Julius Eastman

Unjust Malaise
"Julius Eastman was and remains an enigmatic character in the Downtown scene of the 70's and 80's. He was a key figure during the early days of Morton Feldman's tenure at the University of Buffalo, adding his piano and astonishing vocal skills to the work of the seminal performer/composer group Creative Associates, among other projects. This recording of The Holy Presence Of Joan D'Arc consists of an ensemble of 10 cellos and is part of New World Records' lauded 3-CD release of Eastman's work entitled Unjust Malaise. He died in 1990 penniless and homeless, most of his work and archives having been lost along the path to an early demise. Thanks to the work of Mary Jane Leach, Kyle Gann, Paul Tai, and others in putting together what is the first release of his recorded music, people of my generation are able to experience Eastman's unique and powerful music firsthand. Related to motoric Minimalism on the surface, many of the works represented on this record (including The Holy Presence...) develop via the use of an open form score/strategy and the subtle use of pop music references (i.e. the quasi rock riff that opens this track)."