Playlist, Week of 2026-01-18

This week ended up being a Sun Ra week, mostly... riding this Sun Ra/ Duke Ellington/"Dark Star" wave... It's After the End of the World was the first Sun Ra LP I owned... in my tender twenties, I didn't know what to make of it then, but I held onto it until I did... now, it's a fine artifact, even though it's been supplanted by the way more complete two-disc set Black Myth/Out in Space... even so, some fine Moog work here, real paint-peeling stuff... keeping this massive body of work in my head requires constant revisiting and mental updating... do I want to hear Ellingtonian swing, warped hard bop, synthesizer wildness, or radical solo piano? I want to hear all of it... 

Playlist 2026-01-19:

*AMM III: It Had Been an Ordinary Enough Day in Pueblo, Colorado "Radio Activity"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1980-02-23 New Haven (CDR) (disc 3)
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 412)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium X (disc 6)
*Patsy Cline: Imagine That: The Lost Recordings 1954-1963 (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (discs 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 12 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites
*Marcus Gilmore: Journey to the New
*Paul Gonsalves: Ellingtonia Moods and Blues
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-24 Waterbury CT (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 11 (1972-09-27 Jersey City, NJ) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1977-03-20 Winterland, S.F. (CDR)
*Joe Henderson with the Wynton Kelly Trio: Four!
*Andrew Hill: Compulsion!!!!!
*Bobby Hutcherson: Happenings
*I.P.Y.: IPY25
*Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra: Galactic Parables: Vol. 1 (disc 1) "Make Way to the City/The Arc of Slavery #72 (Part 1)
*Lee Morgan: The Gigolo
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 6)
*Camila Nebbia featuring Marilyn Crispell & Lesley Mok: A Reflection Distorts over Water
*New Ting: 2026-01-12 "Seriously?" (wav)
*Linda May Han Oh: Strange Heavens
*Keith Rowe/John Tilbury: Duos for Doris (disc 2)
*Sparks: MAD! (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Jazz by Sun Ra, Vol. 1 [Sun Song]
*Sun Ra: Sound of Joy
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun
*Sun Ra: Space Probe
*Sun Ra: Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3: The Lost Tapes
*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: It's After the End of the World: Live at the Donaueschingen and Berlin Festivals
*Sun Ra & His Arkestra: The Cymbals​/​Symbols Sessions (New York City 1973) (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Live at Montreux (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Cosmos (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Piano Recital, Teatro La Fenice, Venezia
*Sun Ra: Purple Night
*Sun Ra Arkestra: Mayan Temples
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: In the Orbit of Ra (side 4)
*UYA: 1994-07-10 Eruption Conniption (wav)
*Various artists: That Devilin' Tune: A Jazz History (1927-1934) (Vol. II, disc 4)
*Various artists: The Bottle Tapes: Selections from the Empty Bottle Jazz and Improvised Music Series 1996-2005 (disc 2)

Reading List, Week of 2026-01-18

 

Reading List 2026-01-19:

*Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew (Arden 3rd series, ed. Barbara Hodgdon) (reread/started)
*Stein, Gertrude. The Making of Americans (started)
*Leonard, Elmore. Get Shorty (started/finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew (Arden 2nd series, ed. Brian Morris) (reread/finished)
*Wade, Francesca. Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife (finished)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Sure as Moons Is Cheeses: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 6: 1921 (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2026-01-11

 

Components is yet another excellent Blue Note recording from Bobby Hutcherson... Herbie Hancock is brilliant on this, and Joe Chambers' drumming, and compositions on all of Side 2, are tasteful and exhilarating... with its "components" (sorry) of avant-garde, outside/inside playing typical of the work of Hutcherson, Andrew Hill, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, etc. of this period, this album is one of the reasons I keep returning to mid-sixties Blue Note... The 1980 Art Ensemble of Chicago show features an hour-long rendition of "People in Sorrow" that is beautiful and stirring... Blissing out with Sun Ra and Duke Ellington... 

Playlist 2026-01-12:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1980-02-23 New Haven (CDR) (disc 2)
*Fred Astaire: Starring Fred Astaire (discs 1, 2)
*Beatles: Meet the Beatles! (mono 2024) (sides 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 416)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium X (discs 3, 4, 5)
*Patricia Brennan Septet: 2025-11-01 Berlin (CDR)
*Patsy Cline: Imagine That: The Lost Recordings 1954-1963 (disc 2)
*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles Smiles
*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington 1939 (side 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites "The Queen's Suite"
*Duke Ellington: Anatomy of a Murder
*Duke Ellington: His Piano and His Orchestra at the Bal Masque (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
*Globe Unity Orchestra: Globe Unity ‘67 & ‘70 "Globe Unity '70"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-15/16 Boston (Enjoying the Ride, disc 12)
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 36 (1972-09-21 Philadelphia) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-10-17 Winterland, SF (CDR) "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead/John Oswald: Grayfolded (disc 2) "73rd Star Bridge Sonata"
*Elmo Hope Ensemble: Sounds from Rikers Island
*Bobby Hutcherson: Components
*Ingrid Laubrock: Purposing the Air (discs 1, 2)
*Joe Morris: Abstract Forest
*Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle: Exhaust
*Sam Rivers: Contours
*Wayne Shorter: Etcetera
*Wayne Shorter: Schizophrenia
*Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 2
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Atlantis
*Sun Ra: Astro Black (side 2)
*Sun Ra & His Astro-Infinity Arkestra: Sign of the Myth (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Friendly Love
*Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Arkestra: Outer Space Employment Agency
*Sun Ra: A Fireside Chat with Lucifer (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Celestial Love (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Blue Delight
*UYA: 1994-06-14 Acid Stipulation (wav)
*Maria Valencia/Brandon López/Matt Moran: Tarabita Espiral
*Various artists: The Bottle Tapes: Selections from the Empty Bottle Jazz and Improvised Music Series 1996-2005 (disc 1)
*Weather Report: 1974-09-27 Boston (CDR)
*Baby Face Willette: Stop and Listen
*Baby Face Willette: Face to Face 

Reading List, Week of 2026-01-11

It was fantastic to return to the world of Malazan... The Tales of Witness series is shaping up to be a worthy followup to the Book of the Fallen...
 

Reading List 2026-01-12:

*Wade, Francesca. Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife (started)
*Erikson, Steven. No Life Forsaken (finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Sure as Moons Is Cheeses: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 6: 1921 (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew (Arden 2nd series, ed. Brian Morris) (reread/in progress) 

 

Sun Ra and the Blues

 

I like what Jason Weiss had to say about Sun Ra and Blue Delight: "What emerges time and again is 1001 ways of reading the blues" ("Sun Ra: The Living Future," Village Voice, 1989-07-04): a trait Ra shares with Duke Ellington.

Playlist, Week of 2026-01-04

The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1 is one of my favorite Sun Ra records, not least because it's almost impenetrable... it really eludes full understanding, but not in a negative way... I keep coming back to it... as Rodger Coleman says in Sun Ra Sundays, "As many times as I've listened to this record, it always sounds fresh, revealing deeper insights with each listen" (p. 64)... maybe it's the bass marimba... Anyway, happy new year to everyone, whoever you are! Here's to another year hopefully filled with wonderful listening and reading... This year I am continuing my dives into "Dark Star," Duke Ellington, and Sun Ra, and I've got my eye (ear?) on more Charles Mingus and Anthony Braxton as well... 

Playlist 2026-01-05:

*George Adams: Sound Suggestions (side 1)
*[Ahmed]: Sama'a [Audition]
*B-52s: Bouncing off the Satellites
*B-52s: Cosmic Thing
*Anthony Braxton Trio: 1974-12-08 Toronto (CDR) (disc 2) track 2
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium X (discs 1, 2)
*Clash: London Calling (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Patsy Cline: Imagine That: The Lost Recordings 1954-1963 (disc 1)
*Rodger Coleman: Journey to Brno (cassette) (sides A, B)
*Deerhoof: Miracle-Level (side 1)
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E50 "Spring Cleaning Pt. 2"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 12 (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Reprise Studio Recordings (disc 5)
*Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream (Veneta, Oregon 8/27/72) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-10 Hollywood (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-16 Boston (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Guided By Voices: Universe Room
*Guided By Voices: Thick Rich and Delicious
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-11-14 RVA (CDR)
*François Houle/Kate Gentile/Alexander Hawkins: Fatrasies
*Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue
*Clifford Jordan/John Gilmore: Blowing in from Chicago
*Mastodon: The Hunter
*Charles Mingus and His Jazz Groups: Mingus Dynasty (side 1)
*Ozric Tentacles: Strangeitude (disc 1)
*Sparks: Angst in My Pants (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (side 2)
*Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1
*Sun Ra: Space Is the Place (Blue Thumb) (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Disco 3000 (Complete Milan Concert 1978) (disc 2)
*Sun Ra: Haverford College 1980 Solo Piano (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Hidden Fire (sides 3, 4)
*UYA: 1994-05-22/06-05 Right with Right (wav)
*Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (disc 1)

Reading List, Week of 2026-01-04

Vineland: best the third time around...

Reading List 2026-01-05:

*Erikson, Steven. No Life Forsaken (started)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Sure as Moons Is Cheeses: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 6: 1921 (started)
*Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew (Arden 2nd series, ed. Brian Morris) (reread/started)
*Erikson, Steven. The God Is Not Willing (reread/started/finished)
*Beats and Threads: Drumming Legend and Fashion Icon, Ringo Starr (ed. Gary Astridge) (finished)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Pilgrims on the Road to Nowhere: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 5: 1920 (finished)
*Pynchon, Thomas. Vineland (reread/finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)