Lately Listening

No comments this time around. Spent 10 days in Portland, Oregon. Flew out with our dog. Seeing Merzbow and Wolf Eyes next week, among others--looking forward to that. We'll be in Savannah the weekend of the Cecil Taylor concert at the Kennedy Center (bummer).

1. Rashied Ali Quartet, New Directions in Modern Music (Survival LP)
2. Jerome Cooper/Frank Lowe/Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Positions 3 6 9 (Kharma LP)
3. Jump Rope, Hemp Breakers (Tabs Out CS)
4. Cold Turkey, 6/31/08 (Hermitage CS)
5. Pierrot Lunaire/Sky Stadium, Windowing (Kopplys CS)
6. Cecil Taylor, Indent (Arista Freedom LP)
7. Khan Jamal & Bill Lewis, The River (Philly Jazz LP)
8. Hair Police, Blind Kingdom (Ultra Eczema 1-Sided LP)
9. Flower-Corsano Duo, The Four Aims (VHF 2LP)
10. Steve Lacy, Hocus Pocus (Les Disques de Crepescule LP)
11. Archie Shepp, Life at Donaueschingen Music Festival (MPS LP)
12. John Coltrane, Concert in Japan (Impulse! 2LP)
13. Harry Partch, The World of Harry Partch (Columbia LP)
14. Irene Schweizer & Andrew Cyrille, Irene Schweizer & Andrew Cyrille (Intakt LP)

Concert Clips: Red Room, Baltimore, August 6, 2013

Went to the Red Room last night and saw two hot sets. The first was  Microkosmos with John Dierker (sax),  Marc Miller (g) and Will Redman (d). All out playing. 

Second set was Chris Pitsiokos, Weasel Walter, Tim Dahl trio.  Another hot set.

ADDENDUM

Normally I type my post right on the blog, but this time I typed it up on my Mac with not so happy results. Not only was the type messed up, I couldn't include pics either, so I am including them here at no extra charge.

First up is Quadraphonic Miles. Looked at all those 4-channel decoders. Got to get me one.

My wife and I were out walking one day and came across this street sign. The developer must have been a Miles fan!

George Braith in the wilds of Hackensack. Sonny ain't got nothing on George.

 Elton Dean Ninesense

 I've always thought this was one of the coolest covers, Alan Silva, "Skillfulness."

AGM PLAYLIST FOR JULY 2013

1)    MOVIN’ ON: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. Polydor LP. My friend Ray was positively mad for Mayall, walked around with a harmonica and played blues riffs. Ray introduced me to the Rolling Stones, as he had the very first Stones album, well before they became known. Cheers, Ray!

2)    FIREBIRDS: LIVE AT BERKELEY JAZZ FESTIVAL, Vol. I: Prince Lawsha et al. Birds Eye LP.

3)    RUNNERS FOUR: Deerhoof. Children of Hoff 2LP.

4)    DANCE OF MAGIC: Norman Connors, Bartz, Hancock, McBee, et al. Buddah LP. This was the Connors I was thinking of when I posted a comment to Bill’s Sam Rivers post. Mwandishi-type music.

5)    HOT TUNA: Eponymous. Jarma Kaukonen, Jack Casady. RCA LP. I was around back when Hot Tuna formed, and it seemed that every hard-core rock group had a country folk companion band, like race horses always have easy-going stable mates to accompany them to the race gate, thus Jefferson Airplane had Hot Tuna, and Grateful Dead has NRPS.

6)    MINGUS AT CARNEGIE HALL: Mingus, Adams, Bluiett, Pullen et al. Atlantic LP. Bluiett is always at the Vision Fest. I should ask him how he liked playing with Mingus.

7)    LIVE IN EUROPE: JAZZ FESTIVAL UMEA: Charles Tyler Ensemble. Ak-Ba Records LP.

8)    SLEEPING BEAUTY: Sun Ra & His Myth Science Solar Arkestra. Art Yard LP. The Art Yard productions are excellent.

9)    STREET HASSLE: Lou Reed. Arista LP.

10)  HORSES: Patti Smith. Arista LP.

11)  SEPTEMBER SONG: Kurt Weill, comp. Lotte Lenya, vocals. Columbia 6-eye LP. More polished and better produced than Lenya’s “Berlin Songs,” hence less idiosyncratic and not as good.

12)  TRIPLE DUO, IN SLEEP AND THUNDER, SIX POEMS OF ROBERT LOWELL: Elliot Carter, comp. The Fires of London, Oliver Knussen, cond. Nonesuch LP.

13)  FIRST AND SECOND STRING QUARTET: George Antheil, comp. Mondrian Quartet. Data Records LP. Antheil said he was “trying for the drunken energy of mediocrity.” Also, to be like a “mongrel local orchestra yet achieving a brilliant success.” Couldn’t this be applied to much of the free jazz scene (I mean that as a compliment)?

14)  SYMPHONY No.4, “1942” (Antheil) with ESTANCIA BALLET SUITE (Ginastera). LSO, Gossens.

15)  LABORINTUS: Berio, composer and conductor, Ensemble Musique Vivante. RCA LP.

16)  SEVEN STUDIES ON THEMES OF PAUL KLEE (Gunther Schuller) and CONTRASTS FOR ORCHESTRA (Paul Fetler). Mercury Living Presence LP, with the “Twittering Machine” cover illustration by Klee.

7) LIFE [sic] AT THE DONAUESCHINGEN JAZZ FESTIVAL: Archie Shepp, Roswell Rudd, Grachan Moncur III, Jimmy Garrison, Beaver Harris. MPS LP.

18)  SOUNDIN’ OFF: Dizzy Reece. Blue Note/Classic 200g LP.

19)  BLUE VALENTINE: Tom Waits. Asylum Records LP.

20)  LIVING ON THE EDGE: Dewey Redman Quartet. Black Saint LP.

21)  SUNBOUND: Joseph Jarman. AECO LP.

22)  THE ATHENS CONCERT: Quartet Muntu. Praxis LP. Side 1 is very hot, side 2 is good.

23)  MIRROR TRAFFIC: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks. Matador CD.

24)  RID OF ME: P.J. Harvey. Island CD. Finally caught up with Miss Harvey, who I think has appeared in 3A lists heretofore.  Laura Nyro meets Patti Smith? Or maybe even Patti Waters?

25)  ECHOES FROM RUDOLPH’s: John Carter, et al. Ibedan Records LP. With liner notes insert by Bobby Bradford. Yes!

26)  BUGLE BOY BOP: Charles Bobo Shaw (d) and Lester Bowie (tp). Muse LP. This trumpet-drum duo works very well.

27)  LAUGHING SOUL: George Braith, Grant Green, John Patton, et al. Prestige blue label Hackensack address LP. Scarce odd duck. I love the cover. Yet another takeoff on Sonny’s “Way Out West,” Braith here in the wilds of Hackensack.

28)  METAPHYSICAL QUESTION: Hugh Ragin Trio (John Lindberg, Thurman Barker) . Cecma LP. Very good.

29)  HOME, HOME ON THE ROAD: New Riders of the Purple Sage. Dead’s companion band. Columbia LP.

30)  ANOTHER TIME / ANOTHER PLACE: Altschul, Blythe, Holland, et al. Muse LP. Various ensembles. Blythe stands out.

31)  “2”: The Black Heart Procession. Touch & Go LP. Perfect if you are a melancholic, or want to be on.

32)  ROCK ‘N ROLL ANIMAL: Lou Reed. RCA LP.

33)  HONI SOIT: John Cale. A&M LP (cover concept by Warhol).

34)  TRIO X: LIVE IN VILNIUS: McPhee, Duval, Rosen. 2LP 45rpm. Like this more each play; a deep, wonderful “Lonely Woman” stood out this time around.

35)  JUST NOT CRICKET! Coxhill, Bevan, Sanders, Watts, et  al. Ni-Vu-Ni Connu 4LP box set. Great quality box/vinyl, and since I like Brit free jazz, I totally enjoyed this box YMMV as they say in Internet-land.

36)  IS YOUR LOVE BIG ENOUGH: Lianne LaHavas. Nonesuch CD.

37)  MUTATIONS/MULTICELLULAR MUTATIONS: Rara Avis and Ken Vandermark. Den 2CD. Italian electro-acoustic group keeps KV sharp.

38)  ECHO ECHO MIRROR HOUSE: Anthony Braxton Septet (Victoriaville 2011).  This one definitely needs more time but I had a positive reaction on first listen.

I started playing some African-British free jazz and ended up listening to a group of albums.  Like KV, I’m dedicating this session to Nelson Mandela.

39)  ANGOLIAN CRY: Dyani, Tchicai, Beckett, Hart. Steeplechase CD.

40)  SONG FOR BIKO: Dyani, Cherry, Pukwana, Ntshoko. Steeplechase CD. (Has anyone done a history of Steeplechase. Would be interesting.)

41)  COUNTERPARTS: Revolutionary Ensemble. Mutable Music CD.

42)  IN THE TOWNSHIPS: Pukwana, Feza, Moholo, Harry Miller, Mngqikana. Earthworks LP.

43)  EXILE: Louis Moholo-Moholo’s Viva-La-Black. Ogun CD.

44)  LIVE AT WILLISAU: Brotherhood of Breath (Chris McGregor, Miller, Moholo Pukwana, Feza, et al. Evan Parker too!). Ogun CD.

45) HARRY MILLER BOX SET: Contains albums: Bracknell Breakdown, In Conference, Down South, Family Affair, Children at Play. Ogun 3CD set. Excellent music throughout. I did not realize that Miller was the founder of Ogun Records (he was also South African).

46)  BASRA: Pete LaRoca, Joe Henderson, Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow (the last 2 unusual to find on BN). BN CD.

47)  THE REAL THING: Louis Hayes, Woody Shaw, Rene McLean, Stafford James, et al. 32 JAZZ CD. The group is sort of a lost generation, or at least in-between generation, in jazz.

48)  ON JUPITER: Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra. Art Yard LP.

49)  NUITS DE LA FOUNDATION MAEGHT, Vol. 2: Sun Ra Arkestra. Universe LP.

50)  THE WAY IT WAS: Art Pepper, some tracks with Warne Marsh. Contemporary LP. Great mid-tempo groove.

I was kind of stumped for what to play one night. Vandermark is always a safe bet, so I grabbed a KV trio album. This led to a bunch more trio albums. Once I started I became interested in how KV adapts the trio format to his music, or vice versa maybe. I think I got a better handle on Vandermark’s music and playing as a result.

51) BROKEN MUSIC: Fire Room- KV, Marhaug, PNL. Atavistic CD. Some seriously heavy shit. Marhaug one of the very few dial-twiddlers I like.

52)  GAMBIT: Tripleplay – KV, Nate McBride, Curt Newton. Clean Feed CD. Slow, low boil.

53)  LIVE IN WELS & CHICAGO: DKV Trio- KB, Kessler, Drake. Okkadisk CD, Strong playing all-around.

54)  CALL BEFORE YOU DIG: KV, Brotzmann, Gustafsson. Okkadisk CD, disk 2. Hey, no rhythm section! But you don’t miss it.

55)  FREE FALL: KV, Wilk, IHF. SMJZ CD. Very like a modern classical composition album, even with touches of Feldman.

56) GATE: Sound in Action Trio: KV, Tim Daisy, Robert Barry. Atavistic CD. Two-drum trio. Starts hot but cruises later.

I got locked into Vandermark, so decided to listen to some Vandermark 5 albums in chron order (I think). Interesting watching the personnel  and/or instrument changes. All Atavistic CD.

57) SINGLE PIECE FLOW: KV (reeds), Mars Williams reeds), Jeb Bishop,(tb, g), Kent Kessler (b), Tim Mulvenna (d).

58)  TARGET OR FLAG: KV (cl, ts), Williams (sax), Bishop (tb, g), Kessler (b), Mulvenna (d).

59)  SIMPATICO: AIRPORTS FOR LIGHT: KV (ts, bcl, Bb cl), Dave Rempis (as),  Bishop (tb, g), Kessler (b), Mulvenna (d).

60)  AIRPORTS FOR LIGHT: KV (reeds), Rempis (saxes), Kessler (b),  Bishop (tb), Tim Daisy (d).

61) EXERCISES IN SURPRISE: KV (reeds), Rempis (saxes), Kessler (b), Daisy (d).

62)  A DISCONTINUOUS LINE: KV (bari, Bbcl, bcl), Rempis (as, ts), Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Kessler (b), Daisy (d).

63) BEAT READER: KV (bari, cl), Rempis (ts, as), FLH (cello), Kessler (b), Daisy (d).

The KV5 changes are incremental but by the time you get to the last lineup, it sounds a very different group. Now FLH has left so the changes continue.

64) LA CERBA: Made to Break- Vandermark (reeds), Christof Kurzmann (Lloop- wtf?), Devis Hoff (electronic bass), Tim Daisy (d). Forst Clean Feed vinyl. Had to buy it. Pretty good. The electronic stuff is as usual mostly garbage, or at least non-additive.

65)  OH! FOR THE EDGE: Elton Dean’s Ninesense. Ogun LP. The usual Ogun folks, so it is very good.

66) DISCIPLINE: King Crimson. Warner LP.

67) COUNTERPOISE: John Carisi, Eddie Sauter, Christian Wolfe, Ensemble Accanto. Hat [now] ART CD. Carisi has interesting connections to Miles, Gil Evans, Cecil Taylor.  

68)  SYNERGY: Ensemble Avante-Garde, conducted by the composer Earle Brown. hatART CD.

69)  SHORT BUS: Filter Reprise CD. “Hey Man, Nice Shot” (considered a Cobain allusion), and “I Think You’d Be Better Off Dead” stand-out titles.

70)  DIRT: Alice in Chains. Columbia CD. Title song: “I want you to kill me and dig me under/I wanna live no more.”

71)  IN UTERO: Nirvana. DGC CD. “Bi-polar opposites attract.”

72)  HOLY GHOST: Albert Ayler and various personnel. Revenant 3LP clear vinyl set. Inspired by Mr. Stry our in-house memorialist.

73)  EXPRESSIONS:  John Coltrane, Alice C, Garrison, Ali, Pharoah. Impulse! LP. As per above. Very strong.

74)  LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD AGAIN: Same as 73.

75)  JEWELS OF THOUGHT: Pharoah Sanders. MCA/Impulse! LP.

76)  SHUKURU: Pharoah Sanders. Theresa LP. Disappointing.

77)  CORNBREAD: Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Mobley, Hancock. BN LP.

78)  NEWK’S TIME: Sonny Rollins: BN LP

79)  THAT’S WHERE IT’S AT: Stanley Turrentine. BN LP.

80)  HI VOLTAGE: Mobley, McLean, Blue Mitchell. BN LP.

81)  CLUBHOUSE: Dexter Gordon, Hubbard BN LP.

I got into a Turrentine groove for no good reason except that I was enjoying it. He has his quirks, which I find interesting. Plus his sidemen are often a little different than the usual BN crew. All BN LPs>>

82) ANOTHER STORY: Turrentine, Thad Jones, Cedar Walton, Buster Williams, Mickey Roker.

83)  A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK: Turrentine, Shirley Scott (his wife then) (organ), Earl May (b), Al Harewood (d).

84)  DEARLY BELOVED: Turrentine, “Little Miss Cott” (Shirley Scott), Roy Brooks (d).

85)  HUSTLIN’ : Turrentine, Scott, Kenny Burrell (g), Bob Cranshaw (b) Otis Finch (d).

86)  THE SPOILER: Turrentine, Mitchell, Priester, Spaulding, Pepper Adams, Tyner, Cranshaw, Roker.

I actually haven’t exhausted the Turrentine library but I’ll get around to it.

87) LIVE-EVIL: Miles Davis et al. Columbia 2LP Quadrophonic. I came across this and Bitches Brew in excellent condition quadraphonic. I had heard that the mix on these albums are much different than the stereo versions, and that is true, but whether they are better is not so clear. But I like the sense of space and ambience in this version. You can tell that the amount of information stored in the vinyl is substantial.

8

8) IN THE FISHTANK 9: Sonic Youth + ICP+ the Ex. Konkurrent LP. Spawn of Miles.

89)  LOVE, CRY, WANT: eponymous Weird Forest 2LP. I dug it, but at 2LPs, it’s a bit much.

90)  1984: Hugh Hopper, Lol Coxhill, Pye Hastings Gary Windo, Nick Evans, John Marshall. Cuneiform CD. There are a couple of tracks here that will definitely test the bass on your system. I dug it.

91) WHICH WAY NOW: Harry Miller’s Isipingo. Cuneiform CD. Not in the Miller box I mentioned above.

92) NEAR THE OASIS: Sonny Simmons, Francois Tusques. Improvising Beings CD. Simmons is on the alto sax and the cor anglais, which is something to hear. Much Monk material herein. Part of this was recorded at the 2011 Vision Fest, but I can’t say I recall it even if I did catch the set.

93)  EAST-WEST: THE SHANGHAI SESSIONS: Didier Petit, Xu Fengxia, Sylvan Kassap. In Situ CD. Ever see a box set just for 1 cd? This is it.

94)  INTROSPECTION: Ivo Perelman, Rose Hertlein, Duval, Newman Baker. Leo CD. Hertlein is to Perelman, as Irene Aebi is to Lacy.

95)  GLENN GOULD PLAYS  WILLIAM BYRD AND ORLANDO GIBBONS. Glenn Gould, piano. Columbia LP.

96)  FUNKEY DONKEY: Luther Thomas Human Arts Ensemble UMS/Atavistic CD. I’ve become a fan of the BAG.

97)  THE TRAVELLER: Khan Jamal Trio: Jamal (vibes), Johnny Dyani (b), Leroy Lowe (d). Not really “out” but well-thought out music.

98)  SKILLFULNESS: Alan Silva (p, cello, vn), Dave Burrell, Becky Friend (p, fl), Karl Berger (vibes), et al. ESP DISK 1091 LP. I really dig this album, and love the cover.

Did I mention that I finally got my TV fixed (blown HDMI ports)?  I re-upped my subscription to Netflix (disc and streaming) and added Hulu Plus, because they have the entire Criterion Collection in streaming video (Netflix really dropped the ball on that). So I’m going to try to increase the number of movies watched, and decrease the amount of music listened to. We shall see.