Engineer, Performer, Producer: Negotiations of Constructed Elements of Sound and Performance of a Jazz Recording
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ABSTRACT Title of Document: ENGINEER, PERFORMER, PRODUCER: NEGOTIATIONS OF CONSTRUCTED ELEMENTS OF SOUND AND PERFORMANCE OF A JAZZ RECORDING Steven J. Treager, Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Directed By: Dr. Robert C. Provine, Division of Musicology and Ethnomusicology, School of Music This dissertation investigates the relationship between the engineer, the performer, and the producer in the creation of a jazz CD, first by laying a foundation for the need to study how a commercial recording is made, then by defining, in historical context, the development of the work of the engineer and the producer. Concepts for defining the performer are also discussed. The roles of engineer, performer, and producer are compared according to the author‘s modus operandi, which is based on a thirty-year involvement in the recording industry in all of these positions. The literature review examines how physics, psychology, aesthetics, and music relate to recording processes and personnel and shows how art and science intersect and become inexorably linked during the creation of a jazz CD. An ethnographic analysis, from the time of the inception of a CD project through the first two days of recording, follows the processes, procedures, and interactions between the engineer, the performers, and the producer. Problems and resolutions of session planning, studio logistics, musical goals, and personnel are discussed. Problems and resolutions during the edit sessions are also covered. With experimental data, the limits of performance acceptability of time differentials between entrances are tested. Altering improvisations through pitch and time manipulation and complete phrase alteration are considered. Because this CD was constructed, issues of perspective are at the forefront of the discussion in the mix portion of the recording process. Perspective, both left to right and front to back, sonic quality, and perceived acoustic—the room—are discussed. Finally, events create unexpected twists, and necessary changes are made to resolve these circumstances. ENGINEER, PERFORMER, PRODUCER: NEGOTIATIONS OF CONSTRUCTED ELEMENTS OF SOUND AND PERFORMANCE OF A JAZZ RECORDING. By Steven J. Treager Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ethnomusicology 2011 Advisory Committee: Professor Robert C. Provine, Chair Professor Lawrence Witzleben Professor Allan Stairs Visiting Assistant Professor Fernando Rios Professor Emeritus Bertram Turetzky Professor Emeritus Józef Pacholczyk © Copyright by Steven J. Treager 2011 Dedication To my parents, now you can kvell. ii …and to my wife, you deserve your own page. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank a few people who have helped and supported me throughout my tenure at the University of Maryland. I feel extremely fortunate to have crossed paths with several faculty members who have guided me through the dissertation process. First, I would like to thank Dr. Robert Provine for his patience, humor, and expertise as he dragged me kicking and screaming through this process. I am extraordinarily pleased that you, too, have survived. I look forward to the day when we move from the teacher-student relationship to be colleagues and friends. I would also like to thank Dr. Józef Pacholczyk for challenging me during our seminars and helping me formalize some of my theoretical ideas. I truly appreciate having somebody who would challenge my every thought and idea and make me assess and reassess everything I thought I knew. I will always be indebted to you for your kindness, friendship, and sharing your tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge. To John Jensen and, by extension, Ticee, for all the time you spent with me— little did you know, what a commitment this would be, but as my primary source of information, you were very willing to share your time, expertise, and opinions. Finally, to Sonya Garfinkel for reading, editing, commenting, and gently guiding my writing toward academic prose. Just as it is possible for the recording engineer and the producer to make the performer sound better than he is, you have done the same for my writing. iv CONTENTS DEDICATION .............................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: CONCEPTS AND HISTORY ............................................................... 1 The Room ........................................................................................................... 4 The Triumvirate of Recording ................................................................................. 5 The Engineer ....................................................................................................... 6 The Performer ................................................................................................... 13 The Producer ..................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 2: WEARING THREE HATS ................................................................. 24 The Recording Process .......................................................................................... 27 Before the Recording ............................................................................................. 28 As the Engineer ................................................................................................. 28 As the Performer ............................................................................................... 30 As the Producer ................................................................................................. 31 Day of the Recording ............................................................................................. 32 As the Engineer ................................................................................................. 32 As the Performer ............................................................................................... 40 As the Producer ................................................................................................. 43 After the Recording Session: The Edit/Mix Session ............................................. 45 As the Engineer ................................................................................................. 45 As the Performer ............................................................................................... 48 As the Producer ................................................................................................. 49 CHAPTER 3: REVIEW OF LITERATURE: INTERSECTIONS ............................. 51 Physics ................................................................................................................... 55 The Engineer and Physics ................................................................................. 56 Psychology ............................................................................................................. 60 The Performer ................................................................................................... 61 The Producer ..................................................................................................... 65 Aesthetics ............................................................................................................... 66 The Producer ..................................................................................................... 67 Music...................................................................................................................... 69 The Engineer ..................................................................................................... 71 The Performer ................................................................................................... 79 The Producer ..................................................................................................... 81 Ethnomusicology .............................................................................................. 82 CHAPTER 4: PRE-RECORDING AND RECORDING SESSIONS ........................ 92 Recording Session—Day One ............................................................................... 98 Recording Session—Day Two ............................................................................. 122 CHAPTER 5: AUDIO ALCHEMY.......................................................................... 143 The Editing Process ............................................................................................. 145 ―It Don't Mean a Thing‖ ................................................................................. 145 Transcription ........................................................................................................ 156 v ―Broadway‖..................................................................................................... 161 Testing the Limits of Acceptability ........................................................... 167 Mixing .................................................................................................................. 176 CHAPTER 6: AN OVERDUB AND CONCLUSIONS .......................................... 186 Recording