Flotation Device welcomes Steven Mackey back to the Northwest as he and saxophonist Timothy McAllister present a new concerto with Seattle Symphony. Steve joins us to talk about the piece and how its irregular “in the cracks” rhythmic grooves were inspired by his experience as a professional moguls skier. Sharing the program is John Adams’ Harmonielehre, whose brand of late romantic minimalism we contrast with the sparser kind espoused by Jürg Frey in his new album with Exaudi Vocal Ensemble, as well as with the homeostatic pseudo-repetitions of Bryn Harrison's new work for two pianos. We've also got new improvised music by Trio of Bloom, Kate Gentile’s Sifters trio, and the Sara Serpa/Matt Mitchell and Sylvie Courvoisier/Wadada Leo Smith duos. Plus, Mat Maneri and Lucian Ban retrace Béla Bartók’s steps, Klangforum Wien performs Ying Wang, Blasio Kavuma contemplates cellos and machines, and Mischa Salkind-Pearl writes non-traditional music for a traditional Hungarian cimbalom.
