ROGER PARRY’s PLUNDERPHONICS/ OSWALDIANA LISTENING ROOM PLAY-LIST & NOTES

5 April 2002 (as it was!)

I first met John Oswald in Toronto (pronounced, as far as I could gather, ‘Tronna’) through Bill Smith, co-founder (with John Norris, publisher) and editor of that long-standing ‘Jazz’ magazine, ‘Coda’, to which I became a subscriber of occasional material and annual funds! Recently, Bill and John retired from this undertaking and – happily – the magazine continues to be published in a similar format and with a similar editorial programme.

I first met Bill Smith by virtue of visiting Canada, principally in the period 1976-1989. In the latter 7 years of this period I made frequent and extended ‘business’ stays in that country, mostly in Ottawa. There were opportunities to get over to Toronto and I took as many as I could. In those days, Bill and John ran a record store and it was here that I first made their acquaintances. Bill was also an artist - photographer and musician mainly – and organised shows. I used to see Bill and his family quite often, staying overnight with them occasionally. From Toronto, John and Bill also operated the labels Sackville (still current) and Onari (run by Bill as an outlet for the ‘avant-garde’ end of the spectrum).

On Saturdays in Toronto, the afternoon ritual was to get to a place called ‘The Cameron’ (on Queen?) where, in the back room, John Oswald, saxophonist, would be present and would freely improvise, joined by others or not. It was a fixed event, occurring over quite a long period. Meanwhile, as part of their contribution to a global scene, in the front room of this establishment, numerous dubious characters of a wide range of ages all in diverse conditions of physical and mental fitness consumed quantities of beer while three or four televisions, judiciously disposed high up the walls, and not necessarily all tuned to the same channel, kept those interested abreast of the current status of important sports events. As it happens, the current edition of ‘Coda’ magazine carries an item by ex-editor Bill Smith that makes reference to those halcyon days of yore!

I’m sure that should you wish to seek further details about his life, there is already plenty ‘out there’ on John. Give him a Google and see to what unexpected places that brings you! One such is appended below.

See also, ‘Wire’ Magazine for April 2002, where there is a piece by one Peter Shapiro, ‘Tangents/ Since the invention of magnetic tape created the need to copyright recorded music [?], a Pandora’s Box has been opened leading to a rising sonic crimewave (sic) that has persisted for a century…’

Programme:

P/phonix 2 x CDs: songs 8 11 24; tunes 29 45 48 (c. 11:00)

Cass. Alto Sax (1981) Side A from start… c. 05:00 /Ref to notes…

Darn it 1, t4 funnybirdsong (1989) (01:42)

Darn it 2, t15 Please fasten your seatbelt sign (93) (02:29)

Cass. Moose & Salmon (side A, at selected point) (1979) (c. 05:00)

Grayfolded CD1 t1, 2 (04:17)

Grayfolded CD2 t5, 6 (08:15)

John issued ‘Mystery Tapes, etc’ – for example:

‘Mystery Tape Laboratory Robot Aggregates Experiment

Test #3

date: 23march87 instrumentation: klangfarbenprobes

wands

project director: John Oswald

listener survey: name the beat source.

send responses, along with $3. (for introductory

SAMPLER cassette & catalog,) to Mystery Tape Lab

Box 727 Station “P” Toronto M5S 2Z1 Canada

[ear] hear?’

[Source: A View from Somewhere compiled and published by Michael Dyer (a cassette with notes; track B4 has 3:00 from the JO tape mentioned above.]

Acoustic CD, t2 (12:17)

(omitted) ACCoMpliCes CD (CCMC), t1 + break and enter (c. 05:05)

(omitted) Improvisation Vancouver CD, t2 (part… or all (max 17:00)) (1978)

Complicity CD, t1 (10:09) (2000)

(AWOL! [Later found hiding at home…]) Plexure Tzadik CD (From the top…)