Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell was an American trumpet player and composer. He was best known for developing the concept of "Fourth World" music, which describes a "unified primitive/futurist sound" combining elements of various world ethnic traditions with modern electronic techniques. The concept was first articulated on Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics, his 1980 collaboration with Brian Eno.
Born in Tennessee, Hassell studied contemporary classical music in New York and later in Germany under composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. He subsequently worked with minimalist composers Terry Riley and La Monte Young, and studied under Hindustani singer Pandit Pran Nath. His association with Brian Eno in the early 1980s would introduce Hassell to a larger audience. He subsequently worked with musical artists such as Talking Heads, David Sylvian, Farafina, Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears, Ani DiFranco, Techno Animal, Ry Cooder, Moritz von Oswald, and Carl Craig.
Life and career
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, Hassell received his master's degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. During this time he became involved in European serial music, especially the work of Karlheinz Stockhausen, and so after finishing his studies at Eastman, he enrolled in the Cologne Course for New Music for two years, where he met Irmin Schmidt and Holger Czukay, who would later go on to form Can. Hassell returned to the U.S. in 1967, where he met Terry Riley in Buffalo, New York, and performed on the first recording of Riley's seminal work In C in 1968. He pursued his Ph.D. in musicology in Buffalo and performed in La Monte Young's Theatre of Eternal Music in New York City, contributing to the 1974 LP Dream House 78' 17".On his return to Buffalo in the early 1970s, Hassell was introduced to the music of Indian Pandit Pran Nath, a specialist in the Kiranic style of singing. Hassell, Young, Marian Zazeela, and Riley went together to India to study with Nath. His work with Nath awoke his appetite for traditional musics of the world, and on the album Vernal Equinox, he used his trumpet to imitate the vocal techniques to which Nath had exposed him. He stated:
In 1980, he collaborated with Brian Eno on the album Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics and appeared on the Eno-produced Talking Heads album Remain in Light. The same year Hassell also performed solo at the Mudd Club. Plans had been made with Eno and David Byrne for the three of them to team up for what became "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts," but the plan fell through when Hassell didn't agree with the direction the tracks were taking. His 1981 release, Dream Theory in Malaya, led to a performance at the first World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival, organized by Peter Gabriel. He performed and co-wrote tracks on David Sylvian's first solo album Brilliant Trees, and its instrumental EP follow-up Words with the Shaman. In the late 1980s, Hassell contributed to Gabriel's Passion, the soundtrack album for Martin Scorsese's film, The Last Temptation of Christ. Hassell and Pete Scaturro composed the electronic theme music for the television show The Practice.
In 1989, Hassell contributed to the Tears for Fears album The Seeds of Love.
Hassell died from natural causes on June 26, 2021, at the age of 84. He had had health issues over the course of the previous year.
Style
Hassell coined the term "Fourth World" to describe his work on "a unified primitive/futuristic sound combining features of world ethnic styles with advanced electronic techniques." He used extensive electronic processing of his trumpet playing. In addition to nonwestern traditional musics, critics have noted the influence of Miles Davis on Hassell's style, particularly Davis' use of electronics, modal harmony, minimal vibrato and understated lyricism. Both on record and during live performances, Hassell made use of western instruments—keyboards, bass, electric guitar, and percussion—to create modal, hypnotic grooves, over which he often played microtonally-inflected trumpet phrases in the style of Nath's Kiranic vocals. His use of circular breathing on the instrument enabled him to create long, seamless, and mesmerizing melodic lines.Discography
;As leader or co-leader- Vernal Equinox
- Earthquake Island
- Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics, with Brian Eno
- Dream Theory in Malaya: Fourth World Volume Two
- Aka/Darbari/Java: Magic Realism
- Power Spot
- The Surgeon of the Nightsky Restores Dead Things by the Power of Sound, live recordings
- Flash of the Spirit, with Farafina
- City: Works of Fiction
- Dressing for Pleasure, with Bluescreen
- Sulla Strada, with I Magazzini
- The Vertical Collection , with Peter Freeman as Bluescreen Project
- Fascinoma
- Hollow Bamboo, with Ry Cooder, Ronu Majumdar and Abhijit Banerjee
- Maarifa Street: Magic Realism Volume Two
- Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street
- Listening to Pictures
- Seeing Through Sound
- "Map of Dusk" on compilation Myths 3: La nouvelle serenité, recorded in 1985 with J.A. Deane
- "Pygmy Dance" on compilation Ai Confini / Interzone, recorded live in Italy 1988
- "Streetfaxx" and remixes by 808 State on EP Voiceprint
- Personals, maxi-single with remixes of "Personals" and "G-Spot" by MC 900 Ft Jesus and Organized Konfusion
- "Then and Now " on compilation Then and Now , live recording from 2001 in Italy with John Beasley, Rick Cox
On almost all recordings Jon Hassell played trumpet. In cases where he plays keyboards or electronics it is mentioned in the last column; the same applies to the credits as composer.
Film soundtracks are labeled "O.S.T." preceding the film title. Artists and labels are linked by first appearance only.
| Date | Leading artist or band | Album title | Label | Track titles and notes |
| 1968 | Terry Riley | In C | Columbia | ensemble member |
| 1974 | Francesco Guccini | Stanze di vita quotidiana | Columbia | ensemble member |
| 1974 | La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela | Dream House 78' 17" | Shandar | ensemble member on one of two extensive tracks |
| 1980 | Talking Heads | Remain in Light | Sire | on "Houses in Motion" |
| 1982 | Brian Eno | Ambient 4: On Land | Editions EG | on "Shadow" |
| 1984 | David Sylvian | Brilliant Trees | Virgin | on "Weathered Wall" and "Brilliant Trees", co-composer |
| 1985 | David Sylvian | Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities | Virgin | on "Words with the Shaman Part 1-3", co-composer; also released as EP |
| 1985 | Peter Gabriel | O.S.T. Birdy | Virgin/Charisma | ensemble member |
| 1987 | Lloyd Cole and the Commotions | Mainstream | Polydor | on "Big Snake" |
| 1989 | Alice | Il sole nella pioggia | EMI | on "Il sole nella pioggia" and "Le baccanti", pre-sampled trumpet sounds activated by keyboard on "Visioni" |
| 1989 | Peter Gabriel | O.S.T. Passion | Real World/Geffen/Virgin | on "Passion" |
| 1989 | Tears for Fears | The Seeds of Love | Fontana | on "Standing on the Corner of the Third World" and "Famous Last Words" |
| 1991 | Marc Beacco | The Crocodile Smile | Polydor/Nova | on "Funeral for a Flower", co-composer |
| 1991 | Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses avec Hector Zazou | Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses avec Hector Zazou | Philips/Phonogram | on "Anima", "In la piazza" and "Notte", co-composer |
| 1993 | Ry Cooder | O.S.T. Trespass | Sire/Warner | ensemble with Jim Keltner |
| 1994 | Stina Nordenstam | And She Closed Her Eyes | Telegram/East West | on "Crime" and "I See You Again" |
| 1995 | Techno Animal | Re-Entry | Virgin | on "Flight of the Hermaphrodite" and "Needle Park", co-composer |
| 1996 | David Toop | Pink Noir | Virgin | on "Slow Loris Versus Poison Snail", co-composer |
| 1997 | Jackson Browne | The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne | Elektra | on "The Next Voice You Hear" produced by T-Bone Burnett |
| 1997 | k.d. lang | Drag | Warner | on "Hain't It Funny?" |
| 1997 | Holly Cole | Dark Dear Heart | Alert | on "All the Pretty Little Horses" |
| 1997 | Ry Cooder | O.S.T. The End of Violence | Outpost | featured trumpet soloist |
| 1998 | Ry Cooder | O.S.T. Primary Colors | Outpost | on "Wide Sky", co-composer |
| 1998 | The Insects & Richard Grassby-Lewis featuring Jon Hassell | O.S.T. Love and Death on Long Island | OceanDeep | featured soloist |
| 1998 | Mandalay | Empathy | V2 | on "It's Enough Now", "This Time Last Year" and "Beautiful" |
| 1998 | Ani DiFranco | Little Plastic Castle | Righteous Babe | on |
| 1999 | Guy Sigsworth | O.S.T. G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time | Island | on "Who Would You Have Me Love" with Hinda Hicks |
| 1999 | David Toop | Hot Pants Idol | Barooni | on "Wing Beats", trumpet and harmonizer, co-composer |
| 2000 | Hal Willner | O.S.T. The Million Dollar Hotel: Music from the Motion Picture | Interscope | on "Never Let Me Go" and "Amsterdam Blue ", co-composer and track production |
| 2000 | k.d. lang | Invincible Summer | Warner | on "Simple" |
| 2000 | Mandalay | Instinct | V2 | on "Not Seventeen", "Don't Invent Me" and "It's Enough Now" |
| 2000 | Nick Wood | Sound Virus | Victor | on "Confined to Ice" |
| 2001 | Ani DiFranco | Revelling/Reckoning | Righteous Babe | on "Revelling" |
| 2001 | Howie B. | Folk. | Polydor | on "Tap Dancer", co-composer |
| 2001 | Rick Cox | Maria Falling Away | Cold Blue | on "Long Distance", composer |
| 2002 | Frou Frou | Details | Island | on "Flicks", "The Dumbing Down of Love" and "Old Piano" |
| 2003 | Ibrahim Ferrer | Buenos Hermanos | World Circuit/Nonesuch | on "Fuiste Cruel" and "Boliviana"; album produced by Ry Cooder |
| 2004 | Lightwave | Bleue comme une orange | Signature | on "Huang/Hong" and "Deep Steel Dubh" |
| 2004 | Alexkid | Mint | PIAS | on "Mint", co-composer |
| 2005 | Paul Haslinger | O.S.T. Sleeper Cell | Rhythmbank | on "Memento Mori" with Sussan Deyhim, co-composer |
| 2005 | Ry Cooder | Chávez Ravine | Nonesuch/Perro Verde | on "Don't Call Me Red" |
| 2006 | Hadouk Trio | Utopies | Naïve | on last three tracks, co-composer |
| 2007 | Paul Haslinger | O.S.T. Sleeper Cell: American Terror | Lakeshore | |
| 2007 | Ry Cooder | My Name Is Buddy | Nonesuch/Perro Verde | on "One Cat, One Vote, One Beer" |
| 2007 | Harry Gregson-Williams | O.S.T. The Number 23 | New Line | featured as soloist |
| 2007 | Michael Fahres | The Tubes | Cold Blue | on "The Tubes " with Mark Atkins |
| 2008 | Jan Bang and Erik Honoré as Punkt | Live Remixes Vol. 1 | Jazzland | on tracks "III" and "VI", co-composer |
| 2008 | Ani DiFranco | Red Letter Year | Righteous Babe | on "Star Matter" |
| 2008 | k.d. lang | Watershed | Nonesuch | on "Upstream" |
| 2008 | Ry Cooder | I, Flathead | Nonesuch/Perro Verde | on "Flathead One More Time" |
| 2009 | Jon Balke & Amina Alaoui | Siwan | ECM | ensemble member, trumpet and electronics |
| 2010 | Jan Bang | …And Poppies from Kandahar | Samadhisound | on "Exile from Paradise", co-composer |
| 2011 | Paul Haslinger | O.S.T Underworld: Rise of the Lycans | Lakeshore | featured musician |
| 2015 | Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba | Ba Power | Glitterbeat | on "Ayé Sira Bla = Make Way" |
| 2015 | Duncan Sheik | Legerdemain | Kobalt | on "Brutalized" and "No Happy End" |
| 2016 | Genre Peak | Your Sleekest Engine | Gonzo | on "Metanoia", trumpet samples and/or sampler |