Performance / Video:
Pierre Boulez conducting the Ensemble Intercontemporain, with singer Anna Steiger, in a 1991 concert recorded at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Germany. Born in Paris, 22 December 1883, Varèse referred to his basic ideas as “sound masses”, or elements of musical sound characterized mainly by their instrumentation, registration, rhythmic shape, intervallic relationship, and volume. Offrandes, for soprano and chamber orchestra was written in 1921, and was his first work to be performed in the US. It is divided into two sections, both of which are settings of poems in French. Varèse’s catalogue contains only a handful of surviving pieces (the pieces written before 1920 were all destroyed by him or lost in a fire), but he is now considered to be one of the principal innovators of the first half of the 20th century. He died in New York, 6 November 1965.
The Audiopad
New Instruments / Machines: (video)
The Audiopad is a performance instrument for electronic music that tracks the positions of objects on a tabletop surface and converts their motion into music. 
One can pull sounds from a giant set of samples or juxtapose archived recordings against other samples and apply digital processing all at the same time. The interface is more expressive than a laptop screen, and gives the possibility of a physical performance that is usually absent from electronic music concerts. Perhaps the only feature missing from this interface is a strap button, which would make it the best interface out there to jam with your buddies (just like the Keytar from the 80’s!). MIT graduate students James Patten and Ben Recht developed the Audiopad. [Read more…]
Thom Yorke’s The Eraser
Rock Album Release: 
Thom Yorke is the lead singer and songwriter of the band Radiohead, the English rock band that has been often been praised as one of the most distinct bands of this generation. OK Computer (1997), pushed them to greater attention, and has been acclaimed as a milestone record of the 90’s. With their albums Kid A (2000), and Amnesiac (2001), the band reached their peak global popularity, even as their music (with influences ranging from electronic music to jazz) became less conventional. The band has even had an impact in the contemporary jazz world scene, where musicians like Brad Mehldau and Chris Potter have incorporated Radiohead’s songs into their standard repertoire. [Read more…]
Inside The Score by Rayburn Wright
Jazz Book Recommendation of the month: (price/info)
This 200 page book by jazz arranger Rayburn Wright published in 1982, includes a detailed analysis of 8 classic charts by Sammy Nestico (Basie, Straight Ahead, Hay Burner), Thad Jones (Three and One, Kids are Pretty People, Us), and Bob Brookmeyer (Hello and Goodbye, First Love Song, ABC Blues). It also includes a CD with all 8 arrangements played by the University of Minnesota Jazz Ensemble. Before each complete score is presented, there are study notes explaining melodic construction, harmony, form, orchestration, voicings and substitute chords included in the arrangement. Includes complete scores and an interview with each arranger.
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