Members of Chicago-based quartet Third Coast Percussion, Robert Dillon and David Skidmore, present an exclusive preview of a rehearsal recording of major piece for percussion by Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy. It’s a large work for tuned drums, inspired by the traditional frame drum, the bodhran, and based on the overtone series. Players get to bend the pitches and venture into the world of microtonal music. Listen to these tom tom drums with surgical tubes attached for a player to exhale and alter the pitch of the drum by expanding the column of air inside in Dennehy’s piece, “Surface Tension.”

Also, hear Reich’s “Nagoya Marimbas” along with “Mallet Quartet,” from their brand new recording of music by Steve Reich. A fun aside: Third Coast Percussion has created a mobile app for users to interact with Steve Reich. Look for the app “Third Coast Percussion, the music of Steve Reich,” coming soon to an iPhone near you.

Plus, listen to a work from drummer/composer David T. Little for Third Coast Percussion, “Haunt of Last Nightfall,” which looks to a tragic 1981 massacre at El Mozote, El Salvador.   

PROGRAM #3831, With Third Coast Percussion (First Aired 2-17-2016)   

ARTIST: Third Coast Percussion
WORK: Steve Reich: Nagoya Marimbas [4:42]
RECORDING: Third Coast Percussion | Steve Reich
SOURCE: Cedille 161
INFO: thirdcoastpercussion.com

ARTIST: Third Coast Percussion
WORK: Donnacha Dennehy: Surface Tension, excerpt [11:17]
RECORDING: Private rehearsal recording
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.

ARTIST: Third Coast Percussion
WORK: Steve Reich: Mallet Quartet [14:54]
RECORDING: Third Coast Percussion | Steve Reich
SOURCE: Cedille 161
INFO: thirdcoastpercussion.com

ARTIST: Third Coast Percussion
WORK: David T. Little: Haunt of Last Nightfall, Part  1 [7:30]
RECORDING: Haunt of Last Nightfall
SOURCE: New Amsterdam Records 054
INFO: newamsterdamrecords.com