Album Notes

Jon English: Music for Film

The music heard on this CD, written for films by award-winning independent filmmaker Jon Jost, reveals the breadth of Jon's musical interests and the depth of his knowledge, not only of jazz greats like Coltrane and Gil Evans, but also of other American pioneers including Harry Partch, John Cage and Charles Ives.

Performed by the Bay Area Jazz Composers Orchestra, which Jon played in and conducted, these scores are unusual for film music in that they are grounded in the feeling and sense of improvisation, the life-blood of jazz. Jon valued the quality of
"indeterminacy." That is: musical events happening in different ways for each performance. The music on this CD has that quality, a feeling of looseness created by alternating composed and improvised sections, allowing the musicians the freedom to express themselves. Jon's commitment to embracing the creative contribution of the players together with his
ability to seanlessly weave diverse musics together were the hallmarks of his legacy, both as a musician and composer.

The Bay Area Jazz Composers Orchestra

Conductor: Jon English
Reeds: Tim Price, Jim Norton, Tod Dickow, Jim Dukey
Brass: John Worley, Jr., Lionel Emde, Chris Brayman, Chuck Bennett
Strings: Rachel Durling, Ann Krinitsky, Katie Wreede, Matthew Brubeck
Rhythm: Melanie J. Bryson, piano; Randy Vincent, guitar; Clark Suprynowicz, bass; Jon English, bass; Curt Moore, drums;
George Marsh, drums; Tommy Kesecker, percussion