Song IV

If you like liner notes, there’s plenty to read about here. But don’t expect a bunch of ratios or mathematical relationships. This music involves alternative notation systems and a semi-improvisational approach. What you end up with is a long jam with some left-of-center timbres: Bill Ruyle on tabla, the late-great Arthur Russell (dammit, buy some of his albums already) lends his amplified cello and vocals, and the composer, Peter Zummo, plays trombone. Calling a 20-minute opus such as this a song might go against some sensibilities, but it also hints at the listenability of this oddball concoction.

—RN