{"id":5156,"date":"2022-10-24T00:50:48","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T05:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=5156"},"modified":"2023-09-09T21:28:58","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T02:28:58","slug":"singing-together-parker-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/singing-together-parker-i\/","title":{"rendered":"All Singing Together: A Conversation with William Parker (Part One)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some recordings are fun listening experiences. Things you can put on, enjoy the groove, and go about your day. William Parker\u2019s Universal Tonality<\/em> (Centering\/AUM Fidelity, 2022)  <\/em>is not one of these albums. Do not misconstrue that statement. The album is enjoyable and enlightening. But those looking for something short and jaunty best look elsewhere. Instead, the bassist\u2019s sonic thesis provides commentary on heavy topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parker\u2019s contemplativeness should surprise no one attuned to his music. Throughout his five-decade career, he has engaged in deep conversations with other artists at the forefront of creative music, including Cecil Taylor, Peter Br\u00f6tzmann, Derek Bailey, Bill Dixon, Milford Graves, and Anthony Braxton. Honing in on works under Parker\u2019s name, one finds a no less voluminous array of solo works, small ensembles, and large orchestras. One recurring concept in Parker\u2019s output is that of universal tonality; the idea that if one were to put musicians from all over the world into a single room, they would create incredible music. Their work speaks to some higher power that transcends their cultural, linguistic, or artistic differences. Or, as Parker puts it, \u201cthe concept that if we\u2019re all breathing together, we\u2019re all singing together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True to its namesake, Universal Tonality<\/em> captures a live performance from December 14, 2002, by an assemblage of a wide range of artists from around the globe. They congregated with no preconceived plan and very little prewritten melody or harmony. The members of the eighteen-piece ensemble come from diverse and differing backgrounds. One thing they do have in common, however, is a shared openness to new sounds. This list of artists participating in Parker\u2019s experiment is unduly impressive, including Miya Masaoka on koto, Billy Bang and Jason Kao Hwang on violins, Joe Morris on guitar, Dave Burrell on piano, Steve Swell and Grachen Moncur III on trombones, Daniel Carter on horns, and Gerald Cleaver on drums. The evening potentially runs the risk of turning into a convoluted mess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, the record testifies to the soundness of Parker\u2019s theory. Despite their differences and no pre-stated common ground, clear themes emerge through the album, primarily the importance of maintaining an individualistic artistic voice. The fact that clear yet unplanned melodies emerge from the lack of planning speaks volumes about the soundness of the leader\u2019s concept. But, to further drive the message home are the lyrics vocalized by Leena Conquest. Phrases like \u201c[h]ope is relentless, it will never die\u201d transcend cultural biases as all people have had to be resilient at one time or another. At the same time, \u201cthere is no escape from the self.\u201d \u201cCloud Texture (Death has Died Today)\u201d makes evident that even in the most difficult circumstances, where society tries to crush it, the individual human spirit continues to flourish and persevere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far from turning into a jumbled disaster, Universal Tonality<\/em> instead makes one question the purpose of music. Reliance on individual expression is precisely how the recording avoids becoming a mutilated mush of middling mediocrity. The more distinctive the artist\u2019s voice, the more vibrant the conversation. Not only does the recording provide credence to Parker\u2019s theory, it further cements him as not merely one of the finest bassists of his generation but one of creative music\u2019s most significant minds. We sat down with Parker to discuss Universal Tonality<\/em>, its conceptual underpinnings, the significance of improvisation, and the origins and meaning of music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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