Playlist, Week of 2022-12-25

Love the dynamic energy and sheer power of Tony Williams's drumming on Emergency... but his singing? not so much... Garden features Cecil Taylor at some of his most romantically lyrical, and it's devastatingly beautiful... The new Mars Volta album is a bit poppier, but nice... 

Playlist 2022-12-26:

*Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare

*Beach Boys: Friends (side 1)

*Beatles: Rubber Soul (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)

*Beatles: Revolver (Super Deluxe 4 LP Edition 2022) (side 7)

*Marilyn Crispell/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: Nothing Ever Was, Anyway (disc 1)

*Death Grips: The Money Store

*Deerhoof: Devil Kids

*Grateful Dead: 190-05-07 MIT (CDR) (selections)

*Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks: Crazy for Christmas

*Ingrid Laubrock: Contemporary Chaos Practices "Contemporary Chaos Practices Pt. 1 & 2"

*Mars Volta: The Mars Volta

*Matching Mole: Matching Mole’s Little Red Record (expanded ed.) (disc 1)

*Charles Mingus and His Quintet: My Favorite Quintet

*Charles Mingus: Mingus Plays Piano (Spontaneous Compositions and Improvisations)

*Roscoe Mitchell Sound Ensemble: 1980-12-27 Detroit (CDR)

*Sparks: Balls

*Specials: The Specials (sides 1, 2)

*Cecil Taylor: Jumpin' Pumpkins

*Cecil Taylor: Garden "Garden II"

*Tony Williams: Life Time

*Tony Williams Lifetime: Emergency!

 

Reading List, Week of 2022-12-25

Reading List 2022-12-26:

*Ríos, Julián. The House of Ulysses (transl. Nick Caistor) (finished)
*Jenkins, Todd S. I Know What I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus (in progress)
*Rosenbaum, Ron. The Shakespeare Wars (reread/in progress)
*Segar, E. C. The Complete E.C. Segar Popeye: Vol. 2 Sundays 1932-1934 (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2022-12-18

Beautiful large-scale creative orchestral work from Bill Dixon... The Paul Bley Trios playing Annette Peacock is a timely reissue for me, since I have been exploring Bley's interpretations of her compositions... trying to get a handle on how her compositions work... Digging the bagpipes on Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe... The combination of Jimmy Lyons and David S. Ware on Dark to Themselves (not to mention Cecil Taylor himself and the ferocious drumming of Marc Edwards) is almost overwhelming... 

Playlist 2022-12-19:

*Muhal Richard Abrams Sextet: 1973-11-04 Berlin (CDR)
*Arctic Monkeys: Humbug
*Albert Ayler: Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe
*Daniel Barbiero/Ken Moore/Dave Vosh: Transparent Points on Four Axes
*Beach Boys: Sail on Sailor 1972 (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 3, 4)
*Beatles: Beatles for Sale (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Revolver (Super Deluxe Edition 2022) (discs 2, 3) (selections)
*Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Paul Bley: Paul Bley Trios Play Annette Peacock Revisited
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 420)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2022-11-26 Nashville (wav)
*Miles Davis: The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions (disc 3) "The Ghetto Walk"
*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 6) "Inamorata"
*Bill Dixon: 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur
*Duke Ellington: Midnight in Paris
*Duke Ellington: All American in Jazz
*Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant avec Folie à Quatre: Séances
*Fire! Orchestra: Exit!
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 26 (1969-04-26/27) (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 12 (1974-06-26 Providence RI/1974-06-28 Boston) (discs 2, 3)
*Guided By Voices: Scalping the Guru
*Alexander Hawkins: Iron into Wind (Pears from an Elm)
*Joe Henderson: The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Sessions (disc 2)
*Jimi Hendrix: Songs for Groovy Children (The Fillmore East Concerts) (disc 2)
*Lucas & Corey: Hectic in L​.​A. (streaming)
*Charles Mingus: Charles 'Baron' Mingus, West Coast, 1945-49
*Charles Mingus Groups: Debut Rarities Vol. 4
*Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop: 1956-07-05 Newport (CDR)
*Charles Mingus: Mingus at Monterey
*Rova Saxophone Quartet/Fred Frith/Henry Kaiser: 1987-09-18 San Francisco (CDR) (disc 3)
*Alexander von Schlippenbach: Monk's Casino (The Complete Works of Thelonious Monk) (disc 3)
*Sparks: Indiscreet (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Singles: The Definitive 45s Collection 1952-1991 (disc 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: 1981-05-02 New Orleans (CDR)
*Sun Ra Intergalactic Myth Research Arkestra: 1981-05-29 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Sun Ra Arkestra: 1983-10-22 Belfort, France (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Cecil Taylor Unit: Dark to Themselves
*Cecil Taylor: Another Material Complex from Cecil Taylor's 1988-91 Music
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 3)
*Tad Thaddock: Things 12 (1984): Christmas Balls (selections) 

Reading List, Week of 2022-12-18

Reading List 2022-12-19:

*Jenkins, Todd S. I Know What I Know: The Music of Charles Mingus (started)
*Ríos, Julián. The House of Ulysses (transl. Nick Caistor) (started)
*Segar, E. C. The Complete E.C. Segar Popeye: Vol. 2 Sundays 1932-1934 (started)
*Crumb, R. The Book of Genesis (reread/finished)
*Rosenbaum, Ron. The Shakespeare Wars (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2022-12-11

 

I may be in the minority, but I actually prefer the original edited versions of the Mingus songs from the 1959 Columbia sessions to the complete ones featured here... I've never been able to pin down for sure whether it was Mingus's, or Teo Macero's, artistic decision to cut them, or if it was out of necessity to fit more songs on the LPs...  maybe it's because the edited versions are the ones I grew up... anyway, I think they make the songs tighter and more successful... but it appears that the "canonical" versions easily available these days are the longer ones... I am quite taken with the Mingus composition "New York Sketchbook"... recorded in the studio in 1958, as far as I can tell, the only other version is a scorching live one from Newport in 1956 (titled there as "Tourist in Manhattan")... I think it's a Mingus masterpiece, ranking up there with the Mingus Dynasty material... anybody know of any other versions?... The Globe Unity album Compositions is interesting and enjoyable, but I much prefer the more improvisational aspect of that orchestra... I understand why McCoy Tyner had to leave the Coltrane quartet, and I love Alice Coltrane's piano playing, so: fine... but I also sometimes wonder what it would have been like if Tyner had stuck around a little longer... his piano solos on Live in Seattle are enticing teasers of where he might have gone...

Playlist 2022-12-12:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Urban Bushmen (side 1)

*Derek Bailey/George Lewis/John Zorn: Yankees

*Beach Boys: Sail on Sailor 1972 (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 1, 2, 5, 6)

*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 414, 419)

*Taylor Ho Bynum: Enter the Plustet

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2022-11-26 Nashville (wav)

*John Coltrane: Live in Seattle (disc 1) "Out of This World"

*Duke Ellington: The Girl's Suite/The Perfume Suite (sides 1, 2)

*Globe Unity: Compositions

*Grateful Dead: 1968-01-17 Carousel Ballroom, SF (CDR) (disc 2)

*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 26 (1969-04-26/27) (disc 1)

*Grateful Dead: 1973 Selections (CDR compilation)

*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 12 (1974-06-26 Providence RI) (disc 1)

*Mary Halvorson: Belladonna

*Lucas & Corey: Hectic in L​.​A. (streaming)

*Charles Mingus Duo & Trio with Spaulding Givens & Max Roach: Debut Rarities Vol. 2

*Charles Mingus Octet/Jimmy Knepper Quintet: Debut Rarities Vol. 1

*Charles Mingus: Chazz! (sides 1, 2)

*Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop: 1956-07-05 Newport (CDR)

*Charles Mingus: Nostalgia In Times Square/The Immortal 1959 Sessions (side 2)

*Roscoe Mitchell Sound Ensemble: 1980-12-27 Detroit (CDR)

*Roscoe Mitchell/David Wessel: Contact

*Roscoe Mitchell/Sandy Ewen/Damon Smith/Weasel Walter: A Railroad Spike Forms the Voice

*Rova Saxophone Quartet/Fred Frith/Henry Kaiser: 1987-09-18 San Francisco (CDR) (disc 2)

*Tyshawn Sorey: Alloy

*Sparks: Angst in My Pants

*Sparks: Lil' Beethoven (sides 1, 2)

*Sparks: A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip (side 1)

*Sun Ra: Singles: The Definitive 45s Collection 1952-1991 (disc 1)

*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: My Brother the Wind Vol. II

*Sun Ra and His Blue Universe Arkestra: Universe in Blue (2022 remaster) (side 1)

*Cecil Taylor Unit: 1979-03-15 WKCR, NYC (CDR)

*Cecil Taylor Unit: 1981-11-07 Zurich (CDR)

*XTC: Drums and Wires

*John Zorn/Chaos Magick: Multiplicities: A Repository of Non-Existent Objects

Reading List, Week of 2022-12-11

Reading List 2022-12-12:

*Crumb, R. The Book of Genesis (reread/started)
*Barks, Carl. Uncle Scrooge: "Only a Poor Old Man" (reread/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida (Arden 2nd ed., ed. Kenneth Palmer) (reread/finished)
*Thompson, Dave. No. 1 Songs in Heaven: The Sparks Story (finished)

 

Playlist, Week of 2022-12-04

 

Really been enjoying this new release from Lucas & Corey... I've randomly listened to their music over the years, and this is the strongest album yet from this Brooklyn duo... really nice, low-key, quirky pop tunes thematically arranged around the tension between the east coast and the west... the laconic singing sometimes vaguely reminds me of Stephen Malkmus, but not enough to sound influenced by him... nice  surf guitar solos, too... great job, guys! Keep it up from whatever coast you end up on... On Slobber Pup's Black Aces, Joe Morris puts on his John McLaughlin hat and rocks out, while Trevor Dunn channels Bill Laswell and Jamie Saft channels Larry Young channeling Mike Ratledge... powerful stuff... It was great to get together with Rodger Coleman over the holidays, and we were even able to make some noise together... it'd been a while, but it felt as comfortable as ever, and as usual his guitar playing knocked my socks off... still looking for them... Expect to see lots of Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, Grateful Dead, Cecil Taylor, and Anthony Braxton in my playlists in the coming weeks... on a kick...

Playlist 2022-12-05:

*Marshall Allen/Sam Byrd/Tim Harding/Elliott Levin/Thomas Stanley: 2007-12-13 Richmond VA (CDR) track 5
*Zoh Amba: O, Sun
*Kevin Ayers and the Whole World: Shooting at the Moon (side 1)
*Beatles: Revolver (Super Deluxe 4 LP Edition 2022) (sides 7, 8, 10)
*Beatles: The Beatles (sides 1, 2)
*Paul Bley: Paul Bley Trios Play Annette Peacock Revisited (streaming)
*Anthony Braxton: Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978 "Composition 59"
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 418)
*Clash: London Calling (sides 1, 2)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2015-05-14 Nashville (wav) track 7
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2022-11-26 Nashville (wav)
*John Coltrane: Ascension (Edition I)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Duke Ellington, Vol. 2: 1928-1930 (side 3)
*Flying Zamboni Brothers: January (Brooklyn, Improv #3) (streaming)
*Flying Zamboni Brothers: The Zambonis Go Electric (streaming)
*Jimmy Giuffre: Free Fall
*Grateful Dead: Dark Star 1972 version 2 (finished, 10:18:22-11:42:37)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks vol. 4 (1976-09-24 Williamsburg) (discs 2, 3)
*Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas
*Joe Henderson: The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Sessions (disc 1)
*Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks: Crazy for Christmas
*High Llamas: Can Cladders
*Andrew Hill: Passing Ships
*Ingrid Laubrock: 2009-08-01 The Stone, NYC (CDR)
*Led Zeppelin: Presence
*Lucas & Corey: Hectic in L​.​A. (streaming)
*Charles Mingus: Jazz Composers Workshop
*Charles Mingus: The Jazz Experiments of Charles Mingus
*Charles Mingus: A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry
*David Murray: Low Class Conspiracy (side 1)
*New Loft: New Loft Plays Sun Ra (CDR)
*Rova Saxophone Quartet/Fred Frith/Henry Kaiser: 1987-09-18 San Francisco (CDR) (disc 1)
*Alexander von Schlippenbach: Monk's Casino (The Complete Works of Thelonious Monk) (disc 2)
*Slobber Pup: Black Aces "Accuser"
*Sparks: Kimono My House
*Sparks: Propaganda
*Sparks: Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Super-Sonic Jazz
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Sound Sun Pleasure!!
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra Arkestra: Living Sky
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: 1965-07-02 Newport (CDR) "Steps"
*Cecil Taylor: Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly!
*Cecil Taylor: One Material Complex from Cecil Taylor's 1988-91 Music
*Anna Webber: Clockwise

Reading List, Week of 2022-12-04

 

Reading List 2022-12-05:

*Barks, Carl. Uncle Scrooge: "Only a Poor Old Man" (reread/started)
*Rosenbaum, Ron. The Shakespeare Wars (reread/started)
*Thompson, Dave. No. 1 Songs in Heaven: The Sparks Story (started)
*Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida (Arden 2nd ed., ed. Kenneth Palmer) (reread/in progress)