Safety First

As discussed today, we need to decide what we’re doing this term. The current option is ‘Plan A’—to (re)introduce or (re)inject (partly) idiomatic, (recognizably) stylistic, or (consciously) traditional elements (back) into the improvisations.

Some options, listed roughly in order of time needed (i.e. high to low), you may want to consider are:

1. game pieces
2. collective score/part-making
3. conduction and cueing

I look forward to hearing your decision next week.

I’ve changed the look of the site (we’re now using the ‘Jounalist’ theme). I find this much more readable, but let me know if you have any problems.

…Not that you should see this site that often. If you don’t already, you might seriously consider getting a feed reader (if you use a Mac, I recommend you have a look at Vienna).

Hi guys,

Just wanted to write a quick blog entry after listening to the art of ending pieces that Han recommended.

My interpretations/responses/feelings are as follows

Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker:

Beautifully constructive ending that in my opinion was rehearsed, or pre composed/constructed?

Final 32 seconds

There is an obvious motif/signature played by one sax, with the other sax responding like a “call and response concept” It repeates itself 5 times before both saxs simultaneously end with a long harmonic note.

Is it pre rehearsed? iF NOT then both performers are truly listening/ and or gawking at each other intensely through-out. They must of just gave the obvious nod..that luckily worked out, because how else are they going to end so ? years of playing together?

Maybe it is not pre rehearsed but pre constructed: they agreed on “hey lets end when i play that reoccuring motif say 5 times and we end together on this harmonic note, so until then dont worry on ending, lets just play”

There had to be a pre discussion on this ending.

Recording 2

Derek Bailey, George Lewis and John Zorn: On Golden Pond

First time impression of this piece is that the ending is not pre composed

but with constant re-listening to this piece (just the final 2 minutes or so) maybe constructed?

It could have ended on 16:55 but there was a final climax to be made that ended only when the duck/cow performers stopped there “squalling” and it was almost together. I felt the guitar player was comping and waiting for an ending, and did so as the others stopped.

Im lost with this 1. Its not precomposed, they waited for someone to end it.

Recording 3

The Warning

The ending is constructed. This piece has a concept, a certain theme, they knew how to end this whether they decided so or not

Recording 4

Marilyn Crispell and Gerry Hemingway

Billy Duck

Now this is the kind of ending that i like, i think its not pre composed but just ends perfectly with a sudden stop with the drums.

Pure buyest opinion been a drummer but wow they knew how to end it.

Jump

Marilyn Crispell and Gerry Hemingway

Lovely slow ending that just knew where to end, not as exciting or satisfying as the Billy Duck one but still effective all the same.

To sum up, since Han gave a good talk today in class about endings, I think its fair to say that..there is no bar line and specific way to end it. We need to feel it, take a chance, just keep playing together, and trust each other and let it flow out itself..

Fuck the pre concieved concept.

“YOU GOTTA FEEL IT MAN”