Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire (Graphic Scores 1986–96) is a double live album by English guitarist, composer and improvisor Fred Frith. It comprises a series of graphic scores Frith composed in 1992 "for any number of players". It was performed live by Frith, Ikue Mori, Zeena Parkins and the International Occasional Ensemble at five concerts in Canada (October 1992), Italy (May 1992), Belgium (May 1994), Netherlands (October 1994) and Germany (October 1995). Frith also conducted and directed the performances.
The graphic scores used for the performances were a set of photographs taken by Frith of a variety of inanimate objects, including stone pavings, brick walls, windows, stacks of logs and high-tension wires. Each photograph had instructions explaining to the musicians how to interpret the patterns in the image. For example, "Skylight IV" was a photograph of skylights in a large building and was annotated as follows:
Frith chose the pictures for the patterns and repetitions they contained. Breaks in the patterns (for example, paint smudges, leaves on sand) guided soloists and defined instrumental groupings. Generally time was read from left to right and pitch vertically. Under the direction of Frith, with wide latitude given to each individual musician's interpretation of the proceedings, the resulting music was a form of structured improvisation. Dave Lynch at AllMusic wrote: "At its best, structured improvisation can provide a guiding context that enhances, rather than limits, the impact of the improvisations themselves. Such is the case with Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire, some of the best photographs you ever heard."
All tracks composed by Fred Frith.
Disc 1, tracks 1-2 recorded live at the Time Festival, Ghent, Belgium, May 1994Disc 1, tracks 3-5 recorded live at the 10th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada, October 1992 Disc 1, tracks 6-8 recorded live at the Angelica Festival Internazionale di Musica, Bologna, Italy, May 1992Disc 1, tracks 9-12 recorded live at the Jazz Marathon, Groningen, the Netherlands, October 1994Disc 2, tracks 1-5 recorded live at the Kulturzentrum Dieselstrasse, Esslingen, Germany, October 1995Fred Frith – violin, guitar, directionIkue Mori (all but disc 1, tracks 6-8) – drum computersZeena Parkins (all but disc 1, tracks 6-8) – harp, electric harp, accordionOlivia Bignardi (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – clarinet, bass clarinetDaniela Cattivelli (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – alto saxophoneJean Derome (disc 1, tracks 3-5) – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flutesHans Koch (disc 2, tracks 1-5) – saxophones, clarinetsRoberto Paci Dalo (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – clarinet, bass clarinetMariette Rouppe van der Voort (disc 1, tracks 9-12; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – soprano saxophone, flute, alto fluteCo Streiff (disc 1, tracks 9-12; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophoneRaymund van Santen (disc 1, tracks 1-2,9-12) – alto saxophonePeter Vermeersch (disc 1, tracks 1-2) – tenor saxophone, clarinetTakashi Yamane (disc 1, tracks 1-2) – bass clarinetStefano Zorzanello (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – soprano saxophone, fluteLesli Dalaba (disc 1, tracks 3-5) – trumpetFerdinando d'Andria (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – trumpet, violinBart Maris (disc 1, tracks 1-2,9-12; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – trumpetSalvatore Panu (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – tromboneGiorgio Simbola (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – bombardinoPaolo Angeli (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – guitarClaudio Lanteri (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – guitarRené Lussier (disc 1, tracks 1-5) – guitar, daxophoneJean-Marc Montera (disc 1, tracks 9-12) – guitarSilvia Fanti (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – accordionGuy Klucevsek (disc 1, tracks 3-5) – accordionFilomena Forleo (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – pianoMyra Melford (disc 1, tracks 3-5) – pianoDaan van der Walle (disc 1, tracks 1-2,9-12) – pianoChristine Wodraszka (disc 2, tracks 1-5) – pianoPierangelo Galantino (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – violin, double bassLelio Giannetto (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – double bassHan Bennink (disc 1, tracks 1-5) – drumsChris Cutler (disc 1, tracks 9-12) – drumsAhmed Compaore (disc 2, tracks 1-5) – drumsAndrea Martignoni (disc 1, tracks 6-8; disc 2, tracks 1-5) – percussionMario Martignoni (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – percussionPino Urso (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – percussionNicola Zonca (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – marimbaMarco Dalpane (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – keyboardsFred Giuliani (disc 1, tracks 9-12) – samplesMargareth Kammerer (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – voiceDidier Roth (disc 1, tracks 1-5) – bricolageMassimo Simonini (disc 1, tracks 6-8) – records, CDs, Casio SK11I Green; II Drystone II; III Improvisation; IV Roof; V Improvisation; VI Reykjavik; VII Vlissingen; VIII Improvisation; IX Skylight V33:39
2I Improvisation; II Tokyo6:35
3Screen5:49
