Sound and Fury

MUST READ MUSIC BLOG

2012-02-07T13:37:00.001-05:00

I've been following an outstanding music blog for a while now. In the interest of full disclosure let me say that the author is a former co-host of mine several years ago when we produced a jazz/improvised music radio program called NOW'S THE TIME. As is so often the case in this fast paced world, we have both moved past that place in time to pursue other passions not strictly broadcast related. Why am I recommending this blog? Several reasons, really. The author, Andrew, is an outstanding writer. And he has something intelligent to say. Every post is thought provoking, whether the music he writes about appeals to me or not. He approaches his writing with the same eloquence and thoughtfulness he displayed with his radio programs. Give Andrew Forbes' THIS IS OUR MUSIC a try if music is more than just sound for you.

MUST HEAR BLOG SPOT

2012-01-04T22:15:00.001-05:00

If you're looking for outstanding mainstream jazz look no further than THE JAZZ INN.

You can find it here

You won't be sorry! Enjoy!

Attainment / Bannar, 1987

2011-11-29T17:51:00.000-05:00

The story goes like this:

Charles Brackeen began to record jazz in 1968, went on to play with a who's who of jazz: Don Cherry, Frank Lowe, Carlos Ward, Dewey Redman, Leroy Jenkins, Paul Motian and Leo Smith throughout the 1970's and the early 1980's. Then he fell off the music map.

Then in the second half of the 1980's, trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez coaxed Brackeen to play on his album, Namesake. Brackeen began a recording contract with the Silkheart Records label and that's where we draw today's offering from.

These are manditory recordings! You must hear both of them!

Enjoy!

Trip To Moscow, 1988

2011-10-31T19:15:00.000-04:00

Valery Ponomarev held the trumpet seat in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for four years from 1977 through 1980 (which gives you some kind of an idea about his playing style - long live hard bop!). He has a full, rich tone that brings to mind the greats - Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard. He's accompanied on this recording by Ralph Moore on tenor (someone who has appeared here before), Larry Willis on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass and Victor Jones on drums. Collectively they're called Universal Language. All but one of the compositions are Ponomarev originals. The recording was engineered by none other than Rudy Van Gelder. Give it a listen. It cooks.

Enjoy!

Fairytales, 1986

2011-10-26T18:05:00.001-04:00

I'm not accustomed to offering up vocal recordings but this one is special.

More than 20 years ago a buddy of mine and I made a pilgrimage to the Cadence Barn in Redwood, NY. We had to call ahead to get authorization and directions. They allowed us to come after checking that we were subscribers. A small price to pay for what we were to encounter. But I digress...

One of the recordings they recommended to us was Radka Toneff and Steve Dobrogosz's Fairytales and naturally I took up their decision. This is a wonderful no frills recording that is stripped down to one voice and one piano. I first heard Steve Dobrogosz on Arild Andersen's Lifelines album and, frankly, in my opinion, stole the show.

This album is especially poignant when you consider the fact that Radka Toneff committed suicide. You can hear the vulnerability in her voice. Give it a listen. I think it favourably compares to the Tony Bennett / Bill Evans record.

St. Louis Blues, 2001

2011-10-17T19:54:00.000-04:00

Aki Takase first came to my attention with her Shima Shoka album - a solo piano recording that flirted with every sub-genre of jazz. I went out of my way to search out her music. I found this one and have enjoyed it repeatedly. She has a very interesting supporting cast: regular collaborator Rudy Mahall as well as Nils Wogram, Fred Frith and Paul Lovens. The tunes are split between originals by Takase, Mahall and Wogram, Harry Warren's "Lulu" and seven W.C. Handy compositions, including "St. Louis Blues". As a listener, you are kept on your toes from piece to piece. But one expects no less from Aki Takase.

Enjoy!

Reflexionen Live, 1986

2011-09-27T21:23:00.000-04:00

This is a wonderful recording from an international quartet - American Don Friedman, German Urs Leimgruber, Swiss (I think) Bobby Burri and French (I think) Joel Allouche. It's the hornplayer's spotlight but everyone contributes. Great stuff!

Enjoy!

Luminous Cycles, 2000

2011-09-27T18:31:00.001-04:00

Here's another sweet recording - this time including Chris Speed with another "dream team". I've seen someone somewhere (I think over at Uri's joint) asking for more James Emery / Marty Ehrlich collaboration. Here you go...

This recording was released on the Between The Lines record label out of Germany. It's an interesting label and a virtual slam dunk for anyone looking for interesting and challenging improvised music regardless of whether one has heard of the musicians. I've never heard a boring album from this label and you'll hear more from this label here in the future.

James Emery is best known as the co-leader of the String Trio of New York with John Lindberg.

Enjoy!

A Momentary Lapse, 2003

2011-09-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

This great album is on the Innova record label. Is this a "dream team" or what? Listen to it.

Enjoy!

Taking Off!, 1990

2011-09-19T11:56:00.000-04:00

OK, I'll make this short and sweet...

Greg Marvin first came to my attention through a profile of him in Cadence Magazine 20-some years ago. I bought his two Hi-Hat releases on vinyl and enjoyed them immensely. I lost track of him until I came across this recording on the Timeless label. The lineup is top shelf and the music is wonderful and dynamic.

He studied with Lennie Tristano and Warne Marsh but that tells only part of the story. Give this album a listen, or two, or three...

Enjoy!

Bee, 1991

2011-09-10T22:28:00.000-04:00

Curlew was a "downtown" NYC band (I say "was" because they have not produced any new recordings in years) led by saxophonist George Cartwright. The band plays tight, concise pieces that display a lot of humour. Along with Cartwright on this record (one of their best, in my humble opinion) is the notable (and now deceased) Tom Cora on cello. All the material was recorded live in concert and possess a kick ass quality that has been their hallmark from the git go.

Enjoy!

A Tribute To Ornette Coleman, 1996

2011-09-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

Ask and you shall receive...

Except, I didn't ask. It just showed up on my doorstep. The offering before you is due, entirely, to D - a visitor to this place who responded to my wistful wish to some day get to hear Joe Rosenberg's posse with Dewey Redman paying tribute to Ornette Coleman. D gave me permission to offer this fine recording up to everyone who frequents this blog. Many Thanks for your profound generosity!!!!

The music is every bit as exciting and dynamic as the Dolphy tribute. I urge you to grab this!

As an aside, I've learned a lot about the blogosphere over the past couple of years. Most importantly, I've learned that there are many dedicated people who generously keep this vital but endangered music alive for anyone who wants to hear it with no reward in mind save the odd "thank you" from those who were treated to this music. A frequent visitor to this place - Uri - contributes to several other jazz blogs and is a constant leaver of comments here. He taught me how important it is to acknowledge the work that these purveyors of fine sounds routinely provide for we jazz fans. In addition to his work at The KingCake Crypt, he has recently started his own spot called A Darker Shade Of Blue I urge every one of you to visit both of these spots if you love jazz. I guarantee one visit will be enough to make you a regular visitor to these outstanding jazz blogs.

Enjoy!

A Tribute To Eric Dolphy, 1996

2011-09-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

When I bought this CD I'd never heard of Joe Rosenberg or his band Affinity. I'd heard of their special guest on this album - Buddy Collette - a horn player who likely never received the recognition he deserved because he lives on the west coast. I'd heard of the subject of their tribute - Eric Dolphy. And I heard of most of the compositions on the disc. I had no idea the recording would be so good but, in retrospect, my reservations were completely unfounded.

I've found the Music & Arts label can be a hit or miss proposition. This one is definitely a hit. It's recorded live in Berkeley, California on March 25, 1995 (tracks 1,2,3 & 6) and March 24, 1995 (4 &5).

I've tried to find their tribute to Ornette Coleman (with special guest Dewey Redman) but to no avail so you'll have to settle for this gem.

Enjoy!

Quintet For a Day, 1999

2011-09-03T16:17:00.001-04:00

WHAT WE LIVE is a West Coast based trio that has recorded several recordings. It is made up of the trio of Lisle Ellis (bass), Larry Ochs (the "O" in ROVA) and Donald Robinson. All three were members of the late Glenn Spearman's Double Trio. They have built their sound around group improvisation that demands upon constant attention to the other members of the ensemble in order to determine each player's contribution to the whole. They will often invite other improvising musicians to participate (among the past invitees have been William Winant, Paul Plimley, India Cooke). In this case, trumpeters Wadada Leo Smith (right channel) and Dave Douglas (left channel) round out the group on this recording.

The music on this recording is entirely improvised but it isn't "ball to the walls" cacophony (not that there's anything wrong with that). The five players weave in and out of the pieces contributing to the direction of each work whenever they see fit to join in. Ellis is really the only musician to play through the entirety of each piece.

Enjoy!

[Now I Know Who Shot J.F.K.], 2008

2011-08-31T18:47:00.001-04:00

Das Hammerklavier Trio is a relatively new piano trio. I'm guessing not many of us have ever heard of them. From what I can surmise, this is their only recording to date. I love the way the three of them play together as a unit, each taking their turn in the spotlight. Their sound is decidedly "European" (maybe it's the classical influence) but it isn't cold or subdued. This recording grooves along...

The liner notes tell the story - who they've played with, etc. It's a pretty impressive resume they have. Give it a listen.

Enjoy!

Ornettology, 1991

2011-08-24T22:24:00.000-04:00

What makes this recording is so good is it's uniqueness. It doesn't sound avant-garde or cutting edge or ahead of its time. It sounds unique. The instrumentation is unique - drums, bass, vibraphone, clarinet & bass clarinet. Their sound is unique - somewhere between Ornette's quartet (naturally) and the Mulligan/Baker ensemble. I came to this recording because of Don Byron (I'd heard The Tuskeegee Experiments and made a point of going back in musical time to his earlier days). He (along with Buddy De Franco) changed my mind about the black stick. I'd grown up listening ad nauseum to Acker Bilk's "Stranger On The Shore" because my parents played the song (just that song) over and over and over again. I guess I can say I hated the clarinet. Things have changed.

Bryan Carrott has played with the Lounge Lizards and a laundry list of jazz musicians.

Melissa Slocum has been playing bass since 1987.

Lastly, Ralph Peterson Jr. is a great drummer, a fine trumpet player and a superlative bandleader. I have several of recordings. This one is my favourite. Listen to it!

Enjoy!

Windward Passages, 1994

2011-08-17T19:12:00.000-04:00

When assessing the quality of a musician I group that musician with others I feel possess the same philosophy of playing. There are the "shredders" who play a million notes a bar (for example, Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson). And, while I recognize their mastery over the instrument, this balls-to-the-walls attitude can become a tad tedious (in my humble opinion).

STORY: My brother and I attended an Oscar Peterson concert 15 years ago or so. He's not huge jazz fan but enjoys the sound of the piano. We had great seats - close enought to the front and to the side that we could see his hands fly over the keyboard. Peterson came out, introduced the rest of his trio (I remember the bass player was Dave Young but I can't remember who the drummer was) and broke into a 7 or 8 minute medley of jazz standards. When the medley ended the hall errupted into huge applause. My brother leaned over to me and said, "We can go now. There's nothing left for him to do." I agreed with him. We left.

All this is a round about way to say, the group of musicans (in this case pianists) for which I hold the highest esteem are the ones "who can play anything". In that group I put Jaki Byard, Mary Lou Williams and Dave Burrell (among others). This recording makes a case for my claim regarding Dave Burrell. Windward Passages is a live performance recorded in Switzerland on September 13, 1979 but not released (to my knowledge) until 1994 by hat ART.

This is amazing music! I promise you won't leave after the first piece.

Enjoy!

Real Tchicai, 1977

2011-08-13T09:41:00.000-04:00

Danish horn player John Tchicai has been a favourite of mine for years, no, decades. He started as a fire breathing free jazz proponent as part of Archie Shepp and the New York Contemporary Five, New York Art Quartet and New York Eye & Ear Control but he came to my attention when I first Pierre Dorge's New Jungle Orchestra. Then I started to track down Tchicai's work with smaller ensembles. This is one of them - three Danes in the studio in 1977.

John Tchicai, for decades, has been straddling free jazz, world music, and modern classical and music that doesn't even had a name. Let's just call if all "great music". I may try and eventually get his trio recording (with guitarist Garrison Fewell and horn player Charlie Kohlhase) - Good Night Songs (on the Boxholder label)...

Enjoy!

They Have a Word For Everything, 1999

2011-08-07T10:21:00.001-04:00

Let me begin by saying I think the cover of this recording might make the final round in a "Most Boring Record Cover" contest. I almost didn't pick it up when I was shuffling through the bins at my favourite record store. But my eye caught the names Dave Douglas, Andy Laster (a wonderful horn player) and Kermit Driscoll (the original bassist for Bill Frisell's early quartet). And it was on the Knitting Factory Label. Naturally, I picked it up.

Get past the cover and listen to the music.

Enjoy!

From No Time To Rag Time, 1993

2011-08-02T18:07:00.000-04:00

The Vienna Art Orchestra is an ensemble that has never failed to thrill and surprise me and that's saying a lot in the genre of jazz and improvised music. The VAO is that perfect combination of a band large enough to express overwhelming power but possessing the personality of a small combo. Mathias Ruegg and company alternate between and incorporate avant garde and free jazz elements with mainstream and bebop vocabulary and expressions. Many of their recordings are live performances because, naturally, it must be a logistic nightmare to get a dozen musicians into a studio to rehearse and record as well as tour.

I was lucky enough to encounter the VAO in all their glory at the Montreal Jazz Festival about fifteen years ago and was suitably blown away by their power, their subtlety, their wicked sense of humour and, ultimately, their extremely high level of musicianship.

This is not to be missed. Trust me.

Enjoy!

Night Fire, 1981

2011-07-26T16:09:00.000-04:00

I was lucky enough to enjoy John Carter's Octet live when they were on tour for Castles of Ghana. It was at the Spectrum in Montreal during the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Sadly, both John Carter and the Spectrum are no more.

The five releases in the "Roots and Folklore: Episodes In The Development of American Folk Music" (his final recordings) led me to search out his earlier work on Black Saint, Emenem and Moers Music, etc. This is one of those recordings. I love to hear Carter musically interact with Bobby Bradford. They are such a contrast in styles and musical conceptions yet they complimant each other so beautifully.

John Carter was under recorded and consequently never achieved the recognition he deserved. He influenced many improvising musicians (he's been the subject of at least two tribute recordings that I know of - one by Ab Baars (check out my archive) and one by Francois Houle - both of which I recommend wholeheartedly).

Enjoy!

Lee's Keys Please, 1989

2011-07-16T10:55:00.001-04:00

I went on a binge of ordering CDs from the Dutch Timeless Records in the early 1990's. I knew nothing of this band but I knew that Cadence magazine was the best periodical available on creative improvised music. So, naturally, I extrapolated and I wasn't let down at all. Though these musicians may not be household names (if you live in a house of jazz), the music they created is superlative.

The ensemble was simply described by Michael G. Nastos this way:
A one-shot sextet asembled by Cadence Magazine's Bob Rusch. Featured Ernie Krivda (ts), Glenn Wilson (bar sax), Rory Stuart (g), plus rhythm section. They played thoroughly modern, hard-driving jazz with guts and passion.

This, their only recording together, was simply described by Michael G. Nastos this way:
Sextet with Ernie Krivda (sax), Rory Stuart (g), Glenn Wilson (bar sax), and Jon Hazilla (d). Excellent. A great group.

Check out this music. You will not be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Round Trip, 1987

2011-07-12T18:00:00.002-04:00

Someone commented in a previous post how much they enjoy Ralph Moore so I decided to offer up one of his early recordings as a leader. I bought it especially because of his interpretation of Kenny Dorham's "Lotus Blossom" (one of my very favourite jazz compositions). Reservoir Records, out of Kingston, NY, has released a wonderful catalog of recordings and this is surely one. It was digitally recorded on December 21, 1985 by none other than the master himself - Rudy Van Gelder. Needless to say this is fine music well recorded.

Enjoy!

Plays Charles Mingus, 1980

2011-07-02T11:43:00.003-04:00

Dannie Richmond was Charles Mingus' longest-running band member. He was probably Mingus' best friend and owed a lot to Mingus. In Brian Priestley's biography, Mingus, Dannie Richmond is quoted as saying: "Some people said that Charles taught me how to play, which in a sense is true...I, for example, did not know anything really about dynamics. My playing then was very flashy, and I wanted to be very fast. You know, a young boy showing off. It was only after Charles saw this that he was able to say, 'No, at this point you have to whisper, and there have to be other points where there's planned chaos!' There were many other lessons, of course, that I learned. Not only from the musical standpoint but about living, and doing certain things certain ways. and, of course, he would also make a point to drop some of his philosophical things on me."

This is a wonderful tribute to one of the major figures in the history of Jazz.

Enjoy!

Star Eyes Hamburg 1983

2011-06-24T23:21:00.001-04:00

Lee Konitz is one of the most renown students of Lennie Tristano, along with Warne Marsh and (yes, believe it or not) Max Roach and Charles Mingus. He's one of those rare jazz musicians who does not repeat himself or depend on stock phrases or licks. Martial Solal is, in my opinion, the most sublime French pianist (though, technically, born in Algiers, Algeria). In the liner notes to this recording, Art Lange describes Solal's ability this way: "Solal's virtuosity truly does border on the Tatumesque - a nearly incomparable combination of facility and harmonic ingenuity".

Need I say more?

Enjoy!

A Tribute To Stuff Smith, 1993

2011-06-19T20:22:00.000-04:00

For many of the years I listened to jazz I eixisted under the false illusion that modern, freer jazz musicians were constitutionally unable to play more traditional idioms within jazz. But slowly that misconception was dispelled. I heard David Murray - the fire breathing modern jazz icon of the 80's that the Village Voice annointed jazz artist of the 1980's decade - play lovely ballads. I heard Derek Bailey play standards - and I recognized them! This recording is another example of that. Could you imagine Sun Ra, Billy Bang and Andrew Cyrille playing "inside"? That's not to say you could be fooled into thinking you were hearing something from the 1950's. There is an edge to it but what would you expect. They are improvising musicians. One interesting point: Sun Ra made his recording debut playing a duet with Stuff Smith! This great "stuff"...

Enjoy!

Ghosts, 2001

2011-06-18T11:14:00.000-04:00

I've been a big fan of David Liebman since I first heard his Lookout Farm and his duet recordings with Richie Beirach back in the 70's. I first associated Liebman with the soprano sax but have come to appreciate his tenor sax playing just as much. This recording pays hommage to some of the true innovators of jazz - Coltrane, Ornette, Monk, and Ayler as well as well as a few standards that have been embraced by jazz.

Again, another cherished find at Cheap Thrills in Montreal...

Enjoy!

Blue Stone, 1971

2011-06-10T21:03:00.001-04:00

I picked this CD up at my favourite record store in the world - Cheap Thrills in Montreal, on Rue Metcalfe. I grabbed it because I am a huge fan of the late Charlie Mariano. I first heard Mariano while he was playing with Eberhard Weber. It made me strike out in both directions (the music he recorded before that record and the music he'd recorded after) to acquaint myself with his body of work. This is one of my faves because I knew nothing of any of the other musicians on this recording.

To me, this record represents Mariano's increasing preoccupation with creating a sythesis of Eastern and Western music and nicely previews what he would go on to do with Rabih Abou-Khalil.

Enjoy!

Confessin', 1985

2011-06-04T10:34:00.002-04:00

I was only able to see and hear John Stubblefield live in concert once. He was the co-leader of the Mingus Big Band and he cooked that night. The first time I ever heard of John Stubblefield happened when I first came to the college radio station (for which I currently co-host two shows) back in the mid-eighties. As I walked down the hall to the studio, one of the hosts (jazz critic Jame Hale) emerged from studio with this record under his arm. I tilted my head to read the title and the artist's name and I realized I'd never heard of him or the album. Naturally, I had to investigate...

I went on to discover a saxophone player who could scream the blues, cry the ballads, and drive the jazz.

Enjoy!

this is the new link...

Childhood Is Forever, 1969

2011-05-19T10:46:00.001-04:00

Pianist Steve Kuhn has had a long and varied career in jazz. He's accompanied Serge Chaloff, Kenny Dorham, John Coltrane (before McCoy Tyner joined), Stan Getz and Art Farmer, among others. He's led various trios for many years. This is what we hear with this recording. Kuhn lived in Europe from 1967 to 1970, which explains the lineup on this recording. Childhood Is Forever was released on the Charley Records label and is a fairly rare recording of his. It's short but sweet, clocking in under forty minutes. It was recorded in Paris on October 13, 1969.

Enjoy!

School Work, 1993

2011-05-14T22:45:00.001-04:00

When The Bad Plus' recording These Are The Vistas was released in 2003, the trio was hailed as the new future of jazz, what with their unique recording techniques (lots of sustain and their overall cavernous sound) and choice of repertoir (modern rock music covers). But a decade earlier the pianist Ethan Iverson recorded his debut recording and it featured tenor giant Dewey Redman. It could not have been further from the trio session that was to be recorded a decade later. Here is David Adler's thumbnail sketch of the pianist:

Jazz pianist Ethan Iverson's classically informed writing and playing rivals that of the far more famous Brad Mehldau. Claiming influences as disparate as Stravinsky and Ornette Coleman, the Wisconsin-raised Iverson has displayed great potential at a rather young age. In 1991, he relocated to New York, eventually beginning private studies with Fred Hersch and Sofia Rosoff. He made his recording debut in 1993 at age 20 with School Work, a disc which featured tenor saxophone giant Dewey Redman. Iverson has since worked extensively with Reid Anderson, Mark Turner, Bill McHenry, and Patrick Zimmerli, among others. In addition, he has served as musical director for the Mark Morris Dance Group, and in that capacity has performed with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Yo Yo Ma. In 1998, Iverson's trio released Construction Zone (Originals) and Deconstruction Zone (Standards) in tandem, with the latter being hailed by a New York Times critic as a top-ten pick for that year. A 1999 follow-up, The Minor Passions, featured the famous drummer Billy Hart and was similarly hailed by the Times.

Enjoy!

Back Soon...

2011-05-13T14:05:00.000-04:00

Due to a number of obligations (researching and preparing two radio programs I co-host, plus work and family activities) I haven't had the time to devote to the site the past week or so. But I'll be back in a couple of days with lots more great music! Promise.

Until then....

Enjoy what's here!

Gregg Bendian's Interzone, 1996

2011-05-07T11:04:00.001-04:00

Gregg Bendian is a vibraphone/glockenspiel player. His music is hard categorize (isn't that case with all really great music?). This recording was originally released (as in this form) on the Eremite record label and also, now, Atavistic. The quartet includes the Cline twins and the ubiquitous Mark Dresser on bass. I find the sound of the vibraphone very soothing. I love this album. Check it out!

Enjoy!

Land, 1989 and Bodies, 1990

2011-05-06T22:27:00.000-04:00

Claudio Fasoli is an Italian saxophonist who would fit nicely within the ECM stable of artists. In fact, both of these recordings on the Innowa Records label include musicians who have been regular accomplices for albums recorded for Manfred Eicher's label. On the 1989 recording, Land, Kenny Wheeler and J.F. Jenny Clark join Fasoli for stark, stripped down session. On the 1990 recording, Bodies, Mick Goodrick, Palle Danielsson and Tony Oxley fill out this quartet date. These albums are jazz of the highest order!

Enjoy!

Just One of Those...Nights At The Village Vanguard, 1995

2011-05-05T22:59:00.001-04:00

Here is a companion to the previous Eastern Rebellion post. Think of it as "working band" four years later...

Again, there's nothing more revealing (and potentially rewarding) than hearing a working band recorded live in concert.

Enjoy!

PS - Thanks for the heads up from Uri... The link is now there, er, here. What can I say? It was late last night when I posted this...

Enjoy!

Mosaic, 1991

2011-05-01T22:32:00.001-04:00

I've enjoyed the music of Cedar Walton for several decades. I've especially loved his music with this band. I've been on a bit of a "working band" binge the past couple of weeks and I see no reason to stop now. Since those first Timeless Records releases the band has has just gotten better, in my opinion.

The liner notes, written by Loren Schoenberg, pretty well tells the story (just click on the images to get the full text):

Enjoy!

Natural Selection, 1988

2011-04-30T10:56:00.003-04:00

This is a working super group that recorded several albums together as well as contributing to each others individual solo projects. There really was no leader in Quest. All members contributed compositions. All members are superlative on their chosen instruments and create an individual group sound. Ron Wynn wrote:

Quest sometimes played reflective, ethereal pieces that were close to the material done by such bands as Oregon. At other times, they could be funky, loud, free or explosive, particularly Liebman, who played soprano with passion, frequently dazzling skill, and verve. Beirach's piano solos avoided the trap of recycling hard bop ideas and ranged from soothing melodies to energetic statements. The lack of predictability and set structure made Quest one of the 1980s' more enjoyable bands, and this CD shows why their music defied rigid categorization.

Enjoy!

Islands, 1976

2011-04-27T22:31:00.002-04:00

This Enja album was recorded in 1978. It's another of those little, quiet recordings that just about slipped by me. It's a short one by CD standards but the music is excellent. I was not that familiar with Bailey when I picked it up but as soon as I saw the name Eberhard Weber I knew I had to get it. Here's Benny Bailey's bio written by Scott Yanow:

It is a bit ironic that Benny Bailey is best known for his contributions to the famous Eddie Harris/Les McCann Swiss Movement album, since he admitted later on that he did not care for the funky music. An extroverted and highly expressive player who mostly appeared in boppish settings, Bailey's longtime residence in Europe resulted in him gaining less fame (although probably more work) than if he had spent more time in the U.S.
Bailey had some training on piano and flute early in his career, switched permanently to trumpet, and studied at the Cleveland Conservatory of Music. In the early 1940s, he played with groups led by Bull Moose Jackson and Scatman Crothers. After gigging with Jay McShann, he was with Dizzy Gillespie's big band from 1947-1948, and then became a key member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra (1948-1953). The trumpeter left Hampton during a European tour, settling overseas. He spent a long period in Sweden, working with Harry Arnold's big band (1957-1959), recording with Stan Getz and touring with Quincy Jones (1959). A brief visit to the United States in 1960 (during which he recorded a near-classic album for Candid, Big Brass) was followed by his relocation to Germany. Bailey worked steadily, recording with Eric Dolphy in 1961, being featured with the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, touring with George Gruntz's Concert Jazz band, and in 1986 he became a member of the Paris Reunion Band. In addition to the Candid date, Bailey led sessions for many European labels, including Sonet, Metronome, Saba, Freedom, Enja, Ego, Hot House, and Gemini, plus an American set in 1978 for Jazzcraft. But it is his explosive solos on "Cold Duck Time" and "Compared to What" from the Harris/McCann concert (now also available on video) that made him most famous. Bailey recorded a well-received tribute to Louis Armstrong titled The Satchmo Legacy in 2000 and maintained an active touring schedule. The veteran trumpeter passed away April 15, 2005 at his home in Amsterdam.

Enjoy!

9 - 11pm. Town Hall, 1988

2011-04-26T23:25:00.001-04:00

I suppose it's accurate to say that this ensemble would be considered a super group in Europe. I suppose it's also accurate to state that I consider Michel Portal to be one of my five favourite living horn players.

This album is billed as a concert led by drummer Daniel Humair but it's really a group effort. All are French except for Joachim Kuhn, who is German. None of them are huge jazz stars in North America but they should be. This is a great live performance!

Enjoy!

Sound Stains, 2001

2011-04-25T14:30:00.002-04:00

It's funny how sometimes, in the pursuit of knowledge, inspiration or epiphany, you miss little connections that stare you straight in the face...

The Other Quartet is a group I came to a decade ago simply because they had recorded on the Knitting Factory Records label. I'd been bingeing on that label's music for a couple of months when I came across this disc. I knew nothing about them or their music but I figured if they had recorded on Knitting Factory there would be interesting music to be heard. Up to that point I'd heard twenty or thirty albums of the Knitting Factory catalogue and, while I was not unanimously enamored by everything I'd heard, I had never been bored. So I gave it shot. Needless, to say I loved it.

Fast forward about a decade (say, 2009) and time found me in love with Michael Bates' Outside Sources (which at this point had recorded four albums). It was a quartet of similar makeup and, to an extent, similar repertoire.

It was not until I began preparing this post that I realized that both ensembles featured the same trumpet player - Russ Johnson!

Anyway, all this to say, give this a listen. You'll hear a tight band playing together as a cohesive unit. A word about the recording: The actual CD is made up of 44 tracks - the first 11 tracks listed on the cover, a series of 4 second silent phantom tracks and two short unlisted tracks. I have included all 11 of the listed tracks and 1 of the unlisted tracks that lasts about a 1 1/2 minutes. I left off 1 of the other unlisted track because it is very short. I hope no one minds...

Enjoy!

Barbie's Other Shoe, 1997

2011-04-24T23:44:00.002-04:00

I've been a fan of Marilyn Lerner for many years now. She has played latin jazz, mainstream jazz, World jazz, modern jazz, avant garde jazz and, well, just about every other hyphen jazz there is. She is a pianist of staggering technical ability as well as a musician possessing "big ears" - she can respond beautifully to whatever her collaborators present her. I've come to appreciate Lori Freedman a lot, too. They have not recorded nearly enough, for my money!
Joslyn Layne wrote:
Formed in the mid-'90s, Canadian piano and clarinet duo Queen Mab has won rave reviews for their blending of composed and improvised music, and jazz and classical music. Queen Mab consists of Toronto pianist Marilyn Lerner -- who has led a couple albums of her own and has collaborated with well-known jazz musicians including Steve Lacy, Jane Bunnett, Paul Plimley, Paquito D'Rivera, and Lori Freedman, an award-winning clarinetist from Winnipeg who has made guest appearances with a number of Canadian orchestras, been involved in electro-acoustic music, and performed on over 15 recordings, including her own solo release, Huskless. Queen Mab's first recording, Barbie's Other Shoe came out in 1997 on multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia's 9 Winds label. It was followed a few years later by Close, released on another independent West Coast avant-garde music label, Spool. Queen Mab has toured and performed at major festivals across Canada, from Newfoundland's Sound Symposium to the Vancouver Jazz Festival.

If freer improvisation is your cup of tea, this might quench your thirst.

Enjoy!

Genuine Fables, 1993

2011-04-23T23:55:00.002-04:00

For those who have sampled the Fonda-Stevens Group and enjoyed what you heard, I offer you a wonderful trio session recorded in 1988 but released through HAT HUT records out of Switzerland in 1993. This is a recording that travels the expanse of jazz. The trio performs everything from early blues (St. Louis Blues), to jazz standards ("Laura" and "Hello, Young Lovers"), to a modern jazz classic (Mingus' "Fables of Faubus") to originals by members of the trio (Smoker's "Tetra" and Haynes' "Total Eclipse"). I first read of Paul Smoker in Cadence Magazine a couple of decades ago and have never been disappointed by anything he has been involved with.

Enjoy!

Live At The Bunker, 2000

2011-04-19T22:29:00.000-04:00

There is a joy like no other that one experiences when one encounters a working band firing on all cylinders performing live. This recording is one such experience! Recorded live in concert on October 21 and 22, 1999, this shows a band at their peak. Steve Loewy's review says it all:

There is some amazing music in this version of the Fonda-Stevens Quartet, which, in addition to bassist Joe Fonda and Michael Jefry Stevens, includes the wonderful trumpet player Paul Smoker and the drummer Harvey Sorgen. Like other performances by this group (with shifting personnel), there are many elements of free jazz imposed on conventional structures. The results continue to intrigue, in the same way that Mingus incorporated a mélange of styles. Smoker is sometimes more restrained than usual, conscious, perhaps, of his role as sideman and sole horn. The compositions are complex, with tricky rhythms and tough chord changes, and he seems to enjoy it all. Stevens is a fine soloist, with a broad range of tricks that keep everyone on their toes. The sound quality is less than perfect, which is most noticeable on the vocals on the romping "Oh, Lord, Its Nice to Sit on Your Porch Today." The joys are immense, though, and the angular and challenging melodies bring out the best in the players.

This is a wonderful recording. Trust me on this.

Enjoy!

Zoning, 1974

2011-04-18T20:23:00.000-04:00

There are few pianists in the history of jazz who have been more influential than Mary Lou Williams. I would go so far as to say she is one of the ten most important pianists. John Hicks has recorded a tribute to her. Dave Douglas has recorded a tribute to her. She was the moving force of Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy when she was with them - composing, arranging and playing piano for the band. She did arranging for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. She was a mentor for Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell before they made their mark with the advent of bebop. She played stride. She could swing. She could play the blues. She could...well, why don't you give this recording a listen and find out for yourself.

Enjoy!

In Dew Time, 1988

2011-04-17T22:23:00.000-04:00

Jane Bunnett is a Canadian soprano sax/flute player who has been smitten with the music of Cuba. When she began she leaned more toward post-bop and modern jazz. She's released a string of excellent recordings, of which this is her first. The ubiquitous Scott Yanow provides an accurate review of In Dew Time:
Jane Bunnett's debut album uses different personnel on every selection. She starts out quite strong (playing flute in a duet with pianist Don Pullen on his catchy "Big Alice") and continues the momentum throughout a set that includes two of her originals, an obscure Carla Bley song, the title cut (written by her husband-trumpeter Larry Cramer) and a medley of her "Five" and the standard "As Long As There Is Music." At that point in her career, Bunnett was a little more original on flute than on soprano but already quite talented on both. In addition to members of her Canadian group (Cramer, pianist Brian Dickenson, bassist Scott Alexander and drummer Claude Ranger), Bunnett welcomes Don Pullen, tenor great Dewey Redman and the french horn of Vincent Chancey on some of the selections. The inside/outside music is quite colorful, unpredictable and ultimately logical. A very impressive debut.

To many she may be an unknown but she has definitely paid her dues. This is a recording that deserves to heard!

Enjoy!

Raincheck, 1988

2011-04-15T22:38:00.000-04:00

Nick Brignola was an overlooked multi-horn player (saxes, flute and clarinet) who never quite reached the level of recognition he should have, though he worked steadily and always with superlative fellow musicians. The recording we have here was released on the small indie label Reservoir (for which he recorded a couple more) out of Kingston, NY. The quartet is stellar and the music is top shelf. The playlist is generous in terms of playing time (clocking in at over 70 minutes) even in the era of the CD. It is superlative mainstream jazz!

Enjoy!

A Free Step: The Music of John Carter, 1999

2011-04-15T09:49:00.000-04:00

Ab Baars is a multi-instrumentalist (clarinets and saxophones) who bounces back and forth between fairly main stream jazz (whatever that is), the avant-garde (whatever that is) and everything in between. He's a charter member of the ICP Orchestra and other Dutch ensembles, as well as a frequent collaborator with international musicians such as Ken Vandermark, Sonic Youth and George Lewis. Like most current clarinet players, Barrs was heavily influenced by John Carter (who also began as a multi-horn player but eventually chose to devote his entire energy toward expressing himself with the clarinet). This album, first released on the BVHaast label, is a excellent hommage to Carter. It was recorded in 1997 and 1998. It's a labour of love.

Enjoy!

Bump The Renaissance, 1986

2011-04-13T20:38:00.001-04:00

Bobby Previte has been a drummer who has followed in the footsteps of all those bandleaders behind the kit - think: Chick Webb, Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Paul Motian, and Ralph Peterson Jr. Previte has led a loose affiliation of musicians called Bump for several decades. This is the recording where it all began. It's on the German label, Sound Aspects. All of the salient information is before you. While this recording does not match the power and inspiration of Weather Clear, Track Fast this is a wonderfully engaging recording that documents a musical explorer at the dawn of his career.

Enjoy!

Among Friends, 1995

2011-04-12T17:53:00.000-04:00

Horace Tapscott was woefully under-recorded during his lifetime. The reasons are numerous but completely irrelevent now. This fairly rare recording is a welcome addition to Tapscott's discography. The fact that Sonny Simmons is included is a bonus. This recording was taken from a live performance at the Parc des Recollets in Longwy, France on July 28, 1995. Tapscott is on piano, Simmons is on alto sax, James Lewis in on bass and John Betsch is on drums. The program is fairly "standard" for both Tapscott and Simmons but a thrill to hear nonetheless.

1. Milestones - 4:23

2. Body and Soul - 10:23

3. So What - 15:50

4. Caravan - 20:26

Enjoy!

The Night Bathers, 1986

2011-04-11T20:11:00.000-04:00

This recording represents one of the early releases for the Justin Time label out of Montreal. This trio is made up of Bob Mover on alto and soprano saxes, Paul Bley on piano, and John Abercrombie on electric guitar guitar synth. It was recorded in Montreal on January 22, 1986. There's not a lot to say about this date but that is not to suggest that it isn't a satisfying listening experience. Check it out!

1. The Night Bathers - 6:10

2. Berg-Like - 3:31

3. Helene - 1:21

4. Suite In 4 Parts - 10:13

5. We Burn - 1:36

6. Beach Music - 6:33

7. Randomland - 5:01

8. John's 1st Synthony - 2:02

9. Fathoms - 3:07

10. Sonny Claws - 1:51

11. Angelica - 3:20

Enjoy!

Mercy 1996

2011-04-10T21:39:00.000-04:00

In the same way their cultural heritage informed and influenced the jazz voice of Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa, Glenn Horiuchi developed a musical vocabulary that was totally personal and individual. Horiuchi sounded like no one else in jazz. He recorded for rather small labels - Asian Improv Records, Music & Arts, and Soul Note - so never received the recognition he so richly deserved.

Taken from http://adagio.calarts.edu/:

"As an improvisor and composer, Glenn Horiuchi was indebted to the jazz avante garde, Asian traditions, and Western classical music.
He had performances at the Berlin Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Mexico's Japan Fest, Seattle's Earshot Festival, Asian American Jazz Festival in San Francisco and Chicago, New York's Japan and Asia Societies, Los Angeles Festival, Edmonton's Jazz City Festival, Japan America Theatre, Knitting Factory Piano Festival, Yale University and Brown University.
He was the recipient of composer fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and California Arts Council, and grants from Meet the Composer, LA Cultural Affairs, City of San Diego and San Diego Community Foundation.
He had performed with Joseph Jarman, Wadada Leo Smith, George Lewis, John Tchicai, Art Davis, Francis Wong, Miya Masaoka, Tatsu Aoki, William Roper, Mark Izu, Min Xiao Feng, Tom Buckner, San Jose Taiko, and Nobuko Miyamoto.

Horiuchi gave talks and workshops at the Japanese American National Museum, Wesleyan University, Northeastern University, California Institute of the Arts, University of Denver, Stanford University, University of Colorado, San Jose State University, University of Southern California, and University of California at Berkeley, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Barbara.

Glenn Horiuchi had worked as an auto mechanic, was a graduate student in mathematics, a political activist, a construction worker, music teacher, and was an ongoing student of Nagauta and zen. Glenn lived in Los Angeles with his wife Edna and son Kenzo.

Glenn was diagnosed with colon cancer in August 1999, and fought a courageous battle until he passed away on June 3, 2000."

The recording offered here is Mercy, recorded for the Music & Arts label on September 2, 1995 (for the first seven pieces) and May 26, 1996 (the final piece). The program plays out like this:

1. Jump Start - 1:12

2. Endpoints - 5:45

3. Curl Out - 4:22

4. Earthworks - 11:17

5. Mind Probe - 6:00

6. Null Set - 6:22

7. Mercy - 11:40

8. Another space (A) - 17:25

tracks 1-7: Glenn Horiuchi Trio: G.H. - piano, voice; Roberto Miranda - bass; Jeanette Wrate - drums

track 8: Jarman/Horiuchi/Wong Quartet: Joseph Jarman - alto sax, E-flat flute, shakuhachi, conch shell, hand percussion, vocals; G. H. - piano, shamisen, hand percussion, vocals; Francis Wong - tenor sax, flute, erhu, hand percussion, vocals; Elliot Humberto Kavee - trap drums, gongs, cello

Enjoy!

G Is For Gonzalez

2011-04-09T00:16:00.002-04:00

It's been too long since my last Musical Alphabet posting and what better way to return (in my humble opinion) than to profile the Dallas jazz master Dennis Gonzalez. I was lucky to correspond with Mr. Gonzalez during a time of research I was conducting for a six part series on his recording career that I prepared for the jazz radio program I co-hosted at the time. I found Dennis Gonzalez to be a humble, spiritual, positive man who welcomed my questions with generosity and thoughtfulness. What you will hear with this collection of music is selections from several of his early recordings from his own daagnim label. I remember being blown away by the richness of all his music. I remember being baffled why a musician of his stature was not receiving the acollades he so richly deserved. He continues to make excellent recordings to this day! I urge everyone to search out every recording the man has ever made. And if that isn't a strong enough endorsement then listen to this post! The program plays out like this:

1. Hymn For Rivers - 9:20 (Anthem Suite/Little Toot)

2. Aaron's Nuages - 11:06 (Kukkia)

3. Beirut - 6:52 (Witness)

4. Parachute One - 7:14 (Hymn For The Perfect Heart of a Pearl)

5. Old Time Revival - 8:35 (Old Time Revival)

6. Nils Petter's Foxtrot - 15:41 (Yells At Eels - Home Away From Home)

You can get many of Dennis Gonzalez's recordings directly from him by going to: Amulets

Enjoy!

Live In The Netherlands, 1997

2011-04-08T22:51:00.000-04:00

It takes a special horn player to sustain a solo concert. Consider the dynamics and the sheer stamina it must take to blow a saxophone for an entire performance. One such tenor saxophonist who could do that - in 1997 - was David S. Ware. He may be able to do this again some day...

The recording offered up today is on the Italian label, Splasc(h) Records. The recording documents a solo live performance by Mr. Ware at the Zuid-Nederlands Jazz Festival on October 26, 1997. The CD is made up of four pieces called:

1. 4th Dimensional - 9:24

2. 5th Dimensional - 4:33

3. 6th Dimensional - 10:11

4. 7th Dimensional - 14:59

Enjoy!

Postscript: Consider this post a palate cleanser after the three Art Pepper albums. There is still one to come and it will appear shortly. But until then, partake in the ragged glory that is the big man, David S. Ware!

Memorial Collection: I'll Remember April

2011-04-06T20:24:00.001-04:00

This is our third of four later Art Pepper recordings on rather obscure labels. This album was released on the Japanese Trio-Kenwood label. Art Pepper is performing live at Foothill College in Los Altos, California on February 14, 1975. The lineup of musicians are a tad odd because of the inclusion of Tommy Gumina on "polychord" (which, I gather, is an electronic accordion/organ invented by Gumina) along with Pepper on alto sax, Fred Atwood on bass and Jimmie Smith on drums. This record is volume 3 of what seems to be a four disc series. The musical selections include one tune composed by Pepper (Foothill Blues), and standards by Gene De Paul (I'll Remember April), Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke (Here's That Rainy Day) and Ray Noble (Cherokee). It playes out like this:

1. Foothill Blues - 10:38

2. I'll Remember April - 10:21

3. Here's That Rainy Day - 4:26

4. Cherokee - 15:35

Enjoy!

Pardon for the poor reproduction of the cover - it's all I could find and I do not have the facilities to scan the album cover...

True Blues, 1980

2011-04-05T22:22:00.000-04:00

Consider this a companion to the previous post. True Blues once again brings together Art Pepper on alto sax, Milcho Leviev (it's his quartet) on piano, Tony Dumas on bass and Carl Burnett on drums recorded live at Ronnie Scott's in London, England on June 28-29, 1980. The program includes three Pepper compositions and the Gorson Jenkins standard, Goodbye. Once again, this is derived from a vinyl rip I made from an album I borrowed from my buddy, Jacques. The playlist rolls out like this:

1. True Blues - 10:59

2. Goodbye - 10:25

3. Y.I. Blues - 11:28

4. Straight Life - 6:20

Enjoy!

Blues For The Fisherman, 1980

2011-04-04T19:13:00.005-04:00

Recently, I had a good friend lend me several vinyl records by alto sax player Art Pepper. Two of them were released on the Japanese Trio-Kenwood label and two on the British Mole Jazz label. This one - Blues For The Fisherman - was released by Mole Jazz under the name of the Milcho Leviev Quartet. It is a live recording derived from a three night stand at Ronnie Scott's club in London on June 27-29, 1980. Milcho Leviev is on piano, Art Pepper is on alto sax, Tony Dumas is on bass and Carl Burnett is on drums. All the compositions are Art Pepper tunes, except Sad, A Little Bit (by Milcho Leviev). Art Pepper met Milcho Leviev during the time they both played in Don Ellis' band a few years before this recording was made.

The tunes are:

1. Make A List, Make A Wish - 16:58

2. Sad, A Little Bit - 7:20

3. Ophelia - 10:30

4. Blues For The Fisherman - 11:10

Enjoy!

The Missing Link 1979

2011-04-02T09:20:00.004-04:00

I miss Fred Anderson. I miss his joyful personality. I miss his tenor sax sound. I miss the music he created with Hamid Drake. I miss his spirit.

I figured this would be a suitable way to return to S&F - acknowledge the late Fred Anderson with one of my favorite recordings of his - The Missing Link. It's just the way I like it: stripped down with just a bassist, drums and percussiion. All the pieces are , naturally, over ten minutes long. It was recorded September 17, 1979. Fred's on tenor, Hamid's on drums, Larry Hayrod is on bass and Adam Rudolph (Hamid's co-member from the Mandingo Griot Society) on percussion. The music plays out like this:

1. Twilight - 16:37

2. A Ballad For Rita - 13:52

3. The Bull - 17:11

4. Tabla Piece - 14:48

Enjoy!

Frank Lowe - Bodies and Soul

2010-12-09T23:09:00.003-05:00

Regrets for the absence - life's what happens while you're busy making plans. I will try and post more often (a pre-New Years resolution, perhaps?).

Memphis born Frank Lowe was influential among improvising musicians. He began as a fire-breather but developed into a player of great depth. This 1995 recording is one of his later efforts and is a trio session with Charles Moffett on drums and Tim Flood on bass and Lowe on tenor sax. It's one of his best. Get it!

This is a fitting way to return to this blog...

The playlist goes like this:

1. Impressions

2. Soul of Fortune

3. Bethera

4. Nothing But Love

5. Don One #1

6. Don One #2

7. Happy House

8. For Louie

9. Art Deco

10. Body and Soul

Enjoy!

Billy Harper - Capra Black, 1973

2010-08-20T19:19:00.005-04:00

Billy Harper recorded the very first recording for the Black Saint label. Suitably, the album was called Black Saint. This recording preceded that record by two years. It was released on the Strata East label and is still considered one of the most important records of the Black Conciousness movement. Billy Harper was heavily influenced by John Coltrane without being completely tied to Trane's style.

This is essential listening, plain and simple, though there is nothing plain or simple about this music.

Playlist:

1. Capra Black

2. Sir Galahad

3. New Breed

4. Soulfully, I Love You / Black Spiritual of Love

5. Cry of Hunger

Enjoy!

Muhal Richard Abrams and the Art Ensemble of Chicago, 1974

2010-07-02T22:50:00.005-04:00

There have been so many AEC concerts posted across the world wide web, many of dubious sound quality. It's hard to ignore any of them, though. In my opinion they have been the most important working free jazz group, bar none. Over the years they have sustained various personel changes and have consistently come back with vital, important recordings.

What we here is a concert recorded on August 7, 1974 in Utrecht, Holland. Consider it a companion to their recording Kabalaba (which was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July of 1974). What makes both of these musical documents especially interesting is the fact that pianist Richard Muhal Abrams accompanies the AEC. Anyone familiar with the Art Ensemble of Chicago knows that they have rarely performed or recorded with a pianist (Cecil Taylor being one of the other exceptions). The concert is made up of one long continuous performance. No composition names are given. The lineup is: Abrams; Roscoe Mitchell; Lester Bowie; Joseph Jarman; Malachi Favors Maghostut and Famoudou Don Moye.

Let me know what you think of this performance that originated from Dutch FM radio. Maybe I'll post Kabalaba.

Enjoy!

Steve Lacy Quintet, Live April 9, 1977 - East Berlin

2010-05-06T22:24:00.004-04:00

My buddy Mark tells the story of the time he called Steve Lacy so he could do a phone interview for the jazz radio program Mark and I co-hosted. He said he got Mr. Lacy to the phone (after a series of back and forth phonecalls to set up the interview) at the agreed upon time. So Mark turned on the tape recorder and began to ask his questions. But Mr. Lacy's answers became simple, one-word replies - the interviewer's nightmare. Then Mark said he heard the a bell ring. Lacy announced that the postman had arrived and that he must go to the door to retrieve the mail; he was expecting a cheque. That was the last he heard from Mr. Lacy. He never returned to the phone. Mark sat there for ten minutes waiting for Lacy but eventually came to the conclusion the interview was over.

The details for this recording are as follows:

Steve Lacy Quintet

April 9, 1977

Jazzbuhne, East Berlin, GDR

Steve Lacy - soprano sax

Steve Potts - alto & soprano sax

Irene Aebi - cello, vocal, violin

Kent Carter - bass

Oliver Johnson - drums

1. The Crust - 10:54

2. Papa's Midnight Hop - 7:49

3. The New Duck - 8:36

4. Revolutionary Suicide - 9:18

It's short but sweet!

Enjoy!

P.S. Steve Lacy died June 4, 2004 in Boston, Mass - less than a year after Mark's interview...

Nels Cline Singers Live, 2007...

2010-04-29T15:46:00.006-04:00

A couple of years ago Nels Cline was everywhere. He led several bands, played in several others, conspired with Tom Rainey and Andrea Parkins, led his own recording that paid tribute to Andrew Hill and, to top it all off, filled in the role of lead guitar for Jeff Tweedy's Wilco. And that barely scratches the surface...

The other two members of the Singers - drummer Scott Amendola and bassist Devin Hoff - are busy musicians themselves, leading their own projects as well as being parts of other ensembles. Needless to say, they're busy.

The performance we have here was recorded at Safari Sam's in West Hollywood on Wednesday, December 5, 2007. There are six pieces and, no, there are no vocals. The Singers don't sing. Here's the playlist:

1. Squirrel of God

2. Sunken Song

3. Jackieing (Monk)

4. Attempted

5. Dedication (Andrew Hill)

6. Something About David H.

Enjoy!

Turkish Women at the Bath...

2010-04-28T17:50:00.003-04:00

His name is really Pete Sims. He left jazz to be a lawyer. He's a damned fine drummer. He recorded two amazing records: Basra, this album before he left the business in 1968. He called on some of the best cutting edge musicians at the time - John Gilmore, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow, and Walter Booker. This album was originally released on the Douglas label. LaRoca is joined by Gilmore, Corea and Booker on this recording. The program plays out like this:

1. Turkish Women at the Bath

2. Dancing Girls

3. Love Planet

4. Marjoun

5. Bliss

6. Sin Street

7. And So I

Enjoy!

Old and New Dreams - Saalfelden Jazz Festival, 1986...

2010-04-20T22:24:00.004-04:00

They were a quartet supergroup who paid tribute to one of the true innovators of jazz. They were called Old and New Dreams. They all had, at times, played for Ornette Coleman. Three of them are no longer alive: Don Cherry, Dewey Redman and Ed Blackwell. One of them - Charlie Haden continues to create great music to this day.

This performance is taken from an FM broadcast from the Staalfelden Jazz Festival on August 29, 1986. Drummer Paul Motian replaces Blackwell for this date. The sound quality is very good, though it is a mono recording, but, truthfully, it doesn't make a bit of difference to the listening experience There are five pieces, four of which are named. This is the playlist:

1. ? - 3:26

2. Lonely Woman - 16:15

3. The Sphinx - 11:13

4. Song For Che - 16:38

5. Guinea - 7:38

Enjoy!

Holding Together...

2010-03-30T16:02:00.007-04:00

For me, for the longest time, Oliver Lake was the guy who played the "little" horn in the World Saxophone Quartet but that was joining Mr. Lake's musical journey in mid-trip. As I've discussed before, so often when steeping one's self in a music with such a rich tradition, one finds the exploration travels in two directions: into the future and into the past.

What we have here is one of the less celebrated recordings from the Black Saint/Soulnote treasure trove. I am constantly amazed with the incredible Black Saint/Soulnote recordings I have found in used record stores that I'd never even heard of before! This album is a case in point. Also take note of the fact that Mr. Lake plays also plays the soprano sax on this album.

Enjoy!

The Fire Tale...

2010-03-24T12:42:00.005-04:00

I'd put both of these collaborators on the "Musicians I Must See Before I Die" list that I keep filed in my brain. Like many of the people who listen to jazz and improvised music I'm quite familiar with the work of Evan Parker. Borah Bergman is another story. I did not hear his music until I heard his live duo recording with the late Thomas Chapin on the Boxholder label (I've previously made my feelings known about the music of Thomas Chapin - perhaps I should post that album here too... but I digress).

Do yourself a favour and give this a listen. You won't be sorry. I promise.

Enjoy!

Setting the Record Straight...

2010-03-12T15:24:00.003-05:00

It's been a while. I apologize. I've been busy. That's the easy explanation.

Here are the details: For the past year or so I've been balancing a host of activities that have included searching for a new job (I was downsized during this recent "economic downturn"); winding down a jazz/improv radio show (AKA Now's The Time) that I'd co-hosted with four other like-minded music geeks (AKA the Improvised Music Collective); performed some minor home renovations, started this music blog and, most recently, agreed to be part of a new four-person collective (AKA the This Island Earth Collective) alternating each Sunday afternoon for three hours serving up our favourite World Music on (appropriately enough) This Island Earth.

It's been a new challenge for me in a couple of ways. I was never much of a World Music listener so co-hosting a three hour show devoted entirely to World Music has meant an almost constant listening regime for me just to get a bit of a foundation. It wasn't like that for NTT because I felt like I had a handle on the history of jazz/improv and a firm grasp of the current jazz/improv scene. The greatest challenge has been the vastness of the source of all this rich music and the many languages it incorporates. I didn't have that challenge with NTT because the bulk of the music we dealt with was strictly instrumental. This meant language rarely came into play. That's not the case now...

What has been, to me, the most rewarding aspect of this new enterprise (let's call it TIE) has been the opportunity to delve into how music has crossed cultures, geography and time. With a three hour music canvas at my disposal, I am able to drill down into music set in a place and time and come up where the music leads me.

My most recent episode of This Island Earth showcased the connection of the Blues from the southern USA to the music of Northern and West Africa.

If you're interested in hearing the show, you can get it here.

You can get the playlist here.

Enjoy!

The king is dead, long live the king...

Sunshine - An Even Break... Here's Sunny Murray...

2010-02-11T22:50:00.006-05:00

Sorry for the absence...

Sunny Murray has been considered one of the most influential free jazz drummers for forty years. He helped define the role of the drummer when timekeeping percussion became redundant in the mid-sixties. This CD release easily combines two short Actuel recordings - Sunshine and An Even Break (Never Give a Sucker).

Enjoy!

Mulatu Astatke Plays Ethio-Jazz...

2010-01-27T14:57:00.006-05:00

Many years ago I, like so many other music geeks, ordered vinyl records by mail. We didn't order them from a website. We ordered them by phone or by mail directly from the supplier. That's how I obtained this record. At one time I ordered regularly from Cadence Records in Redwood, N.Y. They has a sale on the PolJazz Records label and I ordered a bunch of them, knowing only one or two of the musicians cited. Mulatu Astatke was not one of them...

Sidetrack: My buddy Aidian and I made a trip to the Cadence Barn once, while on the way to a Syracuse University football game. We had to call in advance to book an appointment. We were given a series of directions/instructions which we were given and told to follow closely. When we arrived in Redwood we immediately got lost. We went into the Redwood Post Office to get directions figuring that would be the logical place to find someone who would know the "lay of the land". WRONG! They had no idea who or what Cadence was or where they were. We did eventually find our way there and spent an eye-opening afternoon with the amazing crew that runs the place.

The album is made up of five tunes on side A and four tunes on side B. The playlist is:

A1 - Addis Abba 3:20

2. - Gambrella 4:00

3. - Motherland 5:55

4. - Kulun Manqualesh 3:00

5. - Cruisin' "J" Town 3:55

B1 - Tizita 6:06

2. - Chic-Chica 5:20

3. - Yelb Lie Isat 4:00

4. - Lent 6:00

Enjoy!

Atomic Live in Malmoe, 2005

2010-01-11T09:12:00.014-05:00

Atomic is a Scandinavian quintet that has fused the ECM sound with the sixties free jazz movement (as represented by Archie Shepp and Albert Ayler). Band members Paal Nilssen-Love, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Frederik Ljungkvist and Magnus Broo are closely associated with the current free jazz / improv scene led by Ken Vandermark, Peter Brotzmann and Evan Parker. What makes Atomic unique, in my opinion, is the fact that the band includes pianist, Havard Wiik. It's not that the band includes Wiik, in particular, but that the band has a pianist at all. Including a pianist in a band immediately focuses the concept and structure of the music created - the composition structure is effected, the solo structure changes and the overall tightness of performance. A piano just seems to change the game plan.

The ensemble has recorded several albums, such as:

The concert presented here originated on Swedish radio. The pieces are unnamed. It was performed in Malmoe in 2005.

Enjoy!

"What It Be Like?"...

2010-01-07T21:10:00.006-05:00

This companion release, taken from the same August 8, 1992 performance at Yoshi's In Oakland, California is augmented on the final piece with Don Cherry. It was released on the Enja Records label in 1994, a year after the previous post.

Enjoy!

"What It Is?"...

2010-01-05T15:37:00.010-05:00

It would not be an overstatement to say that Ed Blackwell is one of the most influential drummers in the history of jazz. He played with many of the important players from the 1960's onward, including Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Anthony Braxton and Marion Brown (to name a few). But he never achieved the notoriety that several of the more flamboyant drummers earned (think: Art Blakey, Max Roach or Elvin Jones), despite being every bit as central to the development of the jazz after Bebop as those cited above.

I think it is important to remember that Blackwell was born in New Orleans because his style, it seems, was informed by the marching band ethos that originated in that city in the late 1800's to well into the twentieth century. His approach to drumming has been described as unpolished, rigid and, even at times, heavy-handed but that might be a bit hasty.

This post (and the next one) offers up Ed Blackwell's band performing live at Yoshi's in Oakland, California on the night of August 8, 1992. The two recordings were released on the Enja record label in 1993 and 1994 respectively. Blackwell's band includes Graham Haynes (son of drummer Roy Haynes) on cornet, Carlos Ward (most closely associated with Abdullah Ibrahim's band) on alto sax and flute, and (the ubiquitous) bassist Mark Helias. The band is billed as the Ed Blackwell Project and the first recording is titled Ed Blackwell Project Vol.1 "What It Is?" and the second is called Ed Blackwell Project Vol.2 "What It Be Like?".

Ed Blackwell died less that two months later on October 7, 1992.

Enjoy!

The Carmelites...

2010-01-04T19:22:00.005-05:00

My infatuation with the music of Loren Mazzacane Connors happened fast and hard. In a former life, I frequented a wonderful record store in Montreal called Cheap Thrills (on Metcalfe) fairly often. That's where I found Connors' early recording, In Pittsburgh. I knew nothing about him except that he inhabited the musical fringe (I liked him already!), created what was considered by many to be "dark music", and he sounded like absolutely no one else. Naturally, I just had to hear him.

Man, his music hit me hard!

He played stark, haunting, introspective, blues-drenched guitar that was usually unaccompanied and unadorned.

With each trip to Montreal and Cheap Thrills I scoured their stock for any Connors discs I did not have. I now own 23 of his recordings, a mere drop in the LMC discographical bucket. This offering - The Carmelites - was recorded for a Japanese label, complete with Japanese linernotes, which are absolutely useless to me...ah, but the music...

If you like it let me know. I could post more...

Enjoy!

After the Dawn Has Risen...

2010-01-03T21:39:00.008-05:00

I've been a fan of Ernest Khabeer Dawkins for many years. I've been lucky enough to see him perform live three time - twice with Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and once with Hamid Drake's Bindu - but never with his own New Horizons Ensemble. Someday... I own several of his ensemble's recordings and enjoy them all a lot. What I love most about this ensemble's music is its intense joy - the joy they emit while playing and the joy the listener breeds inside while taking it all in.

This offering - my first for 2010 - is a 1992 recording on the German label Open Minds and was recorded live on October 25, 1991. The lineup includes a couple of the fine players who have been in Dawkins' ensemble for the duration of its existence - Steve Barry, Yosef Ben Israel - as well as one of my favourite drummers - Reggie Nicholson - whom I raved about in the Myra Melford post a while back.

OK, I thought it would be tomorrow but Now's the Time...

Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!...

2010-01-03T21:31:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the holiday hiatus...

I'll be back up tomorrow with some fine music for your dining and dancing pleasure. Hang tight...

The Management

Variations on Selected Themes For Jazz Quintet...

2009-12-18T12:42:00.005-05:00

The late John Carter joins Ornette Coleman and Enrico Rava as the only artists (so far) to have multiple posts devoted to their music here at S&F. If this offering proves to be popular there'll be more...

I am still in the hunt for the fifth and final part of his "Roots and Folklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music" called Shadows on a Wall. My dream is that some day some enterprising record company owner will acquire the rights to the four parts that originally were released on the Gramavision label (a label which no longer exists). I suppose the only sticking point to seeing this happen is the reality that the first part of this series of suites - Dauwhe - was (and still is) available from Black Saint Records. Hopefully, someday...

But, I digress...

This record was recorded in August of 1979 in Germany for the Moers Music label and features the stellar lineup of Carter on clainet, Bobby Bradford on trumpet, James Carter on flute, Bob Stewart on tuba and the late Phillip Wilson on drums. The album includes a couple of his more popular (relatively speaking) compositions - "Echoes From Harlem", "Woodman's Hall Blues", and "And She Speaks".

Enjoy! And let me know if you'd like to see more John Carter here. Thanks!

Sun Ra at the Village Vanguard...

2009-12-16T16:19:00.006-05:00

It seemed "normal" enough (OK, a normal Sun Ra recording, what ever that means) when I first picked it up. His sextet playing live at the Village Vanguard; John Gilmore on bass and John Ore on drums and, of course, Sun Ra on synthesizer. So I read no further. So I put the disc in the player. So I started to listen... Huh? That sounds like a piano, not a synthesizer! And isn't that Monk's "Round Midnight"? So I look at the back cover of the CD a little more closely. No mention of a piano but they do interpret Monk's "Round Midnight" as well as Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York" and the Gershwins' "S'Wonderful". Who de thunk it? Not me... Give it a listen... This recording is a lot like the game my daughter plays from time to time where "yes" means "no" and "no" means "yes". Only in this case "strange" means "normal" and "normal" means "strange" - if you know what I mean.

Enjoy!

How Time Passes...

2009-12-16T14:10:00.006-05:00

Truth be told, I've never been a big fan of Don Ellis. No particular reason other than his music just never grabbed me. So why, then, did I get this disc? Because Jaki Byard is on it. I've been a huge fan of his ever since I first heard him playing in Mingus' band. I raved about him in a previous post and I'll rave about him again: listening to Byard is like taking a crash course on the history of jazz. Along with Ellis on trumpet and Byard on piano and alto sax (the instrument he played as a member of Earl Bostic's and Herb Pomeroy's bands) is bassist Ron Carter and drummer Charli Persip. It was recorded October 4 & 5, 1960 and released on the Candid label (another reason I bought this disc: I've never heard a bad recording from this small but influential record label).

And, oh yeah, is it just me or does the cover of this album seem remotely suggestive? Maybe it's just me...

Enjoy!

This is Billy Mitchell...

2009-12-14T15:19:00.007-05:00

Tenor sax player Billy Mitchell was never considered part of the A list of jazz musicians, though he was considered influential within his circle. He came out of Detroit in the 40's and had stints with Count Basie's band in the 50's. He began to lead his own hard bop sessions in the 60's. This - his second recording as leader - was recorded at the end of October, 1962. What makes this session so interesting is the fact he has included a young vibraphonist, Bobby Hutcherson, in the band. The album was recorded in two days with Mitchell, Hutcherson, bassist Herman Wright and drummer Otis Finch for both. On October 29, Mitchell used organist Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson. On October 20, Mitchell used pianist Billy Wallace and trumpeter Dave Burns.

Enjoy!

Meet the Choir Boys...

2009-12-09T09:25:00.010-05:00

It's funny how things converge without you even knowing it...

I was in a used CD store in Halifax, Nova Scotia - if you get to Halifax you MUST check out TAZ RECORDS - a while back and decided to root through a .99 cent bargin bin. As a rule, I avoid bargin bins in good record stores because they know what's valuable and what's not and their opinion generally coincides with my tastes, so it's usually a waste of time. But something - a niggling little voice - told me to peruse what was there. I did and I found this: The Choir Boys With Strings. Now, if I had done this a year earlier I probably would have overlooked this CD because I was not familiar with any of the players. But that previous year I had completely immersed myself in the music of Mark O'Leary (for my money, the most consistently surprising and exciting guitar player playing today) and had become acquainted with many musicians he had collaborated with on his fifteen or so albums that I had been unaware of to that point. Two of these players - trumpet player Jeff Kaiser (who appears on O'Leary's On The Shore) and bassist Steuart Liebig (who appears on O'Leary's Signs) - had left lasting impressions on me. The third player - guitarist G. E. Stinson - was on my radar because he was a member of Alex Cline's ensemble. So three out of four members of the Choir Boys were players I'd heard many times, though I had no knowledge of the Choir Boys. Naturally, I grabbed the disc and now you get to hear it. There are eight pieces but are, essentially, two suite-like pieces: tracks 1-5 and tracks 6-8. The music is quite free, incorporates electronics and tape loops and is recorded live in concert.

Enjoy!

Meet the Sultan of Strings...

2009-12-02T10:11:00.008-05:00

I first heard guitarist Orhan Demir in the early 90's after I'd read a fascinating review of one of his recordings, Guitar Plus in the Canadian jazz magazine, Coda. The review mentioned that Demir was born in Turkey but now lived in Toronto. It also went on to compare him to Django Reinhardt, Larry Coryell and John McLaughlin. At the time I was totally enthralled by the guitar and knew I just had to have that recording. So, naturally, I searched out Cadence magazine (back in the days when it meant poring over their "centre section" with a magnifying glass). I found the CD listed as well as today's offering, Originals. When they arrived to my home, I put them into the CD player fully expecting to hear an updating of the gypsy jazz genre but I was totally wrong. The music was a fusion of middle eastern melodies, scales and rhythms filtered through a western jazz attitude. It was not jaunty. It was intense. The recording is a collection of material he recorded between 1986 and 1990 and was digitally mastered in 1997. It's released on Demir's own label HITTITE. You can order his CDs here.

All this to say, check this out if you want to hear something unique and exciting.

Enjoy!

Art of the Duo, Another View...

2009-11-25T13:42:00.006-05:00

George Adams and Don Pullen were perfect collaborators. Pullen was a fluid, lightning fast pianist and George Adams was a bluesy, big-toned tenor player. They recorded together many times over their career. They co-led a quartet with Dannie Richmond and Cameron Brown that produced several excellent recordings for the Timeless label. With this recording (also from the Dutch label Timeless) we hear Pullen and Adams in duet setting.

Enjoy

Featuring the Bari...

2009-11-24T15:32:00.004-05:00

In a previous post I mentioned I was sucker for the baritone sax provided it was played with tenderness and passion (not expressions that are mutually exclusive as far as I'm concerned). I also mentioned I was not a big fan of Gerry Mulligan but was first turned on to the big horn by Serge Chaloff. I'm also a huge fan of Pepper Adams, Nick Brignola as well as newer players such as Rodrigo Amado. One baritone sax player I came across years ago who has stood the test of time for me is Per Goldschmidt. But I came to him because of who he was playing with as opposed to any reputation that preceeded him. The Frame - the recording offered up here - included Jack DeJohnette, Lonnie Plaxico and pianist Niels Lan Doky. It turned out to be a gem. Listen to it and be the judge.

Enjoy!

Typical Ted (by request)...

2009-11-24T14:40:00.004-05:00

By request...

The first tune - TYPICAL TED - from the previous post at a better bit rate...

I hope this fits the bill.

More Ted (by request)...

2009-11-17T16:27:00.007-05:00

My apologies to the person who asked for the entire Ted Curson album, Cattin' Curson. I just plain missed the comment! Sorry about that but I guess better late than never...

I've been quite pleased with the response to the Ted Curson post. I was blown away by him when I first heard him and I hoped others would be too.

Anyway, here it is!

Enjoy!

No Wave, 1980...

2009-11-17T14:31:00.006-05:00

I've been a big fan of James Blood Ulmer, David Murray, Amin Ali and Ronald Shannon Jackson for many years. I've seen them all play live, though not together. It's interesting to see how both Blood Ulmer and Murray have evolved their sound over the years - from a raw, intense sound to a more mainstream sound (in the case of Murray) and a more fundamental, blues sound (in the case of Blood Ulmer). This record find them both building on their early tendancies with Ali and Jackson driving them forward. This is a short but sweet recording.

Enjoy!

The Start of a Beautiful Friendship...

2009-11-07T00:33:00.005-05:00

In August of 1990, the Village Voice devoted an entire section to a summing up of the previous decade in terms of the cream of the crop of jazz. David Murray was deemed the tenor sax player (and, indeed, jazz artist) of the 1980's. That was not a surprise to any jazz fan. What was a surprise to many jazz fans (including myself) was the fact that along with recordings by such heavy hitters as World Saxophone Quartet, David Murray, John Carter, Ornette Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, Henry Threadgill and Cecil Taylor was a record by some guy named Edward Wilkerson Jr. In fact, his record, 8 Bold Souls, was situated at the number three position, just behind WSQ's Revue and John Carter's Roots and Folklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music! I had no idea who this person was, what instrument he played or where he was from.

Now I know. You should, too.

Enjoy!

Tradition in Transition...

2009-11-04T08:51:00.007-05:00

That's the title of an old Chico Freeman record from decades ago but it also aptly describes what this quartet is all about, too. In his linernotes for this album, trumpeter Roy Campbell Jr. begins: "We represent the sum total of the musical masters who played before us and presently. We reflect the assimilation of their influences and our own experiences which have evolved to reach the present level of presentation and performance, which manifests in the music we create." That pretty much says it all up.

They've gone on to make several other recordings under this name. I recommend them all wholeheartedly. Listen and see what I mean. The above image gives you everything you need.

Enjoy!

When Five Was Four...

2009-10-28T12:04:00.006-04:00

I came to the Vandermark 5 through a buddy who was deep into the music of the Chicago improv scene. Thanks, Mark!

Once upon a time a young Ken Vandermark made his way to Chicago from Boston. He just wanted to play. So he started his own band. That was back in the early 90's - before Atavistic, before the McArthur Genius Prize, before the Vandermark 5 (and the other countless bands he plays in). He formed the Vandermark Four and recorded Big Head Eddie for the Platypus Records label in February 1993. The group was made up of Ken Vandermark on reeds, Todd Colburn on guitar, Kent Kessler on bass, and Michael Zerang on drums.

The playlist is:

1. Kiss the Plow (4:53)

2. Exploding Note Theory (6:44)

3. Dog Cliches (4:35)

4. Jack Kirby Was Ripped Off (5:31)

5. Last Date (6:27)

6. Blue Coffee (3:56)

7. Ingrid's Napkin #29 (12:06)

8. Courtesy Desk (5:15)

9. Sinner Sinner (7:29)

10. Not Actual Size (3:56)

It's interesting to hear how Ken's concept of composition and group interplay has developed over the years...

Enjoy!

Smokestack Lightnin'...

2009-10-27T22:35:00.007-04:00

One of the most horrendous concerts I ever attended was a solo Andrew Hill show. It wasn't him. It was the audience. You see, at the jazz festival in my hometown the ticket prices are so reasonable that many people pay for tickets and show up for shows because they think it's cool to attend a jazz show. But when they're faced with music that demands the listener's attention and concentration, they bail out. So what, big deal, the ticket was only ten bucks...

And that's what happened that day. Andrew Hill began with a medley of his dark, resonant compositions and half the crowd got up and left - DURING THE PERFORMANCE!!!!

And, yes, that was the same jazz festival that had half the audience get up and leave after Steve Tibbetts played his first piece of the night...

Luckily, the people at the Montreux Jazz Festival had more class. This recording was released on the Arista Freedom label and was recorded July 20, 1975.

Playlits is:

1. Snake Hip Waltz (11:15)

2. Nefertisis (10:16)

3. Come Sunday (17:56)

4. Relativity (4:50)

Enjoy!

Meet the Master of Microtonal Music...R.I.P....

2009-10-27T13:41:00.006-04:00

I first heard Joe Maneri at the Montreal Jazz Festival back in the early eighties. He and his son, Mat, were the opening act for Paul Bley. I'd never heard of him before then and, truth be told, I was not prepared for what I heard. I was completely baffled by what I heard then. In fact, I thought it was some kind of weird joke (which goes a long way to placing me within the continuum of my listening experience at that point in time). It wasn't till years later that I realized what a singularly rare treat I'd experienced.

The album we have today is my tribute to the late improvisor (he died August 24, 2009). The recording is on the Cochlea Productions label. It was recorded January 11, 1989 in Brookline, Mass. Here's a great AMG review by Thom Jurek:

"Recorded in 1989, this disc features Joe Maneri on tenor, clarinet, and voice; his son Mat on electric violin; and drummer/percussionist Masashi Harada. Given that Joe and Mat Maneri have been regular fixtures on the scene since the late '90s, and that Joe had been in retirement from recording or performing for over 30 years, this is one of, if not the, earliest dates of his return to public performance. That said, this couldn't be a more "out" date. Maneri's deep study of individual and collective improvisation that he taught at the New England Conservatory of Music is present here, and pointed in the direction of microtonal exploration. Here, with the use of the many sonorities of the violin, Joe Maneri utilizes his reeds to do away with all notions of what atonal improvisation is, because — in his microtonal universe — everything is tonal. It may not be consonant, but it all fits. The pace on all nine pieces here is very slow and pronounced, and the feeling is immediate despite the restraint. Recorded in only two and a half hours, the excitement level is high, the emotional palette is engaged thoroughly. As the instruments begin to wind around one another with purpose and wonder, elements of color, texture, and above all timbre begin to reveal themselves as individual elements in this tonally integrative process of improvisation. There are new ways of speaking, since this language didn't exist before the band walked in the room; each new language has its difficulties, and here it is hesitancy — making sure that everyone has a proper turn to speak. Toward the end of the set, when they realize that the sky's the limit, it all goes out the window and speech becomes abundant to the point of song. Make no mistake, this is a difficult record — one of uncompromising music. Yet it is also a rewarding one that is full of humor, passion, and joy. "

The playlist is made up of nine pieces - all simply numbered sequentially, except the third piece which is the title of the album.

Enjoy!

Great Black Music Ancient to the Future...

2009-10-26T22:46:00.003-04:00

I've been a big fan of the Art Ensemble of Chicago for decades. My favourite AEC recording is Full Force. But there are no bad AEC records, just some are better than others...

This performance was taken from a radio broadcast of a concert in Wuppertal in 1995. The lineup is as follows:

Lester Bowie - tp, flh, perc

Roscoe Mitchell - ss, as, ts, fl, perc

Malachi Favors - b, perc

Don Moye - dr, perc

The playlist is unknown and is as follows:

1. - 43:06
2. - 18:25

3. - 17:19

4. - 09:24

5. - 04:35

6. - 04:37

Enjoy!

Art of the Duo...

2009-10-21T22:57:00.003-04:00

Short and sweet: here's a recording called Kizashi (on the Next Wave label) made in April, 1980 in Tokyo featuring Yosuke Yamashita on piano and Masahiko Togashi on percussion.

The playlist is:

1. Action (9:00)

2. May Green (3:26)

3. Nostalgia (6:05)

4. Fellin' Spring (7:44)

5. Duo Dance (7:45)

6. Now We Singing (3:43)

Enjoy!

The Man From the East...

2009-10-13T19:43:00.010-04:00

I first came to Yosuke Yamashita through a recording he made with tenor player Benny Wallace. I'd heard Wallace on several recordings and seen him perform live at a local jazz festival. I wasn't prepared for the intesity of Yamashita.

Over the years I've picked up several of his recordings and have only recently come to realize that he had been playing for more than a decade before I heard him (in the mid-80's). He is a powerful, angular pianist who does not abandon melody. He's considered to be a Cecil Taylor inspired/influenced pianist. This record would lead one to believe he considers Albert Ayler to be one too.

The record was recorded live on May 23, 1977 at a Berlin venue. It was released on the West Wind label. The lineup is: Yosuke Yamashita - piano; Akira Sakata - alto sax; Shoichi Koyama - drums. The music is:

1. Chiasma (16:30)

2. Ghosts (35:30)

The record is called: Ghosts By Albert Ayler

Enjoy!

I'm in the Band...Really...

2009-10-08T11:53:00.004-04:00

In the spring of 1987, at the Ruhr Jazz Festival, the groups Material, Last Exit and African Force were scheduled to perform. Unfortunately Bill Laswell (bassist for Material and Last Exit) got stuck in Tokyo and Ginger Baker's African musicians mysteriously disappeared. So, Baker, Nicky Skopelitis and the two members of Last Exit (Brotzmann & Sharrock) joined forces. But they needed a bass player (in Laswell's absence). They enlisted Jan Kazda, bassist for German band Das Pferd. They played March 28, 1987 as their first gig.

They would go on to play three gigs as a group called No Material because of Laswell's absence and due to the fact they really did not have any material to play. Essentially, Skopelitis would begin playing a series of arpeggios and everyone else would join in...

The playlist is:

1. Dishy Billy

2. Skin the Pizzle

3. Oil of Tongue

4. One in the Bush Is Worth Two in the Hand

Enjoy!

AACM's Heavy Hitters In Their Youth...

2009-10-07T23:05:00.014-04:00

Once upon a time, (say, the second half of the 1960's) names such as Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Leroy Jenkins, Muhal Richard Abrams, Richard Davis and Steve McCall were not household names (in the house of jazz). Eventually they would be. Formed by Anthony Braxton, this ensemble pushed the envelope at the time in terms of group improvisation. Sadly, they produced very few recordings. What we have here today are two recordings - Volume 1 released in 1970 and Volume 2 released in 1971 - that came out on the MUSE label. They are portions of the same live performance.

Creative Construction Company Vol.1 is made up of three pieces:

1. Muhal Pt.1

2. Muhal Pt.2

3. Live Spiral

Creative Construction Company Vol.2 is made up of two side-long pieces:

1. No More White Gloves (With Sand Under Your Shoes Doing a Dance) Pt.1

2. No More White Gloves (With Sand Under Your Shoes Doing a Dance) Pt.2

Braxton, Smith and Jenkins create interesting solo threads but the rhythm section, to these ears, seems to be under utilized. Check it out and be the judge.

Regretfully, the MUSE RECORDS label no longer exists, though some of their recordings have been leased by other companies...

Enjoy!

Fun With Fred At Moers, 1979...

2009-10-04T14:26:00.004-04:00

I'm guessing there are few musicians who can say they have been an innovator who has contributed to the development and advancement of their genre of music, has served as a mentor for many younger musicians, served as a facilitator and curator of one of the most important venues in music, and have been making meaningful contributions to their art for five decades. Fred Anderson can. Fred Anderson possesses one of those sounds that is both timeless and modern at the same time. It's a wonder he can still perform physically at 80 years of age!

Today's offering is his 1979 recording, Another Place, from the Moers Jazz Festival. The stellar line-up is: Fred Anderson - ts; Billy Brimfield - tpt; George Lewis - tb; Brian Smith - bass;

Hamid Drake - drums. The compositions are: Saxoon; The Bull; Another Place.

Enjoy!

Music to Watch Movies to...

2009-09-30T13:09:00.009-04:00

Now here's the recipe:

1. Take six outstanding improvising musicians (Ayler, Cherry, Rudd, Tchicai, Peacock, Murray - is there really a need for first names? answer is "no") and pour into a studio.

2. Tell them to watch a movie.

3. Tell them to start playing.

4. Stand back and let it all happen.

5. When it's done, cut into two fairly equal parts and place on one disc.

There you have it: New York Eye and Ear Control

It's essential listening.

Enjoy!

The High Priest of Bop in the Alps...

2009-09-24T14:46:00.006-04:00

He burst on to the jazz scene in the 40's seemingly fully formed but was misunderstood. He played ragged, choppy compositions with a supposed heavy-handed, clunky piano style.

Then the 50's arrived and he was celebrated as a genius almost ten years after the release of his Blue Note recordings. His compositions and playing style were so unique and recognizable that it was useless to compare him or his music to anyone else. He was unmistakably Thelonious Sphere Monk. John Coltrane commented that his stint with Monk was akin to going to university compared to his time with Miles Davis (which he likened to going to high school in comparison).

Then slowly things changed again...

What had initially been seen as individual behaviour on his part began to be interpretted as just plain weird. Instead of being considered one of the vanguard, he was increasingly thought of as the character who ran out of creative ideas more than a decade ago. Much was made of the fact that throughout the 60's he made a career out of playing "the same old songs".

But, man, what songs they are! And there's no taking that away from him.

Today's offering presents a February 26, 1964 quartet concert in Zurich, Switzerland. The lineup is: Thelonious Monk - piano; Charlie Rouse - tenor sax; Butch Warren - bass; Ben Riley - drums

The program plays out like this:
01) 11:00 Stuffy Turkey

02) 09:59 Brake´s Sake

03) 07:39 Blue Monk

04) 03:37 Hot Licks

05) 09:20 Well, You Needn't

06) 05:38 Rhythm-A-Ning

07) 04:41 Epistrophy

08) 08:25 Criss Cross

09) 08:43 Straight No Chaser

10) 11:38 I'm Getting Sentimental

11) 08:17 Light Blue

12) 06:40 Nutty 06:40 faded out on the bass...

Is there a jazz composer (except Duke Ellington) that has written as many classic, now standard pieces of music in the history of jazz? I think not.

Enjoy!

The Entrepreneur...

2009-09-23T11:42:00.006-04:00

In the interest of full disclosure, let me state right here that I'm not a huge fan of John Zorn's music. It's not that I'm turned off by it but that I really don't get what all the fuss is about. In my humble opinion, Zorn's renown within the music world has more to do with how he has marketed and promoted himself than anything else. I do think that most professional musicians might do well to study Mr. Zorn's techniques in those areas - marketing and promotion - in order to raise their own profile in the world. He's created a persona that is outrageous, fanatical and mysterious. He's surounded himself with outstandingly creative improvising musicians (how many can you name? 20?, 30?). He's developed a portal (Tzadik Records) from which to disseminate all of his material (well, most of it) thus keeping control of what he creates. And we still haven't even mentioned his music yet.

And that's the point.

Like all musical creators, John Zorn has a discography which runs the gamut of success. To be sure, he's been a prolific composer but the simple fact that he's released a new recording is no guarantee that it is good. But there are many who consider a work to be great simply by virtue of the fact that it is by John Zorn. That seems a tad myopic to me...

But on to today's offering...

Here for your listening pleasure is John Zorn's Electric Masada recorded September 26, 2003 at Tonic, NYC.

The band is made up of John Zorn (alto sax); Jamie Saft (keyboards); Ikue Mori (electronics); Marc Ribot (guitar); Kenny Wollesen (drums); Joey Baron (drums); Cyro Batista (percussion); Trevor Dunn (bass).

It's a fairly lengthy show made up of two sets. The music is excellent, the sound quite good and the interaction between players awesome.

The playlist (completely unknown) rolls out like this:

1. introductions 1:18

2. 22.44

3. 06:23

4. 11:18

5. 15:40
end of first set

1. introductions 0.50

2. 19.26

3. 07.08

4. 11.02

5. 11.13

6. 06:00

Enjoy!