Moondog (album)

Moondog
Studio album by Moondog
Released	1969
Genre	Modern classical, avant-garde, minimal
Length	30:06
Label	CBS Records
Producer	James William Guercio
Moondog chronology
(1957) Moondog (1969) Moondog 2 (1971)

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Moondog is the fifth album by American composer Moondog.

Moondog had released no music for twelve years since his 1957 album . Finally, in 1969, producer James William Guercio invited him to record an album for Columbia Records.^[1]

The resulting album compiled various music which Moondog had been working on since the 1950s. This included two "minisyms" (Moondog's term for short symphonic-styled works performed by small orchestras); two canons; a chaconne in memory of Charlie Parker; ballet music originally written for Martha Graham ("Witch of Endor"); and three symphonic (or "symphonique") works, one of which was dedicated to Benny Goodman and featured elements of swing. A version of one composition, "Theme", had previously been recorded for Epic Records in 1952.^[1]

The album has been re-released twice as a 2-for-1 CD combining Moondog and Moondog 2: once by CBS in 1989, and once by Beat Goes On Records in 2001.

The album has also been re-released on vinyl LP for Record Store Day 2017.

Track listing[]

All compositions by Moondog (Louis Hardin)

1. "Theme" – 2:34
2. "Stamping Ground" – 2:36
3. "Symphonique #3 (Ode to Venus)" – 5:48
4. "Symphonique #6 (Good for Goodie)" – 2:44
5. "Minisym #1: i – Allegro, ii – Andante Adagio, iii – Vivace" – 5:42
6. "Lament 1 (Bird's Lament)" – 1:41
7. "Witch of Endor: i – Dance, ii – Trio: (a) Adagio (The Prophecy), (b) – Andante (The Battle), (c) – Agitato (Saul's Death'), iii – Dance (reprise)" – 6:27
8. "Symphonique #1 (Portrait of a Monarch)" – 2:34

Personnel[]

• Moondog (Louis Hardin) – composition & musical direction, conducting on "Minisym #1" (Andante Adagio only) & "Witch of Endor" (trio section), trimbas on "Witch of Endor" (dance section), unspecified instrumental performance on "Minisym #1" (possibly playing hüs)
• Harold Bennet, Andrew Lolya – flutes
• Harold Jones, Hubert Laws – piccolos
• Henry Shuman, Irving Horowitz – cor anglais
• Jimmy Abato, George Silfies, Phil Bodner – clarinets
• Ernie Bright – bass clarinet
• Jack Knitzer, Don Macourt, Ryohei Nakagawa, George Berg, Joyce Kelly – bassoons
• Wally Kane – bassoon, baritone saxophone
• Teddy Weiss, Mel Broiles, Alan Dean – trumpets
• Joe Wilder – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Danny Repole – bass trumpet
• James Buffington, Richard Berg, Ray Alonge, Brooks Tillotson – French horns
• Don Butterfield – tuba
• Bill Stanley – tuba, tenor tuba
• Bill Elton, John Swallow, Phil Giardina – tenor tuba
• Tony Studd, Charles Small, Buddy Morrow – tenor trombone
• Paul Faulise – bass trombone
• Jack Jennings, Dave Carey, Elayne Jones, Bob Rosengarden – percussion
• Paul Gershman, Aaron Rosand – violins
• Emanuel Vardi, David Schwartz, Eugene Becker, Raoul Poliakin – violas
• George Ricci, Charles McCracken – celli
• Joe Tekula – contrabass cello
• Raoul Poliakin, Eugene Becker – tenore
• George Duvivier, Ron Carter, Alfred Brown, Louis Hardin – bass
• Marc Unger, John Draper, Pam Gross – music copyists

References[]