Was very sad to hear the great French pioneering musician, and I think one of the most important sound poets of the 20th century, died last month. I saw Ghedalia Tazartes play live just 3 times and met him just once, very briefly, and he was every bit the gentle and brilliant man everyone who knew him will describe, but since being given his work by my friend Ben Morris in 2010, his work exerted an immense influence over me and my explorations in sound poetry. Much is written about him about his indescribable style as a musician and artist, but his vocal work seemed to me to rise up out of his records and hit me in the face as a lesson in what was possible in the sonically ineffable. I have tried to introduce his work to sound poets, who often haven’t heard of him because he was designated purely in music and I teach him every year now at Kingston University. His entire back catalogue is available on bandcamp https://ghedalia-tazartes.bandcamp.com/ and here are two of my favourites from this great sound artist. “Un Amour Si….” was so big to me that I’ve copied it’s vocal gestures in at least 5 performances.