Description
Book SynopsisTransfigured New York presents conversations with iconic, genre-bending artists who shaped the sounds of experimental movements like no wave, avant-jazz, and electronic music.
Trade ReviewSince her WKCR radio show in the eighties, Brooke Wentz has been an inspiring explorer of global music and has also remained a devoted and curious fan, always looking for new sounds in diverse countries and cultures. Her excitement vibrates on every page of this engrossing read. Enjoy Brooke’s journey! -- Chris Watson, founding member of Cabaret Voltaire
The avant-garde artists Brooke Wentz so adeptly interviewed in the 1980s reveal how music of that decade defied genre limitations and categorization, introduced fresh perspectives and explored sounds as no one had before, truly transfiguring not only New York, but creative culture worldwide. There are rich stories here, informing how we listen today. -- Howard Mandel, author of
Miles Ornette Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz and
Future JazzThis book is a one-of-a-kind account of one of the most exhilarating and inventive periods for art and culture in New York City's history. * NYS Music *
My mind was blown on almost every page of this engaging, near-exhaustive collection. -- Mat Smith * Further *
We should be glad that several decades later this material is available so we can reconsider how music was changing and had changed, who was playing where and when, and the part New York City played in nurturing new and challenging music. * International Times *
Together, the collection represents a comprehensive look at an incredible era in New York’s artistic history, featuring an eclectic mix of acts that would go on to influence generations of artists to come. * Bad Feelings Magazine *
As a picture of what was being done in the decade (perhaps for curious listeners who didn't live through it), its a broad cross section of what was new then. * The Wire *
Table of ContentsLee Ranaldo on the Scene
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. The Founding Theorists: Influential Figures of Contemporary Thought and Music Composition1. John Cage
2. La Monte Young
Part II. The Materials Scientists: Pioneers of Tape and Electronic Music3. David Behrman
4. Alvin Curran
5. Mario Davidovsky
6. Otto Luening
7. Roger Reynolds
8. Pril Smiley
9. Morton Subotnick
10. Joan Tower
11. Vladimir Ussachevsky
Part III. The Composers: Notable Contributors of Contemporary Musical Repertoire12. Anthony Davis
13. David Diamond
14. Jacob Druckman
15. Lukas Foss
16. Philip Glass
17. Steve Reich
Part IV. The Iconoclasts: Eccentric Thought-Provoking Performers18. Kelvyn Bell
19. Jean-Paul Bourelly
20. Glenn Branca
21. Fred Frith
22. Wayne Horvitz
Part V. The Vocalists: Experimenters with Voice and Words23. Laurie Anderson
24. Joan La Barbara
Part VI. The Dissenters: Modern Jazz Innovators25. Andrew Cyrille
26. Bill Frisell
27. Ronald Shannon Jackson
28. Evan Parker
Part VII. The Popular Avant-Garde: Pop Idiom Crossovers29. Living Colour
30. Peter Gordon and Arthur Russell
31. John Lurie
32. Andy Partridge
Part VIII. The Global Nomads: International Superstars of Western Thought33. Baaba Maal
34. Astor Piazzolla
35. Ravi Shankar
Part IX. The Performance Artists: Art Meets Movement36. Eric Bogosian
37. David Harrington
38. Bill T. Jones
39. Margaret Leng Tan
40. Michel Waisvisz
Notes
Index
