About that pudding...

Just wanted to add a little addendum as the comments come in, regarding
hearing the concert here in San Diego.

To Neil: Neil, don't mistake my comments as simply disparaging the
technical performance aspect of the players, which was, for the most part,
not the problem. Just being a monster player, with "kick ass chops",
doesn't guarantee a great evening. Even you must have wanted to strangle
some of those guitar-weenies who sit there going
"reedle-ee-reedle-ee-reedle-ee" (as a substitute for a single musical lick)
for hours on end. Chops are only one facet.

To Will, who remarked:
>This seems harsh to Cage, who would probably have
>been bored, too, if you were. I think he liked pudding
>just as much as the next guy.

It may have come off this way, which was not intended. Knowing how much
disrespect Brian shows JC, I was only pointing out that his solo
performance had all the aural hallmarks of a chance piece, where something
would evolve (or not evolve) outside of any strict intentions of the
composer - quite the opposite of what BM intended, one would imagine. I,
like you, appreciate many different disciplines, and am thankful Cage
graced us with his presance.

A last thought, in general: I wouldn't want people to leave this with the
impression that I don't appreciate improvisation - on the contrary. From
very free-wheeling events like Sun Ra or The Art Ensemble of Chicago, to
anyone who has flourished in the vernerable art form of the blues,
improvisatory performs can be as transcendant as most any 'worked out'
composition. They just need to have a reason for making those sounds, be
it the underpinning of a 12-bar blues format (or chord changes to
"Good-Bye, Pork Pie Hat") or a melding of musical thoughts between players
to create an organic whole. Until a fabric, similar to a blues format, is
ingrained in a non-12TET playing field, these other-intonation improvs can
very easily fall into a randomized airing of intervals, with no compelling
reason to have switched from 12TET in the first place.

Cheers,
Jon
*------------------------------------------------------------------*
Jonathan M. Szanto | A hobo, in cyberspace, no less . . . . . . .
Corporeal Meadows | . . . . . . . . Partch awaits in the Meadows
jszanto@adnc.com | http://www.adnc.com/web/jszanto/welcome.html
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