Steve Coleman

[Adam Niewood]

Hey All.....

For those of you who don't know about him....

Check out Steve Coleman's website...

I highly sugguest checking out the links below... Free music anyone?

http://www.m-base.com/


free MP3s...
http://www.m-base.org/sounds.html


Essay on why he gives his music away for free...
http://www.m-base.org/mp3_philosophy.html



Here is a man who is intelligent, outspoken, and is giving his art to people who will take the time to check it out... I am inspired by him, and his philosophies…

If anyone finds their experience to be anything other than positive - I'm sorry for wasting your time.

Peace,

Adam Niewood

[dave2sax]

Can anyone shed some light on what his approach is with regards to scale and note choices? Try and simplify it if you can, in general terms - what is he typically doing?

[Swampcabbage]

Can anyone shed some light on what his approach is with regards to scale and note choices? Try and simplify it if you can, in general terms - what is he typically doing?

It's best if we let Steve explain some of it.

http://www.m-base.com/cnmat_ucb/Music_Theory.html

THis one is probably my favorite:

http://www.m-base.com/cnmat_ucb/Symmetry_Movement.html

He actually developed his own concept of theory as he wasn't brought up on standard pedagogy.

[dave2sax]

It's best if we let Steve explain some of it.

http://www.m-base.com/cnmat_ucb/Music_Theory.html

THis one is probably my favorite:

http://www.m-base.com/cnmat_ucb/Symmetry_Movement.html

He actually developed his own concept of theory as he wasn't brought up on standard pedagogy.

Yeah...okay, I think I got it now. :yikes!:

[DanPerezSax]

He's got some deep stuff. That symmetrical chromatic concept or whatever he calls it is intense brain-food. I don't generally like the sound it creates, but it's a great tension builder. Someday I'll practice it enough to be able to improvise within it's rules. Pretty sick stuff.

[LANDRUSAX]

Steve is an amazing person. He has an incredibly unique approach and tone. I took some lessons a few years back and am still trying to comprehend the information I got from him. He is a kind man who is very passionate about life and music!

[daigle65]

I've downloaded a bunch of his free mp3's, it's part of his philosophy to give.

I dug Steve the very first time I heard him, it was Dave Holland's "Triplicate".
So many aspects of his playing are unique, including his almost classical tone.

Adam,
Since you're a mpc refacer, maybe you can shed some light on what he plays on.
I always thought it was a V5 A35 that was worked on by Jean-Paul Gauvin of Vandoren, but others on this Forum have said that he plays a Jumbo Java :? which doesn't seem right.

[AntonVonWebern]

His symmetry stuff using 'sum tones' is very similar to George Perle`s '12 Tone Tonality'.

http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Tone-Tonality-Second-George-Perle/dp/0520201426

Using intergers for pitches is a good move imo.

EDIT: Oh and Bartok used symmetrical pitch structures a fair bit (and 'macro' or formal symmetry), check his 4th String Quartet for 'micro' and 'macro' symmetry (some analysis of Bartok has been done using some of Perle`s symmetry type concepts, e.g 'The Music of Bela Bartok' by Aronson). No evidence about the Golden Section and Bartok though, read Harkleroads book 'The Math Behind The Music'.

[Swampcabbage]

The Bartok connection is right on the money. Both the diminished and whole-tone scales are symmetrical in their construct.

Also, the Slonimsky book is very symmetrical in it's approach as well. What's very uniques, to me, about Steve's approach is how he managed to organize it coming from his background without traditional theory.

A fantastic album to check out with him is also Michelle Rosewoman's "Quintessence". Oh, and Dave Holland's "Extensions".

It's also amazing to me that this thread sat dormant for 3 years before getting picked up. Wow, am I behind the times... ;)

[AntonVonWebern]

Forgot about Slonimsky, you`re right, I finally got round to getting that book a few months ago, another take on the symmetry theme more or less (not worked with it much yet, bought lots of books as I had some money recently, poor again now so i`m slowly getting through them all)

[dave2sax]

I really, really like his stuff and his sound. It is intense, but I still find a lot of it melodic. I've been listening to him for quite a while, so it really doesn't sound that outside anymore, as least not as much as when I first heard him, it really grows on you. I appreciate him more each time I listen. After reading his theories, it's obvious the guy is on a different level.

[dave2sax]

... and Dave Holland's "Extensions".


Extensions is great...I love Coleman on that.

[Swampcabbage]

And anyone interested in further extensions of the 12-tone thing may want to check out "Simple Composition" by Charles Wourinen. This book was suggested to me by Dave Douglas and is really eye-opening in it's simplicity of approaching composition with Tone Rows.

Now, if I could only find the time to practice it all. ;)

[Swampcabbage]

I really, really like his stuff and his sound. It is intense, but I still find a lot of it melodic. I've been listening to him for quite a while, so it really doesn't sound that outside anymore, as least not as much as when I first heard him, it really grows on you. I appreciate him more each time I listen. After reading his theories, it's obvious the guy is on a different level.


Yes, he has really taken the time to organize his theory into a very "listenable" style without being obvious.