Allan Pettersson’s Symphony No. 15 is characterized by a high degree of tension right from the striking opening: brief, emphatic chords from horns and trombones above the tremolo of a side drum. Soon an expressive melodic subject is heard from the first violins, followed by contrasting rapid scales – at which point Pettersson has presented the greater part of the symphony’s building blocks. Like so many of the composer’s symphonies, the 15th is in one movement, but with clearly defined sections. It was completed in 1978, two years before Pettersson’s death, and was followed in 1979, by the sixteenth symphony, the last work that the composer submitted for performance.
Dare To Dream is a tour de force of Onaje Allen Gumbs' talents as a composer, producer, arranger and keyboardist. Co-produced by V.Jeffrey Smith of The Family Stand,the opening track,"No Question," is propulsive funk in the style of The System and Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon." The mellow Sunday afternoon groove of "Second Thoughts," is led by the tenor sax of Roger Byam,the engaging interplay of drummer Buddy Williams,the shaker,tambourine and soft conga of Steve Thornton and gently,plucked bass of Oscar Carataya as Gumbs interweaves tasty piano solos and lays down warm,sustained digital piano.
A documentation of a music happening recorded at Judson Hall, NYC. Sept 8-9, 11-13, 1964 with a stellar line-up that includes James Tenney on piano, David Behrman, Max Neuhaus, Alvin Lucier, Allan Kaprow, Nam June Paik, Allen Gingsberg and Jackson Mac Low. The idea, Allan Kaprow director explained, is “a collage of music and action”. The music was electronic, but the action was clearly electrifying as Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Originale was presented as the top event od Manhattan’s Second Annual Avant-Garde Festival.