Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut
SHURDUT is the first living artist celebrated with a Box Set by Ayler Records; 2007
Invited to perform at The Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial; 2008
Inventor of Environmental Tuning
Founder of This is The Music of Life; 2003
Founder of NOLABELS! record label; 2002/2003
Guest of The University of Pennsylvania; 2006
Awarded Installation by Columbia University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; 1993/94
Article: SIGNAL TO NOISE / Summer 2008 / "Our Favorite Things" Issue
Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut presents "Pianos are instruments not furniture" live on Neighborhood Public Radio. The Whitney Museum of Art Biennial, 2008.
http://www.ayler.com/images/covers/pdfs/aylDB-200_linerbook.pdf
Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut (Am. b. 1967) is the founder of THIS IS THE MUSIC OF LIFE: A series featuring both inter-disciplinary and multi–instrumental artists who have a place in American History and emerging artists dedicated to documenting the essential connection between the visual, movement, music, and word in a living and creative space. He has lived in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, traveled over 20 countries, and has been a guest at The University of Pennsylvania. Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut was awarded an installation for his work from Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 1993, and is the inventor of Environmental Tuning.
Shurdut's Box Set on Ayler Records documents the artist's journey into Environmental Tuning with the players who have been a part of his revolutionary vision.
Shurdut is a "Visionary," Mike Szajewski (WNUR, Chicago); with "Talent and Vision to Spare," Steven Loewy (All Music Guide). "But listeners beware – when you first get started there is no way back, you are going to be hooked for life," says Henrik Kaldahl.
"...referencing everything from "from the wood rattling against the heater" to "the screams of the garbage trucks at 4 am" as Shurdut puts it, this trio has created an arresting urban sound picture. Just as the reality of big city life is expressed by yoking extended techniques to familiar jazz instruments, this CD defies metropolitan anomie with heartfelt sonic expressions that interconnect rather than alienate." -Ken Waxman (JAZZ WORD)
Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut is also responsible for the Finally! Total Unity groups, and has been documented by Cadence and NOLABELS! since 2002 through his sound journals in 4D.
Mr. Shurdut is at the forefront of new musics, defying categorization. His ideas embrace everything from experimental, jazz, contemporary, classical, opera, world, and trance.
We make things which are already there. At best, man can only mimic what women do naturally. To give form and shape to something. To nurture. To give birth.
-Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut
The closer you get to reality, the more abstract it becomes.
-Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut /Norway, December, 1999
I'm blown away, Jeffery!!! Highly creative avant garde creation and beyond! I like your creative ideas... I think it's a stroke of genius. I think we stepped on the toes of the classical musicians as well. We must continue once more with this concept and your new concept of approach to the music in the 21st century.
Sonny Simmons 2005
Reviews:
Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut’s
“THIS IS THE MUSIC OF LIFE”
“This Music Lives Up To Its Name.”
-The Village Voice (2005)
“A luta continua… intense, astringent , multipoint,…engrossing level of improvisitory interaction… a viscerally thrilling ride.”
-Cadence Magazine
“Shurdut pledges allegiance to the spirit of ecstasy with a band of ebullient blow torches, including Sonny Simmons, and Blaise Siwula.” -Time Out NY (2005)
“Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut leads a sextet featuring legend Sonny Simmons.” -The New York Times (2005)
“Daniel Carter with Jeff Shurdut ...Haunting, Reflective, and Engaging.” -Downtown Music Gallery
“Jeff Shurdut’s THIS IS THE MUSIC OF LIFE with Marshall Allen and Sabir Mateen… Wynton Marsalis should get this group over to Lincoln Center.” -The Village Voice (2005)
“TOP NOTCH INCENDIARY FREE JAZZ
FROM JEFFREY SHURDUT'S COLLECTIVE.”
-TIME OUT NEW YORK. NOVEMBER 17-23, 2005
QUOTES:
"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MELODY. THERE IS ONLY NOW. AND A BRIEF CHANCE TO HARMONIZE WITH SOUND AS IT IS BEING MADE. I WAS BORN OVER 3RD AVENUE IN 4D TO THE VIBRATION OF MACHINERY, ENGINES, AND SPEED PLAYING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MY WINDOW. AND WHEN I WOKE THE MUSIC WAS ALREADY THERE. I JUST TUNED MY GUITAR TO 35 MILES AN HOUR."
Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut /August 29, 2005
CADENCE MAGAZINE:
The Spartan record company No Labels of JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT, while shy on documentation and production frills, continues to issue challenging improvised music at a prolific rate. On PRISONERS OF HOPE (NoLabels 3968), the guitarist teams with tenor saxophonist KALAPARUSHA MAURICE McINTYRE in a scintillating duet of free exchanges (Cultural Bankruptcy in the United States/ A Gift Watch for 35 Years of Service/ Heaven and Earth Discontinued/ Hope/ 401K Blues/ Alone/ Degrees for No Jobs/ What Health Insurance?/ Work Will Make You Free. 36:10, 2003, 2005, presumably New York, NY). Shurdut uses his amplifier as an additional instrument to smear huge amounts of color over this abstract canvas. His input, including computer processing, becomes the backdrop for McIntyre to move through an array of emotional experiences while projecting impassioned, penetrating messages. His saxophone weeps with sentiment as Shurdut's electronic pulsations subtly wrap the sound. Shurdut's droning sparks and robust flow of electricity contrast with McIntyre's gutwrenching soulfulness to make this encounter meaningful and satisfying. JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT joins saxophonist/trumpeter DANIEL CARTER, cellist ANDREW BARKER, and drummer RAVI PADMANABHA on the live recording PEACE PRIZE FOR FREEDOM (NoLabels 3562). The setlong improvisation (Lessons in Morals, Values, and Mutual Respect through Free Music. 58:42, 2005, New York, NY) initially takes on ethereal qualities where upper register signals from Shurdut, who plays grand piano exclusively on this set, match the squeals bursting from Carter's and Barker's instruments. Carter expands the interaction with vivid trumpet blasts, being pushed by volatile outbursts from Padmanabha, infectious keyboard rumblings of Shurdut, and energized string manipulation by Barker. The action heats up even more when Carter transfers to his army of saxophones (listed simply as "all things that shine" in the sketchy notes). Carter is one of the most dominant musicians on the scene today, and his exhibition on this set further confirms that assessment. Telepathic collective improvisation becomes the order of the day as these four adventurers create intensity of high magnitude. Carter sears, Barker and Padmanabha incite, and Shurdut incisively probes on this absorbing display of dominance and power. JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT expands the group to a quintet on INTERNET ANNIE (NoLabels 3760). DANIEL CARTER again joins him, along with tenor saxophonist ELLIOTT LEVIN, percussionist JACKSON KRALL, and bassist ALBEY BALGOCHIAN. Levin and Carter play a cat and mouse game to warm up the proceedings as Shurdut returns to the guitar amplifier for the underlying coloration of this increasingly intense set. The saxophonists joust for position and then find a common ground from which to launch the attack. Carter alternates among a bevy of instruments and typically projects penetrating high tones in contrast to Levin's earthy tenor sound on the album's two tracks (WWW/ DDD. 37:03, 1/31/05, presumably New York, NY). The lengthier "DDD" is particularly exhilarating; Carter and Levin turn it up a notch, and Krall propels with his aggressive style while Shurdut and Balgochian put down a thick carpet of solidifying turmoil. Balgochian's agitated arco solo is in keeping with the pressure-cooker atmosphere generated by the group on this turbulent collectively improvised barnburner. They come up for air at intermittent points, but the action remains hot and heavy until the final wind-down. On A COST EFFECTIVE ORCHESTRA FOR THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE (NoLabels 4262), JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT constructs a massive sound by merging acoustic instrumentation with computer processing. With the guitarist/pianist are STEVE SWELL on trombone and WILL CONNELL JR. on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. The high-intensity free blowing drifts into a blizzard of electronic sound waves sweeping over a barren plain (13 untitled tracks. 38:07, 2002-2005, presumably New York, NY). Swell smears the landscape with bluster, Connell injects high-pitched screams, and Shurdut creates a guitar/piano blur that is forged into an acoustic/electronic blender. The tonality of the horns is filled with reverberant tension; Swell and Connell bounce projectiles off each other as Shurdut swirls eddies around them. On the final two short cuts, Shurdut uses sampled blowing from 1993-1994 by Daniel Carter and Sabir Mateen to paint an even more raucous sound for the live trio. Shurdut changes the ambiance on one or two pieces, but typically, the action goes nonstop on this unique conceptual marriage of processes. On AMERICAN HOLOCAUST (NoLabels 3869), JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT sketches a vivid portrait of collective art with associates Blaise Siwula on tenor and other reeds; Enrico Oliva and Welf Dorr on alto sax; Nick Gianni on flute, violin, and tenor; Robyn Siwula on viola; and Chris Forbes on keyboards. Using music to make a political statement, Shurdut weaves in varied movements of alternating tempo as this septet builds the dynamics to a fever pitch between more pastoral segments (401K/ Corporate Slavery/ Our Communist Army, Socialist Family, and Dictatorship Corporate Structures/ Winning Without a Majority. 42:44, 2005, presumably New York). Shurdut again plays the guitar amplifier as the tonal foundation of this evolving drama. The four woodwinds create quite a stir in front of the penetrating viola input of R. Siwula. The violist and Gianni on violin produce vibrant stimulation to augment the woodwinds. In contrast to his totally improvised releases, Shurdut blends in structural elements on this set as a springboard for the band to leap into open expression. The combination is just the ticket to exciting music. DOWNTRODDEN MASS (NoLabels 4064) finds JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT again with saxophonist/trumpeter Daniel Carter, flutist Nick Gianni, and saxophonist Enrico Oliva. They are joined by Motoko Shimizu (voice, toy recorder and tiny drums) and Jerome James (percussion, voice and chanting). The music has solemn qualities built into its freewheeling exterior (two untitled tracks. 56:27, 12/18/04. New York, NY). James and Shimizu mete out a compelling beat while the horn players design an unstructured hymn of quiet beauty. James' subdued chanting and Shimizu's spiritual vocal cries are buried in the core of these extended live selections. Consistent with his previous efforts, Shurdut remains an underlying force with his ambient guitar and amplifier textures. The reverent quality of the music is infectious; on the second selection, Carter, Oliva, and Gianni pour mournful messages through their horns while James emits husky throat grunts offset by Shimizu's high-pitched psalms and Shurdut's subtle whistling. An Indigenous American rhythm surfaces amidst the collective praying. Carter's flute musings add further to the mystique of this impressive example of freedom typically cloaked in sereneness but ending with a flourish. Alto saxophonist LUTHER THOMAS leads the team with JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT (this time only on piano), soprano saxophonist/bassist NICK GIANNI, and drummer MIKE FORTUNE on yet another Shurdut release on THE RAP (NoLabels 4163). The quartet rips into the short set with aggressive blowing by Thomas while Shurdut runs the keys in the upper register (two untitled tracks. 31:01, 2005, Queens, NY). The lengthier second cut kicks off with a recurring bass pattern by Gianni and consistent drum rhythms by Fortune to spur Shurdut into deep concentration on his opening solo. Shurdut's rumbling explorations butt up against the structured rhythms to provide contrast and stability. Thomas can be heard in the far background with verbal phrasing that presumably is the source of the recording's title. He then joins the others with a slowly built alto exercise as the quartet begins to gel. Thomas periodically adds yodeling background between his saxophone sprints, which at one point touches the outer perimeter of "My Favorite Things." Thomas's demanding call for "noise" changes the ambiance to primal screaming and aggressiveness by all. The dual personality of the piece makes it a rewarding endeavor on all fronts. SPIN-17 members ED CHANG and MOTOKO SHIMIZU, a duo specializing in experimental sound, interact with JEFFREY HAYDEN SHURDUT on 21ST CENTURY FOLK MUSIC VOL 3 (NoLabels 3661). Shurdut returns to guitar, underscoring Chang's saxophone, percussion, and shortwave infusions, and Shimizu's voice, toys, and turntable output. Droning waves of electronics smother this live collective encounter of space-age ferocity (eight untitled tracks. 53:17, 8/13/05, New York, NY). The buzzing of digital devices penetrates the atmosphere; Chang and Shimizu manipulate their array of instruments and accessories to piercing ends where their individual input becomes swallowed in the swirling mass of music/noise. Chang's screeching saxophone, which erupts in non-stop volcanic fashion on several cuts, is stirred into a mixture of high-pitched guitar screams and higher-pitched vocal phrasing. On three tracks, percussionist Ravi Padmanabha enlists in the cacophonous conflict that becomes tempered in spots by the rhythmic pulsation before returning to static-driven collective improvisation. Sheer energy spurs this set, yet the music has distinctive and intelligible communicative qualities*particularly from the saxophone contributions of Chang.
Frank Rubolino
 ayler records |
| John Tchicai, Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut, Marshall Allen |
| Sonny Simmons, Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut |
| impulse! |
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