JZ may offer some guidelines to the musicians he asks to contribute to the RJC series, but I'm sure he gives them complete freedom to do ANYTHING they want, once he's decided, as musicians, they fit his definition. My guess is nothing is rejected once it's been commissioned. (I assume all of this series are commissioned works...) After all, it's the same freedom he demands of directors when doing his music for film. Consequently, "Radical Jewish Culture" is just a takeoff point, a spark, with NO preconceived direction or definition. Dan --working on a Radical Lutheran Culture project :-) --still listening to the Larry Young 1973 Perception label reissue, Lawrence of Newark (Radical Arabian Culture?) w/ Blood Ulmer and so many guys I never heard of - I can't get enuf of this!
Hi, First of all, probably my English doesn't allow me to express myself as I'd like to and that can lead to some misunderstandings. If Zorn has planned the series without preconceptions as someone said, then the fact of publishing some musicians on the Composer Series and some others on the RJC Series would also be pointless. There must be some kind of guidelines or criteria for him to stablish such a division in those particular cases. A division that isn't clear to me at all for the same reasons I mentioned in previous e-mails. What makes Shrek or the Selfhaters more likely to be included in the RJC than, say, Elliot Sharp's string quartets? And above all, if the term "Radical" is not related to politics at all (which is something I agree with), then what makes Tim Sparks so artistically radical? Of course, by saying "purity" I wasn't implying that "radical" is a synonymous term at all but they're supposed to take off from the roots of Jewish folklore to create something new that makes the music "radical" in some way or another. What's so radical in "Klezmer Madness" or "Diaspora Soul", I don't know. Besides that, and considering what the current political panorama is like, I think that a good choice of words is really welcome in these cases. Not that you have to be in favor of political correctness, but a newcomer reading "Radical Jewish Culture" does not immediately think of "a new form of music created by Jewish people". When I think of "Radical" not only Merzbow comes to my mind but also some other negative connotations that are not necessarily related to culture despite the inclusion of that word in the categorization. An example that I've lived closer to: The Basque country "issue". There is some sort of "radical musical movement" there and and when you refer to that musical expression, you can only think about the message (support to terrorism, etc...) because the music itself is not exactly edgy or difficult or radical, imho. It's more about what it implies and perhaps that's why my vision of the RJC is a bit distorted or influenced by movements like the aforementioned. And when you're included in such a group you cannot expect to avoid controversy unless you're ready to give clear explanations about what you really want to say. Maybe "Radical Culture Revisited" would be more appropiate. Best, Efrén del Valle n.p: Tim Berne "The Shell Game" JZ may offer some guidelines to the musicians he asks to contribute to the RJC series, but I'm sure he gives them complete freedom to do ANYTHING they want, once he's decided, as musicians, they fit his definition. My guess is nothing is rejected once it's been commissioned. (I assume all of this series are commissioned works...) After all, it's the same freedom he demands of directors when doing his music for film. Consequently, "Radical Jewish Culture" is just a takeoff point, a spark, with NO preconceived direction or definition. Dan --working on a Radical Lutheran Culture project :-) --still listening to the Larry Young 1973 Perception label reissue, Lawrence of Newark (Radical Arabian Culture?) w/ Blood Ulmer and so many guys I never heard of - I can't get enuf of this! _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger Nueva versión: Webcam, voz, y mucho más ¡Gratis! Descárgalo ya desde http://messenger.yahoo.es
Maybe "Radical Culture Revisited" would be more appropiate.
I meant "Jewish Culture Revisited". sorry. Best, Efrén del Valle n.p: Parker/Guy/Lytton "at Les Instants Chà vires" _______________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger Nueva versión: Webcam, voz, y mucho más ¡Gratis! Descárgalo ya desde http://messenger.yahoo.es
Hello Efrén, Well, English is not my native language, but somehow "Radical Jewish Culture" didn't sound for me bad as a name of Zorn's series. Anyway, after reading this thread for awhile I finally looked in the dictionary for the word "radical". I found several meanings for it there, and at least two of them look good for me: - Arising from or going to a root or source; basic; - Excellent; wonderful (Slang). Both meanings are probably not the most common, but just fine for the definition of music which is in RJC. There is no problem for me telling RJC and Composers' series one from another. The former contains either music played my Jewish musicians-authors (see: Shrek or Selfhaters) or Jewish traditional/ conventionalized to traditional Jewish music (see: Sparks or Satlah). The later contains not Jewish music either composed by Jewish composer and performed by somebody else (see: Sharp) or composed and performed by not Jewish musicians (see: Otomo Yoshihide). NP: Jamie Saft "Sovlanut" (CD) -- Best regards, Peter Gannushkin URL: http://www.downtownmusic.net/ Friday, December 6, 2002, you wrote to me: EdV> Hi, EdV> First of all, probably my English doesn't allow me to EdV> express myself as I'd like to and that can lead to EdV> some misunderstandings. EdV> If Zorn has planned the series without preconceptions EdV> as someone said, then the fact of publishing some EdV> musicians on the Composer Series and some others on EdV> the RJC Series would also be pointless. There must be EdV> some kind of guidelines or criteria for him to EdV> stablish such a division in those particular cases. A EdV> division that isn't clear to me at all for the same EdV> reasons I mentioned in previous e-mails. What makes EdV> Shrek or the Selfhaters more likely to be included in EdV> the RJC than, say, Elliot Sharp's string quartets? And EdV> above all, if the term "Radical" is not related to EdV> politics at all (which is something I agree with), EdV> then what makes Tim Sparks so artistically radical? Of EdV> course, by saying "purity" I wasn't implying that EdV> "radical" is a synonymous term at all but they're EdV> supposed to take off from the roots of Jewish folklore EdV> to create something new that makes the music "radical" EdV> in some way or another. What's so radical in "Klezmer EdV> Madness" or "Diaspora Soul", I don't know. EdV> Besides that, and considering what the current EdV> political panorama is like, I think that a good choice EdV> of words is really welcome in these cases. Not that EdV> you have to be in favor of political correctness, but EdV> a newcomer reading "Radical Jewish Culture" does not EdV> immediately think of "a new form of music created by EdV> Jewish people". When I think of "Radical" not only EdV> Merzbow comes to my mind but also some other negative EdV> connotations that are not necessarily related to EdV> culture despite the inclusion of that word in the EdV> categorization. EdV> An example that I've lived closer to: The Basque EdV> country "issue". There is some sort of "radical EdV> musical movement" there and and when you refer to that EdV> musical expression, you can only think about the EdV> message (support to terrorism, etc...) because the EdV> music itself is not exactly edgy or difficult or EdV> radical, imho. It's more about what it implies and EdV> perhaps that's why my vision of the RJC is a bit EdV> distorted or influenced by movements like the EdV> aforementioned. And when you're included in such a EdV> group you cannot expect to avoid controversy unless EdV> you're ready to give clear explanations about what you EdV> really want to say. EdV> Maybe "Radical Culture Revisited" would be more EdV> appropiate.
Thank you all for the illuminating discussion on this! I must say that it leaves a slightly incoherent taste about the whole RJC thing. I second the argument that, if you label something like that, it would be naive to believe that it isn't read politically. And that, with this in mind, a great deal of clarity about especially this aspect would be requisite. (I'm however far from having read all liner notes to the RJC series CDs) Fritz
participants (4)
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DAN KUEHN -
Efrén del Valle -
Fritz Feger -
Peter Gannushkin