In our afternoon reading: interviews with George Saunders and Melissa Broder, musical recommendations from His Name Is Alive, and more.
Morning Bites: Megan Giddings, Literary Seattle, His Name Is Alive, Melissa Broder’s Latest, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on books by Megan Giddings and Melissa Broder, exploring His Name Is Alive’s archives, and more.
Revisiting Steve Reich: Erik Hall on His New Recording of “Music for 18 Musicians”
Erik Hall isn’t 18 musicians, but you could be forgiven for thinking that he is. He’s recorded music as a solo artist and with the group In Tall Buildings; before that, he also had stints in His Name Is Alive and NOMO. For his new album, he opted for a particularly ambitious maneuver: recording Steve Reich’s Music For 18 Musicians. The ensuing record is both a loving version of a minimalist classic and a work that shows the impressive flexibility within Reich’s composition. I talked with Hall about the making of this album and his own musical journey over the years.