Among 20 concerts of the Sacrum Profanum Festival, there are two devoted to works by The Viking of 6th Avenue - Moondog Madrigals (27.09, The People's Theater) and Tribute to Moondog (28.09, Crickoteka). Together with Krzysztof Kwiatkowski from the 3szostki.pl blog we present a short introduction to the artist's work.

The late great Louis Thomas Hardin meets almost all criteria of a cult personality; most of all, perhaps, he exists in the common consciousness as an underappreciated and forgotten artist. His life (described in detail in almost all writings about him and his works) was marked with tragedy, extravagance, controversy and many unexpected plot twists, as though it was written as a screenplay. Hardin’s music was admired by myriad of distinguished musicians such as Charlie Parker, whose influence on others was immeasurable. There is also the popular myth according to which Moondog has only been discussed seriously in the last few years after decades of silence. Without a shadow of a doubt each of these elements contributes to Moondog’s legendary status.

The stories fit into a certain attractive narrative: we all like to feel we’re a part of something mysterious and not fully understood. But whichever way we look at it, the fact remains that we are dealing with someone responsible for a vast volume of incredible and one-of-a-kind music, and this is what we should be focusing on. Moondog’s discography is filled with countless releases of different styles which come together into a coherent, logical continuum. The simplest way of exploring Hardin’s oeuvre is to start with three classics, all entitled “Moondog”, followed by “Elpmas” released in 1991.

The 1956 self-titled album is impossible to compare to anything published before; in fact it is incomparable with any music recorded in the decades that followed. Running for just half an hour, the album intertwines classical, jazz and folk – and while at first glance this is hardly unusual, delve a little deeper and you discover extraordinary stories in which Hardin’s exotica is punctured by whimsical, avant-folk elements and environmental sounds, such as frogs’ ribbits. The tropical mysticism, stripped almost entirely of contestation, is entirely disarming. And it’s fascinating.

Fast forward 13 years, and the 1969 “Moondog” is a Minimalist masterpiece, perhaps one of the most important and accessible works of its genre. Orchestral post-Wagner-jazz arrangements intertwine with excerpts of soundtracks from contemporaneous films. The grandeur of Moondog’s music frequently takes on specific blushes; it is a universal and elastic majesty, while the harmonies seem almost tangible. It is a stunningly beautiful, pure work.

Two years later, the recording was followed by “Moondog 2” (or perhaps the third self-titled album) – a collection of 26 miniatures. Pigeonholing them is essentially impossible, as of course is the case with Hardin himself. “Moondog 2” juxtaposes poptimistic folk with Baroque music, leading to elevated, almost pastoral sounds seasoned with vocals by June Hardin (Moondog’s daughter), as well as featuring frivolous and carefree melodies.

To finish, reach for “Elpmas” – a crystal clear, tranquil example of Minimalism. In terms of facture, it could well be Moondog’s most ambient record. The album confirms that decades after his debut Hardin remained as experimental as ever, continuing to search for new experiences and emotions, even though he remained within frameworks developed back in the 1950s.

SOURCE
The article by Krzysztof Kwiatkowski from the 3szostki blog.
Pic. Richard Dumas