Feast of Music

Paul and Philip

An insightful, casual conversation tonight between Philip Glass and Paul Simon at BAM's Harvey Theater, where the two composers shared thoughts for 90 minutes, mostly about music. Simon started things off with a bang.

PS: "Who, in your mind, were the greatest composers of the 20th Century?"

PG: (after much hesitation) "Charles Ives, because of how he was able to marry innovation to lyricism. I've always had a thing for composers who didn't teach, who were mavericks: Nancarrow, Partch...In the end, the only music that matters is the music that we love, the music that we want to hear."

PS: "If you can get people to listen, they're at a level of heightened awareness."

PG: "I see songwriting as a very refined art, one that I myself have been unable to master. I find it incredible that you wrote the music before you wrote the words (for Graceland)."

PS: "How do sounds become language?"

PG: "It's about the rhythm of words matching they rhythm of the music."

PS: "And what do you think about that?"

PG: "I think it's a very good idea."

PS: "What compelled you to write an opera in Sanskrit?"

PG: "Because it's consonants followed by vowels. English is not a good language for opera. English cuts off their words with hard consonants. It takes a lot of time and energy to teach singers how to sing in English. It's a distraction from the music."

PS: "It always happens: I'm on tour, playing my 30th show, and then all of a sudden - usually in the middle of "You Can Call Me Al" - I go: "What am I doing? I'm imitating myself!"

PG: "I made a conscious choice to perform my own music. It's given me a deeper appreciation for what interpreters do: they - not the writers - are the ones who create the music. They realize the music. That's an important word: they make it real. In a sense, I've become an interpreter of my own music."

PS: "I have absolutely no connection to the person that wrote The Caveman. I don't even remember writing those songs. But, I remember feeling that it suceeded at what it was trying to do."

PG: "Young composers worry about when they're going to find they're voice. But that's not the problem. The problem is: how do you get rid of it?"

PS: "There's no plan. I just follow what I like."

Mandolin Time

I don't usually get out of the office much during the day, but I cut out early yesterday to catch former Nickel Creek (and current Punch Brothers) frontman Chris Thile at Canal Room, part of the Tribeca Film Festival's Music Lounge. Damn, this guy's almost as good a storyteller as he is with that banj...er, mandolin. Classical highlight: the prelude from Bach's E-major Violin Partita.

More Free Summer Fun

The 2008 Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival schedule was announced this week, featuring three weeks of stellar free events. Here are the ones you'll find me at this August.

8/7 - Noche Flamenco/Stephane Wrembel

8/10 - Regina Carter/Simone

8/13 - Hal Willner's Joel Dorn Tribute (feat. Dr. John, Roberta Flack, Les McCann, Mocean Worker, Jane Monheit, David “Fathead” Newman, and others)

8/14 - East Village Opera Company/Ahn Trio/Fernando Otero

8/15 - Wordless Music Series - Rhys Chatham et.al.

8/20 - WFMU Showcase (feat. Extra Golden, The Either/Orchestra, The Ex, etc.)

8/24 - Roots of American Music Festival (Patti Smith, Charlie Haden, etc.)

Make Music New York - Take 2

I actually missed seeing any Make Music New York shows last year, but fortunately, it's back again for a second year on Saturday, June 21. If you're a musician and want to play, or if you own a store and want to host a lineup, you can register here. 

Why I'll Never Have a Hamptons Share

Earlier this week, Celebrate Brooklyn and Central Park Summerstage released their lineups, and once again, it's a veritable smorgasbord of (mostly) free shows. Here are the ones you can expect to see me at:

Celebrate Brooklyn
6/12 - Isaac Hayes
6/14 - Miriam Makeba
6/19 - Medeski, Martin & Wood/Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
6/22 - Salif Keita
6/24 - Gilberto Gil (paid show)
6/27 - Cold War Kids/Elvis Perkins/Sam Champion
7/5 - Michael Stuart/Grupo Essencia/Zemog el Gallo Bueno
7/9 - Feist (paid show)
7/11 - Brazilian Girls
7/12 - Beth Orton/Matt Munisteri
7/18 - Deerhoof/Metropolis Ensemble (Rite of Spring)
7/19 - Enter the Dragon with Karsh Kale
8/1 - Carl Davis with The Knights
8/3 - African Guitar Festival

Central Park Summerstage
6/14 - Vampire Weekend/Kid Sister/Ecstatic Sunshine
6/28 - Vieux Farka Toure
7/5 - Rachid Taha/Dengue Fever
7/6 - Seun Kuti
7/20 - Santogold/Diplo
8/2 - Roy Hargrove Big Band
8/6 - Sonny Rollins (paid show)
8/14 - Los Lobos/Los Lonely Boys
8/16 - Battles/Black Dice
8/17 - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Unfortunately, I'll be out of town for Philip Glass on 7/25 and Ghostland Observatory on 7/26 (both in Brooklyn), but you should go.

Can I Get a Drink With That?

You could be forgiven, passing through the Saturday night frolic of the East Village last night, for failing to realizing that one of the world's great classical violinists was playing one of the basement venues strung like barnacles along Avenue A. After all, it's not every day Hilary Hahn decides to host her CD release party in a bar - in this case, the new club DROM, on Ave A between 5th and 6th streets.

These sort of classical-in-a-bar shows are starting to become close-to- commonplace. Cellist Matt Haimovitz made a name for himself playing venues like the Knitting Factory and CBGB's. Barbes books acts like the Parker String Quartet and Susie Park from the Eroica Trio. And, with venues like DROM and the soon-to-open Le Poisson Rouge, there are now permanent venues in New York dedicated at least part-time to programming classical music.

Hahn went on around 11:30, straight from her sold-out uptown recital at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She went back and forth between playing solo and accompanying a trio of talented singer-songwriters: Josh Ritter, Gabe Kahane and Tom Brosseau. Kahane gets extra credit, accompanying Hahn from the piano in the slow movement of Sibelius' Violin Concerto.

"She texted me the other day, asking if I could sight-read the Sibelius," Kahane told us. "'Don't worry,' she said. 'I'm not going to make you learn the Schoenberg.'"   

Hahn seemed to enjoy the challenge: I'm sure she's played the Sibelius - one of the staples of the violin repertoire - under all sorts of conditions, but never once over the sound of crashing beer bottles.

If you want to try out some cocktails with your classical, DROM will be hosting a show next Sunday night featuring members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, along with percussionist Svet Stoyanov and toy pianist Phyllis Chen. Tickets $10 at the door. (More pics after the jump.)

Monday Night Special

I thought I was back in Austin last night for Kuntry Karaoke at Hank's Saloon on 3rd & Atlantic in Brooklyn. It's pretty much what you might expect, but with a twist: there's an actual live band to accompany your versions of Hank, Johnny, Dolly and Willie. And, these guys are good - especially the seasoned vet on pedal steel, who looked like he just got off the Greyhound from Nashville. 

Easter Day

I'm not religious in any traditional sense, but when I used to live on 109th St. and Amsterdam, there was no bigger day on the calendar than Easter Sunday at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. St. John's - the largest gothic cathedral in the world - puts on a massive spectacle, including full orchestra, chorus, even dancers. Prior to 2001, one could also hear the 8,000 pipe Skinner organ, which boomed at various points throughout the service. (A digital organ is being used for now.)

The Easter ceremony was repeated yesterday in the crossing, which managed to hold over 1,000 people even though the cathedral was reduced to less than 1/3 of its usual capacity. There weren't any surprises, but for me, it was a comfort to hear the same hymns, the same organ voluntary - and especially the same meditations by Judy Collins and Paul Winter.  Timothy Brumfield did admirable double duty as both organist and conductor.

 

 

 

 

Redemption

Well. I got in, and the minute Judy Collins started singing "Bright Morning Stars," I completely forgot about the wait. She followed it up with a sing-a-long "Amazing Grace" that filled the immense crossing with a seemingly-perfect unison of sound. Stunning.

Mixin' it Up

Those who are regular listeners of WNYC already know that there is a new host for Evening Music: Terrance McKnight, formerly of NPR affiliate GPR in Atlanta. McKnight is known for his cross-genre tastes, mixing everything from classical, to jazz, to world music. Tonight's show featured a neat story on Ghanese pianist William Chapman Nyaho, who spoke of the influence his country's music has had on contemporary composers - most notably Steve Reich, who traveled to Ghana in his youth. McKnight followed it up with Steve Reich's New York Counterpoint, with Evan Ziporyn on clarinet.

Speaking about his appointment, McKnight had this to say:

"WNYC is a rare place that allows its music hosts the room to not just play recordings, but to take the audience on a musical journey that's personal, unexpected and completely new every day. I'm excited and challenged by the opportunity to introduce listeners to music they may not be familiar with yet, as well as to hear familiar music in new ways."

Welcome to the party, man.