bend of bay » music

Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider

apc — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:03:02 +0000

Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday

apc — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:34:40 +0000

Charlie Parker & Dizzie Gillespie

apc — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:57:37 +0000

Screwed Up People Make Great Art

apc — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:13:22 +0000

From Striking 12, GrooveLily’s musical take on New Year’s Eve and The Little Match Girl.

Laurie Anderson – Sharkey’s Day (1984)

apc — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:04:17 +0000

John Cale – Paris 1919

apc — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:10:53 +0000

John Zorn – Speedfreaks

apc — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:10:18 +0000

Glass / Wilson – Einstein on the Beach

apc — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:36:59 +0000

Good short introduction to the opera, with highlights. From the DVD, Absolute Wilson.

Candy Says

apc — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:30:01 +0000

In 2007, Lou Reed performed his 1973 album Berlin at St. Ann’s in Brooklyn. One of the encores was this stunning rendition of the Velvet Underground’s Candy Says, featuring Antony.

Compare to the orignal:

Talking Heads – Psycho Killer Evolves

apc — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:56:48 +0000

From a show at CBGB in 1975. A pure version.

From Wembly Arena, 1982.

March is Cornelius Cardew Month

apc — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:56:36 +0000

Cornelius Cardew is making a small resurgence. Richard Gott has contributed this lengthy review-essay in the the March 12, 2009 issue of The London Review of Books. The essay provides a very good summary of Cardew’s life and work, from his early improvisational works, through the Scratch Orchestra and on to his rather sad, late, Maoist period. Cardew lived a rich and influential life, which, after reading Gott’s piece you can explore more fully in John Tilbury’s biography, Cornelius Cardew: A Life Unfinished. Then listen to mode records new release of The QUaX Ensemble’s 1967 Prague performance of Treatiseto round out your Cardew experience.

John Cale – I’ve Got A Secret (Vexations)

apc — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 04:09:59 +0000

John Cale was a guest on the game show, I’ve Got A Secret, in 1963. This predates the foundation of the The Velvet Underground by a couple of years. Cale’s secret was his participation in the first full length performance of Eric Satie’s Vexations on September 9, 1963. Appearing with Cale on the program was the only person who remained for the entire 18 hour, 40 minute show.

John Cage organized this concert and mentioned it in a number of interviews. Also appearing were David Tudor and others.

The clip includes Cale playing the three lines comprising the basis of Vexations

Stockhausen – Helicopter String Quartet

apc — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:11:45 +0000

John Cage – Notations

apc — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:28:58 +0000

John Cage’s 1969 collection of musical manuscripts, Notations, is now available as a pdf file from ubuweb. Download.

Cage’s preface:

Notations - Preface by John Cage

Wall With Fingers (An Opera in Two Acts)

apc — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:18:54 +0000

(Libretto For An Opera In Two Acts)

Cast: Messenger, Yanxu, Guocheng, Mother, The Official, workmen, fieldworkers, police and other officials

Act I

Scene I - March. Yanxu in the fields.

Trouble back home. Yanxu leaves the fields, arrives home. Police block the door.

Scene II – Yanxu’s House

Guocheng breaks one of the bars of his cage, crawls out, beats his mother with the bar, killing her. He returns to the cage.

Act II

Scene I – A Room in Yanxu’s house.

Officials repair the cage and lock Guocheng inside.

Scene II – Outside Yanxu’s house.

The Official confirms Guocheng returned to the cage on his own.