Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left Center

4-2-22 Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center

Greetings!
Welcome to the latest installment of Pushing The Envelope.  A sizeable chunk of this week's program focuses on the work of Mike Garson, both as composer and pianist/keyboard player whose is particularly noted for his years playing live and in studio with David Bowie. 
For further insight into Mr. Garson's work, check out Clifford Slapper's book, "Bowie's Piano Man: The Life of Mike Garson" and for his own insight into his work with Bowie, the fascinating 2017 documentary, "David Bowie: The Last Five Years".
Enjoy!!
 
 
Joel
P.S. If you'd like to get in touch: here's the e-mail: pushingtheenvelopewhus@gmail.com
 
 
4/2 Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center
 
Selected Nowtudes - piano: Danny Holt / composer: Mike Garson - Piano Music of Mike Garson - Innova (2022)
https://www.innova.mu/albums/danny-holt/piano-music-mike-garson
 
Tribute to David - Mike Garson - The Bowie Variations - Reference Recordings (2011)
https://referencerecordings.com/recording/the-bowie-variations-garson/
 
Heroes - Mike Garson - The Bowie Variations - Reference Recordings (2011)
https://referencerecordings.com/recording/the-bowie-variations-garson/
 
Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?) - David Bowie feat. Mike Garson - Aladdin Sane - Parlophone (2015/1973)
 
Life On Mars - David Bowie  feat.  Mike Garson - Net Aid: Wembley Stadium (1999)
https://youtu.be/zEa4WZaWKAw
 
Life On Mars - Trent Reznor / Atticus Ross - Watchmen: Vol. 3 (Music from the HBO Series) - The Null Corporation (2019)
https://variety.com/2020/music/news/trent-reznor-atticus-ross-watchmen-score-interview-1234696355/ 
 
Blackstar - Mya Beiser / Evan Ziporyn / Ambient Orchestra  - Bowie Cello Symphonic: Blackstar - Islandia Music (2020)
https://www.islandiamusic.com/#content
 
ecole polytechnique - Hildegard Westerkamp - Breaking News - Earsay Music (2021)
https://earsaymusic.bandcamp.com/album/breaking-news
 
Ni ici, ni là-bas - Juro Kim Feliz - Musicworks #141 - Musicworks (2022)
https://www.musicworks.ca/whats-inside-musicworks-141
 
Dawn Chorus (In memory of Terry Boblet) - Dubious Candy - Women Take Back The Drone (compilation) - digital release (2022)
https://womentakebackthenoise.bandcamp.com/album/various-women-take-back-the-drone
 
Witch Versus Men & Machines - Cyoakha Grace - Women Take Back The Drone (compilation) - digital release (2022)
https://womentakebackthenoise.bandcamp.com/album/various-women-take-back-the-drone

3/19/22 Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center

Greetings!
Welcome to the latest installment of Pushing The Envelope.  As you will note, I was recovering from a fairly intense chest cold that my 4 year old grandson, he of the large germs, was kind enough to share with me.  I therefore opted to have some fun with some online text to speech voices and processing to present the show.  Enjoy!!
Joel
P.S. If you'd like to get in touch, here's the e-mail: pushingtheenvelopewhus@gmail.com
 
3/19/22 Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center
 
Planet (Live) - Solilians - In the Running 1 - Skyjelly / Solilians - I Heart Noise (2020)
https://iheartnoise.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-running-1-skyjelly-solilians
 
Seein It (Vinyl) - Skyjelly - Skyjelly / Solilians - I Heart Noise (2020)
https://iheartnoise.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-running-1-skyjelly-solilians
 
Poptones - Jah Wobble - Metal Box - Rebuilt In Dub - Cleopatra (2021)
http://cleorecs.com/home/playlist/jah-wobble-metal-box-rebuilt-in-dub/
 
Unison - String Noise - A Lunch Between Order and Chaos - self-release (2021)
https://stringnoise.bandcamp.com/album/a-lunch-between-order-and-chaos
 
Part 1 - Francisco Mela and Shinya Lin - Motions Vol. 1 - 577 Records (2022)
https://www.577records.com/5908-1
 
Celestial Navigation - Richard Carr - Over The Ridge - Neuma Records (2021)
https://neumarecords.org/ols/products/richard-carr-over-the-edge
 
Sirens of Kyiv / Crowd Life Underground - Squid In Chains (Douglas Schmidt / John Oliver / Francois Houle) - Sirens of Kyiv - John Oliver Music (2022)
https://johnolivermusic.bandcamp.com/album/sirens-of-kyiv
 
The Mask - Octarine Sky feat. Simon Phillips  & Guthrie Govan- Close To Nearby - Uberwald Records (2021)
https://twitter.com/OctarineSkyBand
 
Fives - Lee Ritenour w/ Guthrie Govan & Tal Wilkenfeld - Lee Ritenour's 6 String Theory - Concord Records (2010)
https://leeritenour.com/music/6-string-theory/
 
Alien Orifice - Frank Zappa - Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention - Zappa Records (1985)
https://www.zappa.com/music/frank-zappa-meets-mothers-prevention
 
The Advent of Panurge - Gentle Giant - Octopus (Steven Wilson Mix) - Alucard (1972/2015)
https://gentlegiantmusic.com/GG/Octopus#CD_releases
 
This Is The Way I Am - Rachel Flowers - Bigger On The Inside - Rachel Flowers Music (2021)
http://rachelflowersmusic.com/discography/bigger-on-the-inside/
 
For A. E. On Their 30th Birthday - piano: Kate Ledger /composer: Matthew Lee Knowles - FOR [PART ONE: ACCRETION]" - digital release (2022)
https://matthewleeknowles.bandcamp.com/album/for-part-one-accretion
 
Fists - Perry Botkin, Jr. - Combines 3 - self-release (2003)
 
La Muchacha De Los Suenos Dorados - Harold Budd / Ruben Garcia / Daniel Lentz - Music for Three Pianos - Gyroscope / All Saints Records (1992)

PTE Redux 3: The Return of Pushing The Envelope 3/12/22

Greetings!
"Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center" returns to the airwaves of WHUS, now in pre-recorded form, following a move from Connecticut to Maryland. It airs in it's same time-slot, Saturdays from 11am to 1pm EST, should you want to hear it fresh off the presses, or you can check it out at your leisure, here.
To get in touch, here's the new email: pushingtheenvelopewhus@gmail.com
Enjoy!
Joel 
 
Playlist for "Pushing the Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center" 3/12/22
\very/ specifically vague - Transient Canvas (bass clarinet: Amy Advocat/percussion:Matt Sharrock) / composer: Emily Koh - Right now, in a second - New Focus (2020)
https://www.newfocusrecordings.com/catalogue/transient-canvas-right-now-in-a-second/ 
 
medi + aTion - baritone sax: Philipp Staudin / composer: Emily Koh - [word] plays - Innova (2021)
https://www.innova.mu/albums/emily-koh/wordplays
 
Postnuclearwinterscenario - guitar: William Anderson / composer: JacobTV - GENIUS LOCI: Audacities & Properties - Ravello Records (2021)
https://www.ravellorecords.com/catalog/rr8047/index.html
 
On The Sixth Attempt They Trod On It - Peter Banks’s Harmony In Diversity - The Best Of... -  The Peter Banks Musical Estate (2021)
https://glassonyonpr.com/category/peter-banks/
 
The Shadow Garden - Bill Nelson - Dreamy Screens: Soundtracks from the Echo Observatory - Cocteau Discs (2017)
 https://www.billnelson.com/dreamy-screens
 
Hallogallo - Neu! - Neu! - Groenland Records (1972)
https://www.groenland.com/en/artist/neu-2/
 
Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road - Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom - Virgin (1974) 
 
Champegarpaen - Jean Yves Labat - M. Frog - Bearsville (1973) 
 
The Rhythm of the Heat - Security Project - Contact - 7d Media (2017)
https://securityproject.bandcamp.com/album/contact
 
Nights in White Satin / Moggio - The Ed Palermo Big Band - The Great Un-American Songbook Vol. III: Run for Your Life - Sky Cat Records (2020)
https://palermobigband.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-un-american-songbook-vol-iii-run-for-your-life
 
Dark Riders - Matrix - Matrix IX - RCA (1977)
http://www.matrixjazz.com/
 
I'm a Mineralist - Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports - Columbia (1981)
https://www.allmusic.com/album/nick-masons-fictitious-sports-mw0000094501
 
Jagannath - Simon Phillips - Protocol V - Phantom Recordings (2022)
http://www.simon-phillips.com/
 
Luciform for flute & electronics - flute: Claire Chase / composer: Mario Diaz de Leon - Density 2036 (2013-2015) - Corbett vs Dempsey (2020)
http://www.clairechase.net/densityoverview
 
Dover Beach (from "Jubilee", 1978) - Brian Eno - Film Music 1976-2020 - Opal Records (2020)
http://brian-eno.net  
 

PTE Redux 2: The Return of Pushing The Envelope 3/5/22

Greetings!
After leaving the airwaves and live broadcasting upon the advent of the pandemic, "Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center" returns to the airwaves of WHUS, now in pre-recorded form, following a move from Connecticut to Maryland. It airs in it's same time-slot, Saturdays from 11am to 1pm EST, should you want to hear it fresh off the presses, or you can check it out at your leisure, here.
To get in touch, here's the new email: pushingtheenvelopewhus@gmail.com
Enjoy!
Joel 
 
Playlist for "Pushing the Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center" 2/26/22
Little Rotors (Requiem for Osmia) - Museleon - In Other Places Too - self-release (2020)
https://museleon.bandcamp.com/track/little-rotors-requiem-for-osmia
 
Backmask - preston.outatime - Mirror Radius - Subexotic (2021)
https://prestonoutatime.bandcamp.com/album/mirror-radius-2
 
Four Parts Five:, part 2 - Gordon Beeferman - Four Parts Five - Innova (2015)
https://www.innova.mu/albums/gordon-beeferman/four-parts-five
 
Land of Dragons Suite - Anthony Phillips -Missing Links I-IV - Esoteric Recordings (2020)
http://www.anthonyphillips.co.uk/
 
Theusz Hamtaahk (fragment) - Magma - Eskähl 2020 Bordeaux​-​Toulouse​-​Perpignan - Seventh Records (2021)
https://seventhrecordsmagma.bandcamp.com/album/esk-hl-2020-bordeaux-toulouse-perpignan
 
Pigs (Three Different Ones) - James LaBrie / Al Di Meola, Joe Bouchard / Patrick Moraz / Billy Cobham - Animals Reimagined - A Tribute to Pink Floyd - Cleopatra (2021)
http://cleorecs.com/home/playlist/animals-reimagined-a-tribute-to-pink-floyd/
 
The Endless Enigma - Keith Emerson Band & Rachel Flowers - Fanfare for the Uncommon Man: The Official Keith Emerson Tribute Concert - Cherry Red (2021)
https://fanfarefortheuncommonman.com/
 
Take Me Away - Rachel Flowers - Bigger On The Inside - Rachel Flowers Music (2021)
http://rachelflowersmusic.com/
 
Shipol - KALI Trio - LOOM - Ronin Rhythm Records (2021)
https://roninrhythmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/loom
 
Master Builder - Gong -  Live At The Gong Family Unconventional Gathering by Gong - A-Wave (2021)
https://gong2032.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-gong-family-unconventional-gathering

PTE Redux: The Return of Pushing The Envelope 2/26/22

Greetings!
After leaving the airwaves and live broadcasting upon the advent of the pandemic, "Pushing The Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center" returns to the airwaves of WHUS, now in pre-recorded form, following a move from Connecticut to Maryland. It airs in it's same time-slot, Saturdays from 11am to 1pm EST, should you want to hear it fresh off the presses, or you can check it out at your leisure, here.
To get in touch, here's the new email: pushingtheenvelopewhus@gmail.com
Enjoy!
Joel 
Playlist for "Pushing the Envelope: Music Decidedly Left of Center" 2/26/22
Crimson Jig - City Weezle - No. 2 - self-release (2020)
https://cityweezle.bandcamp.com
 
Protuberanzen Nos. 2 & 3 - TRIONYS - Earsay Music (2021)
https://earsay.com/
 
Bell Illuminations - piano: Daniel Pesca / composer: Augusta Read Thomas - Promontory - Neuma Records (2021)
www.NeumaRecords.org
 
31 Breaths - Douglas Schmidt - Isolation Journal 4 - Friends - John Oliver Music (2021)
https://johnolivermusic.com/
 
31 Clouds - John Oliver & Douglas Schmidt - Isolation Journal 4 - John Oliver Music (2021)
https://johnolivermusic.com/
 
Citrus, My Love (Scenes 1-8) - accordian/composer: Guy Klucevsek w/ The Bantam Orchestra - Citrus, My Love -Starkland (2021/1995)
https://www.starkland.com/
 
Hammers - percussion ensemble: RECAP / flute: Tiahna Sterling / composer: Allison Loggins-Hull - Count To Five - Innova (2021)
https://www.innova.mu/albums/recap/count-five
 
Type Writer - Flutronix (Nathalie Joachim / Allison Loggins-Hull) - Flutronix 2.0 - Flutronix Records (2014)
https://www.flutronix.com/
 
Donershtik - Amanda Chaudhary - Meow Meow Band - self-release (2021)
https://amandachaudhary.bandcamp.com/album/meow-meow-band
 
Preview - Grant Calvin Weston - Dance Romance - In & Out Records (1988)
https://gcalvinweston1.bandcamp.com/
 
Offering (Parts I-IV) -  composer: Douglas J. Cuomo /feat. Nels Cline and the Aizuri Quartet - Seven Limbs - Sunnyside Records (2021)
https://www.sunnysiderecords.com/site/release_detail?id=1084
 
House of Return - The Jeff Gauthier Goatette - Cryptogramophone (2008)
https://cryptogramophone.com/ 

CT Summerfest Interview Series 2018: Xelana Duo

Greetings!
PTE's radio presence continues for it's 28th year, airing on Saturday mornings from 10am – 1pm EST on WHUS / Storrs, CT (http://www.whus.org/listen-live).
PTE and CT Summerfest are pleased to bring you a new series of interviews with the CT Summerfest ensembles-in residence and composer faculty.
Enjoy!
Joel
 
 
CT SUMMERFEST is a weeklong contemporary music festival for the education and career advancement of emerging composers and performers. The festival is comprised of seminars, lessons, rehearsals, and recording sessions for participants, as well as a free concert series open to the public, featuring ensembles-in-residence and new works by participant composers!  
The concerts will take place from June 15-19 at The Hartt School's Berkman Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT.
All of Connecticut Summerfest's concerts are free to attend and open to the public. No advanced ticket reservation is required, and live streams are available!
 
http://xelanaduo.com/
 
Xelana Duo balances the refinement of classical music while zigzagging through hip-hop, blues, flamenco, bollywood, and rock n' roll. The Duo surprises you with an unexpected instrumentation filled with vibrant shades, that are each dazzling on their own, but simply breathtaking when joined together. Daring these two instruments to have a conversation, Xelana Duo commissions electrifying works, creating an ice-breaker for this unusual collaboration of bassoon and saxophone.
Ana and Alex return to Connecticut Summerfest for a second year as one of three ensembles-in-residence.   During our talk, they catch us up on what has developed since last year's Summerfest and their future plans.
Enjoy!
 
 

CT Summerfest Interview Series: Apple Orange Pair

Greetings!
Welcome to the return of the Pushing The Envelope Podcast!  PTE and CT Summerfest are pleased to bring you the fourth in a series of interviews with the CT Summerfest ensembles-in residence and composer faculty. Today's podcast features an interview with CT Summerfest ensemble-in-residence, Apple Orange Pair.
Don't forget, PTE's radio presence continues for it's 27th year, airing on Saturdays from 11am to 2pm EST on WHUS / Storrs, CT (http://www.whus.org/listen-live).
  
Enjoy!
Joel
 
 
CT SUMMERFEST is a weeklong contemporary music festival for the education and career advancement of emerging composers and performers. The festival is comprised of seminars, lessons, rehearsals, and recording sessions for participants, as well as a free concert series open to the public, featuring ensembles-in-residence and new works by participant composers!  
The concerts will take place from June 16-20 at The Hartt School's Berkman Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT.
All of Connecticut Summerfest's concerts are free to attend and open to the public. No advanced ticket reservation is required, and live streams are available!
 
Apple Orange Pair (Emily Boyer, horn, and Colleen Potter Thorburn, harp) is a duo committed to engaging audiences through a growing repertoire for this unexpected pairing. Since its founding in Connecticut in 2010, the duo has premiered fourteen new works by emerging composers. Five of these new works are featured on their debut album, “Seeds,” released in 2013. Apple Orange Pair regularly serves as an ensemble-in-residence at new music festivals and universities, where they present workshops on contemporary composition for their instruments and bring to life new works by student and faculty composers.
They have performed as ensemble-in-residence at Connecticut Summerfest at Hartt School of Music in Hartford, where they are returning for a second season this June, and are serving as ensemble-in-residence for Central Connecticut State University’s music department for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Apple Orange Pair has been honored as the recipient of commissioning grants from the American Harp Society and the Yale School of Music’s alumniVentures program. They have also participated in several chamber music residencies at Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire.
For further information, please visit http://www.appleorangepair.com

CT Summerfest Interview Series: Gilda Lyons

Greetings!
Welcome to the return of the Pushing The Envelope Podcast!  PTE and CT Summerfest are pleased to bring you the third in a series of interviews with the CT Summerfest ensembles-in residence and composer faculty. Today's podcast features an interview with CT Summerfest composer faculty member, Gilda Lyons.
Don't forget, PTE's radio presence continues for it's 27th year, airing on Saturdays from 11am to 2pm EST on WHUS / Storrs, CT (http://www.whus.org/listen-live).
  
Enjoy!
Joel
 
 
CT SUMMERFEST is a weeklong contemporary music festival for the education and career advancement of emerging composers and performers. The festival is comprised of seminars, lessons, rehearsals, and recording sessions for participants, as well as a free concert series open to the public, featuring ensembles-in-residence and new works by participant composers!  
The concerts will take place from June 16-20 at The Hartt School's Berkman Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT.
All of Connecticut Summerfest's concerts are free to attend and open to the public. No advanced ticket reservation is required, and live streams are available!
 
 
GILDA LYONS, composer, vocalist, and visual artist, combines elements of renaissance, neo-baroque, spectral, folk, agitprop Music Theater, and extended vocalism to create works of uncompromising emotional honesty and melodic beauty. An active vocalist and fierce advocate of contemporary music, Dr. Lyons has commissioned, premiered, and workshopped new vocal works by dozens of composers.
She received her Ph.D. in Music Composition from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Bard College. Dr. Lyons made her professional debut as composer and vocalist with the American Symphony Chamber Orchestra in 1997, performing the world premiere of her orchestral song cycle "Feis." 
As composer, current recording projects include the release of Lyons’ work by Quince and Entelechron in the upcoming season. Lyons’ vocal collaboration with Laura Ward will be released on Lyric Fest’s all-Hagen CD. Sing for Hope featured Lyons' Hold On on their most recent release, An AIDS Quilt Songbook. Lindsey Goodman's tour de force performance of Lyons' Chrysalis was released on Goodman's debut CD, reach through the sky. As composer and vocalist her works and performances are available on the Clarion, GPR Records, Naxos, New Dynamic Records, and Roven Records labels.
Dr. Lyons serves on the Board of Advisors of Composers Now and teaches composition at The Hartt School, University of Hartford. In addition, she is Artistic and Executive Director of The Phoenix Concerts, New York's "intrepid" and "plucky Upper West Side new-music series" (The New Yorker). Their mission is to offer excellent contemporary concert music of a broad stylistic range, commission new works by emerging and established composers and to remain committed to the inclusive nature of musical performance.
For further information, please visit  www.gildalyons.com.

CT Summerfest Interview Series: Ken Steen

Greetings!
Welcome to the return of the Pushing The Envelope Podcast!  PTE and CT Summerfest are pleased to bring you the second in a series of interviews with the CT Summerfest ensembles-in residence and composer faculty.
Don't forget, PTE's radio presence continues for it's 27th year, airing on Saturday mornings from 10am – 1pm EST on WHUS / Storrs, CT (http://www.whus.org/listen-live).
 
Enjoy!
Joel
 
 
 
CT SUMMERFEST is a weeklong contemporary music festival for the education and career advancement of emerging composers and performers. The festival is comprised of seminars, lessons, rehearsals, and recording sessions for participants, as well as a free concert series open to the public, featuring ensembles-in-residence and new works by participant composers!  
The concerts will take place from June 16-20 at The Hartt School's Berkman Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT.
All of Connecticut Summerfest's concerts are free to attend and open to the public. No advanced ticket reservation is required, and live streams are available!
 
 
Ken Steen is a composer, sound artist and educator living in Glastonbury, CT. His music sits squarely on the frontier between the acoustic and electronic domains of musical expression; often combining traditional orchestra, chamber ensemble or soloist with electronic instruments or processed sound and noise.  He is currently Professor of Composition and Theory, director of Studio D at the Hartt School, University of Hartford and member of the 2017 CT Summerfest composition faculty.
In addition to composing concert music in many forms, Steen has composed a wide variety of works both acoustic and electronic for sound installation, dance, theater and web-distribution. His music and soundworks have been featured on concert and radio programs throughout the U.S.A., Canada, Italy, Belgium, Romania, Australia, Cuba and Japan among others.
Steen's music can be found on the Capstone, Vienna Modern Masters, Auralit and CRI CD labels, as well as at www.kensteen.com, and is published by University of Arizona Publications, Harrock Hall Music as well as American Composers Edition.  

CT Summerfest Interview Series: Xelana Duo

Greetings!
 
As the phoenix rises from the ashes, so returns the Pushing The Envelope Podcast!  PTE's radio presence continues for it's 27yh year, airing on Saturday mornings from 10am – 1pm EST on WHUS / Storrs, CT (http://www.whus.org/listen-live).
PTE and CT Summerfest are pleased to bring you the first in a series of interviews with the CT Summerfest ensembles-in residence and composer faculty.
Enjoy!
Joel
 
 
 
CT SUMMERFEST is a weeklong contemporary music festival for the education and career advancement of emerging composers and performers. The festival is comprised of seminars, lessons, rehearsals, and recording sessions for participants, as well as a free concert series open to the public, featuring ensembles-in-residence and new works by participant composers!  
The concerts will take place from June 16-20 at The Hartt School's Berkman Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT.
All of Connecticut Summerfest's concerts are free to attend and open to the public. No advanced ticket reservation is required, and live streams are available!
 
https://youtu.be/JrzF8r9vrxE
 
Xelana Duo balances the refinement of classical music while zigzagging through hip-hop, blues, flamenco, bollywood, and rock n' roll. The Duo surprises you with an unexpected instrumentation filled with vibrant shades, that are each dazzling on their own, but simply breathtaking when joined together. Daring these two instruments to have a conversation, Xelana Duo commissions electrifying works, creating an ice-breaker for this unusual collaboration of bassoon and saxophone.
Get to know Ana García Caraballos and Alex Davis, the artists behind Xelana Duo!