Issue 233   May / June 2013
Audio Acquaintances — Discovering New Music Editorial By Kirk Midtskon
Editorial By Kirk Midtskon

   

  Our pursuit of highest-quality audio is largely a solitary thing. We generally sit alone in a "music room." We may play old favorites for the familiar associations they evoke or delve into new recordings in hope of finding a gem that will take on talisman-like meaning in our lives. I actually enjoy much of the solo aspect of this process. I allow myself to respond to the various moods and imaginary worlds of the music in ways I would not necessarily allow myself to freely and fully experience in the presence of others. We — usually middle-aged, male, and sometimes socially awkward — audio folk may actually gravitate to specialty audio partly because it is primarily a solitary pastime.

And yet, we are also a social species and crave shared experiences. We not only take pleasure in hearing a live concert for the immediacy of the musical communication, but we also enjoy collectively admiring the talented musicians who play and sing for us. Similarly, we seem to innately identify with the need for amateur musicians to be granted good will as they perform — sometimes, less than brilliantly. In home audio, I take almost furtive delight in playing a couple of music selections on my audio system for people who've never heard a serious, dedicated audio system before — not so much for the "show-off" aspect, but because of the sense of discovery it elicits. My guests usually show genuine enthusiasm — or else I am easily humored — and express a desire to hear different kinds of music or to ask questions about what each "box" does.

The robust participation in local audio clubs, dealer events, regional consumer shows (such as Rocky Mountain Audio Fest), and on-line forums is another indication that audio people seek out information and camaraderie. For me, the benefits of having audio buddies and attending audio events are not only hearing new equipment and getting set-up tips, but introducing each other to new music. One of the most common occurrences in group listening settings is people asking about the unfamiliar recordings being played. They want to see the cover or make note of the downloaded music file. Some of this inquiry leads to other recommendations and discoveries. Sometimes the topic shifts to music itself, not recordings.

I occasionally go to jazz shows with a particular group of audio friends. One friend has been especially good about introducing me to interesting recordings. Shawn Wurster is a collector of jazz and Third Stream, with some crossover into Fourth World (e.g. Jon Hassell, Fascinoma [Water Lily Acoustics]), and pretty much everything readily available in the U.S. on the ECM label — including category-defying material like Dino Saluzzi's collaboration with Anja Lechner on Ojos Negros. Shawn has been following ECM's non-New Series, North American releases since its beginnings in the 1970s. While I was already familiar with some of Bobo Stensen's brilliant work, as well as some of the Keith Jarrett and Pat Metheny ECM recordings, Shawn exposed me to artists like Eberhard Weber, Tomasz Stanko, Paul Bley, and Tord Gustavson. He also introduced me to unfamiliar works by Ralph Towner, Jan Garbarek, Anders Jormin, and others — some of which I have referenced in equipment reviews. The subtle and moody world of ECM's Third Stream material can conjure a landscape of sparse beauty and haunting hues—at times veering too much to the ponderous for my taste (Stanko, Leosia), in other instances capturing achingly beautiful, searching moments (Stensen, Indicum).

I would probably never have encountered much of the Third Stream repertoire I have enjoyed so much over the last few years were it not for Shawn's prompting. Music reviews in the audio press can be very helpful, but nothing beats hearing new recordings for yourself on a good system. The recommendations on some of the on-line sites ("you might also like...") only go so far in allowing you to hear new music in large, uninterrupted chunks without buying first.

The interplay among solitary musical experiences, shared experiences, and exchanges of information can be a rewarding process. The three vectors mutually reinforce my love of music and things audio. Many audio people really can be helpful — and nice company, too. Sure, there are various tribes who find identity in certain contrasting approaches: tubes vs. solid state, analog vs. digital, or favor different speaker types ('stats, horns, dynamic), and there will always be people who can't resist writing unkind things on audio forums. At the end of the day, though, we all share a passion for music reproduction in our homes. That's plenty good enough for me.

 

--- Kirk Midtskog

 

 

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