As this author sits at home recovering, it is impossible not to consider the immense downsides of the coronavirus. Almost six and a half million people have died worldwide from the virus. In such times, it is often thrust upon the artist to lift the populace’s spirits above their dire surroundings. As gigs dried up […]
If you want to make a career in contemporary creative music, you could do worse than use the Projects page on Sarah Bernstein’s website as your guide. You’ll find entries for solo processed violin and voice; noise drums, violin, and vocals; minimalist experimental poetry performance; experimental synth-pop; a string quartet; and even a catalogue raisonné […]
We continue our conversation with Steve Lehman (part one here) with a heavy focus on his writing for the distinctive ensemble, Sélébéyone. We discuss his compositional process, spectralism – writing with an eye to the acoustic properties of sound- and the deeper meaning behind sophomore release, Xaybu: The Unseen (Pi, 2022). PostGenre: What was the […]
Throughout the ages, music has always been more than just notes or rhythms on a written page. Even the works of the greatest composers, when viewed solely in text, do not fully convey the power and wonder of their music. Similarly, to some degree, an instrument is nothing more than some metal, string, wood, or […]
Onyx has long been a mysterious substance. Many ancient civilizations used the mineral in ornate jewelry but upheld the stone for more than its attractiveness. The Romans believed a necklace engraved with the image of Mars, their god of war, would provide courage to soldiers in battle. The Persians believed onyx could help with epilepsy. […]
In the second part of our discussion with Nate Wooley (check out part one here), we cover the importance of silence, lessons learned from Ron Miles and Anthony Braxton, drone music, and the demystification of experimental music. PostGenre: The special guests – Trevor Dunn and Mat Maneri – add to the album, but some of […]
Throughout history, humans have struggled to understand their place in nature. Often, however, perspectives on nature have at least bordered on antagonistic. Even the most cursory reading of Thomas Hobbes reveals the perspective that, in nature, human lives are “brutish and short.” But the reality of mankind’s relationship with nature is far more complicated. Despite […]
We continue (check out part one here) our conversation with Ronnie Foster by discussing his classic, Two Headed Freap (Blue Note, 1972). We then briefly discuss his production work, leading into Reboot (Blue Note, 2022), his first album since 1986. With a deeper dive into Reboot we also discuss a few of Foster’s friends and collaborators, including Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, […]
While Fats Waller, Count Basie, and Wild Bill Davis charted the organ trio’s course across the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, the format did not hit its zenith until the late 1950s. Central to the emergence of the organ trio was the rise of soul jazz, an amalgamation of influences from jazz, blues, soul, gospel, and […]
On a debut album, many artists play it a little “safe.” Show your capability but save your boundary-pushing for a follow-up. Anna Butterss did not seem to get the memo. Activities (Colorfield, 2022) finds her expanding her scope well beyond not only the music for which her current fans may know her but also her […]
