VARIOUS ARTISTS
From the Kitchen Archives
New Music, New York 1979 (Orange Mountain Music)
Reviewed by Sherman Wick

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If you are looking for a reasonably priced two-CD overview of "new Music" circa 1979 in New York, then From the Kitchen Archives is a good place to start. The record contains nineteen composers' live performances at the New York club, the Kitchen, during the summer of 1979.

The works presented are meant to challenge traditional notions of music. There are many highlights including tracks by well-known modern composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Michael Nyman, Tony Conrad and Pauline Oliveros. Glass's composition, "Dance No.4," showcases his lightning fast synthesizer playing of a simple riff repeated for over ten minutes as it gradually modulates and evolves. The works presented are largely from the Minimalist school of music. Besides the aforementioned composers, lesser-known works by Jon Gibson, Garrett List, and Phill Niblock are also presented. If you are interested in exploring a collection of "new music" from 1979 that remains vital today, this record is worth a listen.

© 2004 - Sherman Wick