IF Foster Reed had named New Albion, the record company he founded in 1983, after the unknown spot on the Pacific Coast where the English explorer Francis Drake landed in 1579, the notion of braving long odds to chart new territory would certainly resonate. Actually Mr. Reed named his label after a now defunct Sonoma, Calif., beer said by some to have been America's first microbrew. A comparison could be made with his efforts to provide a consciousness-affecting alternative to products peddled by mainstream corporations.
Unlike its namesake the record label, which was long based in San Francisco, has survived for 25 years, promoting California composers to an extent unmatched by any other label. To commemorate the anniversary Mr. Reed is mounting an ambitious 10- concert series representing the early '80s post-Minimalists with whom he is most closely associated -- John Adams, Ingram Marshall, Paul Dresher and Daniel Lentz -- as well as important forebears like John Cage, Terry Riley, Lou Harrison and Pauline Oliveros.
The series, which begins on Friday, features performers and ensembles that have recorded for Mr. Reed over the years, including the pianists Sarah Cahill and Margaret Leng Tan, the singer Joan La Barbara and the Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio. Also included are several of the composer-performers who have joined the roster in recent years, like Stefano Scodanibbio, Stephen Vitiello and Erdem Helvacioglu.
The programming is precisely what you would expect. What comes as a surprise is where it is happening: not in San Francisco or even in California but at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. Mr. Reed, who moved to nearby Elizaville three years ago, is presenting the series in the Spiegeltent as part of SummerScape, Bard's extensive performing-arts festival.
Minimalist Man Tries Organizing a Concert Series
The scheduled performers include Margaret Leng Tan.
