Moondog - Organ Rounds [The Story of Moondog] 1957

Moondog - Organ Rounds [The Story of Moondog] 1957

Also Known As Louis T. Hardin [birth name]

Born May 26, 1916, Marysville, KS, United States
Died September 8, 1999 // Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

by RYM
Louis Thomas Hardin was born 1916 in Maryville, KS. At a very young age he developed an interest in drums and rhythms, which progressed when his family moved to Wyoming, where he visited Indian reservations with his father. There he was introduced to the buffalo skin tom-tom and native rhythm patterns which he would adapt in his music later. In 1932, Hardin lost his eye sight when a dynamite cap exploded in his face and had to finish high school at the School of the Blind in Iowa, later studiying Braille at the School of the Blind in St. Louis.

While studying in the Memphis Conservatory of Music, Hardin received a musical scholarship and moved to New York in November 1943. Having no contacts and only money to cover one month's rent at the time of his move, Hardin soon gained the friendship of renowned conductor of the New York Philharmonic Artur Rodzinski and met Leonard Bernstein and Arturo Toscanini. Rodzinski promised to conduct any orchestral work Hardin might have written, but because of Hardin's lack of money the scores couldn't be transcribed from Braille (in which he wrote all his music) into normal notation. So Hardin made his living as a street musician and by reciting poetry around 54th street, dressed in home-made Viking-themed clothing. He was often seen holding a long spear, and eventually became a quite famous street-figure among New Yorkers.

In 1947, Hardin married and started to call himself "Moondog," identifying himself with a former pet who used to howl at the moon. When James William Guercio (director of the cult film "Electra Glide in Blue" and manager the rock group Chicago) came to hear Moondog's music, he decided to record it. So Moondog made his first recordings, and within a few months four 78's were produced (all of this music would be re-recorded and re-released on albums he made until the late 50's.) In 1954, Moondog had to judicially forbid Alan Freed to use the name "Moondog" on his radio show. Modern classical composer Igor Stravinsky, interested in Moondog's music, had spoken to the judge on Hardin's behalf.

Moondog kept recording on the streets of New York. The 1955 EP Moondog & His Honking Geese Playing Moondog's Music as well as the albums Moondog, More Moondog and The Story of Moondog from that period are some of his most famous releases. He met jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker who suggested a collaboration between the two, not long before Parker's unexpected death. In memory of Parker, Moondog composed "Bird's Lament."

1969 saw the release of Moondog's best-known recording, Moondog [1969], which featured a large orchestra that included jazz veterans Ron Carter and Don Butterfield. Moondog 2, which consisted mainly of rounds and canons, was recorded with daughter June in 1971, and in the same year one of Moondog's musical pieces was used in the movie "Drive, He Said."

After being invited to Germany by the Hessain Broadcasting in January, 1974, Moondog moved to Oer-Erkenschwick in the Ruhr area. During the following 25 years in Europe a large amount of music that he had written in New York was released, ending with Sax Pax for a Sax in 1997.

On August 1st, 1999, Moondog performed his last concert alongside pianist Dominique Ponty (daughter of Jean-Luc Ponty.) The concert can be heard on the second disc of The German Years 1977-1999. On September 8th of the same year, Moondog died in Münster at the age of 83.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Moondog
• Organ
• Rounds
• [The
• Story
• of
• Moondog]
• 1957