Listen to music by the American composer, poet and instrument inventor Moondog, aka Louis T. Hardin, "the Viking of 6th Avenue." Originally from Kansas, he was a blind musician who adopted his nom de plume in honor of a dog "who used to howl at the moon more than any dog I knew of". For some years in the 1950s and '60s he could be found between 52nd and 55th Streets, selling records, composing, and performing poetry (Wikipedia), up until 1974, when he left for Germany.
Moondog’s music reflected his interest in big band jazz, jazz of 1940’s, early baroque music, and likely influenced the minimalists Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Terry Riley, (Bandcamp liner notes.) He spent much of the latter part of his life in Germany, where ensembles and orchestras often performed his music while American audiences only had rare opportunities to see and hear him.
For this New Sounds, hear mostly other ensembles and artists playing music by Moondog, and a rare live performance by the composer himself from 1989, featuring the Brooklyn Philharmonic and recorded at BAM. There’s music from a new record by Ghost Train Orchestra and Kronos Quartet and several special guests called, Songs and Symphoniques – the music of Moondog. Also, hear Moondog's music as arranged by sax-men Sylvain Rifflet & Jon Irabagon, as well as reinterpretations of Moondog's music by the Italian trio Hobocombo. Plus, Scottish classical guitarist Sean Shibe plays Moondog on a black Mexican Fender Stratocaster fed through effects pedals. And more. – Caryn Havlik
Program #4796 Music of Moondog (First aired Sept. 28, 2023)
ARTIST: Ghost Train Orchestra, Kronos Quartet
WORK: The Viking of 6th Avenue [1:11]
RECORDING: Songs and Symphoniques: The Music Of Moondog
SOURCE: Cantaloupe Records
INFO: ghosttrainorchestra.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Ghost Train Orchestra, Kronos Quartet
WORK: Theme [3:52]
RECORDING: Songs and Symphoniques: The Music Of Moondog
SOURCE: Cantaloupe Records
INFO: ghosttrainorchestra.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Moondog, London Saxophonic
WORK: New Amsterdam [6:25]
RECORDING: Sax Pax for a Sax
SOURCE: Atlantic 83069
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, Spotify, or AppleMusic
ARTIST: Hobocombo
WORK: Moondog: All is loneliness [3:34]
RECORDING: Now that it’s the opposite, it’s twice upon a time
SOURCE/INFO: hobocombo.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Sylvain Rifflet & Jon Irabagon
WORK: Moondog: My Tiny Butterfly [3:53]
RECORDING: Perpetual Motion a Celebration of Moondog
SOURCE: Jazz Village
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, Spotify, or AppleMusic
ARTIST: Moondog & Brooklyn Philharmonic
WORK: Tale of Two Cities, Good for Goodie [6:21]
RECORDING: New Music America, Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1989
SOURCE/INFO: This performance not commercially available.
ARTIST: Rob Burger
WORK: Moondog: Bird's Lament [4:14]
RECORDING: Bird's Lament
SOURCE: Western Vinyl
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, Spotify, or AppleMusic
ARTIST: Sean Shibe
WORK: Moondog: Pastoral [4:00]
RECORDING: Lost & Found
SOURCE: Pentatone
INFO: seanshibe.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Ghost Train Orchestra, Kronos Quartet
WORK: Why Spend a Dark Night with You (feat. Joan as Police Woman) [3:38]
RECORDING: Songs and Symphoniques: The Music Of Moondog
SOURCE: Cantaloupe Records
INFO: ghosttrainorchestra.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Ghost Train Orchestra, Kronos Quartet
WORK: Bumbo [5:17]
RECORDING: Songs and Symphoniques: The Music Of Moondog
SOURCE: Cantaloupe Records
INFO: ghosttrainorchestra.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Big Brother & the Holding Company, feat. Janis Joplin
WORK: All Is Loneliness [2:31]
RECORDING: Big Brother & the Holding Company
SOURCE: Columbia / Sony Music 9801
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, Spotify, or AppleMusic