The Relache Chronicles
THE RELACHE CHRONICLES is a podcast about musicians residing in what we call “the Margins of American Music.” In these 30-to-45-minute episodes, we’ll play recordings – primarily by The Relache Ensemble from Philadelphia - of complete musical works plus commentary by composers, performers, and others with insight to the music. Throughout the podcast, we’ll discuss the guest composers’ processes, how they utilized current and past technologies and how the acoustical properties of a given space informed the creation and performance of a musical work. Finally, we will discuss how the composers’ relationship with the musicians brought the music to life. Episodes feature music by John Cage, Robert Ashley, Joe Kasinskas, Pauline Oliveros, Guy Klucevsek, Eve Beglarian, Fred Ho, Phill Niblock, Romulus Franceschini, Bill Duckworth, Lois v Vierk, and an overview of the New Music America Festival 1987 - Philadelphia, and the expansive residency/performance project named Music in Motion. THE RELACHE CHRONICLES is produced, directed, and edited, by Arthur Stidfole with Joseph Franklin, Joe Kasinskas, and Arthur Sabatini. Throughout their careers, they have been performing musicians, composers, executive and artistic directors, university teachers, radio hosts and authors, dedicated to the music of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Relache Chronicles
Episode Twenty Three - Guy Klucevsek
This episode is devoted to our close friend and collaborator of many years, accordionist-composer, Guy Klucevsek. Guy passed away on May 22nd after a long battle with neuroendocrine cancer. To call Guy a virtuoso accordionist is, of course, accurate. He was a master of the instrument’s potential to express extended lyrical musical lines amidst a rhythmic foundation drawn from folk traditions from throughout the world. And he was one of the most innovative accordion players in the world. As a composer, Guy wrote hundreds of works for solo accordion and accordion ensembles (especially The Accordion Tribe). He also composed for small ensembles (including The Relache Ensemble), music for dance, theater and film. (He was the go-to accordionist for the film composer John Williams.) He recorded and released twenty-three solo CD’s and ensemble recordings and appeared with other composer-performers on many recordings.
On this episode we will talk about Guy from the perspective of five close friends’ music making and social interactions with him. We’ll tell stories - anecdotal and accurate – and, of course, we’ll listen to his music. This episode is but one of many tributes that will be made to a unique artist and wonderful person. He will be missed by all of us. We hope this episode will honor his legacy.
