Just heard an interesting story on NPR about a Georgia Tech professor’s algorithmic modeling of improvisational styles of jazz musicians like Thelonious Monk and John Coletrane. (I’ve been working on a really basic thing in Max/MSP that can play like Terry Riley on A Rainbow in Curved Air).
There’s video on their site as well with a robot that plays the marimba. Check it out.
It has been confirmed that acoustic guitar master Jack Rose aka “Dr Ragtime” has passed away. He was only 38.
Jack Rose was one of the leaders of amazing Virginia experimental band Pelt, and a brilliant fingerstyle guitarist in the “American Primitive” tradition of John Fahey. I only got to see him play once (at the Circle Bar in New Orleans) and a second solo show last winter at the Hi Ho happened to come when I was down with a bad flu, and I remember being very disappointed that I had to miss it, but never imagined that would be my last chance to see him play ever.
A nice tribute to Jack, including video of him performing, from Arthur Magazine.
I can’t find much info about this film about the oud and banjo psych-folk pioneer, but I’d love to see it. Hope it comes to New Orleans sometime. Apparently it’s by Bull’s daughter.
My friend proswell has re-released “Konami” on his own Eerik Inpuj Sound netlabel. It’s 8 years old but now remastered; a really nice collection of impulse tracker songs in the IDM genre. For fans of Boards of Canada, Autechre, etc.
You can download Konami at Bandcamp. You can pay any amount you like, even $0.
Not just using laptops, but coding in a live performance? See this story on BBC News’ web site.
No mentions of what languages are being used, but screen shots seem to suggest Max/MSP and either CSound or ChucK.