James Tenney special,or: "The Tam-Tam in My Life"

Hosted by: 
Chris Merrick
Produced by: 
KBOO
Program:: 
A Different Nature
Air date: 
Mon, 01/26/2026 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm

James Tenney special: or, “The Tam-Tam in My Life”

Portland is in the middle of a James Tenney celebration and the show will present a selection of his percussion and electronic music. Though not very well known Tenney did wondrous things with single instruments and sweeping sound environments. Part two of the show will feature a battery (no pun intended) of percussion pieces by Jennifer Higdon, John Cage, George Green, Giacinto Scelsi, Earle Brown, and the delightful wandering sheep of Dorkas, Greece.

Episode Playlist

  • Time
    8:03
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Three Pieces For Drum Quartet - Wake For Charles Ives
    Album
    Pika-Don
    Label
    hat[now]ART
  • Time
    8:07
    Artist
    Maelström Percussion Ensemble & Jan Williams
    Song
    Three Pieces for Drum Quartet - Hocket for Henry Cowell
    Album
    Pika-Don
    Label
    hat[now]ART
  • Time
    8:11
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Three Pieces for Drum Quartet - Canon for Edgard Varese
    Album
    Pika-Don
    Label
    hat [now]ART
  • Time
    8:15
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Blue Suede (Collage #1)
    Album
    Selected Works - 1961 - 1969
    Label
    Artifact Recordings
  • Time
    8:20
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Form 3 (1993) in Memoriam Stefan Wolpe
    Album
    James Tenney: Forms 1-4 (1993) for Ensemble
    Label
    hat[now]ART
  • Time
    8:36
    Artist
    Maelström Percussion Ensemble & Jan Williams
    Song
    Pika-Don Part 2 - Hiroshima
    Album
    Pika-Don
    Label
    hat[now]ART
  • Time
    8:51
    Artist
    Zeitkratzer
    Song
    Having Never Written a Note for Percussion
    Album
    James Tenney (Old School)
    Label
    Zeitkratzer
  • Time
    9:03
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Fabric for Ché
    Album
    James Tenney: Selected Works 1961-1969
    Label
    Artifact Recordings
  • Time
    9:12
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Harmonium No. 3
    Album
    Postcard from Heaven
    Label
    New World Records
  • Time
    9:18
    Artist
    The Eclipse Quartet, William Winant
    Song
    Cognate Canons
    Album
    Parkins, Rzewski & Tenney: Music for String Quartet & Percussion
    Label
    New World Records
  • Time
    9:40
    Artist
    Jos Zwaanenburg
    Song
    Poem
    Album
    Tenney: Melody, Ergodicity & Indeterminacy
    Label
    Mode Records
  • Time
    9:45
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Music for Player Piano
    Album
    James Tenney: Selected Works 1961-1969
    Label
    New World Records
  • Time
    9:52
    Artist
    James Tenney
    Song
    Instrumental Responses - Ergodos I
    Album
    Tenney: Melody, Ergodicity & Indeterminacy
    Label
    Mode Records

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