Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013)

In college, the student union had a small record store that I spent entirely too much of my living expenses there.  Every time I went to search music out which was often, they had VU and Nico playing.  Being in an environment where you are searching for knowledge it was impossible to ignore.  I ended up scoring all four of the VU albums in a used bin during the first summer in college.   It truly was part of my education.  I saw Lou Reed three times; the first on my college campus and it was mind blowing for me.  He was and still is an important artist in my musical education. 

Lou Reed at New York State University at Stony Brook Gym; September 21, 1984

ROBERT QUINE, guitar

FERNANDO SAUNDERS, bass

PETER WOOD, keyboards and accordion

FRED MAHER, drums

Set List:

Sweet Jane

I'm Waiting for the Man

Martial Law

Down at the Arcade

Legendary Hearts

There She Goes Again

Turn Out the Light

My Red Joystick

Sally Can't Dance

Average Guy

Walk on the Wild Side

Satellite of Love

New Sensations

Sunday Morning

Underneath the Bottle

A Gift

Doin' the Things That We Want To

Waves of Fear

I Love You Suzanne

White Light/White Heat

Turn to Me

New Age

Street Hassle

Rock & Roll

March 23, 1989 Saint James Theater

MIKE RATHKE, guitar

ROB WASSERMAN, bass

ROBERT MEDICI, drums

Set List:

Romeo Had Juliette

Halloween Parade

Dirty Blvd.

Endless Cycle

There Is No Time

Busload of Faith

Strawman

Dime Store Mystery

I Love You Suzanne

Doin' the Things That We Want To

Rock & Roll

Video Violence

Sweet Jane

Walk on the Wild Side

The Original Wrapper

John Zorn - Lou Reed - Marc Ribot - Milford Graves LIVE NY September 4th 2008, Le poissonrouge, New York City

Brian Settles and Union Central, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC, 10/23/13

Lately Listening

1. US Steel Cello Ensemble, Bitter Suites (Holidays LP): Long overdue reissue. Sounds great. You guys should pick this one up.
2. Pelt, Effigy (MIE 2LP): Thanks to Bill for turning me on to this jammer.
3. Kukouka Rinji & Urabe Masayoshi, Barcelona Express Live 2004 (8mm LP): Wild and peaceful.
4. New Jooklo Age, August Two Thousand Ten (Sloow Tapes CS): The craziest new age music ever. Totally unsettling.
5. Sinergia Elettronica, Live Blob (Troglosound CS): Jooklo synth jamage.
6. Sinergia Elletronica, Dimensione Parallela (Troglosound CS): Sounds like the jungle scene from Forbidden Planet.
7. Es., Void (PSF CD): Holy shit this is good. Sax player destroys. You guys should seek this one out.
8. David S. Ware Quartet, Live in Vilnius (NoBusiness 2LP): Great recording of great playing
9. Albert Ayler, Love Cry (Impulse! LP)
10. Willie Lane, Recliner Ragas (Humito LP): Really need more Willie Lane. Seems difficult to find, though.
11. Bill Dixon/Aaron Siegel/Ben Hall, Weight/Counterweight (Editions Broken Research 2LP): Dusted this off after listening to Jeremiah Cymmerman's podcast with Nate Wooley. Great conversation about how older players adapt and change as they age and lose some chops. Always liked the sparseness of this album.
12. Angel Olsen, Strange Cacti (Bathetic EP): Very strange to hear her voice live and confirm that it comes from a human being
13. Zu, The Way of the Animal Powers (Public Guilt LP): Sounds dated.
14. Anthony Braxton Quartet, The Coventry Concert (West Wind LP): One of my favorite Braxton groups.
15. Ornette Coleman, Crisis (Impulse! LP):
16. Frank Wright, Shouting the Blues (Sun LP): Too much shouting the blues. But I can't get enough of Frank Wright's tone.
17. Frank Wright, Kevin, My Dear Son (Sun LP): More sax on this one.
18. Luc Ferrari, Presque Rien (Recollections GRM 2LP): Lots of revelations spinning this on the new table.
19. Old and New Dreams, Playing (ECM LP): Cherry, Redman, Haden, Blackwell. Enjoyed this album a lot more than I remembered. Great rendition of Broken Shadows.
20. Bill Orcutt, How the Thing Sings (Editions Mego LP): Jammer.
21. Paul Flaherty, Aria Nativa (Family Vineyard LP): Flaherty in solo mode is a thing of beauty.
22. Bill Orcutt, A History of Every One (Editions Mego LP): Wow. Orcutt has been killing it for the past 3-4 years.
23. DKV + Gustafsson/Pupillo/Nilssen-Love, SCHL8HOF (Trost LP): Starts off with an aural assault. More nuance as the record continues. Not sure I was in the right headspace when I listened to this.
24. Roscoe Mitchell/Tony Marsh/John Edwards, Improvisations (Otoroku 2LP): Roscoe Mitchell is a national treasure.
25. Bernard Parmegniani, De Natura Sonorum (Recollections GRM 2LP): Wow. I think this may be my favorite entry in the GRM reissue series. Don't sleep on this.

Vandermark/ Wooley Duo at IOTA, Arlington, VA 10-6-2013

Tim Berne's Snake Oil in Washington DC & Baltimore October 10 & 11, 2013

The Wind Up Space, Baltimore MD Oct 11,2013

Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington DC Oct 10,2013

Snakeoil is

Tim Berne – reeds

Oscar Noriega – reeds

Matt Mitchell – piano/rhodes

Ches Smith – drums/percussion

Ken Vandermark & Nate Wooley at Iota, Virginia 2013-10-06

September 2013 Listening

1.       “Borbeto Jam” Borbetomagus, Toshinori Kondo, & Peter Kowald (Cadence Jazz Records 1026 1026)

2.       “Raw Power” Iggy and the Stooges (Columbia  88691959351)

3.       “Carved Into Roses/Infinityland/Singles” Skullflower (vhf#128)

4.       “Personal Pitch” Panda Bear (Paw tracks  Paw14)

5.       “Now Is” Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Joe McPhee, Joe Morris & Nate Wooley (Clean Feed  CF263CD)

6.       “A Love Supreme Live in Europe” John Coltrane,  Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Garrison  (Jazz Masterworks CJZLO 1)

7.       “I am” Scout Niblet (Secretly Canadian  JC 80)

8.       “Shore Leave” Yung Wu (Coyote TTC 87119)

9.       “Sapphie” Richard Young (Jagjaguwar)

10.   “Red” King Crimson (Editions EG EGKC 8)

11.   “Bayou Cadillac” Beausoleil (Rounder  6025)

12.   “Extra Width” Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion (Matador OLE 852-1)

13.   “Antiquity” Jackie McLean & Michael Carvin (Inner City 2028)

14.   “Menagerie” Bill Withers (Columbia  BL 34903)

15.   “Uprising” Bob Marley (Island  ILSP 9596)

16.   “In Greenwhich Village” Albert Ayler (Impluse! A-9155)

17.   “The Leaden Echo” Margarida Garcia (Headlights  LPH18)

18.   “Homeing” Butch Morris (Sound Aspects SAS 4015)

19.   “Pyramid” Lee Konitz, Paul Bley & Bill Conners (Improvising Artists  37.38,25)

20.   “Stridulum EP” Zola Jesus (Sacred Bones Records  SBR-032)

21.   “Chris Issak” Chris Issak (Warner 25526-1)

22.   “Shazam” The Move   

23.   “Duets with Tyshawn Sorey and Special Guest Hugh Ragin”  Roscoe Mitchell, Tyshawn Sorey & Hugh Ragin

24.   “Intents & Purpose” Bill Dixon (International Phonograph, Inc. 3844)

25.   “Sound Of Lies” Jayhawks (American 314 566 941-2)

26.   “Ayahuasca” Pelt with Jack Rose (VHF Records vhf#62)

27.   “Olu Iwa” Cecil Taylor with Peter Brotzmann,  Frank Wright, William Parker, Steve McCall Thruman Barker, & others (Soul Note 121139-2)

28.   “The Secnic Route” John Butcher, Phil Durrant, & John Russell (Emanem  4029)

29.   “Rothko Chapel / Why Patterns?” Morton Feldman (Ioda)

30.   Alan Silva and the Celestrial Communication Orchestra (Sunspots/BYG 42-43-44)

31.   “All for Nothing / Nothing for All” The Replacements (Reprise  9 46807-2)

32.   “The Moon & Antarctica” Modest Mouse (Epic 63671)

33.   “Nonaah” Roscoe Mitchell (Nessa  Ncd-9/10)

34.   “Aoyama Crows” Die Like a Dog - Peter Brotzmann, Kondo, William Parker & Hamid Drake (FMP  CD 118)

35.   “Hooky - Solo in Montreal 1976” Steve Lacy (Emanem  4042)

36.   “Califone” Califone (Flydaddy FLY 031)

37.   “Frenz Experiment” The Fall (Beggars Banquet 6987-1-H)

38.   “Dead Men Tell No Tales” Nikki Sudden and the Jacobites

39.   “Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy & Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow” Sun Ra (Evidence ECD 22036-2)

40.   “Rocket Science” Evan Parker, Peter Evans, Craig Taborn & Sam Pluta (More is More MIM133)

41.   “Seeking” John Carter, Bobby Bradford, Tom Williamson & Buzz Freeman (Hatology 620)

42.   “The Idiot” Iggy Pop   

43.   “Compact Snap” The Jam (Polydor 821 712-2)

44.   “Exile on Main Street” The Rolling Stones (Virgin 7234-8-39524-2-7)

45.   “Midnight Marauders” A Tribe Called Quest (Jive 01241-41490-2)

46.   “Relativity Suite” Don Cherry (Klimt MJJ359)

47.   “Polaris EP”  Dead Neanderthal (Utech Records)  

48.   “Beyond and Back: X Anthology”  X (Elektra 62103-2)

49.   “Lammeagyer” Burning Tree (Utech Records)  

50.   “Solo 1972.1.21” Kaoru Abe (DIW)  

Evan Parker at the Stone September 20 & 21, 2013

 


I attended the following mind blowing shows at te Stone in New York City

9/20/13 Friday 8 pm
Mat Manieri (viola) Lucian Ban (piano) Evan Parker (saxes)

9/20/13 Friday 10 pm
Evan Parker (saxes) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano)

9/21 Saturday 8 and 10pm
Milford Graves (percussion) Evan Parker (tenor sax)

AGM Playlist for September 2013: The CD Edition!

So September was a pretty good month for live music. First the Gratkowski caravan, then the Larry Ochs residency at The Stone, very musically satisfying, although poorly attended. Then a week later, back to NYC for 4 days and 8 sets of the Evan Parker residency. All of those sets were wonderful. I was most impressed by the Rocket Science sets, especially the 8:00 PM set. Peter Evans displayed a level of virtuosity that was really stunning, which was beautifully counterbalanced by EP's depth and maturity. One of the best sets of free jazz I have heard. The set with Sylvie Courvoisier was also notable. She played free and loose, quite exuberantly it seemed to me, in contrast to her performance at the previous EP residency. Peter Evans also figured in the Bleeding Edge set, which was also quite fine.

Larry Ochs and Gerald Cleaver

This month I did something different: the playlist is composed exclusively of CDs; not an LP to be found. Just a bit of whimsy I suppose but it wasn't bad delving into the CD stock. Of course I was only home for about 2 weeks, so it was easier to pull off. October will be exclusively LPs.


1) NEW SURFACING 1978-1992: Spontaneous Music Ensemble - John Stevens, Nigel Coombes, Roger Smith. Emanem CD. Count me a huge John Stevens/SME fan.

2) SIFTER: Halvorson, Knuffle, Matt Wilson. Relative Pitch CD. I'm not sure about the choice of Wilson, he seems to me a limiting factor; someone like Ches Smith would have been better, but this is still a very good album. Knuffle is surprisingly strong and pretty much carries the album.

3) THE PANCAKE TOUR: Urs Leimgruber, Roger Turner. Relative Pitch CD. Excellent CD.  Another excellent Relative Pitch CD and performance by Leimgruber (urge to type burger!).

4) STOF: Ab Baars- Ig Henneman Duo. Wig CD. Worthy.

5) LARK: Laubrock, Rainey, Davis, Alessi. Skirl CD. Excellent.

6) LIVE IN MADISON: Luis Lopes and Humanization 4Tet. Ayler CD.

7) [ON]: Eric Brodard, Jean-Luc Guionnet, Edward Perraud. In Situ CD.

8) MAGIC: McPhee, Duval, Rosen, Trzaska. Not Two 2CD.

9) THE HOLY LA: Steve Lacy, Aebi, Betch, Avenel.  Free Lance CD. Fine Lacy. Lacy is in my Pantheon.

10) THE BLEEDING EDGE: Parker, Lee, Evans. psi CD. From a live recording in England around the time of the last EP residency. Too bad they didn't use the one from The Stone (maybe they couldn't). I recall that was outstanding. This is pretty good too!

11) THE NOWS: Lytton, Wooley, Mori (Disc 1); Lytton, Wooley, Vandermark (Disc 2). Clean Feed.

12) FLOW OF X: Matt Shipp Quartet (with Maneri). Thirsty Ear CD. Do we tend to take Shipp for granted, despite his exceptional talent?

13) POINTS: Matt Shipp Quartet (with Rob Brown). Silkheart CD.

14) LIVE IN THE WORLD: David S. Ware Quartet. CD1 of 3. Thirsty Ear. Shipp often plays on piano what DSW is playing on sax or a commensurate counterpart.

15) CATALOGUE d'OISEAUX BOOK 7: Messiaen, comp. Peter Hill, piano. Regis CD.

16) BEFORE AFTER: Leandre, Mitchell, Van Der Schyff. RogueArt CD.

17) FOUR COMPOSITIONS (QUARTET) 1995: Braxton, Fonda, Norton, Reichman. Braxton House CD. Do we take Braxton for granted?

18) TWO DAYS IN CHICAGO: Mengelberg, Anderson, Vandermark et al. 2CD Hatology.

19) DEALS, IDEAS, and IDEALS: Assif Tsahar, Peter Kowald, Rashied Ali. Hopscotch CD. Love Kowald. One hardly hears of Tsahar performing.

20) MAD DOGS: Barry Guy and many Brit and German free jazz musicians (also Dutch and Swedish too). Not Two 5CD. Peculiar packaging, high price, but really excellent and worthy music.  In a sense, a summit performance of Euro free jazz. Barry Guy is huge here.

21) SUNSHINE: John Stevens, Frode Gjerstad. Impetus CD. I always find this hookup interesting.

22) APPLICATION, INTERACTION AND...: Stevens, Watts, Barry Guy. Hi4Head CD. First-rate.

23) CALYPSO's SMILE: Joseph Jarman, Don Moye, Essiet. AECO CD. The AEC remind me of the Beatles: together unbeatable, but individually weaker (with possible exception of Roscoe). IOW, the sum is greater than its parts.

24) MINING THE SEAM: The Rest of the Spotlite Sessions: Stevens, Watts, Guy. Hi4Head CD.

25) THE SUN: Steve Lacy with Aebi, Carter, Rava, Berger, Romano, Potts, Johnson, and (a bit surprising to me) Teitelbaum. Emanem CD. Teitelbaum is awesome here, and it gave me a new perspective on his work.

26) LIFE AMID THE ARTEFACTS: 2 sessions: Free Space and Otherways. Emanem CD. Excellent.

27) ROCKET SCIENCE: Parker, Evans, Taborn, and Pluta.  Paler than the the live performance that I saw, but still excellent. The symbiosis between Parker and Evans is interesting to watch/hear, and I think Evans challenges Parker about as well as anyone can in the current scene.

28) ITHACA: Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, Paul Lytton. Intakt CD. Crispell plays strong here, not ECM-ish.

29) "it won't be called broken china": Evan Parker, Misha Mengelberg. Amusing and interesting sleeve note by Steve Beresford. Another interesting musical relationship.

30) SPIRITUAL MOMENTS: Lacy, Carter, Masahiko Togashi. PJL (Japan) CD. A fine album.

31) LIVE AT THE GLUCKSMAN GALLERY, CORK: Dunmall, Han-Earl Park, Mark Sanders, Jamie Smith. Owlhouse CD. Good but under-recorded. Park has tremendous facility. Park played a short duo set with Parker. Evan made a quip about Evan Parker-Peter Evans-Earl Park merry-go-round.

32) WE ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY: JONES-JONES: Larry Ochs, Mark Dresser, Vladamir Tarasov. SLR CD. Tarasov is from the Russian Ganelin Trio. Excellent. It occurs to me that Ochs is a lot like Tim Berne. Neither are virtuosos, but both a fertile musical creators, adept at creating new musical scenarios.

33) FUCK DE BOERE 1968/1970: Live version of Machine Gun from 1968, and the title track, live 1970. UMS CD.

34) FURTHER SECRET ORIGINS: Katherine Young, solo bassoon. Porter CD. Tremendous. Give her a Guggenheim or Fulbright  or MacArthur for goodness sake!

35) QUARTET(MOSCOW) 2008: Braxton, Bynum, Young, Halvorson. Leo CD. An exciting performance. Braxton has been important in developing young talent and giving them a chance to perform at a high level and does so unassumedly. So many alumni of the Braxton "school."

36) SEVEN STANDARDS 1996: Mario Pavone, Anthony Braxton, Tom Chapin, Dave Douglas, Aklaff. Knitting Factory CD. I still find Braxton's relationship to the standards problematic.

37) DUCK: Buffalo Collision: Berne, Hank Roberts, and 2/3 of Bad Plus, Iverson, King.

38) NIDIDHYASANA: Steven Gauci Basso Continuo with Nate Wooley, Mike Bision, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten. A minor classic at least. Where has Gauci been?

39) DRAGON: Bobby Bradford, Gjerstad, PNL. PNL CD.

40) ISKRA 1903: Rutherford, Wachsmann, Guy. Maya CD.

41) "Members, don't git weary." Max Roach, Bartz, Tolliver, Merritt, Cowell, Andy Bey (title trk). Atlantic Masters CD. Hip lineup and music. That "members" seems curious to me.

42) ARIA: Kowald, Alberto Braida, Giancarlo Locatelli. free elephant CD. Surprised me by how good it is.

43) THE CELESTIAL SEPTET: ROVA and Nels Cline Singers. New World CD.

Next month: LPs!