RIP Paul Horn

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Horn's "Inside" album set him on his path; he left behind his jazz background and explored what was eventually termed "new age" (why yes, I did recently post on that very thing!) "Inside" explored the reverb inside the Taj Mahal, Paul Horn's flute tones bouncing off the walls. I actually preferred "Inside II", which paired Horn's flute reverb with earth/air/fire/water ("The Elements"), and included some really sweet 'flute chorales', classical works arranged for multi-tracked flutes. Paul continued with more "Inside" albums (Great Pyramid, etc.), he played for whales at the Vancouver Aquarium, and if I remember correctly, played on "For Free" on an Joni Mitchell album.

 

And the whole "reverb" thing? Modern classical performers like Pauline Oliveros and Stuart Dempster have carried on Horn's experiments, even (both) recording works in a subterranean cistern on Port Townsend's Fort Worden -- there's a 45-second delay!