The Preston-Disney Connection

An interview with Don Preston, who just turned 74.
On how his love for dissonance came to be:

“When I was a kid, I saw Fantasia. Like 25 times. My favorite part was the dinosaurs, and behind them was Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring.’ It was one of the most dissonant pieces Stravinsky ever wrote. And it’s probably what led to me thinking like that. It was one of the most powerful things in my life.”

(via David Ocker)

6 thoughts on “The Preston-Disney Connection”

  1. interesting…a little shakey on some dates, though. Also, I believe the secret of the Wa/Ja solo was discussed here:

    http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/3056

    …does this link still work? (yes, i remember Barry was just a tad impatient with this program) We might have to wait for the ZFT release of the MOWa/Ja to hear it again.

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    …all good things in moderation (and please drink responsibly!)

  3. I’m a keyboard player who is somewhat familier with the minimoog, and *I’d* like to know how he did that solo in Waka Jawaka too. Believe it or not, I was just thinking about that the other day.

    Give Don his due, people: the really great solos he played – like that one and the one on the long version of ‘Little House’ – are really, really great. They bear repeated listenings and pondering.

  4. This has always been my favorite Preston Story:

    A dazzling Preston solo on the title cut of 1972’s Waka Jawaka caused Robert Moog to proclaim it “impossible” to play.

    Preston laughs. “I still haven’t told Bob how I did it.”

    I hope to see him play live someday
    (you know within the next ten years)

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