Roscoe Mitchell - Distant Radio Transmission (2020)

Roscoe Mitchell With Ostravaska Banda Performing Distant Radio Transmission Also Nonaah Trio, Cutouts For Woodwind Quintet, And 8.8.88

The first Piece 'Distant Radio Transmission' was first recorded as an improvisation by Roscoe Mitchell, Craig Taborn, and Kikanju Baku in 2013 and released as the third composition on Roscoe Mitchell Conversations I (Wide Hive Records WH-0317). It was then transcribed by Stephen P. Harvey in 2016 with further Transcription and Orchestration of air sounds for Strings by John Ivers in 2017 and finally then fully Orchestrated by Roscoe Mitchell in 2017. Here it is performed in 2019 by Mr Mitchell on Soprano Saxophone and the influential Czech Orchestra Ostravaska Banda.

'Nonaah Trio' was recorded in Oregon with Roscoe Mitchell on Soprano Saxophone, Dana Reason on Piano, John C Savage on Flute, and Catherine Lee D. Mus on Oboe. 'Cutouts for Woodwind Quintet' was rewritten for five instruments by Mr. Mitchell in 2019 and recorded in New York before his Park Avenue Armory performance in March of 2019.

August 8, 1988 Roscoe wrote three compositions for piano intended for the great concert pianist Mr. Joseph Kubera. Since this work was not subject to the constraints associated with commissioned work Roscoe spent ten years finalizing the first movement. In 1998 The Mutable Music Foundation commissioned the composition's remaining movements. 8/8/88 consists of three sections. The first movement is 35 measures long, divided asymmetrically into uncommon time signatures such as 15/8, 11/8, 17/8 etc. The second movement has 17 measures and the third movement 44 measures. Here it is performed on a Disklavier by Seth Horvitz.