Back in the saddle

Apologies for the lack of activity around here lately. I've been quite busy with a number of projects, musical and scholarly, and there's been such great posts and reading amongst other blogs recently that I've been left with little left to say and plenty left to read. Throw in a little bout with some seasonal allergies and Soundslope's been left by the wayside.

Along with some fantastic reading, I've been taking the time to really listen to some music, as a primary active pursuit of sitting, absorbing, and reflecting. Most people understand that there is a difference between hearing and listening; hearing implies basic acknowledgment of auditory input, while listening connotes an active processing of the information encoded in that auditory signal. That there are degrees of listening is plainly obvious to anyone who has been ignored while speaking, or to any person who has tried to deeply listen to music or to another human being with a receptivity and stillness of mind that allows deep listening to occur. Thus, the degree of listening is more involved with the state of the mind of the listener than with the physical mechanisms of the ears, and one’s own disposition and mental framework determines the depth and extent to which one listens.  Listening intently is largely a matter of where attention is placed, and how well the individual is able to maintain that attention in a focused manner, allowing them to receive without distraction or mental interruption. In that spirit I've been trying to deepen my own listening practices, with improvised music as my source of study and inspiration.

I received a recording of the Art Ensemble of Chicago live in 1977in Germany with Fred Anderson sitting in. It's rare to hear Fred Anderson playing any music other than his own - his tone and style is so singular, and he really embodies the AACM ethos of playing original music. So its fun to hear Fred sit in with the venerable AEOC, his tone instantly identifiable amongst Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman's formidable contributions.

The only other recording I have of Fred playing someone else's music is a trio recording of him with Charlie Haden and Hamid Drake. I'm one of only two people who have the recording, as the person who gave it to me has the original tapes and isn't spreading it in hopes of it eventually finding its way to an official release. In any case, with Charlie's presence, Fred actually plays some Ornette tunes, which is really a treat, since Ornette and Ed Blackwell had such an influence on both Fred and Hamid Drake's playing.

Fred's such an interesting player amongst the so-called "avant-garde" because he doesn't do any overblowing or extended technique on his horn. He seems to draw from an endless well of musical ideas and flow, with the rhythmic element really playing a huge role in his approach and his sound. He has such a strong, powerful tone on his tenor, and I've read in an interview that he credits it to the fact that he used to practice outside in the park a lot, so he got used to projecting. It's even more amazing when you realize that Fred plays all hunched over - it's amazing that his diaphragm can still produce such a huge sound.

The AEOC show is a typical tour-de-force of musical exploration. Moye's drumming never fails to amaze me, and listening to the recording makes me wish Lester Bowie had collaborated with Fred Anderson in a more developed capacity during his all too brief life.

Other new listening has included a Charles Brackeen Quartet Silkheart recording from 1987 called Worshippers Come Nigh, featuring Mr. Brackeen on tenor, Olu Dara, on cornet, Fred Hopkins on bass, Andrew Cyrille on drums and percussion, and Dennis Gonzalez on "pao de chuva" on one track. It's already up on Behearer so I'll be adding some commentary there once I dig in a little bit further. Seeing this recording also makes me want to pick up this Dennis Gonzalez record.

I've also been delving back into the work of the overlooked Japanese-american pianist Glenn Horiuchi. My friend Tatsu Aoki first hipped me to Horiuchi and I've been hooked ever since. Horiuchi had an all too brief career, dying of cancer in 2000 at the age of 45. He was a good friend of Wadada Leo Smith's, who has a tribute page up for him. His playing incorporates so much and there's a lot to absorb listening to him.

In the housekeeping department, I'd like to welcome Harris Eisenstadt's Tie A Bow Not A Knot to the blogroll - he's in west Africa with Willow Williamson on a Meet the Composer Global Connections grant, and has some fantastic stories, and video footage about his travels there. Also recently added is the blog of trombonist Jeff Albert, a musician with Chicago ties who I haven't had the pleasure of checking out yet but will be sure to do in the future.