DREW, JAMES MULCRO - ANIMATING DEGREE ZERO (CD)

"Nicolas Slonimsky has described James Mulcro Drew (b. 1929) as an 'authentic member of the American experimental tradition.' Drew, like Harry Partch, has always been a loner - not a member of any school or movement, he has remained largely outside the US university patronage system and has remained 'on the move' rather than settling in one environment. This composer portrait, spanning the length of his career, is the first recording devoted entirely to Drew's music and is an excellent introduction to his idiosyncratic sound world. It features several of his important chamber pieces, ranging from a key early work, 'The Lute In The Attic' to a recent large-ensemble work, Animating Degree Zero. These are all world-premiere recordings." (label info)