Listen to music by the smallest possible ensembles, i.e. two people, and sometimes three people, like the London-centered band Szun Waves, Mary Halvorson and Robbie Lee, and Shadi Fathi and Bijan Chemirani.
Hear music that draws on electronic music, the traditions of China, Ethiopia, Iran, as well as music for pedal steel and theremin. Electronic producer Luke Abbott, Laurence Pike of PVT and Jack Wyllie of Portico Quartet, aka Szun Waves combine sax, synth and percussion, electronics to creating space-filled sonic landscapes. There’s also music from American saxophonist Mark Turner and Danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug, from their record, Faroe.
Then, the duo of guitarist Mary Halvorson and sax player and flutist Robbie Lee have combined their improvisatory powers on Seed Triangular, extending their reach into early music, folk, and jazz. Halvorson plays a harp guitar - an 18-string Knutsen harp guitar (circa 1899)- and other vintage stringed instruments, while Lee performs on unusual wind instruments - baroque flute and the world's smallest saxophone.
Listen to the Syrian oud player Issam Rafea and Chinese pipa player Gao Hong draw on their life experiences in melodic improvisations on the record, Life As Is. Hear music drawn from Persian classical music tradition from the Iranian duo of lutenist Shadi Fathi who plays both setar and shourangiz, and percussionist Bijan Chemirani who plays zarb off of their record, Delâshena, or "Familiar in the Heart." There’s also a bit of music from composer and sax player Shelley Washington, together with José Antonio Zayas Cabán on baritone saxophones – and her work, “Big Talk.”
Program #4142 Music for Duos and Trios (First aired 8/23/2018)
ARTIST: Szun Waves
WORK: Fall Into Water [1:45]
RECORDING: New Hymn To Freedom
SOURCE: The Leaf Label, due out 8/31/2018
INFO: szunwaves.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Mary Halvorson and Robbie Lee
WORK: Spring Up There [4:41]
RECORDING: Seed Triangular
SOURCE: New Amsterdam Records | Due out Sept. 7, 2018
INFO: newamrecords.com
ARTIST: Mikkel Ploug & Mark Turner
WORK: Faroe [5:22]
RECORDING: Faroe
SOURCE: Sunnyside Records
INFO: sunnysidezone.com
ARTIST: Issam Rafea and Gao Hong
WORK: Summer Rain [3:42]
RECORDING: Life As Is
SOURCE: Innova 997
INFO: innova.mu
ARTIST: Shadi Fathi, Bijan Chemirani
WORK: Hamsayeh [4:02]
RECORDING: Delâshena
SOURCE: Buda Musique
INFO: budamusique.com
ARTIST: Eténèsh Wassié, Mathieu Sourisseau, with Julie Läderbach
WORK: Ambassel [4:44]
RECORDING: Yene Alem
SOURCE: Buda Musique
INFO: budamusique.com
ARTIST: Szun Waves
WORK: Fall Into Water [6:53]
RECORDING: New Hymn To Freedom
SOURCE: The Leaf Label, due out 8/31/2018
INFO: szunwaves.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel
WORK: Spiritus Aetheris [6:07]
RECORDING: 10
SOURCE: dftals.bandcamp.com
INFO: duetonline.net
ARTIST: Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes
WORK: TRACK ONE [5:52]
RECORDING: Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar
SOURCE: Leaving Records
INFO: leavingrecords.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Shelley Washington & José Antonio Zayas Cabán
WORK: BIG Talk, excerpt [1:50]
RECORDING: BIG Talk
SOURCE/INFO: shelleywashington.bandcamp.com