rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (11/20/85)
Since Doug had touted Roger Miller (of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, ex-Mission of Burma) as "the greatest pianist ever" (or some such superlative), and since he said the best way to see this is through his solo piano work, and since the opportunity presented itself to see him live, I went to a show in which Roger Miller opened for David Thomas (at Maxwell's, Hoboken, 11/15/85). Well, Doug hits it pretty close to the mark. Miller is a startingly original pianist, combining elements of Frippertronics and Hendrixesque tone colorations to the world of the piano. (He uses a Yamaha electric grand, which internally is not actually a piano in the strict sense, but comes close; it has all the components of a genuine piano [88 keys, strings, action, etc. as in a piano], but the shape and string configuration are slightly different [Yamaha built special bass strings to allow the electric grand to be of a size worthy of portability].) At times this machine can sound like a bad imitation of a piano (the piano in the middle of Simple Minds' "Alive and Kicking", for example, though that sound may have been intentional), but when used well it sounds fantastic. Miller uses a good deal of ancillary electronic equipment (a 16 second [?] digital delay from ElectroHarmonix, as well as other E-H distortion devices) to achieve his sound. Often he would set up a bass ostinato to be repeated by the digital delay (often using prepared piano techniques to create exotic timbres for the rhythm), then playing parts in higher registers in which the piano tone color was altered/distorted to the point of unrecognizability. His music ranged from wildly flailing to brisk flowing pieces with extensive building linear melodies of great beauty. The songs included a rhythmic setting of Carroll's "Jabberwocky", a bizarre and exciting cover of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive", and some more of his own work including pieces such as "Portrait of a Mechanical Dog", "Groping Hands", "Monkey in My Head" and the lush melodic piece "The Explorer". He will be releasing a solo album this spring, and (for those interested) he told me there will also be another Birdsongs of the Mesozoic album early next year. In talking to him after the show, I used the phrase "Hendrix of the piano" and wondered if people were calling him that. He asked me if I had read the phrase or thought it up, because apparently others have said much the same thing. Miller goes beyond the tone colorations of Hendrix as applied to the piano, combining electronics, so-called Frippertronics, plus and excellent mastery of the piano to achieve a bizarre, original, and very exciting sound. Very highly recommended. Also, for those interested. David Thomas followed up by performing a set with a cello player and a "drummer" whose kit consisted of sticks, hi-hat, and a chair, who doubled on accordion (of sorts). Thomas made us sing along to very strange songs, and walked off the stage because people were mixing up which parts of ths show were supposed to be funny and which were supposed to be serious. He also kept dropping his notes (kept on a music stand) onto the floor and into his drink, but I'm not sure if this in any way affected the music or not. I guess you had to be there. His music is best not described, but experienced (of course), partially because it is so indescribable. If you haven't heard Pere Ubu or Thomas' solo work, you're in for the unexpected. (But then again, that also holds I guess if you HAVE heard it...) -- And now, a hidden satanic message: _ 9L|^6| _ W6Vn|na| 622 Rich Rosen ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr