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Howl, U.S.A.

News & Reviews

  • Guardian: Kronos Quartet Show "Range with a Virtuoso Set" in "Outstanding" Barbican Concert with Alim Qasimov

    Kronos Quartet joined legendary Azerbaijani singer Alim Qasimov and his ensemble at London's Barbican this past Friday for the center's annual Ramadan Nights celebration of Sufi music. The Guardian says the pairing produced an "outstanding" concert from the "intriguing collaboration" between Qasimov, "certainly one of the most thrilling, unashamedly emotional performers on the planet," and the Quartet, which showed "daring" and "range with a virtuoso set."

  • Kronos Quartet Joins Legendary Singer Alim Qasimov to Open Barbican's Ramadan Nights Festival

    Kronos Quartet is in London this weekend for what promises to be a whirlwind of events at the Barbican: both its Open Weekend and Ramadan Nights, its annual festival of Muslim music. Kicking things off, Kronos performs tonight with the man who has been called Azerbaijan's greatest singer, Alim Qasimov, and his ensemble, including his daughter, Fergana. The Times (UK) calls the power of their vocals "devastating" and quotes Kronos's David Harrington as placing Alim Qasimov "up there in the top five of all time" among the world's greatest singers.

About this Album

These pieces incorporate the recorded/sampled voices of politically charged figures Allen Ginsberg, J. Edgar Hoover, and I.F. Stone. The Chicago Sun-Times says Howl, U.S.A. is “adventurous and provocative and dances on the edge of a whole new form.”

Credits

MUSICIANS
Kronos Quartet:
David Harrington, violin
John Sherba, violin
Hank Dutt, viola
Joan Jeanrenaud, cello

with
Ben Johnston, voice (2)
Allen Ginsberg, voice (8-11)

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Judith Sherman
Recorded August 1995, at Skywalker Sound, Nicasio, CA
Engineer: Craig Silvey
Assistant Engineer: Chris Haynes with Stee Limonoff (Howl)
Allen Ginsberg’s reading of “Howl” was recorded may 1995, at Looking Glass Studios, New York, NY
Engineer: Jamie Mariness
Mastered by Paul Zinman, SoundByte Productions, New York, NY

Music composed by Michael Daugherty (1); Harry Partch, arr. Ben Johnston (2); Scott Johnson (3-7); Lee Hyla, poem by Allen Ginsberg (8-11)

Cover Photograph: American Flag, 1977, by Robert Mapplethorpe
Art direction and design by Frank Olinsky

Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

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