Re: OT? Derek Bailey and Improvisation

[Richard Zvonar <zvonar@zvonar.com>]

At 9:21 AM -0700 10/6/01, Gary Lehmann wrote:
>This is an interesting coincidence.  I am returning to San Diego and I see
>that Derek Bailey is performing there at the Spruce Street Forum in 
>October

I see that he's playing with George Lewis.

One of the most interesting performances I ever mixed sound for was 
for George Lewis at the Claxon Sound Festival in Utrecht in 1983. 
This was one of George's interactive computer improvisation pieces, 
in which his computer software "listened" to improvising performers 
and responded in a variety of ways. The soloists in this case were 
George Lewis (trombone), Joelle Leandre (double bass), and Derek 
Bailey (guitar). The computer system could listen to only one 
performer at a time, so it was constantly switching between them. The 
MIDI output controlled three Yamaha DX7 synthesizers.

I've heard several performances of George's interactive music, and 
this was certainly the best. It was particularly fun for me to mix 
because it was so dense and active, with musical "gems" coming in 
rapid succession from each of the soloists. Because the three 
instruments were so timbrally distinct from each other it was 
relatively easy to identify each player quickly and to bring them up 
and down in the mix quickly.

I recommend you go to the Spruce Street gig.  I'm rather torn. I'll 
be in Orange County that afternoon, attending a panel discussion (in 
which George Lewis is participating), then there's a Tan Dun concert 
that night.
-- 

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Richard Zvonar, PhD
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