Im trying to get the most out of very basic materials and spare, stark landscapes.

" - Michael Gordon, as told to New York Magazine

Michael Gordon Releases Rushes on Cantaloupe Music on March 25, 2014

The Rushes Ensemble Tours the U. .
On March 25, Cantaloupe Music is pleased to release Michael Gordon's new work, ushes, performed ! the "ushes #nsem le$ %ritten for & assoons and commissioned ! the New Music 'assoon (und, ushes is named after the tall grass that is reminiscent of the reeds that assoon pla!ers use$ )he uni*ue work continues the rh!thmic in+enti+eness that has ecome of a hallmark of Gordon's work$ ,s the composer writes in the liner notes to the recording, -. egan to write for the instruments as if the! were participants in an e/treme sport 0 a non0stop arrage of ethereal rapid0 fire points of sound that seamlessl! shifted from one instrument to the ne/t$ . imagined entering these wa+es of mo+ing sound and em arking on a 1ourne! through a stark monochromatic landscape that slowl! re+ealed its hidden colors$- ushes takes its place alongside Gordon2s !imber for e/panding the oundaries of a single instrument2s repertoire into hitherto unknown 3and at times, otherworldl!4 spaces$ 5ike !imber, which mapped new percussi+e territor! for the simantra6a simple two0 !0four sla of wood, amplified and pla!ed in a group of si/ to !ield trance0like sonic te/tures6 ushes rings out tonal and tim ral aspects of the assoon that are meant to induce a *uasi0meditati+e, almost ecstatic state, in the listener as well as the performer$ )he record is produced ! ,rgeo ,scani at #M7,C$ )he result is rich, multi0la!ered and stunningl! lush8 there2s an analog and human 9warmth: that resides in the natural sound of the assoon, ut ushes also e/poses how decepti+el! electronic a group of them can sound when pla!ed with arpeggiated gusto$ ushes is e/*uisitel! packaged with stunning images ! .sraeli photographer Moses ;acmon, whose Faces of Water series is part art, part science and part spiritual awakening$ <sing a photographic techni*ue he de+eloped himself, ;acmon captures the hidden essence of water, frozen in time, to create haunting impressions and +isions ne+er imagined$ .t's the perfect complement to the musical concept ehind ushes, descri ing a m!stical, dreamlike world where all paths lead ack to the life0gi+ing source$

)his March, the "ushes #nsem le will tour ushes$ (ormed in 2=>2, the "ushes #nsem le is made up of some of the <nited ?tates' leading performers of contemporar! assoon music@ Aana Bessen, "achael #lliott, Michael ;arle!, 5!nn ;ileman, Beffre! 5!man, ?a/ton "ose, and Ma!a ?tone$ )he group ga+e the world premiere performance of ushes in ?eptem er 2=>2 at the #/perimental Media and 7erforming ,rts Center 3#M7,C4 in )ro!, New York, and has since performed at some of the leading contemporar! music festi+als in #urope, including the No+em er Music and G5O% (esti+als in the Netherlands, and the ?urround (esti+al in 'rugge, 'elgium$ %ednesda!, March 2C, 2=>D )ufts <ni+ersit! 'oston, M, (rida!, March 2E, 2=>D Crane ,rts Center 7hiladelphia, 7, ?aturda!, March 2F, 2=>D 7eak 7erformances at Montclair ?tate <ni+ersit! Montclair, NB (or press in*uiries, please contact@ ,manda ,meer (irst Chair 7romotion amandaGfirstchairpromo$com 2>2$HCE$5FDF