This article was written for the Atlanta Percussion Newsletter in October 1991 by Bill Cahn A symphony orchestra, or for that matter any large organization comprised of many different people, is a complex and frequently difficult-to-understand entity. Seventy to one-hundred highly educated professionals – all having unique backgrounds in the study of their particular musical… Read more »
DANCE OF THE OCTOPUS – NEXUS with Judy Loman – CBC 2-1037
CBC 2-1037 1 – Palta (7:13) Bob Becker 2-4 – Red Norvo Suite (13:16) Red Norvo, arr. William Cahn 5 – In Ancient Temple Gardens (13:55) William Cahn 6 – Fra Fra (5:59) arr. NEXUS 7 – African Funeral Song (4:38) arr. NEXUS 8-9 – Annexus (17:04) Milton Barnes
Melodic Snare Drumming and Rudimental Arithmetic
Melodic Snare Drumming is a conceptual approach to playing snare drum that involves physically hearing or – equally well – imagining a melodic accompaniment while performing or practicing. This idea is in fact very old, and for centuries was the system through which military-style drumming was taught, practiced and played. The first part of the… Read more »
The Paradoxes of Percussion
In 1989 I was approached with the prospect of editing an issue of the Bristish publication Contemporary Music Review about contemporary percussion. At the time, I thought it would be very interesting to give percussion performers a forum in which to present some of their feelings about the professional situations into which they are drawn… Read more »
NEXUS NOW – Nexus Records 10262
Nexus Records 10262 Marubatoo (13:05) John Wyre [audio:Maruba.mp3] Fauna (13:17) William Cahn Cymbal (11:55) Bob Becker Rain Tree (11:10) Toru Takemitsu Remembrance (9:36) Robin Engelman
THE BEST OF NEXUS – Nexus Records 10251
Nexus Records # 10251 Kobina Nexus (6:23) Triplets G.H. Green/Becker (2:31) Xylophonia J. Green/Becker (3:43) Passage Nexus (4:42) Amazing Space Nexus (4:04) The Birds William Cahn (9:38)
NEXUS PLAYS THE NOVELTY MUSIC OF GEORGE H. GREEN – Nexus Records 10273
Nexus Records 10273 Featuring Bob Becker, Xylophone Soloist Fluffy Ruffles (2:31) G.H. Green/Cahn Rajah (3:16) G.H. Green/Becker Frivolity (2:59) G.H. Green/Cahn An Indian Story (2:59) G.H. Green/Becker Valse Brillante (6:28) G.H. Green/Becker
RAGTIME CONCERT – Nexus Records 10284
Featuring Bob Becker, Xylophone Soloist Bob Becker, Bill Cahn, Michael Craden, Robin Engelman, Russell Hartenberger, John Wyre Triplets (2:27) G.H. Green/Becker Cross Corners (3:54) G.H. Green/Becker The Whistler (2:05) G.H. Green/Becker Nola (3:34) F. Arndt/Green & Cahn
THE ALTITUDE OF THE SUN – NEXUS with Paul Horn – Black Sun Records 15002-2
NEXUS with Paul Horn, flutes and alto sax
This album was recorded in 1975. Through inspired improvisations, NEXUS and Paul Horn created an emotionally potent and stylistically diverse album that colorfully merged strong, earthy rhythms with cultural influences from South America, Africa, India, Tibet and the U.S.A.
* 1-8 – Paul Horn with Egberto Gismonti
Track 9 begins tracks with NEXUS
North Indian Drumming (lecture-demonstration)
Discussion of the tabla – the most important percussion instrument in North Indian classical music: construction of the instruments; historical and cultural placement; basic aspects of the playing technique; repertoire and the structure of traditional solo performance; accompaniment techniques and improvisation. Will include demonstration performance on the drums. Questions and answers are a desirable aspect… Read more »
Out of Print Early NEXUS LP’s & CD’s
Paul Horn and Nexus (Epic KE33561) 1975 Nexus Ragtime Concert (Umbrella 002) 1976 Music of Nexus (NE 01) 1978 Under the Umbrella (CP 2/11) 1981 Changes (NE 05) 1982 Nexus & Earle Birney, vol. I-III (WRC1-2258, 2259 & 2260) 1982 The Best of Nexus (Nexus Records 10251) 1976-1986 NEXUS Now (Nexus Records 10262) 1989
West African Drumming (hands-on workshop)
Discussion of basic structural principles found in many West African drum ensemble traditions: cyclic repetition; rhythmic ambiguity; conversation. Drum families and varieties of construction methods. Basic hand and stick techniques. Social aspects of music in African cultures. Most of the workshop is devoted to learning several traditional ensemble styles drawn primarily from the ethnic groups… Read more »
Xylophone History and Performance Concepts (lecture-demonstration)
Discussion of the ancestry of the hybrid North American xylophone and the history of its development through the Deagan era. Discussion, using recorded historical examples, of the development of playing styles from around the turn of the century through 1940. Particular attention to G.H. Green and his styles of improvisation. 1.5 hour minimum, 2 hours… Read more »
Ragtime Xylophone Intensive (hands-on course)
The aim of the course is to provide a conceptual framework for performance of the classic solo xylophone repertoire of the first half of the twentieth century. The main thrust will be toward developing a general feeling for style and a basic acquaintance with the repertoire, as well as defining approaches to improvisation via the… Read more »
The Music of Steve Reich (hands-on workshop)
Discussion and demonstration of special techniques used in the early, percussion-based works of the composer Steve Reich: building-up of rhythmic patterns; canonic repetition; phasing; identifying and imitating resultant patterns in multiple out-of-phase canons. The actual hands-on activity in this workshop should be limited to four or five advanced performers, as the concepts involved take some… Read more »
