Re: [tuning] Frith

on 12/15/00 5:43 PM, tuning@egroups.com at tuning@egroups.com wrote:

> Back in the days when my old partner Duke and I used to do this sort
> of Fred Frith (Guitars on Table)/Derek Bailey inspired free form
> improv music, we would achieve myriad of unusual sounds by
> using "Prepared Guitars", in which there would be various kinds of
> objects shoved in, or interwoven between the strings - such as paper
> clips, cord, rubber stoppers or paper strips - and then stroked or
> tortured with various implements (drum sticks, acrylic rod slide,
> hair brush - whatever). I even had some wind up toys that could be
> laid on the neck, which would contort and strain when lodged between
> the strings (These toys were a real riot in live performance too!
> Especially my Godzilla wind-up, which exuded sparks from its mouth.
> Folks would laugh uncontrollably, which was ok for my kind of show.).
> It was really a rich time of exploring "extended" techniques for the
> guitar, and it became such an ingrained vocabulary, that I could
> easily do it today. Some of the most compelling sounds you could get
> were with a simple paper clip interwoven twixt the strings - and
> moved to harmonic "sweet spots", giving a sound very similar to a
> gong. Also pouring stuff on guitars to get random effects was a
> common technique I recall.

Jacky,

You got any tapes of this? The description alone is music that I want to
hear.

I saw Fred Frith in a trio with Zeena Parkins(?) and Tom Cora years ago at
some really funky club within the DC Beltway. The club was truly a dive, and
I've seen alot of them, but the music was awesome.

Seth

--
Seth Austen
http://www.sethausten.com
email; seth@sethausten.com
------

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic
hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.
There's also a negative side."
- Hunter S. Thompson

--- In tuning@egroups.com, Seth Austen <acoustic@l...> wrote:

> Jacky Ligon wrote:
> > Back in the days when my old partner Duke and I used to do this
sort
> > of Fred Frith (Guitars on Table)/Derek Bailey inspired free form
> > improv music, we would achieve myriad of unusual sounds by
> > using "Prepared Guitars", in which there would be various kinds of
> > objects shoved in, or interwoven between the strings - such as
paper
> > clips, cord, rubber stoppers or paper strips - and then stroked or
> > tortured with various implements (drum sticks, acrylic rod slide,
> > hair brush - whatever). I even had some wind up toys that could be
> > laid on the neck, which would contort and strain when lodged
between
> > the strings (These toys were a real riot in live performance too!
> > Especially my Godzilla wind-up, which exuded sparks from its
mouth.
> > Folks would laugh uncontrollably, which was ok for my kind of
show.).
> > It was really a rich time of exploring "extended" techniques for
the
> > guitar, and it became such an ingrained vocabulary, that I could
> > easily do it today. Some of the most compelling sounds you could
get
> > were with a simple paper clip interwoven twixt the strings - and
> > moved to harmonic "sweet spots", giving a sound very similar to a
> > gong. Also pouring stuff on guitars to get random effects was a
> > common technique I recall.
>
> Jacky,
>
> You got any tapes of this? The description alone is music that I
want to
> hear.
>
> I saw Fred Frith in a trio with Zeena Parkins(?) and Tom Cora years
ago at
> some really funky club within the DC Beltway. The club was truly a
dive, and
> I've seen alot of them, but the music was awesome.
>
> Seth
>

Seth,

Hello!

Yes, I do have many hours of this recorded. Allow me to transfer some
excerpts from the original analog sources and convert them to mp3,
and I'll put some up on my MP3.com page.

This is great that you've got to see them live! I also love Zeena
too! Anyone who will play a Harp through a fuzz box is ok in my book.

One interesting thing is that a friend of Frith and Cora was a guest
improviser at my place during a recording session for my old free-
form ensemble "Silent Tongues" (early 90s period). His name is Thomas
Dimuzio. An extremely talented "techie" and guitarist, who actually
did all of the sound design for a commercial sampling CD that Frith
and Cora put out. Very nice chap.

Thanks,

Jacky Ligon