Might I suggest the 16-track, hour-long City of Glass compilation, which features all of the Kenton/Robert Graettinger recording sessions? It gives a sharper look into this unique collaboration, while also including several of the Orchestra’s best tunes (“Thermopylae,” “Incident in Jazz,” “Everything Happens to Me”). The fact that it comes so (relatively) early in jazz history makes all the difference. Nevertheless, the “City of Glass” suite is one of the most overt avant-garde recordings in jazz history. The ideas behind the music are far more rewarding than the sounds produced, which is never a good sign-academia gone wrong. However, the polyphonic atonality and jarring chromaticism is often difficult to parse.

Considering the time (early 1950s…) and place (…in Hollywood, CA…) and context (…when modernist jazz was still in its infantile stages), this music is decades ahead of its time. That’s not to say City of Glass isn’t good and/or groundbreaking. The themes of double meanings and double. By using the reference to the Fall of Man, he uses the concept of truth to explain the potential for lies. Auster uses various themes surrounding ‘doubles’ to prove that language is untrustworthy. If it wasn’t for the horns and occasional drums, this would fit right in with Second Viennese School dogma. Paul Auster uses City of Glass to prove that yes, lying is very possible, regardless of the context.

City of Glass-a classical suite in four movements-is harsh and dissonant, with only traces of bop and/or swing. Kenton’s 1950 LP, Innovations in Modern Music, was a bit more fun, you could say. This is far from jazz, and even further from big band. With dashes of Charles Ives and, gasp, Elliot Carter thrown in for good measure. The narrative begins with Clary and Simon at Luke ’s house, a week after they called off their relationship. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. This is big band Alban Berg, nothing more and nothing less. City of Glass City of Ashes is the second installment in The Mortal Instruments series, an urban fantasy series set in New York written by Cassandra Clare. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

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