Spun #10

Kenneth Patchen
"With the Chamber Jazz Sextet"
Cadence CLP-3004

This record came to me on my birthday a few years ago, a gift from my best friend, and is one of my most treasured and rare pieces of vinyl. And like most other things that I really like, I don't have a lot to say about it. So I'll let Allyn Ferguson, leader of the Chamber Jazz Sextet, do the talking.

From his liner notes: "When first discussing the possibility of setting poetry to jazz, Kenneth and I agreed that the usual procedure of setting text to music would have to be abandoned. The final product, we felt, should be conceived in terms of the poet's interpretation of the text. It seemed evident, however, that the music would be quite unnecessary were there no attempt to bring about a meaningful union between the two mediums. We decided, therefore, to tape-record the readings and underscore them. This procedure would have the double value of retaining the spontaneity of the original reading while still allowing freedom for the creation of a significant musical entity."

Put muscles in your ears.