (tenor saxophone), Monty Budwig (bass) and Stan Levey (drums).

In addition to the excellent attributes as trombonist, Rosolino gives wings to his talent as composer through three tracks of his own. Of the remaining titles, I'd like to underline the standard written by the brothers George and Ira Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?"

This is a work full of harmony, with an excellent performance of all musicians . Apart from rhythmic robustness that characterizes it, the fantastic Rosolino trombone solos (which sometimes can be confused with the rhythm section) are complemented by the smoother tone of Richie Kamuca's tenor saxophone.

One critic wrote about this album: "This is music with genuine emotional heft and intellectual edge" and I fully corroborate this comment. Without being too complex, it emerges the harmony and genuine way as the musicians interact over the eight songs.

Unfortunately, the art world became poorer when on November 26, 1978, received the news that Frank Rosolino had committed suicide after murdering his two sons. After 35 years, this absolutely horrendous and incomprehensible act continues to intrigue and cause great perplexity to all who followed the career of this music genius.

I do not know where Frank Rosolino would have gotten if he had not interrupted his life at the age of 52, but several critics and friends believed he would have gone further, improving his technique to an higher level. We must content ourselves with the works he left us, as leader or as sideman, to attest and enjoy his artistic quality .

See you soon Mister W

(Versão Portuguesa)

Apesar da sua carreira ter tido um desfecho prematuro, Frank Rosalino foi considerado um dos maiores trombonistas da sua época, conferindo ao Jazz a sua personalidade e uma técnica difícil de alcançar.

Nasceu e estudou em Detroit, mas a sua actividade como músico viria a destacar-se em Los Angeles onde gravou e tocou com alguns dos nomes mais prominentes do panorama músical norte-americano, como Tonny Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Quincy Jones, Shelly Manne e Michel Legrand, entre muitos outros. Nos anos 70, integrou a popular banda tributo a Charlie Parker, Supersax, que venceu o Grammy Award para melhor performance de Jazz por um grupo, em 1974. A sua popularidade valeu-lhe ainda algumas participações no cinema e em programas de televisão, como convidado (Tonight Show) ou como membro permanente (The Steve Allen Show).

Frank Rosolino era igualmente um talentoso vocalista, tendo-se evidenciado com um estilo próprio de "scat-singing" que muitos apelidavam de selvagem. No seu àlbum "Turn Me Loose" podemos apreciar simultaneamente os seus dotes vocais e no trombone. Nos trabalhos como co-leader, gostaria ainda de destacar “Just Friends” (que terei todo o gosto de abordar numa crónica futura) em que Rosolino divide o protagonismo com o tromeptista Conte Candoli.

Este álbum que aqui vos trago, remonta a uma sessão de 1957, onde Rosolino se faz acompanhar por vários músicos da sua geração, como é o caso de Vince Guaraldi (piano), Richie Kamuca (saxofone tenor), Monty Budwig (baixo) e Stan Levey (bateria).

Para além dos excelentes atributos como trombonista, Rosolino dá largas aos seus dotes de compositor, através de três temas da sua autoria. Dos restantes temas, sobressai o standard escrito pelos irmãos George e Ira Gershwin "How Long Has This Been Going On?"

Este é um trabalho pleno de harmonia, com um excelente desempenho de todos os músicos. Para além da robustez rítmica que o caracteriza, os fantásticos solos de trombone de Rosolino (que por vezes se confundem com a secção rítmica) são complementados pelo registo mais ligeiro do saxofone tenor de Richie Kamuca.

Um crítico escreveu acerca deste disco: "This is music with genuine emotional heft and intellectual edge" e eu corroboro em pleno este comentário, pois sem ser um trabalho demasiado complexo, sobressai do mesmo a harmonia e a forma genuína como os músicos interagem ao longo dos oito temas.

Infelizmente, o mundo das artes ficou mais pobre, quando no dia 26 Novembro de 1978, recebeu a noticia de que Frank Rosolino tinha cometido suicídio depois de assassinar os seus dois filhos. Decorridos 35 anos, este acto horrendo e absolutamente incompreensível, continua a intrigar e a causar grande perplexidade a todos quantos seguiam a carreira do genial músico.

Não se sabe onde teria chegado Frank Rosolino se não tivesse interrompido a sua vida com 52 anos, mas são vários os críticos e amigos que consideram que teria subido a fasquia para um nível superior ao que já possuia. Restam-nos as obras que nos deixou, como leader ou como sideman, para atestarmos e desfrutarmos da sua qualidade artística.

Até breve

Mister W

[signalensemble]

Jerry on Ensemble Signal's Helmut Lachenmann DVD

 Listening to Helmut Lachenmann’s music in a live concert versus on a recording presents two different musical experiences. Listening to a recording, one is subsumed by the unique sound world that Lachenmann creates through the extended techniques utilized by the musicians. One is not aware of how the sounds are created but focuses on the ethereal, other worldly sounds. In watching a concert, one is drawn by not only the aural aspect, but also the visual aspect of performers playing their instruments in unusual ways to create the Lachenmann sound world.            Confronting a score such as Helmut Lachenmann’s „…zwei Gefühle...“ can present a daunting task for any musician.  It demands a great deal more time of the conductor than something by most other composers. Not only does the conductor have to become extremely familiar with Lachenmann’s highly specific notation, he must also take the time to truly understand the intended sound dictated by the notation. Of course this is true of any piece, but in the case of Lachenmann you are working with a higher specificity of sounds than most musicians are accustomed. With Lachenmann, it is more than a simple scratch-tone or bowing behind the bridge. The techniques called for explore the previously unknown beauty of the chosen instruments. As a young conductor, I would find it difficult to know an exact corollary between the notation in the score and the specific sound demanded by this exacting composer. Recordings give an idea of the sound, but give no insight into how the sound is created. This DVD from Signal Ensemble gives a detailed, authoritative presentation of the extended techniques through a filmed performance of „…zwei Gefühle…” The detailed camera work focuses on the performers as they are creating the sounds that come from techniques such as bowing the bridge, bowing behind the bridge, blowing into brass instruments to amplify the blowing sound, and playing into a piano to obtain certain harmonics. In watching the performance, one can see the techniques used to create the sounds that come from Lachenmann’s notation. Though there are words that describe the desired sound in the score, it presents the limitation of using words to describe sound. In addition, having Lachenmann himself as the narrator gives a clear view of how the composer wished this part to be performed. A bonus to this DVD is a brief interview with Lachenmann. In listening to the composer speak about music, one begins to gain a better understanding of how he came about to creating his special sound world. -Jerry Hou