Wahbo Records is a musicians' collective independent micro label dedicated to documenting creatively distinctive new works in classical, jazz and improvised music.

'Useful Music' (wahbo records 2005-1)

"Congratulations to you and your saxophonist! Your music is world-class." - Mark C. Gridley (author of Jazz Styles: History And Analysis, Prentice Hall)

Editor's Choice, Best of 2005 - New Discoveries
- John Kelman, All About Jazz.com

Top Ten Best Albums Of 2005
- Nick Lea, Jazz Views.uk

Publisher's Top Picks for 2005 - Honorable Mention
- Michael Ricci, publisher, All About Jazz.com

Jeff Baumeister - piano
Dan Capecchi - drums
Greg Riley - saxophone
Peter Paulsen - bass

1. The Realization of Line - 9:49 (free download from all about jazz)
2. Quiet and Restful but Moving* - 8:46
3. Wahbo - 10:28
4. Color and Light - 11:02
5. Balladynia - 8:57
6. For D.B. - 7:09

"Useful Music" is the english translation of "gebrauchsmusik" a term derived by Paul Hindemith meaning - music for use, in a positive sense, ie; music to be played, for everyday life and performers pleasure.

All compositions by Jeff Baumeister and published by Jeff Baumeister Music, BMI except * (ruhig bewegt) from Piano Sonata No. 3 by Paul Hindemith, published by Schott Musik International. Recorded and mixed by Matt Balitsaris at Maggie's Farm. Mastered by John Baker at Maja Audio Group. 'Useful Music' was funded in part by the Bucks County Community College, Cultural Affairs Committee and the BCCC Foundation and released in the summer 2005. Wahbo Records are distributed by North Country Distributors.

where to buy:

itunes
jazsound
cadence
the jazz loft
cd baby

Liner Notes:

The Realization of a Line begins with collective improvisation on the 12-tone row from which the melody is composed, eventually leading to a G phrygian bass ostinato. The tune is 24 bars divided into three 8 bar sections with a 6 bar coda. One row is heard throughout in its original form.
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Quiet and Restful But Moving (ruhig bewegt) is an arrangement of the main theme from Paul Hindemith's 3rd piano sonata. The title is the translation.
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Wahbo uses Vincent Persichetti's mirror technique. In this case the melody is mirrored in the bass. The tempo also fluctuates in mirror from chorus to chorus, fast/med-slow-med/fast etc. This piece began as an exercise from Persichetti's book on 20th century harmony.
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Color and Light begins with quiet free improvisation on D with the time buried underneath eventually moving to a G pedal. The tune is a 40 bar (AABCD) form in 3/4 time with a floating lyrical melody and harmonic background of pedal points and parallel moving chords that weave around traditional cadences. To provide contrast between the head and solos, the metric value of the harmony is augmented on all sections except for (D).
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Balladynia uses Paul Hindemith's gravitational order of tonal centers backwards as a 12-tone row melody and then develops freely. Ironically, Hindemith was opposed to the 12-tone theory claiming, "Music, as long as it exists, will always take its departure from the major triad and return to it. The musician cannot escape it any more than the painter his primary colors or the architect his three dimensions."
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For D.B. also uses the 12-tone technique beginning with collective improvisation on the row from which the melody is composed. When the melody enters, it is first heard in the original form (O) followed by the retrograde inversion (RI) and then in retrograde (R) and ending with the inversion (I). The tune is dedicated to Dr. Sam Bellardo, who many years ago at Bucks County Community College, introduced me to the music of Paul Hindemith, Arnold Schonberg and Vincent Persichetti.
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all music © 2004 jeff baumeister music (bmi).