Blue Gene Tyranny: go, Blue (review)

In the liner notes to the album go, Blue, Stephen Rush writes that Blue Gene Tyranny is a "nutsy" character, who is "living on the fringes of sanity and wholeness, embracing weirdness and oneness." While the music included on this disc is somewhat unique, I certainly wouldn't characterize it as anything that was crazy or odd. Perhaps it would be more honest to label the works on the disc as being "mildly eccentric."

Originally from Texas, Mr. Tyranny studied composition with Otto Wick and Frank Hughes. In 1961 he was awarded a BMI Student Composers Award. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he toured with a variety of unique groups, including The Carla Bley Band, Iggy Pop, and The Prime Movers Blues Band. He has also appeared as a performer on recordings of Laurie Anderson, Robert Ashley, and John Cage. In addition, Mr. Tyranny taught "Recording Studio Techniques," "Harmony and Counterpoint," and "Jazz Improvisation and Literature" at Mills College from 1971–1982. He has worked as a freelance composer/performer in New York City since 1983.

The CD opens and closes with duets between Mr. Tyranny (piano) and Mr. Rush (synthesizer). In both cases, the improvisations are innovative, grow effectively, and present a good deal of variety both in terms of texture and dynamics (particularly in the duet that closes the recording). There are some very attractive moments in both duets. Tyranny's playing in the first is reminiscent of the melodic writing of Frank Zappa with its fast tonal flourishes and ornamentation.

In Isle of the Rose Apple Trees I Mr. Tyranny plays a solo ballad that is predominantly rhythmically free. The second movement, which is also ballad-esque, is an ensemble piece where the instruments present a progression which is punctuated by the composer's piano stylings. Like most of the tracks on the disc, this piece is tonal, but it ends somewhat abruptly in terms of the harmonic progression.

The Decertified Highway of Dreams features the Digital Music Ensemble of the University of Michigan (directed by Mr. Rush). Each movement sounds somewhat like a Steve Reich ensemble vamp, stays pretty much at the same tempo, and ends abruptly. The vamp used in any given movement changes very little, becoming a bit mundane. Traces of Philip Glass can also be heard in this work. A variety of soloists are featured in each movement. The first movement features a steel drum-type sound with a penny whistle–like timbre playing over the top of the ensemble. The accompaniment of the second movement is an amalgam of Steve Reich and a 16-beat pop groove. The tune for this movement is a bit more on the "out" side, showing a strong Zappa influence. A heavily reverberated flute provides an interesting pad. The third movement has an accompaniment that sounds like a mix between Steve Reich's Eight Lines and an open Pat Methany–esque improvisation. In this movement, the group's vocalist, Erika Banks, sings over the top of the piece in a way that is reminiscent of Philip Glass. While the solos in this movement are good, there are few surprising moments, save for the very end.

The album is arranged such that the movements of Decertified Highway of Dreams and Isle of the Rose Apple Trees are interspersed. This is an effective programming choice, emphasizing variety over consistency. In addition, the movements of Decertified Highway of Dreams are presented in reverse order. The liner notes consist of Mr. Rush relating his experiences working with Mr. Tyranny. While the writing clearly communicates the director's admiration for the composer's work, it isn't terribly informative.

The performances on the album are generally good. The timbres are basically of the run-of-the-mill variety. However, the electrified wind instruments (bassoon, trumpet, flute, and euphonium) are sonically interesting. Mr...