Chance Meeting
Friday November 21st, 2025 with Heavy Ben
Steve Reich: Music For 18 Musicians

Chance meeting on a 50 year-old radio station of a 50 year-old composition and 18 musicians Merci beaucoup to those to contributed to Chance Meeting and CKCU! You can still donate. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/CKCU/p2p/fundingdrive2025/page/chance-meeting Special shout to: Neil & Dancer (a double shot!) Eddy B Oddball Bijon Kathy DeKoven Ian M (YOW Jazz) Neal Johnstone (Upstairs Neighbour) Candace Nelson (Candy Shop) Liz Kim Adriana Ciccone (Echo Chamber) Craig Mac Chris I (Off The Charts) Rob "Day Job" Woods Napalm Dan Trevor Walker (Friday Drive) Jack Coghill Reginald Woods Rachel Weldon (Debaser) We marked 50 years on FM this past week. Thanks to the volunteers who coordinated the events. My post funding drive custom is to shut up and play instrumental music. This week I've selected a personal favourite that happens to be the piece that brought minimalism to popular discourse: Steve Reich's Music For 18 Musicians. Before there were drum machines, samplers, and computers... there was analog techno. While it took a generation or two, Reich's influence has been heard through Tortoise, Björk, Sufjan Stevens, Cold Cut, Stereolab, The Orb, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. But in the 1970s, major labels did not support avant garde composition. Until a jazz label from Germany stepped up, the 1976 recording was dormant for two years. Not quite "Back To The Future" being rejected 40 times, but "Music For 18 Musicians" sold over 100,000 copies for ECM after Deutsche Grammophon did not release it. It took a while before Reich was considered "America’s Most Important Living Composer". Steve Reich turned 89 last month. Check this excellent overview and interview with NPR from earlier this year. A tip of the cap! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Reich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_18_Musicians https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal_music https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22346-the-ecm-recordings/ https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2016/07/steve-reich-composer https://www.npr.org/2025/03/14/nx-s1-5319902/steve-reich-interview-collected-works (to embiggen the show icon, right-click and choose "Open image in new tab")