Synopsis
The author is one of the veterans of American free improvisation, going back to the 1970s.He is mainly a saxophonist whom another original, Davey Williams, called "the Johnny Appleseed of free improvisation" for his criss-crossing the country with this music beginning in the 80s, which at age 83 he continues today.
Unlike academic and hagiographic books, The Free Musics takes the active musician's point of view. This researched study goes into previously unexplored territory--the relation of musicians' music (especially those categorized as “avant-garde”) to the social and economic realities. These have changed from the postwar era to the present, in terms of status and livelihood support—gigs on which ordinary musicians once depended for livelihood have disappeared except for a minute handful. Media and academic credentialing has led to a hierarchy of that visible few, with others ranked beneath them, while the vast majority of musicians have no need for ranking and are invisible to the mass media and its public.
The book focuses first on the jazz origins of sixties Free Jazz through to today’s free jazz, resurrected in the late 80s. The study follows the shifting relation of these musicians to the media and institutional music world, which has determined what music gets performed and recorded. Next, the book focuses on free improvisation in North America, with a glance at its origins in the UK and Europe. Free improv in the US is traced from its beginnings in the late 70s to today, including its strong links to experimental music and free jazz. “Free improv” is the broad genre title, earlier called “non-idiomatic,” and often confused with free jazz and structured improvisation, but for players focused on the form it is a distinct approach, here given the name of free playing.
Free playing has been the practice of a small number of musicians who form a network rather than a hierarchy. They enjoy a unique bond not found in society, certainly not between strangers, as in ad hoc groups—total trust of whatever the others are doing. No individual seeks the prominence of the soloist, as found in all consumer-oriented musics, such as jazz and free jazz. Lacking a hierarchy, and with no aim to meet the needs of a career (music world acceptance), the names of players are culturally insignificant and unknown outside a very small number of attentive listeners. Instead, their playing and relationships directly serve their artistic interest. For more information see springgardenmusic.com
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