Not trying to be arrogant here, but who listens to this?

[Shorty]

You mentioned both Tony Levine and Les Claypool. Have you seen the youtube of the latter playing Thela Hun Ginjeet on which the former provided the bass? It's stunning. It's also a good example of a point @Shorty made above.

Yes, Tony L. played on the original. For a moment there I thought he was in the clip. Until I noticed all the hair. And that bass.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Let's see if we can find the curve back to contemporary classic. It's clear that most people are more familiar with pop. That is the nature of things.

Back to the topic: Today's streaming platforms also have large gaps in this music segment, which was already noted in the thread. Many recordings are not even regularly available on the market.

In Germany, it was sometimes possible to get their own recordings on CD directly from the radio stations that played them, for a fee. A bureaucratic process. Or I contacted the composers directly. Some of them are happy about an honest interest in their works.

 

[Multicore]

Jaco Pastorius,

He revolutionized the art, the Hendrix of bass. For an example of his most musical band work, I think the album Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny is worth a listen. A more recent virtuoso, Michael Manring, has taken what Pastorius started to even higher levels with stunning technical and musical innovations.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Thematic: According to John Cage, Stefano Scodanibbio was one of the most important contemporary double bassists. He was his favorite. I agree with him. Below is a random example of his music on YouTube. I did not choose it well. My favorite CD of his music played by Hakon Thelin looks like this: (Strong recommendation)

 

[EJ3]

You mentioned both Tony Levine and Les Claypool. Have you seen the youtube of the latter playing Thela Hun Ginjeet on which the former provided the bass? It's stunning. It's also a good example of a point @Shorty made above.

Thanks, I just watched it. YES!

 

[Axo1989]

Let's see if we can find the curve back to contemporary classic. It's clear that most people are more familiar with pop. That is the nature of things.

Yes I hope you forgave me extending that digression, I did hope an example of each of the meanings of Americana (cultural vs musical) was at least a bit informative/interesting.

Speaking of traversing from popular to avant-garde, I had somehow missed listening to the sometimes noise-rock group Sonic Youth's homage to that movement in their album Goodbye 20th Century (SYR 4). Many interesting tracks (incl. pieces by Cage, Reich and others you may recognise) make the whole album worth a listen ...

... also including realisation of a short segment of Cardew's Treatise in the final one:

*non-Apple Music people can hopefully find it on their streaming service of choice.

Back to the topic: Today's streaming platforms also have large gaps in this music segment, which was already noted in the thread. Many recordings are not even regularly available on the market.

In Germany, it was sometimes possible to get their own recordings on CD directly from the radio stations that played them, for a fee. A bureaucratic process. Or I contacted the composers directly. Some of them are happy about an honest interest in their works.

That last thing is a great example of non-mercantile culture. I love that.

 

[Multicore]

Thematic: According to John Cage, Stefano Scodanibbio was one of the most important contemporary double bassists. He was his favorite. I agree with him. Below is a random example of his music on YouTube. I did not choose it well. My favorite CD of his music played by Hakon Thelin looks like this: (Strong recommendation)

It is in Amazon Music. I listened to the Sequenza and it sounds great! Scodanibbio has superhuman control of that instrument.

Speaking of double bass, we talked about Aus den sieben Tagen by Stockhausen earlier. I remember getting a box set of LPs (DG, I think) of it from the music library when I was a student and being largely unconvinced. At the time I was much impressed by Kontakte, Mikrophonies, Hymnen, Mantra etc. and 7 Tagen was boring by comparison, a bit incoherent. The sleeve notes explained it was group improvisation based on poems penned by Stockhausen, although Stockhausen insisted on calling it intuitive music, wanting to distance himself from the word improvisation. (That recording may be of a different version of the composition than the one you mentioned previously because you described a soloist improvising to a tape accompaniment, iirc.) But I do remember from all those years back that I was impressed enough by the double bass player to remember the name: J.F. Jenny-Clark. This name has come up several times in my listening since and he always impresses. There have been some interesting narratives told by participants of those seven days. I should seek them out again.

 

[JaMaSt]

Americana - Now I've learned another new generic term that I didn't know yet, thank you. I'll have to remember that.

Dueling Redneck "Shamisen" Guys.

 

[JaMaSt]

... also like these young Shamisen Girls

Wonderful. I've owned a few traditional Japanese music CD's over the years but, after hearing this, it's clear that I've not given it the attention that it deserves.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Speaking of traversing from popular to avant-garde, I had somehow missed listening to the sometimes noise-rock group Sonic Youth's homage to that movement in their album Goodbye 20th Century (SYR 4). Many interesting tracks (incl. pieces by Cage, Reich and others you may recognise) make the whole album worth a listen ...

Hi Axo,

These are great examples, thank you, I've enjoyed listening to them. The name of the group means something to me. I put it on my watch list. Deezer has a lot of them.

That last thing is a great example of non-mercantile culture. I love that.

I like that too, it's just my thing. I also often try to meet the protagonists of things that really interest me in the field of art, music, design, etc. in person and visit their sites of work. Even if it's just for a little chat.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Wonderful. I've owned a few traditional Japanese music CD's over the years but, after hearing this, it's clear that I've not given it the attention that it deserves.

Hi JaMaSt,

my love for Japan goes back a very long time, when I was young I fell in love with two such cute Japanese girls. Their names were Snowflake and Cherry Blossom. We had a good time.

But I really got into it when I was older. It started with a cooking class of Japanese cuisine and a workshop of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. My sensei happened to be the president of the German-Japanese Society. She is a incredibly inspiring and kind person. My wife started singing in the German-Japanese choir and many choir rehearsals took place in our apartment because we had the space. So many friendships developed, a whole world. Today I could write books about Japan.
I sense a kinship, the same tendency toward perfection. Object poetry - even in the smallest things.

 

[computer-audiophile]

It is in Amazon Music. I listened to the Sequenza and it sounds great! Scodanibbio has superhuman control of that instrument.

Hi Tom,
I thought you might like this.

We have so many examples, names and works in this thread now that I can't keep up with them all. But I think it's great that it has evolved so constructively.

 

[Multicore]

Wonderful. I've owned a few traditional Japanese music CD's over the years but, after hearing this, it's clear that I've not given it the attention that it deserves.

I thought that video was great too. I know nothing of this musical tradition but I had the impression that these performers were being quite innovative in order to aim not only for the traditional audience.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Wonderful. I've owned a few traditional Japanese music CD's

Please excuse a little digression to another side of music, not modern, but no less exciting.

Through my wife our friends and the choirs in Japan, the simple Japanese folk melodies came very close to me. They have a simplicity and conciseness that I also appreciate in Japanese haiku.
One of my favorite songs is Kojo no Tsuki. It was sung by our dear friend Yurika Waseda once in such a heartbreaking way that it almost brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. It is about ancient times and the moonlight over the old castle ruins in Sendai. When I was there once, I walked upon the hill into the castle park at night with this melody in my mind. (Maybe I was Japanese in a past life?)

 

[Multicore]

Speaking of traversing from popular to avant-garde, I had somehow missed listening to the sometimes noise-rock group Sonic Youth's homage to that movement in their album Goodbye 20th Century (SYR 4). Many interesting tracks (incl. pieces by Cage, Reich and others you may recognise) make the whole album worth a listen ...

I was excited by that release when it came out. It was during a time when a lot of people were rediscovering and sometimes, as here, recycling older stuff, which is a good thing of course. Sonic Youth had been a top favorite of mine since ~87 and I will defend their honor... even if Goodbye 20th Century (SYR 4) was a disappointment to listen to. It seems, looking back, that their song writing was integral to their musical creative genius. As interpreters, not so convincing.

 

[computer-audiophile]

As interpreters, not so convincing.

True words.

 

[Multicore]

Ah yes, that was wonderful. Played with the kind of careless virtuosity essential to bluegrass music.

In 2021 I was contacted by André Dal, a musician in Portugal, as he was releasing a new album of Made in Portugal bluegrass music called Beyond the Tagus River. It's a good album and there's a nice video of the title track below. You all should listen to it because, as André mentioned, bluegrass done right is a music everyone can enjoy. It's a generous, warm-hearted music to refill the soul. Just what you need after spending too long with Xenakis and Mimaroğlu.

Looks like Portugal had its first Bluegrass festival last year. I suspect André was behind that somehow.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Just what you need after spending too long with Xenakis and Mimaroğlu.

Yes, sometimes you need a balance. When I think of Portugal, I tend to think of fado. Bluegrass generally wouldn't work for me. And I don't listen to music while driving my car.

Interestingly enough, I've driven over the Lisbon bridge across the Tejo river you see at the beginning of the video more than once. Unfortunately, Lisbon is now badly affected by overtourism. I don't like to travel there anymore. With Porto it's not much different.

 

[Multicore]

When I think of Portugal, I tend to think of fado. Bluegrass generally wouldn't work for me.

Of course. André explained that it is almost completely unknown in Portugal, which is why I thought that his efforts were charming, commendable, and, who knows? on the money?

 

[bluefuzz]

I think guitars are uniquely difficult to play in tune. I have joked about this recently in another discussion forum. And my use of CG3 tuning was primarily motivated by the impossibility of finding an acceptable set of compromises in standard tuning. So I really want to try a TT fretboard.

I think I've mentioned to you before Australian luthier Trevor Gore and his excellent books on guitar construction. He has some very nice techniques for compensating both nut and saddle to get essentially perfect (equal temperament) tuning on a standard neck. I've built a couple of instruments using these techniques and it's quite astonishing how different a guitar sounds when it actually plays in tune! The techniques can be optimised for alternate tunings too if that's your bag. No need for wiggly frets ...