Today's unlikely aesthetic pleasure pairing; or listen up, b***ches!

Here's today's bizarre juxtaposition. My friends Jeremy and Mike work over at G4, and they have hipped me to G4's little online show, Freestyle 101. I was already a fan of Gift of Gab, but this is, so far, my favorite installment of the show. You can tell it's improvised, in that it's constantly brushing up against going of the rails. Every once in a while you can hear the gears grab the teeth in his mind at the exact moment you're thinking he's missed the beat. But hey, he outlasts the sample and brings it home a capella. Fierce.



Unrelated, I buzzed over to Kyle Gann's blog about contemporary classical music and composition this afternoon, something I don't do frequently enough.I was reminded, while over there, that Gann is an expert on and scholar of reclusive American composer Conlon Nancarrow, whose fiercely rhythmic oeuvre consists entirely of works for the player piano(!).

So, because this is the kind of dude I am, i.e. concerned about the likelihood that Gift of Gab and Conlon Nancarrow, whose works offer not much in common except that they are by American dudes each pursuing their happiness, have ever been paired anywhere (likelihood: .0005%), I hereby declare them kindred souls and marry them, artistically, here.

A taste on the Nancarrow piece Gann deems most important. Math robot boogie-woogie.

Conlon Nancarrow – Study for Player Piano No. 41a

And treat yourself. The Nancarrow album has been transcribed for two players of regular pianos, so while not exactly Nancarrow's thing, it's the one album of his compositions that I have. And everybody should own Blackalicious' (Gab's group) Blazing Arrow.