Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire (Graphic Scores 1986âÂÂ96) is a double live album by English guitarist, composer and improvisor Fred Frith. It comprises a series of graphic scores Frith composed in 1992 "for any number of players". It was performed live by Frith, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins and the International Occasional Ensemble at five concerts in Canada (October 1992), Italy (May 1992), Belgium (May 1994), Netherlands (October 1994) and Germany (October 1995). Frith also conducted and directed the performances.
Background
The graphic scores used for the performances were a set of photographs taken by Frith of a variety of inanimate objects, including stone pavings, brick walls, windows, stacks of logs and high-tension wires. Each photograph had instructions explaining to the musicians how to interpret the patterns in the image. For example, "Skylight IV" was a photograph of skylights in a large building and was annotated as follows:
Frith chose the pictures for the patterns and repetitions they contained. Breaks in the patterns (for example, paint smudges, leaves on sand) guided soloists and defined instrumental groupings. Generally time was read from left to right and pitch vertically. Under the direction of Frith, with wide latitude given to each individual musician's interpretation of the proceedings, the resulting music was a form of structured improvisation. Dave Lynch at AllMusic wrote: "At its best, structured improvisation can provide a guiding context that enhances, rather than limits, the impact of the improvisations themselves. Such is the case with Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire, some of the best photographs you ever heard."
Track listing
All tracks composed by Fred Frith.
Venues
- Disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ2 recorded live at the Time Festival, Ghent, Belgium, May 1994
- Disc 1, tracks 3âÂÂ5 recorded live at the 10th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada, October 1992
- Disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8 recorded live at the Angelica Festival Internazionale di Musica, Bologna, Italy, May 1992
- Disc 1, tracks 9âÂÂ12 recorded live at the Jazz Marathon, Groningen, the Netherlands, October 1994
- Disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5 recorded live at the Kulturzentrum Dieselstrasse, Esslingen, Germany, October 1995
Personnel
- Fred Frith â violin, guitar, direction
- Ikue Mori (all but disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â drum computers
- Zeena Parkins (all but disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â harp, electric harp, accordion
- Olivia Bignardi (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â clarinet, bass clarinet
- Daniela Cattivelli (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â alto saxophone
- Jean Derome (disc 1, tracks 3âÂÂ5) â alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flutes
- Hans Koch (disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â saxophones, clarinets
- Roberto Paci Dalo (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â clarinet, bass clarinet
- Mariette Rouppe van der Voort (disc 1, tracks 9âÂÂ12; disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â soprano saxophone, flute, alto flute
- Co Streiff (disc 1, tracks 9âÂÂ12; disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Raymund van Santen (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ2,9âÂÂ12) â alto saxophone
- Peter Vermeersch (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ2) â tenor saxophone, clarinet
- Takashi Yamane (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ2) â bass clarinet
- Stefano Zorzanello (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â soprano saxophone, flute
- Lesli Dalaba (disc 1, tracks 3âÂÂ5) â trumpet
- Ferdinando d'Andria (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â trumpet, violin
- Bart Maris (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ2,9âÂÂ12; disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â trumpet
- Salvatore Panu (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â trombone
- Giorgio Simbola (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â bombardino
- Paolo Angeli (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â guitar
- Claudio Lanteri (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â guitar
- René Lussier (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â guitar, daxophone
- Jean-Marc Montera (disc 1, tracks 9âÂÂ12) â guitar
- Silvia Fanti (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â accordion
- Guy Klucevsek (disc 1, tracks 3âÂÂ5) â accordion
- Filomena Forleo (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â piano
- Myra Melford (disc 1, tracks 3âÂÂ5) â piano
- Daan van der Walle (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ2,9âÂÂ12) â piano
- Christine Wodraszka (disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â piano
- Pierangelo Galantino (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â violin, double bass
- Lelio Giannetto (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â double bass
- Han Bennink (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â drums
- Chris Cutler (disc 1, tracks 9âÂÂ12) â drums
- Ahmed Compaore (disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â drums
- Andrea Martignoni (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8; disc 2, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â percussion
- Mario Martignoni (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â percussion
- Pino Urso (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â percussion
- Nicola Zonca (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â marimba
- Marco Dalpane (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â keyboards
- Fred Giuliani (disc 1, tracks 9âÂÂ12) â samples
- Margareth Kammerer (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â voice
- Didier Roth (disc 1, tracks 1âÂÂ5) â bricolage
- Massimo Simonini (disc 1, tracks 6âÂÂ8) â records, CDs, Casio SK1
References
External links
- Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire at the International Festival Musique Actuelle, Victoriaville 1992.
- Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire presentation Exhibition of photographs, scores and clips from performances in Ghent and Victoriaville.