This RTV episode features with Mark Feldman and chats about his musical history and journey with creative music making.
Feldmanís Roulette TV performance consists of a series of solos of stunning virtuosity built of flying arpeggios, and lyrical and inquisitive passages and dialogues. The first three (an improvisation, “For Spiker” and “Elegy”) contrast unremitting, demanding, high-energy characters with gently persuasive statements. Feldman employs several unusual playing techniques such as circular bowing, harmonics combined with pizzicati, and the use of highly expressive degrees of vibrato. The last piece, “Colisto”, is a very moving set of variations on a plaintive melody. In his post-performance interview, Feldman explains the Nashville numbering system for harmonic progressions, remembers playing bebop on New York streets, and discusses new music.
Aired on rTV: 2002
Episode digital release date: 05/08/2010
Host: Phoebe Legere
The career of composer and violin virtuoso Mark Feldman exemplifies the American musicianís experience of performing a wide-ranging variety of musical styles: trained as a classical violinist, he has played with avant-garde jazz improvisors (e.g., Pharoah Sanders, Ray Anderson, Bill Frisell, John Zorn), recorded over 200 country music selections (with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, etc.) in Nashville as a studio musician, appears on over 45 jazz albums (Lee Konitz, They Might Be Giants, and others) as a sideman, and was a member of the Arcado String Trio and the Chromatic Persuaders. Downbeat magazine voted Feldman 1994 and 1995ís “Talent Deserving Wider Recognition”.