Lest we forget the existence of talented musicians who don’t regularly spearhead the credits of formal music releases, American composer and conceptual sound artist Charlie Morrow has managed to stay under the radar despite his artistic exposure to borderline uncomfortable numbers of human beings.
Primer time: Born in Newark, NJ, Morrow had formal composition education at Mannes College of Music, and his early career was plagued by arguably traditional ventures of composition that forced his focus on the interiors of various austere concert halls. The precise schematics of those concert halls eventually proved too limiting for the admirer of shamanic traditions, however, which compelled the beginning of Morrow’s ventures outside and with beings regardless of demographic or even species. The convening of massive outdoor “wave” concerts and the international broadcast of radio Solstice celebrations have been two hallmarks of a looong and innovative career.
At this point, you basically have to go back decades to find an album bearing Morrow’s name. Luckily, Sean McCann (a.k.a. “The Morrow Whisperer”) recently established a rapport with the 76-year-old, and that kinship has coincided with a brand new vinyl LP called Toot! Too (presumably after an now-obscure prior Toot! compilation, released on XL back in 2011).
The new effort out March 23 on McCann’s Recital imprint, and those of us seeking a primer on Morrow’s career really couldn’t ask for much more than this new release, as it’s said to be a compilation of performance recordings that took place between 1970 and 2014. The “Wave Music series,” which revolves around the voluminous playing of “like-instruments,” comprises the bulk of Toot! Too. Have a listen to “Wave Music II” down below and pre-order the record from Recital here. Such volume!
Toot! Too tracklisting:
01. Wave Music V – Conch Chorus and Bagpipe (1981)
02. Wave Music II – 100 Musicians with Lights (1978)
03. Wave Music IV – Drums and Bugles (1980)
04. Wave Music X – Trumpets for Dick Higgins (2014)
05. Requiem for the Victims of Kent State (1970)
06. Wave Music III – 60 Clarinets and a Boat (1979)
More about: Charlie Morrow, Sean McCann
