Concert Performances, 1991-2013

This Concert Performances Project Collection (1991-2009) is composed of several experimental sound and music projects by Lynn Book that feature her voice, and that are often created in collaboration with musicians, composers and improvisers. This distinct braid of Book’s body of work emerged in about 1991-92 when she lived in Chicago, where she participated in and helped foster contemporary arts and adventurous music scenes. Prior to this time she was primarily invested in making experimental multimedia performance projects that included prerecorded and live sound that she designed, co-created or otherwise performed. The concert moniker refers to the format of performance with its focus on vocal, textual and sonic material that could take shape as spoken or more musical material.

Book performed her vocal works accompanied by simple electronics processing and looping devices that she used to layer and expand the sonic terrain, and often worked with sound effects. In this Projects Collection are 3 duo performance projects; “notes on desire” with drummer Kevin Norton (also found under Projects), with bassist Tatsu Aoki and with Rich Robeson on flute and guitar. Multi-voice compositions by Book that she conducted and also performed include 2 works for “Vox Risk Holler”, a non-professional, open chorus she founded in New York City in 2003, and also for one of “the dice chronicles” concert events on the occasion of the CD release of “dice 2 (she says)” that she co-produced with Elise Kermain. The famous Dada composition by Kurt Schwitters,”Ursonate”, published in 1932, has been the only work not created by Book, and remains as a kind of repertoire piece. Notably, she is thought to be the first woman to perform it in its entirety. It can also be found in the Projects Collection. All recordings can be found in the Audio Works Collection, while material having to do with the Concert Performances are found here, including video documentation, audio documentation, select text-scores, announcements, reviews and photo documentation. See sub-collections:

notes on desire, 2003

CBGB's Concerts, 1999-2000

Vox Risk Holler, 2003-04

Book + Aoki, 1992-95

the dice chronicles, 1993-96

Book + Robeson, 2009

Ursonate, 1984-2013