Louis Thomas Hardin (May 26, 1916 – September 8, 1999), known professionally as Moondog, was an American composer, musician, performer, music theoretician, poet and inventor of musical instruments. Largely self-taught as a composer, his prolific work widely drew inspiration from

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, classical,

Native American music Indigenous music of North America, which includes American Indian music or Native American music, is the music that is used, created or performed by Indigenous peoples of North America, including Native Americans in the United States and Abor ...

which he had become familiar with as a child, and

Latin American music The music of Latin America refers to music originating from Latin America, namely the Romance-speaking regions of the Americas south of the United States. Latin American music also incorporates African music from enslaved African people who wer ...

. His strongly rhythmic, contrapuntal pieces and arrangements later influenced composers of minimal music, in particular American composers

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, ...

and

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimalism, being built up from repetitive ...

. Due to an accident, Moondog was blind from the age of 16. He lived in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

from the late 1940s until 1972, during which time he was often found on

Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue – also known as Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers, p.24 – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown". It is commercial ...

, between 52nd and 55th Streets,

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...

, selling records and performing poetry. Regularly appearing in a cloak and a horned helmet, he was recognized as "the Viking of Sixth Avenue" by thousands of passersby and residents who were not aware of his musical career.

Biography and career

Early life

Hardin was born in

Marysville, Kansas Marysville is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,447. History Marysville was laid out in 1855 by Francis J. Marshall, and designated in that sam ...

, to Louis Thomas Hardin, an

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

minister, and Norma Alves. Hardin started playing a set of drums that he made from a cardboard box at the age of five. His family relocated to

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

, where his father opened a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

at Fort Bridger. At one point, his father took him to an

Arapaho The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota. By the 1850s, Arapaho ba ...

Sun Dance The Sun Dance is a ceremony practiced by some Native Americans in the United States and Indigenous peoples in Canada, primarily those of the Plains cultures. It usually involves the community gathering together to pray for healing. Individua ...

where he sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a tom-tom made from buffalo skin. He also played drums for the high school band in

Hurley, Missouri Hurley (formerly, Spring Creek Mill) is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 176 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area. History A post office called Hurley has been ...

. On July 4, 1932, the 16-year-old Hardin found an object in a field which he did not realise was a dynamite cap. While he was handling it, the explosive detonated in his face and permanently blinded him. His older sister, Ruth, would read to him daily after the accident for many years. Here he had his first encounters with philosophy, science and myth that formed his character. One book in particular, ''The First Violin'', inspired him to pursue music. Up to that point he had been interested mainly in

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

instruments, but from then on, he became obsessed with the desire to become a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

. After learning the principles of music in several schools for blind young men across middle America, he taught himself the skills of

ear training Ear training or aural skills is a music theory study in which musicians learn to identify pitches, intervals, melody, chords, rhythms, solfeges, and other basic elements of music, solely by hearing. The application of this skill is analogous t ...

and composition. He studied with

Burnet Tuthill Burnet Corwin Tuthill (November 16, 1888 – January 12, 1982) was an American conductor, composer and musicologist. He co-founded the National Association of Schools of Music and served as its secretary from 1924 to 1959. He also organized and be ...

at the Iowa School for the Blind. He then moved to

Batesville, Arkansas Batesville is the county seat and largest city of Independence County, Arkansas, United States, 80 miles (183 km) northeast of Little Rock, the state capital. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city was 10,268. The city serve ...

, where he lived until 1942, when he obtained a scholarship to study in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...

. Although he was largely self-taught in music, learning predominantly by ear, he learned some music theory from books in

braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displ ...

during his time in Memphis. In 1943, Hardin moved to New York, where he met

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

ians including

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

and

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...

, as well as jazz performers such as

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

and

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

, whose upbeat tempos and often humorous compositions would influence Hardin's later work. One of his early street posts was near the 52nd Street nightclub strip, and he was known to jazz musicians. By 1947, Hardin had adopted the name "Moondog" in honor of a dog "who used to howl at the moon more than any dog I knew of."

New York City

From the late 1940s until 1972, Moondog lived as a street musician and poet in New York City, playing in midtown Manhattan, eventually settling on the corner of 53rd or 54th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. He was rarely if ever homeless, and maintained an apartment in upper Manhattan and had a country retreat in

Candor, New York Candor is a town in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,172 at the 2020 census. The Town of Candor has a village named Candor. The town is south of Ithaca. History Settlement of the town began around 1794 on land pu ...

, to which he moved full-time in 1972.Scotto, Robert. ''Moondog, The Viking of 6th Avenue: The Authorized Biography''. Process Music edition (22 November 2007) He partially supported himself by selling copies of his poetry and his musical philosophy. In addition to his music and poetry, he was also known for the distinctive fanciful "

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

" cloak that he wore. Already bearded and long-haired, he added a Viking-style horned helmet to avoid the occasional comparisons of his appearance with that of Christ or a monk, as he had rejected Christianity in his late teens. He developed a lifelong interest in Nordic mythology, and maintained an altar to

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, ...

in his country home in Candor. In 1949, he traveled to a

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or "Blackfoot language, Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up t ...

Sun Dance in Idaho where he performed on percussion and flute, returning to the Native American music he first came in contact with as a child. It was this Native music, along with contemporary jazz and classical, mixed with the ambient sounds from his environment (city

traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

, ocean waves, babies crying, etc.) that created the foundation of Moondog's music. In 1954, he won a case in the

New York State Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

against disc jockey

Alan Freed Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...

, who had branded his radio show, "The Moondog

Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

Matinee", around the name "Moondog", using "Moondog's Symphony" (the first record that Moondog ever cut) as his "calling card". Moondog believed he would not have won the case had it not been for the help of musicians such as

and

, who testified that he was a serious composer. Freed had to apologize and stop using the nickname "Moondog" on air, on the basis that Hardin was known by the name long before Freed began using it.

Germany

Along with his passion for Nordic culture, Moondog had an idealised view of Germany ("The Holy Land with the Holy River" — the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...

), where he settled in 1974. Moondog revisited the United States briefly in 1989, for a tribute at the New Music America Festival in Brooklyn, in which festival director

Yale Evelev Yale Evelev is the president of Luaka Bop Records. A 2013 article at NPR.org described Evelev as someone who "digs up information about great-but-forgotten musicians for a living." He was raised in Philadelphia, and attended the School of the Muse ...

asked him to conduct the Brooklyn Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, stimulating a renewed interest in his music. Eventually, a young German student named Ilona Goebel (later known as Ilona Sommer) helped Moondog set up the primary holding company for his artistic endeavors and hosted him, first in

Oer-Erkenschwick Oer-Erkenschwick is a town in the district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately 5 km north-east of Recklinghausen, on the northern periphery of the '' Ruhrgebiet''. When pronouncing the name, “ ...

, and later on in

Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

. Moondog lived with Sommer's family and they spent time together in Münster. During that period, Moondog created hundreds of compositions which were transferred from Braille to sheet music by Sommer. Moondog spent the remainder of his life in Germany. On 8 September 1999, he died in Münster from

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

. He is buried at the Central Cemetery Münster. His tomb was designed by the artist Ernst Fuchs after the death mask. He recorded many albums, and toured both in the U.S. and in Europe—France, Germany and Sweden.

Music

In the process of establishing himself as a composer, Moondog drew inspiration from a wide variety of styles of music. His first works were immediately inspired by the music of

pow wow A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or p ...

gatherings that he had attended as a child; as his career progressed, his music encompassed influences from

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

swing Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing ri ...

, rumba,

modernism Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

and

Renaissance music Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century '' ars nova'', the T ...

. It was characterized by what he called "snaketime" and described as "a slithery rhythm, in times that are not ordinary ..I'm not gonna die in 4/4 time". During the 1950s, he began to incorporate city sounds such as subway trains and

foghorn A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. Wh ...

s into his work, inspired by his experiences busking.

Inventions

Moondog invented several musical instruments, some of which were played on studio albums or in live performances by him and his subsequent ensembles. They include the "oo", a small triangular-shaped harp, a larger harp which he named the "ooo-ya-tsu", and a triangular stringed instrument played with a bow that he called the "hüs" (after the Norwegian "hus", meaning "house"). His best known instrument is the Trimba, a triangular percussion instrument that the composer invented in the late 1940s. The original Trimba is still played today by Moondog's friend Stefan Lakatos, a Swedish percussionist, to whom Moondog also explained the methods for building such an instrument.

Legacy

Moondog's music from the 1940s and 1950s has been cited by American composers

and

as a major influence on their styles, saying they took Moondog's work "very seriously and understood and appreciated it much more than what we were exposed to at

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

". Moondog was also admired by

, whom he mutually admired and paid tribute to with the piece "Bird's Lament",

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

and

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

, and met on several occasions with

Lenny Bruce Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), known professionally as Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of comedy which ...

, William S. Burroughs and

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

. Moondog inspired other musicians with several songs dedicated to him. These include "Moondog" on Pentangle's 1968 album ''

Sweet Child ''Sweet Child'' was a 1968 double album by the British folk-rock band Pentangle: Terry Cox, Bert Jansch, Jacqui McShee, John Renbourn and Danny Thompson. Background One disk of the double album was recorded at Pentangle's live concert in the R ...

'' and "Spear for Moondog" (parts I and II) by jazz organist

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States, McGriff started playing pi ...

on his 1968 ''Electric Funk'' album. Glam rock musician

Marc Bolan Marc Bolan ( ; born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan was posthumously inducted in ...

and T. Rex referenced him in the song "Rabbit Fighter" with the line "Moondog's just a prophet to the end…". The English pop group

Prefab Sprout Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they re ...

included the song "Moondog" on their album '' Jordan: The Comeback'' released in 1990.

Big Brother and the Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some in ...

featuring

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence. ...

covered his song "All Is Loneliness" on their 1967 self-titled album. The song was also covered by

Antony and the Johnsons Antony and the Johnsons is an American music group presenting the work of Anohni and her collaborators. Career British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Anohni's music through his Durtro labe ...

during their 2005 tour.

Mr. Scruff Andrew Carthy (born 10 February 1972), better known by his stage name Mr. Scruff, is an English record producer and DJ. He lives in Stretford, Greater Manchester and studied fine art at the Psalter Lane campus of Sheffield Hallam University. B ...

's single "Get a Move On" from his album ''

Keep It Unreal ''Keep It Unreal'' is Mr. Scruff's first major release. It includes the hit single "Get a Move On!", which is an electro swing track built upon samples of Moondog's "Bird's Lament (In Memory of Charlie Parker)" alongside vocals from T-Bone Walk ...

'' is structured around samples from "Bird's Lament". New York band The Insect Trust play a cover of Moondog's song "Be a Hobo" on their album ''Hoboken Saturday Night''. The track "Stamping Ground", with its preamble of Moondog reciting one of his

epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two mill ...

s, was featured on the sampler double album ''Fill Your Head with Rock'' (CBS, 1970). Canadian composer and producer Daniel Lanois included a track called "Moondog" on his album/video-documentary ''Here Is What Is''. Between 1970 and 1980, a blind bearded mystic called "Moondog" appeared as the title character in a four issue series of

Underground comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority ...

written and illustrated by

George Metzger George Metzger (born 1939) is an American cartoonist and animator. He was an underground comics artist during the mid-1960s and early 1970s in California, eventually relocating to Canada, where he worked in animation. Biography Born in rural Illi ...

. Since the early 1970s, a number of

professional wrestlers Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

have been named The Moondogs, taking inspiration from the artist.

Personal life

Moondog was married briefly to Virginia Sledge in 1943, but the marriage was dissolved in 1947. In 1952, he married Mary Suzuko Whiteing, a single mother of mixed American-Japanese heritage. She had grown up in Japan then came to New York with her mother that year. Suzuko and Hardin met on the streets of New York. According to his daughter, June, Mary was struck by his appearance and moved by his music; Moondog was stirred by the music of her voice. The June 4, 1952 issue of the ''New York Journal-American'' features a photograph of Moondog playing a flute on a rooftop while Mary looks on endearingly: the caption indicates it is a "skyline serenade" to a "June bride." The marriage lasted eight years. They had one daughter, June Hardin, born June 1, 1953. On the Prestige (1956) ''Moondog'' LP, Moondog's wife, Suzuko is credited in "Lullaby", singing to June, their six-week-old daughter. Hardin later fathered another daughter, Lisa Colins, out of wedlock.

Discography

Singles

*"Snaketime Rhythms (5 Beat) / Snaketime Rhythms (7 Beat)" (1949), SMC *"Moondog's Symphony" (1949–1950), SMC *"Organ Rounds" (1949–1950), SMC *"Oboe Rounds" (1949–1950), SMC *"Surf Session" (c. 1953), SMC *"Caribea Sextet"/"Oo Debut" (1956), Moondog Records *"Stamping Ground Theme" (from the

Kralingen Music Festival The Holland Pop Festival, also known as the Kralingen Music Festival, was a pop and rock music festival held in the '' Kralingse Bos'', in the Kralingen neighbourhood of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, on 26–28 June 1970. History Performing ban ...

) (1970), CBS

EPs

*1953 '' Improvisations at a Jazz Concert'', Brunswick *1953 '' Moondog on the Streets of New York'', Decca/Mars *1953 '' Pastoral Suite / Surf Session'', SMC *1955 '' Moondog & His Honking Geese Playing Moondog's Music'', Moondog Records

Albums

*1953 '' Moondog and His Friends'', Epic *1956 '' Snaketime Series'' (not the same as the 1954 LP), Moondog Records *1956 '' Moondog'',

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

*1956 '' More Moondog'', Prestige *1957 '' The Story of Moondog'', Prestige *1969 '' Moondog'' (not the same as the 1956 LP),

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

*1971 '' Moondog 2'', Columbia (with insert: Round the World of Sound: Moondog Madrigals with scores) *1977 ''Moondog in Europe'', Kopf *1978 '' H'art Songs'', Kopf *1978 ''Moondog: Instrumental Music by Louis Hardin'', Musical Heritage Society *1979 '' A New Sound of an Old Instrument'', Kopf *1981 ''Facets'', Managarm *1986 '' Bracelli'', Kakaphone *1992 '' Elpmas'', Kopf *1994 '' Sax Pax for a Sax'' with the

London Saxophonic London Saxophonic is a saxophone ensemble (with piano, bass guitar, and percussion) begun by Gareth Brady, Will Gregory and Simon Haram, while they were studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. They made their debut in 1994 on Atlanti ...

, Kopf/

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

*1995 ''Big Band'', Trimba *2005 ''Bracelli und Moondog'', Laska Records

With Julie Andrews and Martyn Green

*1957 ''Songs of Sense and Nonsense - Tell it Again'',

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

/ Capitol

Compilations

*1991 ''More Moondog/The Story of Moondog'', Original Jazz Classics (reissue of Prestige albums listed above) *2001 ''Moondog/Moondog 2'', Beat Goes On (reissue of the two Columbia albums issued above) *2004 '' The Viking of Sixth Avenue'', Honest Jon's *2005 ''The German Years 1977–1999'', ROOF Music *2005 ''Un hommage à Moondog'' tribute album, trAce label *2006 ''Rare Material'', ROOF Music *2007 ''The Viking Of 6th Avenue''(disc inside biographical book), Process (). Reissue, Honest Jon, 2008 *2017 ''The Viking of Sixth Ave.'', Manimal

Various artist compilations

*1954 ''New York 19'' (recorded and edited by Tony Schwartz), Folkways *1954 ''Music in the Streets'' (recorded and edited by Tony Schwartz), Folkways *1958 ''Rosey 4 Blocks'' (arrangement by Andy Forsythe), Rosey *1970 ''Fill Your Head With Rock'', CBS *1998 '' The Big Lebowski'' motion picture soundtrack, Mercury *2000 ''Miniatures 2'', Cherry Red *2006 '' DJ-Kicks: Henrik Schwarz'', K7 Records *2006 ''The Trip: Curated By

Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following ...

and Steve Mackey'', Disc 1 Track 19: "Pastoral" *2008 '' Pineapple Express'' Motion Picture Sound Track, Track 9 "Birds Lament," Moondog & The London Saxophonic.

Performed by other musicians

*1957 ''Moondog and Suncat Suite'' by British jazz musician Kenny Graham features one side of interpretations of the work of Moondog *1967 "All Is Loneliness" by

, featuring

, on their self-titled first album *1968 "Moon Dog" by Pentangle on ''

'' *1968 "Spear for Moondog (parts 1 and 2)" by jazz organist

on '' Electric Funk'' *1970 "Be a Hobo" by The Insect Trust on ''Hoboken Saturday Night'' *1978 ''Canons on the Keys'' by Paul Jordan, unreleased *1983 ''Here's to John Wesley Hardin'' by

R. Stevie Moore Robert Steven Moore (born January 18, 1952) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter who pioneered lo-fi (or "DIY") music. Often called the "godfather of home recording", he is one of the most recognized artists of the cas ...

, unreleased *1985 "Theme and Variations" performed by John Fahey on the album '' Rain Forests, Oceans and Other Themes'' *1990 '' Love Child Plays Moondog'', EP, ''

Forced Exposure ''Forced Exposure'' was an independent music magazine founded by Jimmy Johnson and Katie The Kleening Lady (Goldman) (zine). It was published sporadically out of Boston from 1982 to 1993, edited by Jimmy Johnson and Byron Coley. It was printed on ...

'' *1990 "Moondog" by

on Jordan: The Comeback *1993 "All is Loneliness" by Motorpsycho on ''

Demon Box (album) ''Demon Box'' is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian rock-band Motorpsycho. Released on double vinyl and single CD formats (the original CD-edition omitting the tracks "Mountain", "Gutwrench" and "Mr. Who?") in February 1993, it saw ...

'' and ''Roadwork Vol. 4: Intrepid Skronk'' *1995 ''Alphorn of Plenty'' by Hans Kennel, Hat Art *1997 "Synchrony Nr. 2" by

Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...

*1998 ''Trees Against the Sky'' compilation album, SHI-RA-Nui 360° *1998 "Paris" by

NRBQ NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed around 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re ...

, live, on ''You Gotta Be Loose'' and ''NRBQ: High Noon - A 50-Year Retrospective'' *1999 "Get a Move On" (structured around samples from "Bird's Lament (In Memory of Charlie Parker)") by

on ''

'' *2004 ''Bracelli und Moondog'' CD Ensemble Bracelli, Germany w Stefan Lakatos. LASKA records *2005 "All Is Loneliness" by

, live *2005 ''Sidewalk Dances'' by Joanna MacGregor &

Britten Sinfonia Britten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in t ...

, Sound Circus SC010 *2006 ''Moondog Sharp Harp'' by Xenia Narati, Ars Musici *2007 "Paris" by

Jens Lekman Jens Martin Lekman (; born 6 February 1981) is a Swedish musician. His music is guitar-based pop with heavy use of samples and strings, with lyrics that are often witty, romantic, and melancholic. His work is heavily influenced by Jonathan Ri ...

, live *2009 "Rabbit Hop" by

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is an eight-piece, Chicago-based brass ensemble consisting of eight sons of the jazz trumpeter Phil Cohran. Their musical style ranges from hip hop to jazz to funk and rock, including calypso and gypsy music. They call th ...

*2009 "New Amsterdam" by Pink Martini on '' Splendor in the Grass'' *2010 ''The Orastorios - Moondog rounds'' by Stefan Lakatos/Andreas Heuser, Makro *2011 ''Making Moonshine - Moondog Songs by Moondog Fans'' by Various Artists, SL Records *2011 ''Chaconne 1'' & ''Viking 1'' by R. Stevie Moore, unreleased *2013 ''Seeds of Immortality'' Spirit of Moondog w Stefan Lakatos. Moondog music for saxophones. *2013 ''tRío lucas - homage to Moondog in the introduction of the song ''desintegración de la antimateria'' by tRío lucas'' *2013 ''Moondog Mask'' by Hobocombo *2014 ''Perpetual Motion (A Celebration of Moondog)'' by Sylvain Rifflet &

Jon Irabagon Jon Irabagon is a Filipino-American saxophonist, composer, and founder of Irabbagast Records. Winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition and one of '' Time Outs "25 essential New York City jazz icons", Irabagon is known for the breadth ...

*2015 ''Beyond Horizons'' Moondog Piano/Percussion by Mariam Tonoyan and Stefan Lakatos and friends. CD Moondogscorner.de/Rockwerk records *2015 ''Cabaret Contemporain Plays Moondog'' by Cabaret Contemporain *2016 ''A Tribute To Moondog'' by Condor Gruppe (2016) on Condor Men Records – Format: Vinyl, LP, Mini-Album *2017 ''New Sound'' by Ensemble Minisym (2017) on Association Bongo Joe Records (Genève) – Format : Vinyl, CD, LP *2018 ''Moondog'' by Katia Labèque & Triple Sun *2018 ''Erk-Moondog'' Ensemble Bracelli w Stefan Lakatos. CD Moondogscorner.de/Rockwerk records Germany *2019 ''The Witch of Endor'' by Kreiz Breizh Akademi #7 "Hed" (Brittany, France) *2019 ''Moondog Piano Trimba'' by Dominique Ponty and Stefan Lakatos, SHIIN Records CD (France) *2019 ''Moondog - The Stockholm 1981 Recordings'' Moondog & Stefan Lakatos w friends. Vinyl LP brus&knaster KNASTER 048. Sweden *2022 ''Seahorse'' by Moondog. Album: ''Lost & Found'' by Sean Shibe *2022 ''Pastoral'' by Moondog. Album: ''Lost & Found'' by Sean Shibe *2022 ''High on a Rocky Ledge (Second Movement)'' by Moondog. Album: ''Lost & Found'' by Sean Shibe

References

External links

Moondog's Corner

Moondog discography
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

Moondog: the Man on the Street
WBAI; ubu.com
Moondog's Artist Page on Spotify
{{Authority control 1916 births 1999 deaths Musicians from Kansas Musicians from New York City Musicians from Wyoming People from Marysville, Kansas American street performers American jazz composers American male jazz composers Blind musicians Street people American modern pagans Outsider musicians People from Uinta County, Wyoming American experimental musicians Inventors of musical instruments Avant-garde jazz percussionists Minimalist composers 20th-century American poets 20th-century American composers Modern pagan poets Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American inventors 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century jazz composers Performers of modern pagan music