Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire
Encyclopedia
Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire (Graphic Scores 1986–96) 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.
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 of 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."
Disc 2
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and improvisor
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
. It comprises a series of graphic scores
Graphic notation
Graphic notation is the representation of music through the use of visual symbols outside the realm of traditional music notation. Graphic notation evolved in the 1950s, and it is often used in combination with traditional music notation...
Frith composed in 1992 "for any number of players" . It was performed live by Frith, Ikue Mori
Ikue Mori
, also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, composer, and graphic designer.-Biography:Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She says she had little interest in music before hearing punk rock...
, Zeena Parkins
Zeena Parkins
Zeena Parkins is a harpist active in rock music, free improvisation and jazz. Parkins plays standard harps, as well as several custom-made one-of-a kind electric harps; she also plays piano and accordion...
and the International Occasional Ensemble at five concerts in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(October 1992), Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(May 1992), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(May 1994), Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(October 1994) and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(October 1995). Frith also conducted and directed the performances.
Background
The graphic scoresGraphic notation
Graphic notation is the representation of music through the use of visual symbols outside the realm of traditional music notation. Graphic notation evolved in the 1950s, and it is often used in combination with traditional music notation...
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
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
was read from left to right and pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
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
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
. Dave Lynch of 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
Disc 1- Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 13:19- "Goongerah" – 4:20
- "Tokyo" – 2:15
- "Firewood" – 6:42
- Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 11:17- "Screen" – 3:38
- "Dry Stone I" – 4:59
- "Dry Stone II" – 2:39
- Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 8:43- "Bricks for Six" – 4:10
- "Vlissingen" – 4:33
- "Skylight" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 3:27 - "Dry Stone II" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 4:17 - "Bricks for Six" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 1:48 - Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 4:12- "Dry Stone I" – 2:03
- "Dry Stone II" – 2:09
- Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 1:38- "Skylight (extract)" – 0:31
- "High Tension (extract)" – 1:07
- "Roof" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 1:28 - Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 5:59- "Screen" – 3:40
- "High Tension" – 1:33
- "Zurich" – 0:46
- "Athens" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 3:39 - "Firewood" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 1:49
Disc 2
- Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 33:39- "Green" – 5:54
- "Dry Stone II" – 6:50
- "Improvisation" – 1:34
- "Roof" – 1:54
- "Improvisation" – 1:45
- "Reykjavik" – 4:02
- "Vlissingen" – 5:15
- "Improvisation" – 1:17
- "Skylight V (extract)" – 5:18
- Untitled (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 6:35- "Improvisation" – 5:28
- "Tokyo (extract)" – 1:06
- "Screen" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 5:49 - "Jahresringe" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 4:34 - "Firewood" (FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
) – 6:23
Venues
- Disc 1, tracks 1-2 recorded live at the Time Festival, GhentGhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, May 1994 - Disc 1, tracks 3-5 recorded live at the 10th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de VictoriavilleFestival International de Musique Actuelle de VictoriavilleThe Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville is an annual international music festival held in Victoriaville, Quebec that showcases contemporary music.-External links:*...
, Victoriaville, QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, October 1992 - Disc 1, tracks 6-8 recorded live at the Angelica Festival Internazionale di Musica, BolognaBolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, May 1992 - Disc 1, tracks 9-12 recorded live at the Jazz Marathon, Groningen, the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, October 1994 - Disc 2, tracks 1-5 recorded live at the Kulturzentrum Dieselstrasse, EsslingenEsslingen am NeckarEsslingen am Neckar is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, capital of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest city in the district....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, October 1995
Personnel
- Fred FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
– violin, guitar, direction - Ikue MoriIkue Mori, also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, composer, and graphic designer.-Biography:Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She says she had little interest in music before hearing punk rock...
(all but disc 1, tracks 6-8) – drum computers - Zeena ParkinsZeena ParkinsZeena Parkins is a harpist active in rock music, free improvisation and jazz. Parkins plays standard harps, as well as several custom-made one-of-a kind electric harps; she also plays piano and accordion...
(all but disc 1, tracks 6-8) – harp, electric harp, accordion - Olivia Bignardi (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – clarinet, bass clarinet
- Daniela Cattivelli (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – alto saxophone
- Jean DeromeJean DeromeJean Derome is a French Canadian avant-garde saxophonist, flautist and composer. A prominent figure in the Montreal musique actuelle scene, Derome has been a member of a number of experimental jazz and rock groups, and has appeared on over 30 albums, including seven solo albums...
(disc 1, tracks 3-5) – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flutes - Hans Koch (disc 2, tracks 1-5) – saxophones, clarinets
- Roberto Paci DaloRoberto Paci DalòRoberto Paci Dalò is an Italian composer and musician, film and theatre director, visual artist.After musical, visual, and architectural studies in Fiesole, Faenza and Ravenna, in 1993 he has been recipient of the “Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD” Fellowship...
(disc 1, tracks 6-8) – clarinet, bass clarinet - Mariette Rouppe van der Voort (disc 1, tracks 9-12; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – soprano saxophone, flute, alto flute
- Co Streiff (disc 1, tracks 9-12; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Raymund van Santen (disc 1, tracks 1-2,9-12) – alto saxophone
- Peter VermeerschPeter VermeerschPeter Vermeersch is a Belgian composer, clarinet player and producer.He is a main character in several Belgian bands such as X-Legged Sally, A Group and the Flat Earth Society...
(disc 1, tracks 1-2) – tenor saxophone, clarinet - Takashi Yamane (disc 1, tracks 1-2) – bass clarinet
- Stefano Zorzanello (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – soprano saxophone, flute
- Lesli Dalaba (disc 1, tracks 3-5) – trumpet
- Ferdinando d'Andria (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – trumpet, violin
- Bart MarisBart MarisBart Maris is a Belgian trumpet player. He has performed in a very large number of bands, either as a group member or a guest musician on records or in concert. He was one of the original members of X-Legged Sally, Think of One and the Flat Earth Society...
(disc 1, tracks 1-2,9-12; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – trumpet - Salvatore Panu (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – trombone
- Giorgio Simbola (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – bombardino
- Paolo Angeli (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – guitar
- Claudio Lanteri (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – guitar
- René LussierRené LussierRené Lussier is a musician based in the province of Québec, Canada. He is a composer, guitarist, bass guitarist, percussionist, bass clarinetist and singer. Lussier has collaborated with such figures as Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Jean Derome and Robert M. Lepage...
(disc 1, tracks 1-5) – guitar, daxophone - Jean-Marc Montera (disc 1, tracks 9-12) – guitar
- Silvia Fanti (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – accordion
- Guy KlucevsekGuy KlucevsekGuy Klucevsek is an American-born accordionist and composer.Klucevsek is one of relatively few accordion players active in jazz and free improvisation....
(disc 1, tracks 3-5) – accordion - Filomena Forleo (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – piano
- Myra MelfordMyra MelfordMyra Melford is a jazz pianist and composer. In recent years, Melford has begun playing the harmonium as well as piano.Melford grew up in the Chicago area...
(disc 1, tracks 3-5) – piano - Daan van der Walle (disc 1, tracks 1-2,9-12) – piano
- Christine Wodraszka (disc 2, tracks 1-5) – piano
- Pierangelo Galantino (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – violin, double bass
- Lelio Giannetto (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – double bass
- Han BenninkHan BenninkHan Bennink is a Dutch jazz drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured his playing on clarinet, violin, banjo and piano....
(disc 1, tracks 1-5) – drums - Chris CutlerChris CutlerChris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
(disc 1, tracks 9-12) – drums - Ahmed Compaore (disc 2, tracks 1-5) – drums
- Andrea Martignoni (disc 1, tracks 6-8; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – percussion
- Mario Martignoni (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – percussion
- Pino Urso (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – percussion
- Nicola Zonca (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – marimba
- Marco Dalpane (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – keyboards
- Fred Giuliani (disc 1, tracks 9-12) – samples
- Margareth Kammerer (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – voice
- Didier Roth (disc 1, tracks 1-5) – bricolage
- Massimo Simonini (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – records, CDs, Casio SK1
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.
- Fred Frith discography