the transbay Creative Music Calendar FEBRUARY 2009 INTERVIEW AFTER FULL CONSIDERATION greenlief @50 top ten of 2008 February 2009 marks local musician and This year’s Top Ten Transbaynian Musical composer Phillip Greenlief’s 50th birthday. Moments includes some diverse definitions The Transbay found Phillip by logging on the of “top” and “ten” as well as some elasticity to interWebs and exhanging several messages in the interpretation of “transbaynian” and, with the artist as he reflected on his art and you knew this, “music.” The lists draw from life. sources as disparate as the pages of Wallace’s (RIP 2008) Infinite Jest and a pedestrian Transbay: This month you’re presenting a ton plaza in Manhattan’s Meat Packing District, of events that reflect your 50th year. Which with plenty of noise, extended technique, re- of the performances commemorate your work markable record releases and regime change to date? Which ones represent fully matured in between. It’s all wrapped in the highlights ideas? Which ones are based on new inquiry? and lowlights of the beloved venue 21 Grand Phillip Greenlief: I don’t think you can parcel Arts Group, Inc. To balance, this issue also in 2008, 2009 (and 2010, 11 and 12, but only out what aspect of your artistic life rises to includes a manifesto on the subject of per- until the pole shift) is still available for that the surface on any given occasion. With all of petual anxiety among musicians: the death purpose. the groups I’m working with this month (Lost of our art form. If you didn’t contemplate it Have at it. v Trio, Tatsuya Nakitani, 2+2, Citta di Vitti, the Carla Kihlstedt and Kate Rannels at the Uptown November 8, 2008. Photo by Michael Zelner large ensemble, Orchestra Nostalgico), I feel everything I have to offer is the culmination OVERHEARD AT THE FILLMORE ON DECEMBER 31, 2008 of my total experience. The idea was to per- form with groups that somehow summarize the end of music what I’ve been doing all these years. I would say that a band like the Lost Trio represents Good Hello, I’m Crosley Bendix, Foremost is that it’s all been done before, and there mature ideas – this is our 16th year of work- cultural critic and Director Of Stylistic Pre- is no longer anything truly new that can be ing together. As Joe DiOrio once informed monitions for The Universal Media Netweb. achieved in music anymore. me, you have to play jazz for about 30 years And I’ve been pushed out here to satisfy your before you can have anything to say that is insatiable appetite for entertainment, for just We have always been accustomed to assum- original. I have found that to be true: over the a little bit longer. Well, I hardly need to be ing there must be plenty of untried music left past few years playing with the Lost Trio I pushed… But you do! to discover in the future – but think again finally feel like I have my own voice in that about singing that old song - it’s no longer music. Most folks aren’t willing to wait that My cultural review tonight will not needless- true. ly stoop to criticize the performance you’ve continued on Page 8 just witnessed, I’m sure you don’t need me By now, all possible types of musical con- to do that. But from under my new hat, I hear cepts, compositional approaches, times, tem- the words “old hat” coming to mind. And pos, tones, tambres, arrangements, instrument does my mind mind? No, it’s way too late for usages and combinations, and even extra-mu- In this issue that, or anything else as far as so-called music sical additions to music - not to mention John is concerned. Cage’s silence, - have already been tried in everything from the classical to today’s avant top And I’m not talking about this music or that guard. Transbaynian music – No, I’m talking about ALL music – The whole sheebang – The entire kit and Oh sure, you can just keep rehashing any kaboodle. (whatever that is.) of these musical conventions over and over Moments of again, but calling it “new” only displays a Yes, every stitch in time, every note and convenient loss of musical memory, and rhyme, every type and every kind – All the nobody likes a copycat. music that’s ever been made by anyone 10 anywhere. The one no longer ignorable fact Oh, there’s plenty of note combinations left 2008 that don’t sound good – that’s why they’re continued on Page 2 the san francisco bay area monthly publication for experimental/improvised/noise/electronic/freejazz/outrock/21st century transgenred music and sonic art OVERHEARD AT THE FILLMORE ON DECEMBER 31, 2008 the end of music [continued from front page] left – But all the great, good, sort of good, And one more thing – for you fringe music and acceptable ones have been used up long connoisseurs out there who might be gestur- ago – Why do you think melodic music is so ing wildly in protest, wishing to propose the boring now? incorporation of cut-up found sound in col- lage music as something new – forget it. And, with no significantly new melodic in- vention possible, noise became inevitable… All that began back in the 1920s, was al- and by now, there are no new surprises pos- ready a well explored style when it became sible there either. We’ve heard it all before. popularized through digital technologies Noise is now just another racket. in the 80s and 90s, and is now thoroughly entrenched in common musical practices. At this late date in the nature of music, Yes, collage, too, has nowhere new to go, no new sprout of unique musical innova- and nowadays sounds more or less the same tion will ever be planted again. Or, to put no matter who is doing it. it another way, the tree of music is now so stuffed with birds that there are no new Indeed, collage music was just a gambit in perches available. And down here, under- which the only “new” concept was to be neath this incessantly singing overpopu- honestly unoriginal and just compose new lation, we listeners are being splattered, works out of old ones, recycling the already covered and smothered with this redundant disposable plethora of music into a slightly bird turd called music. You can’t brush it off. newer disposable plethora, and letting it go at that: temporarily stylish titillations that In short, it is now possible to declare that all unapologetically suck up the past and re- music is now 100% in the business of recy- position it into the present. cling and re-interpretation, forevermore. So now, music is really no different than TV. This is actually what most of you people That’s the future of it, and that’s the end of seem to like about it – endless variations it… within well established forms and well worn feelings, with performers re-spinning Well, I hope I haven’t ruined anything for completely familiar melodies, styles, and you, it’s just my job. And you’ve already structures. paid your money for this evening of harm- lessly familiar distractions, so you might as Crosley Bendix reads down the page. Nice hat, But what about those among us who are well stick around – coming up next with a mister. Photo by Michael Zelner actually interested in the potential for new valiant attempt to prove me wrong, will be invention in the sonic arts? Sorry, that the Butthole Surfers. I’m Crosley Bendix TEN GREAT PERFORMANCES 2008 potential simply no longer exists. A “been – good night, and give up. v [WITH SOME HIDDEN CLUES THAT I DON’T there, done that” sound barrier now blocks GET OUT ENOUGH] all forward movement in musical invention, beyond which only dogs can hear. tom duff TOP TEN OF 2008 June 6 at Matthew Sperry Festival TOP TEN OF 2008 • DISORDERED dj cypod John Butcher george chen 1. Garden of Memory at Chapel of the July 13 at Skronkathon Chimes Dirty Patina (Thomas Scandura, Morgan Grouper: Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill 2. The Maker Faire at San Mateo County Guberman, Gene Baker) (Type) Chris Brown and James Fei Fairgrounds Hydrogen Pellets (Daniel Hintz and Elvis Krallice (Profound Lore) 3. Philip Gelb & Jie Ma at Meridian Johnson) Prurient live Gallery Ava Mendoza and Moe! Staiano Mount Eerie: Lost Wisdom / Black Wooden 4. The Skronkathon at 21 Grand September 4 at San Francisco Electronic Ceiling Opening (PW Elverum & Sun) Music Festival (SFEMF) 5. Bay Area Computer Music Technology Ray Sweeten Ecstatic Sunshine live Group at Digidesign September 5 at SFEMF Bulbs: Light Ships (Freedom To Spend) 6. Dottedfields at Book Zoo Richard Teitelbaum improvising with ma++ Mincemeat or Tenspeed in a cave 7. What You Talkin’ About Willits at ingalls and John Ingle XLR8RTV Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra September 6 at SFEMF & Tra-La-La Band: 13 Blues for Thirteen 8. The Daily Bell project at The Rutro and the Logs Moons (Constellation) Exploratorium September 7 at SFEMF Pukers cassette 9. Old Puppy at Nabalom on Saturday Pauline Oliveros and Carl Stone mornings October 7 at Temescal Art Center 10. Black Market Techno at Club Oasis Moe! Staiano in a box TOP TEN GIGS OF 2008 To view a photo gallery of these events and lots of music people, check out Myles’ flickr site. http://flickr.com/photos/21341545@N00/sets/72157612648532729/ myles boisen* *guitarist/ recording engineer/ photographer/ bon vivant Cosa Brava first gig mations of the eccentric Emperor Norton.