Rather on a whim, I thought I might transcribe some of the music created by the Thai Elephant Orchestra. I had already transcribed many songs from Captain Beefheart's albums Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off to perform with Van Goo and other equally off-beat and difficult projects, and thought: What next?
With the help and encouragement of David Soldier and Richard Lair, who, together, conceived the TEO, I began in earnest.
The result has been truly wonderful, and quite unexpected.
The first piece I transcribed, Phong's Solo, from Elephonic Rhapsodies (Mulatto Records Mul 009) has been published, and will be available at David's website shortly.
The next piece I transcribed, Thung Kwian Sunrise, from Thai Elephant Orchestra (Mulatto Records), has been orchestrated by David for chamber orchestra and was performed by the Composers Concordance Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Carlo Bo in a concert December 7, 2012, 8 PM, at the DiMenna Center, Mary Flagler Cary Hall, 450 W 37 St, New York, NY.
I plan to continue to transcribe this music created by elephants, and I can't wait to see what happens with the next one!
A beautiful rendering of Phong’s Solo for solo piano, performed by Steven Beck: