John Oswald is a composer and saxophonist who has created some extrodinary work. He is well known for his ideas about musical reuse and recycling that he calls “Plunderphonics”.
His bandcamp features a recording of Paul Plimley playing a piano concerto, with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, titled, “Oswald’s 1st piano concerto by Tchaikovsky (as suggested by Michael Snow)”. The entire story of the development of this work is told by Oswald on the bandcamp page, but basically the CBC Vancouver Orchestra played the traditional Tchaikovsky concerto whilst Paul Plimley improvised the piano part.
The development of this compositional idea, also included a trip to Victoriaville to attend the scheduled Cecil Taylor concert during the 2000 Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville.
The resulting last minute addition of the duo to the concert program is legendary in the improvising music community and John gives all the details on his bandcamp page. There is also a Wikipedia article about the 3 CD set Complicité created from the concerts.
Complicité is a three-CD live album recorded on May 22, 2000, at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Victoriaville, Quebec, and released in 2001 by the Canadian label Les Disques Victo. Disc one features pianist Paul Plimley and saxophonist John Oswald, disc two features pianist Marilyn Crispell, and disc three features pianist Cecil Taylor.[1]
The concert, which occurred on the final night of the festival, was originally planned as a double-bill event with solo sets by Crispell and Taylor. When Taylor’s flight was delayed, last-minute arrangements were made to include Plimley and Oswald, who happened to be in town, in his place. Taylor arrived in time, and the concert organizers decided to present all three sets. Taylor dedicated his portion to Jimmy McDonald.[2]
Wikipedia Complicité
One of Paul’s last CD recordings, At One Time, was a trio album with Paul Plimley, vibraphone; John Oswald, sax; and Henry Kaiser, guitar. Available on Henry Kaiser’s bandcamp page.
John Oswald visited Vancouver regularly to present his compositions and he would often hire Paul to play any piano parts. Except for the Disklavier piece that Paul and I heard at the Western Front – it was speeded up so no human could play it. Paul loved a joke and always enjoyed John’s sense of humour and the way he poked fun at the Classical establishment and their “serious music”.
