Flotation Device 2021-11-14 - Wadada at 80, Gubaidulina at 90

This week’s Flotation Device highlights a new nonagenarian and an incipient octogenarian as we continue our survey of newly-recorded orchestral music by Sofia Gubaidulina (1931–), and a new box set from Wadada Leo Smith (1941–) that honors civic and artistic leaders from Chicago with help from Henry Threadgill and Jack DeJohnette.

We also feature neo-medieval music from Europe, a deconstruction of Bach from Korea (via NYC), an avant-rock homage to Varèse from France, free improv from ZRL and Seattle band Hound Dog Taylor’s Hand, and Dave Flynn’s unique hybrid of Celtic traditional music and postminimalism. Finally, our “50 years ago in the avant-garde” feature pays its respects to a pair of unusual works by Takemitsu (for Baschet instruments) and Alice Coltrane that originated in November 1971. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell.

Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments.