Dear friends,

MbiraTab Volume 4 is finally available for instant
download at http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/scores-mbiratabvo4.php.
Featuring four tunes most typically performed in gandanga tuning (Phrygian
mode), MbiraTab Volume 4 may be the only resource for mbira tablatures in
this distinctive tuning. Tunes include Marenje, Dangurangu, Mbavarira,
and Vasina Katura. As with all volumes of MbiraTab, proceeds
will go to Erica Azim’s charitable organization, MBIRA. Tabs are in PDF format,
with MP3 recordings in Bb gandanga tuning. I hope you’ll take a look.

Volume 3 of MbiraTab is now available on the website, featuring four of the most challenging tunes in the mbira repertoire; Chakwi I (taken mostly from Stella Chiweshe’s version), Nyuchi, Chakwi II (Mujuru version via Erica Azim), and Dangurangu (from Ephat Mujuru’s last recording, “Ancient Wisdom,” in which he performs in nyamaropa tuning). As in all 3 volumes so far, the demo recordings are done in Erica Azim’s “workshop tuning,” nyamaropa in B.

Proceeds from the sales of all MbiraTab publications go to Erica Azim’s non-profit organization, MBIRA, so when you purchase a download, you’ll be helping Zimbabwean musicians and instrument makers. Next up for MbiraTab Volume 4: Four tunes in gandanga tuning!

For djembe enthusiasts, we have a new article on the website: “Mamady Keita’s Djembe Kan,” a transcription and analysis of this mind-boggling virtuoso improvisation. Click here for the score http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/writings/DjembeKan2009a113.pdf and here for the article. http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/writings/MamadyKeitaDjembeKanText.pdf

Also, my concert arrangments of Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre and Gounod’s Funeral March are now available as instant downloads at reduced prices; $25 for Danse Macabre and $20 for Funeral March. These are terrific transcriptions from the original orchestral scores.

For the new articles, click here: http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/writings.php

Adam Snow and I went into the studio last week and recorded the examples for MbiraTab Volume 3. It should be going up on the site soon. Volume 3 contains Chakwi I, Nyuchi, Chakwi II (Mujuru family version – recorded by Erica Azim on her album, “Mbira Dreams”), and Dangurangu (Ephat Mujru’s version in nyamaropa tuning recorded on his last album, “Ancient Wisdom”).

There are two new frame drum solos in the pipeline as well: Rhythmic Journey No. 2: The Cage Sieve  for bodhran is inspired by rhythms from John Cage’s early percussion works such as the Constructions, Living Room Music,  and Amores.  RJ No. 2  was premiered by Chad Boyles at NAFDA South in Atlanta last October. Rhythmic Journey No. 3: Post Minimal for riq was written for Will Keith, Graduate Assistant in Percussion at Winthrop University. The piece is inspired somewhat by Steve Reich’s newest work, Mallet Quartet. Bob Dylan used to say about his narrative songs taken from newspaper articles, “Everything in this story is true. Nothing has changed except the words.” That pretty much captures how much my new riq piece is like Steve’s music. RJ No. 3 will be premiered at Will Keith’s graduate recital in April.

Happy music-making!

Michael

MbiraTab Volume 2 is now available on my website. This volume contains tablature notations and MP3 recordings of Hangaiwa, Shumba yaNgwasha, Chipindura, and Bukatiende. 34-page text with background information and tablature notations plus MP3 recordings of each variation. $20 for an instant download. Proceeds go to help Zimbabwean musicians and instrument makers via Erica Azim’s organization, MBIRA. You can order MbiraTab Volume 2 here:

http://www.bmichaelwilliams.com/scores-mbiratabvo2.php 

Also, be on the lookout for two new frame drum solos  Rhythmic Journey No. 2: The Cage Sieve for bodhran and Rhythmic Journey No. 3: Post Minimal for riq  coming soon! Rhythmic Journey No. 2: The Cage Sieve was premiered by Chad Boyles, a student of mine for whom it was written, at the recent NAFDA Southern Frame Drum Festival in Atlanta. The work is based on rhythms from several of John Cage’s early percussion compositions. The title has a double meaning. It is said that the bodhran was originally made from a sieve used for separating the grain from the chaff. In Rhythmic Journey No. 2, I used the bodhran as a sieve to identify Cage’s rhythms that worked with the lap style bodhran technique.

Rhythmic Journey No 3: Post Minimal has just been finished. Written for Will Keith, Graduate Assistant in percussion at Winthrop University, RJ No. 3 reflects Will’s growing fascination with “post minimal” composers such as David Lang, Paul Lansky, and of course, Steve Reich. I hope to have these pieces published by early 2011.

                                             

 

I first met Artie Lieberman through Peyton Becton, Principal Percussionist with the Charlotte Symphony, several years ago (see the post from October ’09 about Peyton’s recent visit to Winthrop here). I was playing with the symphony and made a remark to Peyton about their new orchestra bells. Peyton said, “They’re not new. Artie Lieberman refurbished them — even replated the bars.”  I looked Artie up. Soon he was retuning all the mallet instruments at Winthrop University. Turns out Artie had apprenticed at the old Deagan factory in Chicago as a young man. He had grown up in New York and studied with Fred Albright since childhood. It was Freddie Albright who encourged Artie to learn more about the manufacturing process and set up the apprenticeship with Deagan. Although Artie would eventually make his living in the automotive industry (starting with gas stations, then moving on to car dealerships and eventually the oil business), he never lost his passion for percussion instruments.

 

Today, Artie’s business, Mallet Instrument Service (with its subsidiary, Vintage Percussion) is thriving. When I first met Artie, I knew of Bill Youhass’ work with Fall Creek Marimbas and Gilberto Serna’s of Century Mallets in Chicago, but I had no idea we had an expert tuner and repairman right in our own community! “Been doing this for years,” said Artie. “Right now I’m working on the Boston Symphony’s xylophone, the London Symphony’s bells, and Bob Becker’s Deagan Artist Special.” But Artie,” I exclaimed, “you don’t even advertise!” “Don’t have to,” he replied in all sincerity.

Lionel Hampton’s 1920s vintage Deagan vibraphone

Artie’s father was a bread deliveryman in Manhattan. One of his best customers was Lionel Hampton, who liked to have his breakfast at a certain coffeeshop in Greenwich Village at 4:00 AM, when Mr. Lieberman typically delivered fresh bread. Artie’s father asked Lionel Hampton if he would recommend someone to teach his son to play drums. Hampton referred Mr. Lieberman to Freddie Albright, who agreed to teach young Artie, on the condition that they must begin on the xylophone. Once Artie learned to read music on the xylophone, they could begin to split the lessons between xylophone and drums. Lessons progressed nicely, and later on Mr. Lieberman again approached Lionel Hampton asking about the purchase of a used vibraphone for his son. Hampton replied that he happened to have one he wasn’t using and would sell it for $300.00. The recently refurbished instrument remains in Artie’s collection and is pictured above.    

Artie has dozens of vintage and new instruments in his collection, including many one-of-a-kind instruments such as those pictured below. Highly sought-after instruments such as Deagan roundtop bells, Deagan songbells, specially-made bass marimbas and extended-range chimes are available for rental. 

Musser’s personal Canterbury marimba with adjustable resonators

Notice the three circles on the bass end of the frame on Musser’s Canterbury marimba pictured above. The top circle is a thermometer. The middle circle is an indicator for the position of the resonator caps, and the bottom is an adjustment dial for the resonator caps. When the middle indicator is aligned to the proper room temperature via the adjustment dial, the instrument is in perfect intonation relative to the room.                                                                    

The incomparable King George marimba

Deagan songbells

Deagan "reverse roundtop" bells (the "roundtop" is on the bottom!)

Leedy roundtop xylophone (not one of their best ideas)

Mallet Instrument Service isn’t just for keyboard percussion, Artie is a full-service dealer. Last year, when I asked him to demonstrate to my students how to properly replace a timpani head, he and his assistant Larry were able to divide the students into groups and replace an entire set during a 50-minute class period! Not only that, but the students got hands-on experience practicing Artie’s method. When we needed a replacement part for a discontinued instrument, Artie crafted a specially-machined part. When I showed him the gadget one of my former students made for the bass drum/cymbal attachment for the Milhaud Percussion Concerto, he was able to reproduce it. (If you want one, give him a call!) 

All the usual accoutrements

Heavy metal in South Charlotte

More stuff...

Artie provided instruments for Evelyn Glennie’s performance of the Schwantner Percussion Concerto with the Charlotte Symphony a few years ago. One of the most interesting contraptions he designed for Dame Evelyn was a water-gong vessel made from an old timpani bowl (plugged, of course), complete with a mechanical immersion device.  Since then, Glennie has contracted exclusively with Mallet Instrument Service for all her US engagements. But Artie’s business isn’t just about specialty or vintage instruments. Several of my students have been able to purchase quality used and refurbished starter marimbas through Mallet Instrument Service. He’ll also buy your old instrument when you’re ready for an upgrade. If you think this is sounding like an advertisment, well I guess it is. But I like to think of it as a simple “thank you” to a very dear friend and part of our percussion family. Oh, and if you want to contact Artie, the information is below. He doesn’t have a website, and don’t try to text him ’cause he uses a phone “only for a phone.” His lovely wife, Gina does answer email, though. 

Mallet Instrument Service/Vintage Percussion, Artie Lieberman, 3500 Plantation Road, Charlotte, NC 28270, 704-849-8040 malletinstrumentservice@windstream.net. 

Our percussion instrument "guru," Artie Lieberman

I recently revisited Chartwell’s Shumba YaNgwasha in nemakonde tuning and discovered some errors in my original transcription. Check out the original post and you’ll find the corrected version, which includes some funky additions of the RT 1 key  (on beat 2 in the 3rd and 4th quarters) that I had simply neglected earlier, as well as an easier movement to UL 1 on beat 10 of the 2nd quarter. This correction makes for a much nicer harmonic movement that I simply didn’t hear the first time. Check it out and let me know how you like it.

BMW

do sol sol mi mi

do sol sol fa mi

do sol sol mi re

re fa fa mi re

This transcription also reflects the metric orientation I hear when I play the piece alone (that is, without the kushaura/kutsinhira interlock). In this orientation, I hear the first note as a “pick up” rather than a “downbeat.” This is the version I teach to any student new to “Taireva.”  Once the student has a firm grasp of this basic version, we move on to the versions presented in my book.

Enjoy!

BMW