WHRB orgies

Jon Abbey · January-4th-2004, 01:10 AM

not sure where to put this, but there's enough jazz content that I think it's OK here...

anyway, not what you're thinking, Harvard's radio station is about to devote most of January to what they call "orgies", huge blocks of programming devoted to one artist or one area of music. the ones this year include Jimmy Giuffre, Ran Blake, Mark Dresser, Berio, Dvorak, Yamatsuka Eye, Christian Fennesz, not to mention Nas, NWA, Timbaland and the Geto Boys.

plus the main reason I'm posting this, 42 hours on Erstwhile, every disc from start to finish, plus interviews, broken into two long segments, one starting on the 15th and one on the 22nd. there's a full schedule here, although it's not always so clear:

http://www.whrb.org/pg/JanFeb2004.html

everything is webcast, should be interesting...

Cem · January-4th-2004, 01:32 AM

Thanks for the heads up. If you can remember to, please kick-up the thread before the 15th. This'll give me a chance to check out some Erst things.

I lived in Toronto in the 80's where the Ryerson Institute's radio station CKLN had a show called Live Dead Orgy -much more Caligulaesque. They might've stolen the idea from Harvard.

walto · January-4th-2004, 09:19 AM

Congrats, Jon. I've been enjoying WHRB orgies for many years. I almost depend on them to break up my years the way baseball fans look forward to spring training.

bostontricky · January-4th-2004, 09:45 AM

Jon - thanks for the heads up on Jimmy Giuffre as well as the Erstwhile Orgy (may it never end) and scads of other material. I see Giuffre is preceded by the Mister Rogers Orgy, a phrase which has probably never appeared anywhere ever before...

Walt - do you know anyone at WHRB? I may be able to spot them some JG material for the show.

walto · January-4th-2004, 02:35 PM

Sorry, BT, I don't. I'll bet they could use some of your Giuffre though. (I think I might have some Rautavaara they lack too, BTW.)

Gentle Giant · January-5th-2004, 11:16 AM

I love the HRB orgies and have been listening for years. Unfortunately, they usually send their program guide to me at least two weeks late, so I appreciate having this heads up. 95.3 in Boston; do they transmit over the web, too?

michaelr · January-5th-2004, 01:31 PM

They do broadcast over the Web. I just looked and they also have the schedule posted in either HTML or PDF format, so you don't have to wait for it to come in the mail!!!

Chris Castelle · January-5th-2004, 05:54 PM

I hear that Walter is totally psyched about the Dvorak block. Especially the "American" string quartet and the complete piano works.

(Or is the Dvorak in question a more recent one whose music would more appropriately fit into the lineup?)

walto · January-6th-2004, 10:12 AM

You're right, Hat. I'll be tuning out that week or month or however long they take with Mr. D. (not Dresser!)

BTW, are there particular Fennesz recordings I shouldn't miss?

Jon Abbey · January-6th-2004, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by walto BTW, are there particular Fennesz recordings I shouldn't miss?

yes, the live one with Rowe that I plan to release on Erst next year if all goes well, but they don't have a copy of that.

Endless Summer is his most acclaimed, you'd probably be more into his improv work. I'd say just dip into that one wherever you have time, nothing totally essential (for your taste) but it'll mostly all be interesting, and a pretty wide range.

some short ones I like a lot: Fennesz Plays (just two tracks, eight minutes, I think, with a deconstructed Beach Boys tune), Il Libro Mio (20 minutes of intense electronics), and the Live CD-R he did on Touch, I forget the name, also in the 20 minute range.

walto · January-6th-2004, 02:32 PM

Thanks for the tips.

Jon Abbey · January-15th-2004, 11:51 AM

up, the Erstwhile one starts at noon today...

Other Steve · January-15th-2004, 03:20 PM

Hey Jon, how weird is it to be hearing this guy reading your own words (from the Stylus interview) on the air?

Jon Abbey · January-15th-2004, 03:25 PM

yeah, that was a little strange, but that's OK, at least that interview was something Joe and I worked on for a while, it wasn't really off-the-cuff.

what's more strange is he didn't directly interview me for this, even though he interviewed Keith, Toshi, Greg Kelley, Friederike, maybe some others too, not sure. I didn't think I was going to listen to much of this myself, but it's actually really interesting for perspective, I haven't heard a lot of these records in a while. the first track of the Haunted House sounded amazing, I thought, such a shame those guys broke up.

john fernandes · January-15th-2004, 03:45 PM

Thanks for the link...I just tuned in, I'm guessing they are playing something from the Muller/Ninh...sounds great!

Jon Abbey · January-15th-2004, 03:52 PM

they're on Tom and Gerry now, actually, they're doing them all in order...

John B · January-15th-2004, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jon Abbey
yeah, that was a little strange, but that's OK, at least that interview was something Joe and I worked on for a while, it wasn't really off-the-cuff.

what's more strange is he didn't directly interview me for this, even though he interviewed Keith, Toshi, Greg Kelley, Friederike, maybe some others too, not sure. I didn't think I was going to listen to much of this myself, but it's actually really interesting for perspective, I haven't heard a lot of these records in a while. the first track of the Haunted House sounded amazing, I thought, such a shame those guys broke up.

I really enjoy the Haunted House disc. I wish they would release some of the more recent sets you mentioned on another thread.

Brian Olewnick · January-15th-2004, 04:09 PM

Hey, I forgot that MLK sample they snuck in there.

Jon Abbey · January-15th-2004, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Olewnick
Hey, I forgot that MLK sample they snuck in there.

yeah, now that was strange for a few seconds.

I don't think they were recorded very well, John. unfortunately Loren has always seemingly been under the impression that any form of digital recording would steal his soul, he had one or two really bad experiences in studios. so he records everything with analog cassettes, we had to do a ton of work even to get the recordings I released to that point, and I think the Tonic ones were even worse than that. I'm sure if there was anything releasable, Eric Weddle would have already done so on Family Vineyard.

al j · January-15th-2004, 04:22 PM

Guys at work: the hell is that?

Me: an orgy.

Guys at work: Sounds like robots having sex with test equipment.

John B · January-15th-2004, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joe Christmas
Guys at work: the hell is that?

Me: an orgy.

Guys at work: Sounds like robots having sex with test equipment.

Funny! You're a few steps ahead of me in the "listening to Erst at work" department. (or home, for that matter.) Ersts are almost always headphone music for me.

al j · January-15th-2004, 04:42 PM

Scare 'em into submission, I say!

I like the headphones for this music too. None of that walking-around-the-room voodoo associated with it.

John B · January-15th-2004, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joe Christmas
Scare 'em into submission, I say!

The foundation of any good marriage. I should have worked that into our vows, somehow.

I don't mind the headphones, especially if I can then play this music at work. I listened to fours Ersts at work today and there were no complaints.

actually, Fire Song might be ok for listening at home. This one is pretty sedate. Haunted House, too.

frankiepop · January-15th-2004, 05:10 PM

what am i listening to RIGHT NOW??

Jon Abbey · January-15th-2004, 05:10 PM

I'm not going to get into the headphones/speakers discussion again, but unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't understand it for this kind of music. I pretty much never listen on headphones myself.

that Lou Harrison snippet was pretty jolting. now they're skipping World Turned Upside Down, maybe they're doing a whole Rowe segment at some point?

Cem · January-15th-2004, 05:11 PM

Tom & Gerry sounding great! I can't believe I didn't get that recording when they were here a few years back. Minor complaint: I wish announcers would pronounce names correctly. One of my pet peeves! It's [ tomus leehn].

Jon Abbey · January-15th-2004, 05:12 PM

frankie, they just started Particles and Smears a minute or two ago.

Jon Abbey · January-15th-2004, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cem
Tom & Gerry sounding great! I can't believe I didn't get that recording when they were here a few years back. Minor complaint: I wish announcers would pronounce names correctly. One of my pet peeves! It's [ tomus leehn].

don't wait too long on that one, Cem, I only have maybe 50 left and doubt I'll repress it. this announcer is seemingly not too familiar with this stuff, he's not the main guy doing it, I guess he comes on later. Greg Kelley just told me they're interviewing him live tomorrow AM at 8:30 EST in the studio about himself and Erstwhile.

frankiepop · January-15th-2004, 05:28 PM

Quote:

...Particles and Smears

thanx, great, i have been very curious about this 1.

MRS · January-15th-2004, 05:29 PM

And of course it's the one recording oop! I'm digging this date a lot.