A Listener's Guide to Free Improvisation
by John Corbett
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Improvisation rattles some listeners. Maybe they ́re even suspicious of it. John Coltrane ́s saxophonic flights of fancy, Jimi Hendrix ́s feedback drenched guitar solos, Ravi Shankar ́s sitar extrapolations ́all these sounds seem like so much noodling or jamming, indulgent self-expression. ́Just ́ improvising, as is sometimes said. For these music fans, it seems natural that music is meant to be composed. In the first book of its kind, John Corbett ́s A Listener ́s Guide to Free show more Improvisation provides a how-to manual for the most extreme example of spontaneous improvising: music with no pre-planned material at all. Drawing on over three decades of writing about, presenting, playing, teaching, and studying freely improvised music, Corbett offers an enriching set of tools that show any curious listener how to really listen, and he encourages them to enjoy the human impulse ́ found all around the world ́ to make up music on the spot. Corbett equips his reader for a journey into a difficult musical landscape, where there is no steady beat, no pre-ordained format, no overarching melodic or harmonic framework, and where tones can ring with the sharpest of burrs. In ́Fundamentals, ́ he explores key areas of interest, such as how the musicians interact, the malleability of time, overcoming impatience, and watching out for changes and transitions; he grounds these observations in concrete listening exercises, a veritable training regime for musical attentiveness. Then he takes readers deeper in ́Advanced Techniques, ́ plumbing the philosophical conundrums at the heart of free improvisation, including topics such as the influence of the audience and the counterintuitive challenge of listening while asleep. Scattered throughout are helpful and accessible lists of essential resources ́recordings, books, videos ́ and a registry of major practicing free improvisors from No©±l Akchoté to John Zorn, particularly essential because this music is best experienced live. The result is a concise, humorous, and inspiring guide, a unique book that will help transform one of the world ́s most notoriously unapproachable artforms into a rewarding and enjoyable experience. show lessTags
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If you've been listening to free improvised music for a long time, you may not get a lot from reading this book. But if you have friends or acquaintances who are curious about the music, this could be a good item to recommend.
It covers a lot of performing and listening strategies, and may be a lot better introduction than trying to explain/convince a friend that if they listen one MORE time to your all-time favorite album they really may finally understand your love for the music.
It covers a lot of performing and listening strategies, and may be a lot better introduction than trying to explain/convince a friend that if they listen one MORE time to your all-time favorite album they really may finally understand your love for the music.
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John Corbett is a music critic, record producer, and curator. He is the author of Microgroove: Forays into Other Music and Extended Play: Sounding Off from John Cage to Dr. Funkenstein, both also published by Duke University Press, and A Listener's Guide to Free Improvisation. His writing has appeared in DownBeat, Bomb, Nka, and numerous other show more publications. He is the co-owner of Corbett vs. Dempsey, an art gallery in Chicago. show less
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