Moondog

Early life Hardin was born in Marysville, Kansas, to Louis Thomas Hardin, an Episcopalian 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, where his father opened a trading post at Fort Bridger. At one point, his father took him to an Arapaho Sun Dance 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. On July 4, 1932, the 16-year-old Hardin found an object in a field which he did not realise was an explosive charge. 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 by Jessie Fothergill, inspired him to pursue music. Up to that point he had been interested mainly in percussion instruments, but from then on, he became obsessed with the desire to become a composer. He partially supported himself by selling copies of his poetry, sheet music, records, and his musical philosophy. In addition to his music and poetry, he was also known for a distinctive "Viking" garb that he briefly wore during the 1960s. 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 in his country home in Candor. 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, and later on in Münster in Westphalia. 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. 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 gatherings that he had attended as a child; as his career progressed, his music encompassed influences from bebop, swing, rumba, modernism and Renaissance music. 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 cars, subway trains, human speech, and foghorns into his work. ==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", a triangular stringed instrument played with a bow that he called the "hüs" (after the Norwegian , meaning ), the "dragon's teeth", the "tuji, the "uni", the "utsu", the "hexagonal drums", and the "troubador harp". His best known instrument is the trimba, a triangular percussion instrument that the composer invented in the late 1940s. The original trimba was played by Moondog's friend and only student Stefan Lakatos, a Swedish percussionist, to whom Moondog also explained the methods for building such an instrument. he shared his teachings from Moondog with American composer Julian Calv. ==Legacy==

Moondog's music from the 1940s and '50s has been cited by American composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich 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". Moondog was also admired by Charlie Parker (whom he mutually admired and paid tribute to with the piece "Bird's Lament"), Frank Zappa and Igor Stravinsky, and met on several occasions with Lenny Bruce, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. 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 written and illustrated by George Metzger. Since the early 1970s, a number of professional wrestlers have been named The Moondogs, taking inspiration from the artist. == Personal life ==

Moondog was married 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 sound 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". They had one daughter, June Hardin, born June 1, 1953. 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" (), SMC • "Caribea Sextet"/"Oo Debut" (1956), Moondog Records • "Stamping Ground Theme" (from the Kralingen Music Festival) (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 • 1956 More Moondog, Prestige • 1957 The Story of Moondog, Prestige • 1969 Moondog (not the same as the 1956 LP), Columbia • 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, Kopf/Atlantic • 1995 Big Band, Trimba • 2005 Bracelli und Moondog, Laska Records With Julie Andrews and Martyn Green • 1957 Songs of Sense & Nonsense – Tell It Again, Angel/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 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 Big Brother and the Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin, on their self-titled first album • 1968 "Moon Dog" by Pentangle on Sweet Child • 1968 "Spear for Moondog (parts 1 and 2)" by jazz organist Jimmy McGriff on Electric Funk • 1970 "Be a Hobo" by The Insect Trust on Hoboken Saturday Night • 1978 Moondog : Instrumental music by Louis Hardin by Gavin Black, Guy Carmichael, Dave Kamien, Moondog, Pannonia Quartet, Fritz Storfinger, rereleased with additional tracks 2025 • 1978 Canons on the Keys by Paul Jordan, unreleased • 1983 ''Here's to John Wesley Hardin'' by R. Stevie Moore, 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 • 1990 "Moondog" by Prefab Sprout on Jordan: The Comeback • 1993 "All is Loneliness" by Motorpsycho on Demon Box (album) and Roadwork Vol. 4: Intrepid Skronk • 1995 Alphorn of Plenty by Hans Kennel, Hat Art • 1997 "Synchrony Nr. 2" by Kronos Quartet • 1998 Trees Against the Sky compilation album, SHI-RA-Nui 360° • 1998 "Paris" by NRBQ, 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 Mr. Scruff on Keep It Unreal • 2004 Bracelli und Moondog CD Ensemble Bracelli, Germany w Stefan Lakatos. LASKA records • 2005 "All Is Loneliness" by Antony and the Johnsons, live • 2005 Sidewalk Dances by Joanna MacGregor & Britten Sinfonia, Sound Circus SC010 • 2006 Moondog Sharp Harp by Xenia Narati, Ars Musici • 2007 "Paris" by Jens Lekman, live • 2009 "Rabbit Hop" by Hypnotic Brass Ensemble • 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 • 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 • 2023 New Amsterdam by Moondog. Album: An American Rhapsody by Calefax Reed Quintet. Music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTt8QFvfYPY • 2023 Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog by Kronos Quartet and Ghost Train Orchestra ==References==