Peter Zummo

David Weinstein speaks with Peter Zummo, an innovative and pioneering force in New York's new music scene. The composer and trombonist discusses the effect of realizing one has embarked on a musical career without even knowing it and the distinct humor and melodic constructions of his works. A great many insights into his perspective on the social structure of musical ensembles and the conceptions behind such compositions as Experimenting With Household Chemicals, Slybersonic Tromosome and the as-yet-unreleased, working-titled Poptronica are provided, as are details of the rationale behind his desire to create harmony without chords and compositions without scores. But first he provides a breezy, minute-long, chronologically arranged introduction to the history of his life, later elaborating on the foundation and history of the DownTown Ensemble and the self-realizations that came with forming a group geared toward providing a forum for underrepresented repertory performances. The interview features a number of necessarily but quite unfortunately curtailed excerpts of his performances and compositions.



Zummo has performed with such musicians as Daniel Goode, Guy Klucevsek, Mary Jane Leach, John Lurie's Lounge Lizards, and Arthur Russell. Among his available recordings are Zummo With an X (Loris Records), Experimenting With Household Chemicals(XI), Slybersonic Tromosome (Penumbra) and Downtown Only (Lovely Music) (1 hour 20 minutes).

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