CD – Karlrecords

Grapefruit was born in 1964 as a self-production by Yoko Ono – just 500 copies were printed by Wunternaum Press. Destined to become one of the most influential texts in the contemporary art circuit of that time, this volume of over 230 instructions, scores and drawings has proved over the years to be a cornerstone of the conceptual approach, deeply intertwining with the Fluxus movement and avant-garde musical experimentation. Several of the compositions that were described in Grapefruit worked well as scores for performances or events, also becoming strong points in Yoko Ono’s concerts and live performances throughout the 1960s. Selected Recordings From Grapefruit represents the first album entirely dedicated to the sound transposition of the scores contained in the book, with 20 tracks and a duration of approximately 85 minutes. The sound creations range from studio ensemble recordings, environmental captures and field recordings – combined according to the indications of the original scores. Most of the tracks were recorded live, thus restoring the authenticity of the performances, actions and environments in which they were born. Yoko Ono would rise to global fame shortly after, in 1966, when she began her relationship with John Lennon, whom she would later marry in 1969 and with whom in 1970 she would give life to the joint project of the Plastic Ono Band, a collective of musicians that would also include Ornette Coleman. The conjunction between musical avant-garde, art, underground and mass culture was born in this era and everything that naturally preceded, even slightly, this electrifying but also demonic conjunction appears of extreme interest today. Performing these sonic transpositions is The Great Learning Orchestra, a 25-year-old Swedish ensemble that has built its artistic identity around listening practices and exploratory music. Founded in 1999 by Leif Jordansson and Pelle Halvarsson, the group operates as an open network where over 100 musicians self-select for each new project, perfectly embodying the participatory and experimental spirit that characterized Yoko Ono’s original works. Over the course of its activity, the orchestra has collaborated with legendary avant-garde figures such as Gavin Bryars, Terry Riley and Pauline Oliveros, as well as commissioning new works by contemporary artists such as J.G. Thirlwell and Arnold Dreyblatt. The ensemble’s name itself derives from Cornelius Cardew’s ‘The Great Learning’, an experiment in collective social music that reflects the philosophy of openness and participation that guides each of their projects.

 

Yoko Ono / The Great Learning Orchestra – Selected Recordings From Grapefruit