NOTE: This blog entry originally appeared in February 2011
by Geoffrey Redick, producer
Every day, we are bombarded by a constant media stream of information. The vast majority of it is shallow and transactional. Headlines in favor of in-depth reporting. “Reality” television shows in place of thoughtful dramas. Facebook friends instead of actual human interaction. In this environment, Ken Nordine traffics in something rare and precious: imagination. Nordine’s Word Jazz is much more than the sum of its parts. Words and music combine and conjure an individual experience — with the active participation of the listener, Word Jazz achieves a three-dimensional space in the mind. Nordine’s writing is always full of curiosity, and sometimes playful, sometimes mischevious. And then there’s that voice, which seems to be not so much heard as felt, something that resonates out of his chest and rumbles around between your ears. I’ve been a fan of Word Jazz since my first listen, in high school. Hearing those pieces on a compilation CD flipped a switch for me, showing what was possible with audio production. Take a listen yourself.
Nordine’s website has several podcasts.
And he has a YouTube channel, with videos he made to illustrate Word Jazz pieces. You can see similar videos on his DVD, The Eye is Never Filled.
You can also find many Word Jazz albums on CD and for download.
