A modern spoken opera by NY composer Elliott Sharp and librettist/narrator Jack Womack (Terraplane) with several narrators, reflecting the events surrounding a 1981 killing in New York's East Village, set in a darkly instrumental soundtrack developed by Sharp using guitars, saxophones, clarinets, synthesizers, bass, percussion, drums programming and samples.
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Elliott Sharp-composer, guitars, saxophones, clarinets, synthesizers, bass, percussion, drums programming, samples
Jedadiah Schultz-vocals
Ryan Quinn-vocals
Sonja Perryman-vocals
Queen Esther-vocals
Cy Fore-vocals
Jack Womack-vocals
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UPC: 616892116868
Label: Henceforth
Catalog ID: 110
Squidco Product Code: 30750
Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2010
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded in concert at The Kitchen, in NYC, in 2009 with additional recording at Studio zOaR, in NYC.
"Theatrically gripping and sonically sophisticated, this modern opera by composer Elliott Sharp and librettist/narrator Jack Womack reflects the events surrounding a 1981 killing in New York's East Village. That flashpoint was the genesis for a musical meditation on Manhattan, where "everyone has a favorite murder."
Through studio wizardry Sharp creates all the instrumental sounds on reeds, guitars, bass, percussion, synthesizer and programmed samples. With the score providing leitmotifs for the story, Sharp's instincts are note-perfect, whether backing the narrator's hard-boiled sardonic drawl with overblown saxophone vibrato a la Harlem Nocturne or using menacing guitar flanges to underline Jedediah Schultz's dialogue as protagonist Jack Henry Abbott boasting how he can gut a victim while knifing him. Later echoing industrial sound accelerates to synthesizer and drum-beat disco-funk, when waitress Susie (sung by Queen Esther) defiantly describes her street smarts, then in funky R/B mode, vocalizes her view of the tragedy."-Henceforth
Artist Biographies
• Show Bio for Elliott Sharp "Elliott Sharp is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer. A central figure in the avant-garde and experimental music scene in New York City for over 30 years, Elliott Sharp has released over eighty-five recordings ranging from orchestral music to blues, jazz, noise, no wave rock, and techno music. He leads the projects Carbon and Orchestra Carbon, Tectonics, and Terraplane and has pioneered ways of applying fractal geometry, chaos theory, and genetic metaphors to musical composition and interaction. His collaborators have included Radio-Sinfonie Frankfurt; pop singer Debbie Harry; Ensemble Modern; Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; Kronos String Quartet; Ensemble Resonanz; cello innovator Frances Marie Uitti; blues legends Hubert Sumlin and Pops Staples; pipa virtuoso Min-Xiao Feng; jazz greats Jack deJohnette, Oliver Lake, and Sonny Sharrock; multimedia artists Christian Marclay and Pierre Huyghe; and Bachir Attar, leader of the Master Musicians Of Jajouka. Sharp is a 2014 Guggenheim Fellow, and a 2014 Fellow at Parson's Center for Transformative Media. He received the 2015 Berlin Prize in Musical Composition from the American Academy in Berlin. He has composed scores for feature films and documentaries; created sound-design for interstitials on The Sundance Channel, MTV and Bravo networks; and has presented numerous sound installations in art galleries and museums. He is the subject of a new documentary "Doing The Don't" by filmmaker Bert Shapiro."-Elliott Sharp ^ Hide Bio for Elliott Sharp • Show Bio for Ryan Quinn Ryan Quinn: "I'm a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist from Central NY currently based in sunny, crowded, horrifying Los Angeles, CA. You might recognize me from Season 10 of "The Voice," or from my work with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. When I'm not touring, you'll find me writing music, recording session vocals for all sorts of projects, drinking copious amounts of coffee and/or taking a nap. It's a toss up, really." ^ Hide Bio for Ryan Quinn • Show Bio for Sonja Perryman "Sonja worked as a theater actress by night, substitute teacher by day before transitioning into screenwriting and producing. She has a passion for telling diverse, female-driven stories and was staffed on FB Watch's "Five Points" and is currently co-writing a pilot for eOne. She won WeScreenplay's Feature Competition and is a finalist for Nantucket Film Festival's Tony Cox Screenplay Competition." ^ Hide Bio for Sonja Perryman • Show Bio for Jack Womack "Jack Womack (born January 8, 1956) is an American author of fiction and speculative fiction. Womack was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and now lives in New York City with his wife and daughter." ^ Hide Bio for Jack Womack
11/29/2023
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
11/29/2023
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
11/29/2023
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
11/29/2023
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
Track Listing:
1. Binibon Overture 01:50
2. Fun City Days 06:15
3. Take A Knife 04:52
4. The Scene 05:04
5. Susie And Johnny 07:34
6. Irreversibility 03:17
7. The Writer's Mind 04:37
8. Intracte 02:52
9. Contessa 03:28
10. Fabuluscious 04:38
11. Murder And... 09:29
12. What A Crime 02:08
13. Epilog 01:47
Compositional Forms
Electro-Acoustic
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Spoken Word
Unusual Vocal Forms
New in Experimental & Electronic Music
Search for other titles on the label:
Henceforth.
 | Chansons du Crepuscule (Helene Breschand / Elliott Sharp) L'Apres-Midi d'un Bot (zOaR Records) |
| A collection of original songs recorded in NY & Paris from vocalist Hélène Breschand, also performing on acoustic and electric harp, in a duo with Elliott Sharp, who creates grooves and instrumental environments on guitar, analog synth, bass, toy piano and drum programming; unusually structured and richly detailed, from idiosyncratic to sensuous. | |
 | Sharp, Elliott / Eric Mingus Songs from a Rogue State (zOaR Records) |
| Extending their collaborations with this project that blurs rock, experimental and improvised forms in a very Downtown NY way, Elliott Sharp performing on guitars, analog synth & drums machines joins with Eric Mingus on bass and primary vocals, with Doug McKenzie providing drums samples and loops, for a set of insightful, incisive, extraordinary songs. | |
 | Armaroli, Sergio / Steve Piccolo / Elliott Sharp What Went Wrong (Leo Records) |
| The fifth album on Leo Records for vibraphonist Sergio Armaroli, and his second with NY guitarist, saxophonist & electronic artist Elliott Sharp and bassist Steve Piccolo, using lyrical interpretations of jazz standards as a jumping off point for experimental and unusual approaches to improvisation, a unique balancing point in a fascinating collection. | |
 | Sharp, Elliott / Tim Dahl / Weasel Walter Kompromat (ugEXPLODE) |
| A scorching studio recording from 2011 recently discovered in the archives from the trio of Elliott Sharp on guitar, Tim Dahl on bass guitar, Weasel Walter on drums, a raging album of free improvisation in the Downtown NY style from three players steeped in expressing instrumental agitation with clarity and conviction - a truly burning power trio! | |
 | Armaroli, Sergio / Steve Piccolo / Elliott Sharp Blue In Mind (Leo Records) |
| An unusual blend of jazz tradition, spoken word and soundscape, presenting mostly as a jazz album with spoken narration from Steve Piccolo (Lounge Lizards) guiding the album with abstract comments that interject with Sergio Armaroli's virtuoso vibe playing, Elliot Sharp adding both acoustic sax elements and inventive sonic environments underpinning many moments; conceptually fascinating. | |
 | Sharp, Elliott SysOrk ReGenerate (zOaR Records) |
| As part of NY composer, guitarist, bassist, saxophonist and electroacoustic artist Elliott Sharp's 70th birthday observation he performed a series of concerts under the moniker "E#@70", initiating the series with this remarkable concert at Roulette, premiering 4 new works performed by his SysOrk ensemble, dedicated to performing Sharp's algorithmic scores, graphic notation and conductions. | |
 | Sharp, Elliot: Tectonics Field & Stream (Knitting Factory) |
| Elliott Sharp's 1998 Knitting Factory album finds the saxophonist, guitarist & electronic artist in a solo setting of rhythmic works using MAX/MSP and DSP applications to create rhythmic and sonic environments over which he improvises, with assistanceÊon one track each from Zeena Parkin on "little green drone guitar" and Frank Rothkamm providing drums sequences. | |
 | Various Artists State of the Union 2.001 [3 CD BOX SET] (Electronic Music Foundation) |
| Originally released in 2001, Elliott Sharp's production of this 3-CD set collects 171 1-minute pieces from international artists over a vast field of musical approaches, with contributors including Christian Marclay, Eric Mingus, Fred Frith, Harry Smith, Henry Kaiser, Ikue Mori, Jack Womack, Jad Fair, Joey Baron, Marc Ribot, Merzbow, Phill Niblock, Zeena Parkins, &c. &c. | |
 | Sharp, Elliott IrRational Music [BOOK] (TerraNova Press) |
| An insightful look at the history of New York composer, saxophonist and guitarist Elliott Sharp, "Sixteen Pieces in the Shape of a Memoir" as Sharp looks back at his musical influences and approach to playing and composing, with observations on music, art, politics and technology, a fascinating set of essays from a vanguard artist's point of view. | |
 | Sharp, Elliot / Orchestra Carbon Radiolaria (zOaR Records) |
| An algorithmic composition for Elliott Sharp's Orchestra Carbon modeled on biological paradigms of growth and reproduction, recorded at Tonic in 2001 with a large ensemble of instrumentalists including Ned Rothenberg, Steve Swell, Jim Pugliese, Andy Laster, &c. and programmers and sampler performers including David Weinstein, R. Luke Dubois, and Zeena Parkins. | |
 | Chansons du Crepuscule (Helene Breschand / Elliott Sharp) Aube (zOaR Records) |
| A collection of original songs and interpretations inspired by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, from vocalist Hélène Breschand, also performing on harp, electronics & field recordings, in a duo with Elliott Sharp, who creates grooves and instrumental environments on guitar, synth, bass, drum programming & electronics, each song beautifully fractured and rich in detail. | |
 | Synkretika (Carl Stone / Elliott Sharp) Live in Tokyo (zOaR Records) |
| One of the pioneers of live computer music, Carl Stone and guitarist, multi-reedist and electronic artist Elliott Sharp have had a long association sharing concert stages together, heard here in 2019 at Bar Ishee in Tokyo for a unique concert of syncretic improvisation, merging instrumental music with unusual concrete and acousmatic sonic manifestations. | |
 | Sharp's, Elliott Terraplane Kick It Six (zOaR Records) |
| The title referencing a Blind Willie McTell entreaty to himself, Elliott Sharp's contemporary blues project Teraplane truly "kicks" in 8 burning pieces of concentrated guitar work from Sharp, solo and in overdub, recording in Studio zOaR while performing on electric guitar, vong co guitar, lap steel guitar, console steel guitars, mandocello, mandola, basses & drum programming. | |
 | McKenzie II, Donald Sturge Anthony (feat. Elliott Sharp, Bill Laswell and Vernon Reid) Silenced II - Views from the Auction Block (577 Records) |
| Drummer Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II trades off duos with a set of masterful musicians in the second volume of his "Silenced" project, here with guitarist Elliott Sharp for a complex and inspired dialog; with bassist Bill Laswell for a rich and moody soundscape; and with guitarist Vernon Reid in a piece for McKenzie's daughter; plus one solo drum piece. | |
 | Various Artists (curated by Nick Vander) Walk My Way, Volume One (Orbit577) |
| The first of a five-volume compilation series curated by Nick Vander, a testament to the incredible musical range of the guitar and the imaginative possibility of guitarists around the world, with tracks from L. Hein, Davaajargal Tsaschikher, Alan Courtis, Marco Cappelli, Elliott Sharp, Hery Ujjaya, Killick Hinds, Gilbert Isbin, and Nick Vander. | |
 | Semantics (Elliott Sharp / Ned Rothenberg / Samm Bennett) Semantics (Klanggalerie) |
| An excellent example of the 80s Downtown NY approach to improvisation from the trio of wind player Ned Rothenberg on alto & tenor saxophones, bass clarinet & flute, Elliott Sharp on guitar, bass & violin, and Samm Bennett on drums, percussion & electronic drums, all in the height and excitement of the new music being developed and performed in NYC in the 1980s; awe-inspiring! | |
 | Sharp, Elliott / Sergio Sorrentino Spilla' (ANTS Records) |
| 'Spilla' means 'to play' in the language of Neapolitan musicians, and playing here are NY guitarist and composer Elliott Sharp and Italian guitarist Sergio Sorrentino, presenting world premier recordings of 4 works recorded live in Vercelli, Italy: two improvisations and two graphic scores performed on electric guitar with incredible technique and passion. | |
 | Turkoz, Saadet / Elliott Sharp Kumuska (Intakt) |
| Distilling their larger group work on albums "Kumuska" and "Marmara Sea" to the duo of creative New York bass clarinetist & guitarist Elliott Sharp, and Bosporus vocalist Saadet Turkoz, whose free improvisation is influenced by European, Indian, Asian, jazz & blues forms, in an album of 9 songs about the familiar focused through a world view. | |
 | McKenzie II, Donald Sturge Anthony (feat. Elliot Sharp, Bill Laswell, Vernon Reid) Silenced II - Views from the Auction Block [VINYL + DOWNLOAD] (577 Records) |
| Drummer Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II trades off duos with a set of masterful musicians in the second volume of his "Silenced" project, here with guitarist Elliott Sharp for a complex and inspired dialog; with bassist Bill Laswell for a rich and moody soundscape; and with guitarist Vernon Reid in a piece for McKenzie's daughter; plus one solo drum piece. | |
 | Sharp, Elliott / Zeena Parkins >Blackburst< (Les Disques Victo) |
 | Sharp, Elliott Aggregat (Bynum / Greene II / Jones / Altschul) Dialectrical (Clean Feed) |
| Downtown New York multi-reedist mainstay Elliott Sharp in his third Aggregat release, in a quintet with Taylor Ho Bynum on trumpet, Barry Altschul on drums, Terry L. Greene II on trombone, and Brad Jones on bass, pushing elastic limits on the concepts of jazz and free improv. | |
 | Sharp, Elliott Aggregat Quintet (Clean Feed) |
| The 2nd Aggregat album expands the first release's trio of Elliott Sharp (just on reeds this time), Brad Jones (bass) and Ches Smith (drums) into a quintet with Nate Wooley (trumpet) and Terry L. Green (trombone) for an amazing set of free jazz compositions. | |
 | Various Artists I Never Meta Guitar - Solo Guitars for the XXI Century (Clean Feed) |
| An encompassing modern guitar compilation curated by Elliott Sharp with pieces from Henry Kaiser, Nels Cline, Scott Fields, Mary Halvorson, Janet Feder, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Mick Barr &c. &c.! | |
 | Sharp, Elliott / Fields, Scott Scharfefelder (Clean Feed) |
| The 3rd Clean Feed Guitar Series brings Elliott Sharp and Scott Fields together for a mixture or conventional notation, graphic notation, and structures for improvisation. | |
 | Sharp, Elliott Sharp? Monk? Elliott Sharp Plays the Music of Thelonious Monk (Clean Feed) |
 | Breschand, Helene / Floy Krouchi / Zafer Tawil / Elliott Sharp disPOSSESSION (zOaR Records) |
| Expanding the collaboration between guitarist, saxophonist and electronic artist Elliott Sharp and electric & acoustic harpist Helene Breschand, in a quartet with Zafer Tawil performing on oud, violin & percussion and Floy Krouchi on electric bass, for an exotic, globe-embracing, groove-oriented album of unusual and often ecstatic acoustic and electric orchestration. | |
