I've long made careful transcriptions and arrangements of thorny, unnotated American music to make its own kind of piece, trying to keep and accentuate all the weird and tricky parts.

I love downhome blues and tried to figure out what the syncopated blues rhythms were saying so naturally. So I did lots of these transcriptions, starting at a concert with a big band at a school in 1983, where I spread out a Robert Johnson guitar voicing for a big band that included Robert Palmer, who wrote Deep Blues, on clarinet, and Jonathan Kane on drums. I worked them out as well as I could hear them from then on. They never sound “authentic,” but they can make good music.

Preachin' Blues by Robert Johnson

Ugly by Robert Pete Williams, sung by Tiye Giraud

Moanin' at Midnight by Howlin' Wolf, sung by Bobby Radcliffe, featuring Lenny Pickett on tenor sax.

Other Transcriptions

Then I applied the same thing to other kinds of unnotated music I love…

Here Comes the King by Raymond Scott (who had a lead sheet I saw thanks to Irwin Chusid) for string quartet and percussion isn't challenging listening, but it is fun. Regina Carter played an improvised solo.

Water Babies by Wayne Shorter from a Miles version, here featuring Robert Dick on flute with Richard Bona improvising on bass on Jazz Standards on Mars.

In Time by Sly Stone for string quartet.

The Kropotkins

These aren't really transcriptions, but the Kropotkins bring their own spirit to them…

Parchman Farm by Bukka White

Shake 'em on down by Fred MacDowell

Jazz Standards on Mars

Robert Dick / Soldier String Quartet, Jazz Standards on Mars (1997, Enja)

Jazz Standards on Mars

Arrangements by Soldier of "classic jazz" pieces that are not typically performed.

1. India (John Coltrane) — with Robert Dick

2. Gazzelloni (Eric Dolphy) — featuring Robert Dick on flute

3. Water Babies (Wayne Shorter)

4. Machine Gun (Jimi Hendrix)

5. Something Sweet, Something Tender (Eric Dolphy)

6. Sometimes, Perpetually (Robert Dick)

7. Three Wishes (Ornette Coleman)

Performers: Robert Dick, flutes; Regina Carter, violin; Soldier, violin, metal violin, banjo; Judith Insell, viola; Dawn Avery, cello; Mark Dresser, Kermit Driscoll, Richard Bona, bass; Steve Arguelles, Ben Perowsky, drums; Valerie Naranjo, percussion, vibes

Taking Liberties With the Originals

Here are arrangements where I take a lot of liberties with the originals…

Gazzelloni by Eric Dolphy, featuring Robert Dick on flute

India by John Coltrane, also with Robert

Lonesome Train is my own in the ensemble parts, but the soloists are mostly playing my transcriptions of Jimi Hendrix solos from Band of Gypsies.

Antartida (Music by John Cale) arranger, orchestra conductor (1995)

Basquiat (Music by John Cale, for Julian Schnabel) arranger, conductor (1998)

Her Name is Lisa (Music by Dave Soldier for Rachid Kerdouche) , arranger, bandleader (1988)

I Shot Andy Warhol (Music by John Cale, for Mary Herron) arranger, orchestra conductor (1997)

Mekong Delta (Music by Dave Soldier for Vanessa Ly) composer, arranger, conductor (2003)

Sesame Street (soundtrack for 6 cartoons for the TV show, Music by Dave Soldier, for Nadia Roden), composer, arranger (2003)

Special Friends (Music by Teo Macero for ABC-TV) , violin with Soldier String Quartet (1988)

David Byrne, string section for touring band

John Cale, numerous film scores and CDs, produced by Joe Boyd

Guided by Voices, two CDs and EPs produced by Ric Ocasek and Rob Schaft

Jonathan Richman, produced by Ric Ocasek

Christina Rosenvinge, produced by Lee Renaldo

Vixtrola, produced by Ric Ocasek

A few projects that don't quite fit into the other categories.

Radio ID for WFMU and People Like Us
A radio ID for WFMU and Vicki Bennett's show, People Like Us.

Chopin's Minute Waltz Played in One Hour
Chopin's Minute Waltz played in one hour.

Entertaining Science
Entertaining Science is a show I help administer in Greenwich Village, founded by Roald Hoffmann.