The Half Note

Abstract

Abstract Composer Edgar Varese had someone assemble a group of jazz musicians at Greenwich House one afternoon to experiment with a new form of composition he had devised. There was one of each instrument: me on bass, Ed Shaugnessy on drums, Don Butterfield on tuba, Teddy Charles on vibes, Art Farmer on trumpet, Eddie Bert on trombone, Teo Macero on tenor sax, and one or two others that I can’ t remember. Varese explained that as the composer, his only control of the music would be choosing who was to play when, and for how long. He wanted us to improvise freely within the time parameters he would give us. He said he had chosen jazz musicians because he felt that classically trained musicians weren’ t “free enough.” Varese pulled out a stopwatch and a notepad that contained his composition. He announced something like this: “First, the string bass and the trombone will play together for eighteen seconds. Then the trumpet and the tuba play for fifteen seconds. Then the saxophone and the percussion for twenty-one seconds. Then the vibraphone, saxophone, and tuba for eleven seconds. Then everyone together for twenty-five seconds.