KBCS

Speech melody is on our mind this week, propelled by its recent use in Heiner Goebbels's A House of Call and by Seattle Symphony's imminent performance of Steve Reich's Different Trains (1988), one of the foundational pieces for that technique along with Scott Johnson's John Somebody (recorded in 1986). We revisit both those works while also exploring new fixed-media music by Ni Zheng, composed music by Vito Palumbo, and improvised music by Barre Phillips and György Kurtág Jr.

We also check out modern uses of ancient instruments in the form of Gordon Grdina’s oud and PoiL Ueda’s biwa. Hans Abrahamsen’s masterpiece Schnee has a new recording, which we sample along with the Zappa estate's new release of a previously-unheard version of his indeterminate big band composition Approximate. Our 50 years ago in the avant-garde feature compares musical specimens by Miles Davis and Morton Feldman that materialized on the same day in January 1973 (no prizes for guessing which was louder). And we celebrate the 80th birthday of Barry Altschul with a combination of new and classic recordings featuring this eminent free drummer.

Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell.