U.S. Highball (1946), by Harry Partch

Video by Jon Roy with voice of Harry Partch (1970)

U.S. Highball (1946)

by Harry Partch

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Cat Clemons Ahead of his time doesn’t begin to describe Partch! So happy to hear this historic recording!

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U.S. Highball (1946) 29:20 video

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U.S. Highball Version B ("second draft") - score dated as being completed October 1, 1943

From the original 1946 GME booklet:

U. S. HIGHBALL is an account of "Slim's" transcontinental hobo trip, in a speech-music style. Compositionally and geographically it is in three sections: an introductory "highball" from Carmel, California, to Green River, Wyoming; a middle movement of hobo reminiscences at Little America, Wyoming; and a final "highball" over the road from Little America to Chicago.

The scale basis of the composition is a 43-tone-to-the-octave just intonation system introduced by Harry Partch and explained in his forthcoming book Genesis of a Music, to be published by the University of Wisconsin Press. Both the instruments and the voice use this scale, with occasional periods of free declamation in the intoning voice.

credits

released April 7, 2021

William Wendlandt, Subjective (Singing) Voice
Harry Partch, Objective (Intoning) Voice and electric, fretless Adapted Guitar 1
Christine Charnstrom, Chromelodeon 1
Lee Hoiby, Kithara 1
Hulda Gieschen, Harmonic Canon 1

Recorded by Dr. Warren E. Gilson in 1946 at his home in Madison, Wisconsin, assisted by James S. L. Jacobs and Edgerton Paul (Monitors) and released in a limited pressing of 100 red vinyl albums.

Produced and remastered by Philip Blackburn

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Harry Partch San Diego, California

Harry Partch (1901 – 1974) was an American composer, music theorist, and creator of musical instruments. He composed using just intonation as a way to match the subtleties of the intoned voice, and advocated for a Corporeal approach to a total integration of the arts. ... more

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