Season 3, Episode 12

The revival of Julius Eastman’s work has transformed the world of avant-garde music, and in many ways can be attributed to a single individual. Since the late 1990s, the composer and performer Mary Jane Leach has collected manuscripts and recordings of Eastman’s music, and helped bring about the current wave of “Eastmania.” But the politics of Eastmania have become increasingly complicated, and Leach has found herself enmeshed in controversy around who can make claim to his legacy. A conversation about all that, and more.

Mary Jane Leach is a composer, performer, scholar, and co-editor of “Gay Guerrilla: Julius Eastman and His Music.”

If you’re interested in learning more about Leach (@mjleach7)’s work, check out:

• The new album “Woodwind Multiples” on Boomkat
• The edited volume “Gay Guerrilla: Julius Eastman and His Music.”
• Unjust Malaise, the New World Records collection of Eastman’s music
• A 2019 ArtNews article about her experiences presenting on Eastman’s music at the OBEY Festival
• The 2018 album “Pipe Dreams”

Sound Expertise is hosted by Will Robin (@seatedovation), and produced by D. Edward Davis (@warmsilence). Please subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and/or Spotify. Questions or comments? Email soundexpertise00 @ gmail

A written transcript of this episode is available here; thanks to Andrew Dell’Antonio for volunteering to prepare transcripts for the show!