Jon Hassell (March 22, 1937 – June 26, 2021) was an American trumpet player and composer. He was best known for developing the concept of "Fourth World" music, which describes a "unified primitive/futurist sound" combining elements of various world ethnic traditions with modern electronic techniques.

In 1980, he collaborated with Brian Eno on the album Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics and appeared on the Eno-produced Talking Heads album Remain in Light. The same year Hassell also performed solo at the Mudd Club. Plans had been made with Eno and David Byrne for the three of them to team up for what became "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts," but the plan fell through when Hassell didn't agree with the direction the tracks were taking. His 1981 release, Dream Theory in Malaya, led to a performance at the first World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Festival, organized by Peter Gabriel. He performed and co-wrote tracks on David Sylvian's first solo album Brilliant Trees, and its instrumental EP follow-up Words with the Shaman. In the late 1980s, Hassell contributed to Gabriel's Passion, the soundtrack album for Martin Scorsese's film, The Last Temptation of Christ. Hassell and Pete Scaturro composed the electronic theme music for the television show The Practice.

In 1989, Hassell contributed to the Tears for Fears album The Seeds of Love.

Hassell died from natural causes on June 26, 2021, at the age of 84. He had had health issues over the course of the previous year.

Style

Hassell coined the term "Fourth World" to describe his work on "a unified primitive/futuristic sound combining features of world ethnic styles with advanced electronic techniques." Both on record and during live performances, Hassell made use of western instruments—keyboards, bass, electric guitar, and percussion—to create modal, hypnotic grooves, over which he often played microtonally-inflected trumpet phrases in the style of Nath's Kiranic vocals. His use of circular breathing on the instrument enabled him to create long, seamless, and mesmerizing melodic lines.

Discography

;As leader or co-leader

  • Vernal Equinox (Lovely Music, 1977)
  • Earthquake Island (Tomato 1978)
  • Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics (Editions EG, 1980), with Brian Eno
  • Dream Theory in Malaya: Fourth World Volume Two (Editions EG, 1981)
  • Aka/Darbari/Java: Magic Realism (Editions EG, 1983)
  • Power Spot (ECM, 1986)
  • The Surgeon of the Nightsky Restores Dead Things by the Power of Sound (Intuition, 1987), live recordings
  • Flash of the Spirit (Intuition/EMI Electrola, 1988), with Farafina
  • City: Works of Fiction (Opal/Warner Bros., 1990; expanded edition on All Saints, 2014)
  • Dressing for Pleasure (Warner, 1994), with Bluescreen
  • Sulla Strada (Materiali Sonori, 1995), with I Magazzini
  • The Vertical Collection (Sketches) (Earshot, 1997), with Peter Freeman as Bluescreen Project
  • Fascinoma (Water Lily Acoustics, 1999)
  • Hollow Bamboo (Water Lily Acoustics, 2000), with Ry Cooder, Ronu Majumdar and Abhijit Banerjee
  • Maarifa Street: Magic Realism Volume Two (Label Bleu, 2005)
  • Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street (ECM, 2009)
  • Listening to Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) (Ndeya, 2018)
  • Seeing Through Sound (Pentimento Volume Two) (Ndeya, 2020)

;Single tracks on compilations and remixes

  • "Map of Dusk" on compilation Myths 3: La nouvelle serenité (Sub Rosa, 1987), recorded in 1985 with J.A. Deane
  • "Pygmy Dance" on compilation Ai Confini / Interzone (New Tone, 1993), recorded live in Italy 1988
  • "Streetfaxx" and remixes by 808 State on EP Voiceprint (Blind from the Facts) (Opal, 1990; reissued on All Saints, 1993 and 2006)
  • Personals, maxi-single with remixes of "Personals" and "G-Spot" by MC 900 Ft Jesus and Organized Konfusion (Warner, 1994)
  • "Then and Now (Berchidda)" on compilation Then and Now (Time in Jazz 1998 | 2007) (Tàjrà It., 2008), live recording from 2001 in Italy with John Beasley, Rick Cox

;As sideman and guest appearances

On almost all recordings Jon Hassell played trumpet (sometimes merely 'used' as sound color). In cases where he plays keyboards or electronics it is mentioned in the last column; the same applies to the credits as composer (or producer).<br>

Film soundtracks are labeled "O.S.T." (original sound track) preceding the film title. Artists and labels are linked by first appearance only.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Date

! Leading artist or band

! Album title

! Label

! Track titles and notes

|-

| 1968 || Terry Riley || In C || Columbia || ensemble member

|-

| 1974 || Francesco Guccini || Stanze di vita quotidiana || Columbia || ensemble member

|-

| 1974 || La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela || Dream House 78′ 17″ || Shandar || ensemble member (quartet) on one of two extensive tracks

|-

| 1980 || Talking Heads || Remain in Light || Sire || on "Houses in Motion"

|-

| 1982 || Brian Eno || Ambient 4: On Land || Editions EG || on "Shadow"

|-

| 1984 || David Sylvian || Brilliant Trees || Virgin || on "Weathered Wall" and "Brilliant Trees", co-composer

|-

| 1985 || David Sylvian || Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities || Virgin || on "Words with the Shaman Part 1&ndash;3", co-composer; also released as EP

|-

| 1985 || Peter Gabriel || O.S.T. Birdy || Virgin/Charisma || ensemble member

|-

| 1987 || Lloyd Cole and the Commotions || Mainstream || Polydor || on "Big Snake"

|-

| 1989 || Alice || Il sole nella pioggia || EMI || on "Il sole nella pioggia" and "Le baccanti", pre-sampled trumpet sounds activated by keyboard on "Visioni"

|-

| 1989 || Peter Gabriel || O.S.T. Passion (Music for The Last Temptation of Christ) || Real World/Geffen/Virgin || on "Passion"

|-

| 1989 || Tears for Fears || The Seeds of Love || Fontana || on "Standing on the Corner of the Third World" and "Famous Last Words"

|-

| 1991 || Marc Beacco || The Crocodile Smile || Polydor/Nova || on "Funeral for a Flower", co-composer

|-

| 1991 || Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses avec Hector Zazou || Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses avec Hector Zazou || Philips/Phonogram || on "Anima", "In la piazza" and "Notte", co-composer

|-

| 1993 || Ry Cooder || O.S.T. Trespass || Sire/Warner || ensemble with Jim Keltner

|-

| 1994 || Stina Nordenstam || And She Closed Her Eyes || Telegram/East&nbsp;West || on "Crime" and "I See You Again"

|-

| 1995 || Techno Animal || Re-Entry || Virgin || on "Flight of the Hermaphrodite" and "Needle Park", co-composer

|-

| 1996 || David Toop || Pink Noir || Virgin || on "Slow Loris Versus Poison Snail", co-composer

|-

| 1997 || Jackson Browne || The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne || Elektra || on "The Next Voice You Hear" produced by T-Bone Burnett

|-

| 1997 || k.d. lang || Drag || Warner || on "Hain't It Funny?"

|-

| 1997 || Holly Cole || Dark Dear Heart || Alert || on "All the Pretty Little Horses"

|-

| 1997 || Ry Cooder || O.S.T. The End of Violence || Outpost || featured trumpet soloist

|-

| 1998 || Ry Cooder || O.S.T. Primary Colors || Outpost || on "Wide Sky", co-composer

|-

| 1998 || The Insects & Richard Grassby-Lewis <small>featuring Jon Hassell</small> || O.S.T. Love and Death on Long Island || OceanDeep || featured soloist

|-

| 1998 || Mandalay || Empathy || V2 || on "It's Enough Now", "This Time Last Year" and "Beautiful"

|-

| 1998 || Ani DiFranco || Little Plastic Castle || Righteous Babe || on (probably one track)

|-

| 1999 || Guy Sigsworth || O.S.T. G:MT – Greenwich Mean Time || Island || on "Who Would You Have Me Love" with Hinda Hicks

|-

| 1999 || David Toop || Hot Pants Idol || Barooni (Nl) || on "Wing Beats", trumpet and harmonizer, co-composer

|-

| 2000 || Hal Willner || O.S.T. The Million Dollar Hotel: Music from the Motion Picture || Interscope || on "Never Let Me Go" and "Amsterdam Blue (Cortege)", co-composer and track production

|-

| 2000 || k.d. lang || Invincible Summer || Warner || on "Simple"

|-

| 2000 || Mandalay || Instinct || V2 || on "Not Seventeen", "Don't Invent Me" and "It's Enough Now"

|-

| 2000 || Nick Wood || Sound Virus || Victor (Jp) || on "Confined to Ice"

|-

| 2001 || Ani DiFranco || Revelling/Reckoning || Righteous Babe || on "Revelling"

|-

| 2001 || Howie B. || Folk. || Polydor || on "Tap Dancer", co-composer

|-

| 2001 || Rick Cox || Maria Falling Away || Cold Blue || on "Long Distance", composer

|-

| 2002 || Frou Frou || Details || Island || on "Flicks", "The Dumbing Down of Love" and "Old Piano"

|-

| 2003 || Ibrahim Ferrer || Buenos Hermanos || World&nbsp;Circuit/Nonesuch || on "Fuiste Cruel" and "Boliviana"; album produced by Ry Cooder

|-

| 2004 || Lightwave (with Paul Haslinger) || Bleue comme une orange || Signature || on "Huang/Hong" and "Deep Steel Dubh"

|-

| 2004 || Alexkid || Mint || PIAS || on "Mint", co-composer

|-

| 2005 || Paul Haslinger || O.S.T. Sleeper Cell (TV series) || Rhythmbank || on "Memento Mori" with Sussan Deyhim, co-composer

|-

| 2005 || Ry Cooder || Chávez Ravine || Nonesuch/Perro&nbsp;Verde || on "Don't Call Me Red"

|-

| 2006 || Hadouk Trio || Utopies || Naïve || on last three tracks, co-composer

|-

| 2007 || Paul Haslinger || O.S.T. Sleeper Cell: American Terror || Lakeshore || (not specified)

|-

| 2007 || Ry Cooder || My Name Is Buddy || Nonesuch/Perro&nbsp;Verde || on "One Cat, One Vote, One Beer"

|-

| 2007 || Harry Gregson-Williams || O.S.T. The Number 23 || New Line || featured as soloist

|-

| 2007 || Michael Fahres || The Tubes || Cold Blue || on "The Tubes (1994/2003)" with Mark Atkins

|-

| 2008 || Jan Bang and Erik Honoré as Punkt || Live Remixes Vol. 1 || Jazzland || on tracks "III" and "VI", co-composer

|-

| 2008 || Ani DiFranco || Red Letter Year || Righteous Babe || on "Star Matter"

|-

| 2008 || k.d. lang || Watershed || Nonesuch || on "Upstream"

|-

| 2008 || Ry Cooder || I, Flathead || Nonesuch/Perro&nbsp;Verde || on "Flathead One More Time"

|-

| 2009 || Jon Balke & Amina Alaoui || Siwan || ECM || ensemble member, trumpet and electronics

|-

| 2010 || Jan Bang || …And Poppies from Kandahar || Samadhisound || on "Exile from Paradise", co-composer (also for another track, due to trumpet samples)

|-

| 2011 || Paul Haslinger || O.S.T Underworld: Rise of the Lycans || Lakeshore || featured musician

|-

| 2015 || Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba || Ba Power || Glitterbeat (G) || on "Ayé Sira Bla = Make Way"

|-

| 2015 || Duncan Sheik || Legerdemain || Kobalt || on "Brutalized" and "No Happy End"

|-

| 2016 || Genre Peak (Martin Birke) || Your Sleekest Engine || Gonzo || on "Metanoia", trumpet samples and/or sampler

|}

See also

  • David Sylvian
  • Erik Truffaz
  • Erik Honoré
  • List of ambient music artists
  • Michael Brook
  • Talking Heads

References

Bibliography

  • Mark Prendergast, The Ambient Century. New York and London, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000,
  • Jon Hassell, program notes from Vernal Equinox. Lovely Music, LML 1021, 1977.
  • Magic Realism, Vol. 2: Maarifa Street album site