Playlist, Week of 2023-12-24

Garry Krimble (and Rudolph too)! I've seen it spelled "Crimble" also, but I've always spelled it with a K...

Playlist 2023-12-25:

*Muhal Richard Abrams/Roscoe Mitchell: Spectrum
*Beatles: The Christmas Records (record 3)
*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (sides 2, 5)
*Paul Bley: Ballads
*Paul Bley: Turning Point
*Anthony Braxton: Tentet (Wesleyan) 1999 (discs 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII (disc 4)
*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (FRM) 2007 (disc 1)
*Circle: Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert "There Is No Greater Love"
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2018-11-20 Nashville (rough mix wav) (disc 2)
*Deerhoof: Devil Kids
*ESG: A South Bronx Story
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (discs 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 16 (1973-03-28 Springfield, MA) (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-08-06 Jersey City NJ (CDR) (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-10-18 Winterland, SF (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Katie Grennan: Far Away
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 7)
*Sam and Dave: Double Dynamite (selections)
*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (disc 7)
*Soft Machine: BBC Radio 1967-1971 (disc 2)
*Sparks: Propaganda (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Exotica (discs 1, 2)
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 2
*Tool: Ænima
*Xenakis: Electronic Music
*XTC: Drums and Wires (side 2)
*Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention: Over-Nite Sensation (5oth Anniversary Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 4) 

Reading List, Week of 2023-12-24

Reading List 2023-12-25:

*Harkaway, Nick. Gnomon (finished)
*The Beatles through a Glass Onion, ed. Mark Osteen (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. James C. Bulman) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-12-17

Sometimes words don't do it...

Playlist 2023-12-18:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City: Live at Iridium (disc 1) "On the Mountain"
*Derek Bailey/Pat Metheny/Gregg Bendian/Paul Wertico: The Sign Of 4 (disc 2)
*Jeff Beck: You Had It Coming
*Book of Three: Continuum
*Anthony Braxton: Composition 98 "Part II"
*Anthony Braxton: Nine Compositions (DVD) 2003 "Comp. 190 (13tet)"
*Rodger Coleman and Andrew Dickson: No Why, Just Is
*Miles Davis: The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions (disc 1) "Two Faced"
*Dimitriadis/Dörner/Freedman/Parkins/Williams: BeingFive
*Duke Ellington: Uptown (side 1)
*Exploding Star Orchestra: Stars Have Shapes
*Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Paal Nilssen-Love: Guts & Skins
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 48 (1971-11-20 UCLA) (disc 2) "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 16 (1973-03-28 Springfield, MA) (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-08-06 Jersey City NJ (CDR) (disc 1)
*Al Green: Let's Stay Together (selections)
*Al Green: Call Me (selections)
*Jimi Hendrix with Curtis Knight and the Squires: George's Club 20, Hackensack, NY 1965 (CDR)
*Dave Holland Prism: 2013-10-25 Umea, Sweden (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*London Brew: London Brew (discs 1, 2)
*Mendoza Hoff Revels: Echolocation
*Fats Navarro and Tadd Dameron: Complete Blue Note and Capitol Sessions (disc 2)
*Pere Ubu: Terminal Tower (sides 1, 2)
*Edith Piaf: The Voice of the Sparrow
*Sasha: Global Underground 013: Ibiza (disc 1)
*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (discs 5, 6)
*Wadada Leo Smith: Najwa "Ornette Coleman´s Harmolodic Sonic Hierographic Forms: A Resonance Change in the Millennium"
*Soft Machine: The Peel Sessions (discs 1, 2)
*Sparks: No. 1 in Heaven (40th Anniversary Ed.) (sides 1, 2)
*Steely Dan: Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live!
*Cecil Taylor: Mixed [Into the Hot]
*Cecil Taylor: 3 Phasis (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor: One Material Complex from Cecil Taylor's 1988-91 Music
*Henry Threadgill Zooid/Silke Eberhard Potsa Lotsa XL: 2023-11-04 Berlin (CDR)
*Various artists: Santa Swings
*Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention: Over-Nite Sensation (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 3)

Reading List, Week of 2023-12-17

Reading List 2023-12-18:

*The Beatles through a Glass Onion, ed. Mark Osteen (started)
*Harkaway, Nick. Gnomon (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. James C. Bulman) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-12-10

More exciting large orchestra arrangements from Roscoe Mitchell, with hefty helpings of Thomas Buckner vocals... always up for that... Planning on further explorations of Muhal Richard Abrams over the next few weeks... continuing my AACM listening... Tapering off of Mingus for a while now... although I must say his melodies reverberate in my head, like, all the time... Of Abstract Dreams is an excellent example of mid-70s Sun Ra, one of the best of the discoveries to come out most recently... definitely some choice John Gilmore there... 

Playlist 2023-12-11:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Spiral: Live at Montreux 1978 (side 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Blues Forever (sides 1, 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Rejoicing with the Light (side 1)
*Art Ensemble Of Chicago: 1980-07-19 Den Haag, Netherlands (CDR)
*Derek Bailey/Pat Metheny/Gregg Bendian/Paul Wertico: The Sign Of 4 (disc 3)
*Book of Three: Continuum
*Rodger Coleman and Andrew Dickson: No Why, Just Is
*John Coltrane: Live in Paris (side 3)
*John Coltrane: Live in Japan (disc 1) "Peace on Earth"
*Dr. Octagon: Dr. Octagonecologyst
*George Duke: A Brazilian Love Affair
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Featuring Paul Gonsalves (sides 1, 2)
*Ensemble Dedalus & Erikm: Fata Morgana
*Jerry Garcia/Merl Saunders: 1971-05-20 San Francisco (CDR)
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (discs 2, 3)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 16 (1973-03-28 Springfield, MA) (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-10-17 Winterland, SF (CDR) (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1982-09-20 NYC (CDR) (discs 2, 3)
*Ned Lagin: Seastones (discs 1, 2)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey/Kris Davis/Ralph Alessi: Lark "Nit Splitting"
*Charles Mingus: The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964-65 (disc 7)
*Matt Mitchell: Phalanx Ambassadors
*Roscoe Mitchell: Roscoe Mitchell Orchestra and Space Trio at the Fault Zone Festival
*Fats Navarro and Tadd Dameron: Complete Blue Note and Capitol Sessions (disc 1)
*Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order (disc 1)
*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (discs 3, 4)
*Horace Silver Quintet: The Cape Verdean Blues
*Soft Machine: 1971-03-14 Breda, The Netherlands (CDR) (disc 2)
*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 1)
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Angels and Demons at Play
*Sun Ra: Astro Black (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Of Abstract Dreams
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 1
*Cecil Taylor Big Band: 1995-07-03 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One
*Birgit Ulher/Franz Hautzinger: Kleine Trompetenmusik
*Frank Zappa: Nostalgia (boot CDR)
*John Zorn/Simulacrum: The True Discoveries of Witches and Demons
*John Zorn/The Dreamers: A Dreamers Christmas
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 3: Trigger

Reading List, Week of 2023-12-10

Reading List 2023-12-11:

*Harkaway, Nick. Gnomon (started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. James C. Bulman) (reread/started)
*Alam, Rumaan. Leave the World Behind (started/finished)
*Barthelme, Donald. Paradise (reread/started/finished)
*James, Henry. The Ambassadors (reread/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/finished)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-12-03

Still blown away thinking about the magical, mystical evening of seeing Annette Peacock at Big Ears... the closest music I've heard of hers is still An Acrobat's Heart... The new Miles Davis quintet recording from Paris is dynamite... More to say about more things, but maybe later...

Playlist 2023-12-04:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (disc 6)

*Area: 1975-08 Ferrara, Italy (CDR)

*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (sides 1, 4, 6)

*Paul Bley: Paul Bley Trios Play Annette Peacock Revisited

*Borderlands Trio: Wandersphere (discs 1, 2)

*Anthony Braxton: Trillium J (disc 3)

*Baikida Carroll: Shadows and Reflections

*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Who Doesn't Fade?

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: The Mathematics of War "New Landscape"

*Miles Davis Quintet: In Concert at the Olympia, Paris 1957

*George Duke: A Brazilian Love Affair

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Three Suites

*Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet: As Things Go

*Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas

*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 1)

*Grateful Dead: 1982-09-20 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)

*Kip Hanrahan: Tenderness

*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine

*Philly Joe Jones Sextet & Quintet: Live at Birdland: Historic Unreleased 1962 Recordings

*Kinks: The Journey, Part 2 (side 1)

*Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra: Galactic Parables: Vol. 1 (disc 2)

*Matt Mitchell: A Pouting Grimace

*Roscoe Mitchell/Jerzy Mazzoll/Sławek Janicki/Qba Janicki: Four Sure

*Roscoe Mitchell/Mike Reed: The Ritual and the Dance

*New Ting: 2023-11-06 "Lately Better Never" (wav)

*Annette Peacock: 1982-09-16 BBC Radio 3 "Jazz in Britain" (CDR)

*Annette Peacock: I Have No Feelings

*Dewey Redman/Cecil Taylor/Elvin Jones: Momentum Space

*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (discs 1, 2)

*Soft Machine: BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert

*Soft Machine: 1971-03-14 Breda, The Netherlands (CDR) (disc 1)

*Tyshawn Sorey: Verisimilitude

*Sun Ra: Pathways to Unknown Worlds (side 2)

*Cecil Taylor Unit:  It Is in the Brewing Luminous "Part 1"

*Cecil Taylor: Algonquin

*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane: 2004-03-23 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)

*Yes: The Yes Album

*Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention: Over-Nite Sensation (5oth Anniversary Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 2)

Reading List, Week of 2023-12-03

Reading List 2023-12-04:

*Chast, Roz. What I Hate from A to Z (started/finished)
*Chast, Roz. Theories of Everything (reread/finished)
*James, Henry. The Ambassadors (reread/in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-26

Don't know if I've mentioned this recording before, but I was not prepared for how intense and engaging Alex Ward's Gated is... I knew of Ward from a few improv records, and from his large ensemble CD Volition, and I knew him to be an excellent clarinetist AND guitarist (and a Cecil Taylor scholar)... but this... well, I don't have the words... powerful, powerful music... sonic psychedelia, Henry Cow grooves, free improv, bludgeoning noise, hard-charging rock, complex time signatures, goodness knows what other touchstones are here... well, it's just blowaway and right up my alley... 

Playlist 2023-11-27:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (disc 5)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Young at Heart/Wise in Time (side 1)
*AMM: An Unintended Legacy (disc 1)
*Area: Caution Radiation Area
*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (sides 2, 3, 5)
*Anthony Braxton: For Trio (side 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Nine Compositions (DVD) 2003 "Comp. 292 (12tet)"
*Don Byas: 1946
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 6)
*Elvis Costello: This Year's Model
*Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (discs 1, 2)
*Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (disc 2) "Ife"
*Deerhoof: Love-Lore
*Deerhoof: Miracle-Level (sides 1, 2)
*Silke Eberhard/Céline Voccia: Wild Knots
*Donnie & Joe Emerson: Dreamin' Wild
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-10 Amsterdam (CDR) (disc 3) "Truckin'> > "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-13 Lille, France (CDR) (disc 2) "Truckin'> > "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1982-04-02 Durham NC (CDR) (discs 2, 3)
*Andrew Hill: A Beautiful Day
*Ingrid Laubrock: Contemporary Chaos Practices
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Mat Maneri: Pentagon
*Brian Marsella: Gatos Do Sul
*Metaphysical Animation: Metaphysical Animation
*Amina Claudine Myers Trio: The Circle of Time (side 1)
*New Ting: 2023-10-10 "The Heavy Box" (wav)
*Annette Peacock: Sky-Skating
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 2, 7)
*David Sancious and Tone: Transformation (The Speed of Love)
*Sun Ra: Space Is the Place (Blue Thumb) (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor/Anthony Braxton/William Parker: 2007-10-12 Bologna (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor Quartet featuring Anthony Braxton: 2007-10-13 Reggio Emilia, Italy (CDR) (disc 1)
*Henry Threadgill Zooid/Silke Eberhard Potsa Lotsa XL: 2023-11-04 Berlin (CDR)
*Birgit Ulher/Franz Hautzinger: Kleine Trompetenmusik
*Various artists: The Rough Guide to Salsa Dance (Special Ed.)
*Alex Ward: Gated
*Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention: Over-Nite Sensation (5oth Anniversary Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 1)

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-26

 

I hate trying to format things in this blog... just try to imagine that these two pictures are side by side...

Reading List 2023-11-13:

*James, Henry. The Ambassadors (reread/started)

*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (finished)

*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (finished)

*Chast, Roz. Theories of Everything (reread/in progress)

*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-19

Been digging the new Kinks album... like its predecessor, The Journey Part 2 is an overview of the work with each side arranged thematically... the concept works, and I'm really enjoying some of the later tunes that I hadn't gotten into as much...I generally stopped after Muswell Hillbillies (although I did see them in 1975 on the Soap Opera tour... they were great, I mean great, but mostly on the older stuff)... I never did rush out to buy Soap Opera, but there are three live tracks from that on this collection, and they are still just... okay, especially when compared to "Monica" and :Animal Farm"... The new live Pere Ubu release just reaffirms how crucial Allen Ravenstine was to their sound...  

Playlist 2023-11-20:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (discs 3, 4)

*Muhal Richard Abrams Experimental Band: 2012-08-25 Saalfelden, Austria (CDR)

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (New Haven) 2014 (disc 3)

*James Brown: In the Jungle Groove (side 1)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 5)

*John Coltrane: 1963-11-04 Stuttgart (disc 2)

*Decoy: Spirit Vol. 1 "Native Origins"

*Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant avec Folie à Quatre: Séances

*Duke Ellington: All Star Road Band (side 1)

*Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet: As Things Go

*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-16 Luxembourg (disc 2)

*Alexander Hawkins Mirror Canon: Break a Vase

*Charles Ives: Complete Symphonies (LA Philharmonic/Gustavo Dudamel) "Symphony No. 1"

*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine

*Kinks: The Journey, Part 1 (sides 1, 3)

*Kinks: The Journey, Part 2 (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)

*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: And Other Desert Towns

*Metaphysical Animation: Metaphysical Animation

*Nicole Mitchell: Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds

*Nicole Mitchell/Tomeka Reid/Mike Reed: Artifacts

*Roscoe Mitchell: Dots/For Percussion and Woodwinds

*Sean O'Hagan: Radum Calls, Radum Calls

*Annette Peacock: The Perfect Release

*Pere Ubu: We Do What We Do

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden

*Luis Russell and His Orchestra: 1930-1934

*Sun Ra: Cymbals "Thoughts under a Dark Blue Light"

*Toe: Hear You

*David Torn/Tim Berne/Ches Smith: Sun Of Goldfinger "Spartan, Before It Hit"

*Frank Zappa: The Grand Wazoo

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-19

Reading List 2023-11-13:

*Chast, Roz. Theories of Everything (reread/started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/started)
*Breathed, Berkeley. One Last Little Peek, 1980-1995 (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. David Scott Kastan) (reread/finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-12

 

Had the exquisite pleasure of seeing Nicole Mitchell play last night here in Richmond, in a trio with locals Scott Clark on drums and Adam Hopkins on double bass... she is a master, and her playing blew me away... I have really enjoyed her playing with Anthony Braxton on the Iridium box set and with Roscoe Mitchell on the Black Earth Ensemble CD Three Compositions... another favorite is her album The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson with Craig Taborn... just amazing...

Playlist 2023-11-13:

*Fred Anderson Quartet: Birdhouse
*Art Ensemble Of Chicago: 1980-05-23 Moers (CDR)
*Derek Bailey/Pat Metheny/Gregg Bendian/Paul Wertico: The Sign Of 4 (disc 2)
*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: For Trio (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 2 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium R (disc 4)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (FRM) 2007 (discs 3, 4)
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 416)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: The Mathematics of War
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 4)
*Walt Dickerson/Sun Ra: Visions
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 2)
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (disc 5)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-07 Wigan, England (discs 2, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-16 Luxembourg (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1982-04-02 Durham NC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Fletcher Henderson: Tidal Wave
*Charles Ives: The Four Symphonies of Charles Ives (Bernstein et al.) (discs 2, 3)
*Philly Joe Jones Sextet & Quintet: Live at Birdland: Historic Unreleased 1962 Recordings
*Joseph Holbrooke Trio: The Moat Studio Recordings (discs 1, 2)
*George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: Voyage and Homecoming
*Charles Mingus: The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964-65 (disc 6)

*Pere Ubu: We Do What We Do
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 5, 6)
*Sparks: Balls
*Cecil Taylor: Respiration
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 4)
*Frank Zappa: Waka/Jawaka

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-12

Reading List 2023-11-13:

*Breathed, Berkeley. One Last Little Peek, 1980-1995 (started)
*Chast, Roz. I Must Be Dreaming (started/finished)
*Breathed, Berke. Bloom County Babylon (reread/finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. David Scott Kastan) (reread/in progress)
*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-05

I listen to a lot of AACM-related stuff, as a cursory glance at any of my Playlists will show... there may be a lot more than usual these days since I'm reading Paul Steinbeck's book Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM, which contains detailed analyses of several key AACM recordings... I thought his book on the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Message to Our Folks, was excellent, and this one is also a lot of fun... The music of the AACM is a rich and enduring legacy of boundary-demolishing and life-affirming music... 

Playlist 2023-11-06:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Levels and Degrees of Light
*Air: Air Time
*Derek Bailey/Pat Metheny/Gregg Bendian/Paul Wertico: The Sign Of 4 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 2 (disc 1)
*Coheed and Cambria: The Second Stage Turbine Blade
*Colla Parte: Periplus
*John Coltrane: One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note (disc 2)
*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 6) "Directions"
*Silke Eberhard/Céline Voccia: Wild Knots
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 5 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 1)
*Kate Gentile: Mannequins
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-04 Paris (CDR) (discs 3, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-07 Wigan, England (disc 1)
*Julius Hemphill: One Atmosphere
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 6)
*Dave Holland: Emerald Tears (side 1)
*Freddie Hubbard: Red Clay
*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine
*Ingrid Laubrock: 2017-06-05 Moers (CDR) "Vogelfrei"
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*James Brandon Lewis Trio: 2023-05-24 Vienna (CDR) (disc 1)
*Metaphysical Animation: Metaphysical Animation
*Roscoe Mitchell Sextet: Sound
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 1, 3, 4)
*Ravi Shankar: Master of Sitar "Raag Bihag"
*Tyshawn Sorey: Verisimilitude "Obsidian"
*Sparks: Propaganda (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Space Is the Place (Blue Thumb) (sides 1, 2)
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 3
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures "Unit Structure/As of a Now/Section"
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane (Ubuntu): 2005-12-18 (CDR) (disc 2)
*Alex Ward: Gated
*XTC: The Big Express (Surround Sound Series) (disc 4)

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-05

Reading List 2023-11-06:

*Breathed, Berke. Bloom County Babylon (reread/started)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. David Scott Kastan) (reread/in progress)
*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-10-29

Jefferson Pilot has put out another strange, unsetlling but beautiful release, the EP Sad Magazine... disembodied voices float in and out, along with mellotron, banjo, tinkling percussion, loopy sax lines, and recorder beeps... all put in the service of strange aural territories that sound like nothing I've ever visited before... places I enjoy returning to... kudos to my brother on another original recording!

Playlist 2023-10-30:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (disc 2)

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Levels and Degrees of Light

*Air: Air Time

*Marshall Allen/Roscoe Mitchell/Milford Graves/Scott Robinson: Flow States

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1980-10-17 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1982-03-23 Copenhagen (CDR) (disc 1)

*Beach Boys: Sunshine Tomorrow 2: The Studio Sessions

*Anthony Braxton: For Trio (side 1)

*Anthony Braxton: Nine Compositions (DVD) 2003 "Comp. 327 (12tet)"

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (FRM) 2007 (disc 2)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 3)

*John Coltrane: One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note (disc 1)

*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 5) "What I Say"

*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-17 Copenhagen (disc 3)

*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-21 Bremen, West Germany (CDR)

*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-04 Paris (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Hatfield and the North: Hatitude 

*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 5)

*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine

*Roscoe Mitchell Sextet: Sound

*New Ting: 2022-07-19 Orbital Music Park, Richmond VA (wav)

*Prince: The Slaughterhouse

*Tyshawn Sorey: Alloy "Movement"

*Sparks: Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra: God Is More than Love Can Ever Be!

*Sun Ra: Strange Celestial Road "I'll Wait for You"

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Prophet (side 1)

*Craig Taborn: Shadow Plays

*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) (side 2)

*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 4)

*John Zorn/Incerto: 2023-09-02 San Francisco (CDR)

*John Zorn New Electric Masada: 2023-09-03 San Francisco (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2023-10-29

Reading List 2023-10-30:

*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. David Scott Kastan) (reread/started)
*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (started)
*Roca, Paco, and Guillermo Corral. The Treasure of the Black Swan (started/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-10-22

Been a while since I listened to Joseph Jarman's As If It Were the Seasons, and it struck me all over again how wonderful "Song for Christopher" is... it starts off with a tranquil flute evocation, soon joined by the brilliant free brushwork of Thurman Barker, an interlude with vocalist Sherry Scott, and then a wild, intense free form full-throated large ensemble blowout that gets cut short abruptly by more wordless operatic vocalizing over a bed of exotic percussion and koto... just beautiful... 

Playlist 2023-10-23:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (disc 1)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Paris Session "The Ninth Room"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1980-08-03 Seattle (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Two Compositions (Orchestra) 1995
*Anthony Braxton: 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII (disc 4)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (FRM) 2007 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton/Taylor Ho Bynum: Duo (Amherst) 2010
*Circle: 1971-03-03 Hamburg (CDR) "Comp. 6A"
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 2)
*John Coltrane: 1963-11-04 Stuttgart (disc 1)
*Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (disc 1)
*Missy Elliott: Respect M.E.
*Brian Eno: Another Green World (sides 1, 2)
*ESG: A South Bronx Story
*Jerry Garcia/Merl Saunders: 1971-05-11 San Francisco (CDR)
*Jerry Garcia Band: 1993-11-12 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (disc 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-17 Copenhagen (discs 1, 2)
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (discs 3, 4)
*Joseph Jarman: As If It Were the Seasons "Song for Christopher"
*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine
*Ingrid Laubrock: Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt (disc 2)
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Charles Mingus: The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964-65 (disc 5)
*Tyler Mitchell featuring Marshall Allen: Dancing Shadows
*Tyler Mitchell Octet: Sun Ra's Journey featuring Marshall Allen
*New Ting: 2023-07-30 the Wharf, Richmond VA (wav)
*Annette Peacock: Live in Paris
*Picchio dal Pozzo: Picchio dal Pozzo
*Ravi Shankar/Ali Akhbar Khan: Ragas
*Matthew Shipp Trio: Root of Things
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden
*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (sides 1, 2)
*Speaker Music: Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry (disc 2)
*Squeeze: Argybargy
*Squeeze: Singles: 45s and Under (sides 1, 2)
*Lennie Tristano: The New Tristano
*Various artists: The Rough Guide to Salsa Dance
*Various artists: The Rough Guide to Salsa Dance (2nd ed.)
*XTC: The Big Express (Surround Sound Series) (disc 3)
*XTC: Skylarking (sides 1, 2)
*XTC: Nonsuch (side 1)
*John Zorn's Cobra: 2023-09-03 San Francisco (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2023-10-22

Reading List 2023-10-23:

*Dixon, Chuck and Chase Conley. The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time) Vol. 1 (started/finished)
*Hill, Susan. Howard's End Is on the Landing (started/finished)
*King, Stephen. Holly (finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-10-15

Of all the many incredible recordings the Art Ensemble of Chicago made in Paris in 1969-1970, "The Ninth Room" is my absolute favorite... anchored by a mighty Malachi Favors bass line and punctuated by sparse and thoughtfully integrated bells and little percussion instruments, the melody line is stated and deconstructed by the three horns... and what a melody it is...the saxes and trumpet play at the same time without stepping on each others' toes, allowing a lot of space for the percussion punctautions and for each other... plus it swings heavily and masterfully... Respiration is a Cecil Taylor solo masterpiece that stands well with Silent Tongues and Indent... 

Playlist 2023-10-16:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Paris Session "The Ninth Room"
*Beatles: Abbey Road (Anniversary Edition) (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium E (disc 3) "Act 3, Part 2"
*Anthony Braxton: Tentet (Paris) 2001
*Anthony Braxton's Sonic Genome Project: 2010-01-31 Vancouver (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Sonny Clark: Cool Struttin'
*John Coltrane: Live in Paris (side 2)
*Marilyn Crispell/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: Nothing Ever Was, Anyway (disc 2)
*George Duke: A Brazilian Love Affair
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 5 (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-08 London (CDR) (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-14 Copenhagen (discs 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Grant Green: Idle Moments
*Ingrid Laubrock: Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt (disc 1)
*Ingrid Laubrock: The Last Quiet Place
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Charles Mingus: Right Now
*Charles Mingus: 1968 Peabody MA (CDR)
*Roscoe Mitchell with Ostravská Banda: Distant Radio Transmission (side 2)
*New Ting: 2023-10-10 "The Heavy Box" (wav)
*Charlie Parker: Bird at the Roost, the Savoy Years: The Complete Royal Roost Performances, Vol. One (side 1)
*Charlie Parker: Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve (disc 5)
*Annette Peacock: An Acrobat's Heart
*Pere Ubu: Live at the Longhorn April 1, 1978 (sides 1, 2, 3)
*Sam RIvers: The Quest (side 1)
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden
*Knoel Scott featuring Marshall Allen: Celestial
*Sun Ra: ESP Radio Tribute Highlights (CDR compilation) (disc 4)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Disco 3000 (Complete Milan Concert 1978) (disc 1)
*Ches Smith: Interpret It Well
*Sparks: A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip (sides 2, 3, 4)
*Taylor Swift: My Perfect 10 (Vol. 21) (CDR compilation)
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor: Conquistador! "Conquistador"
*Cecil Taylor: Respiration
*Cecil Taylor: 3 Phasis (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor/Tony Oxley: 2007-10-11 Modena, Italy (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Henry Threadgill Zooid: Poof
*Lennie Tristano: Lennie Tristano
*XTC: The Big Express (Surround Sound Series) (disc 1)
*Larry Young: Mothership
*John Zorn/Chaos Magick: 2023-09-02 San Francisco (CDR)
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 1: Mary Halvorson Quartet
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 2: Michael Nicolas/Erik Friedlander
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 16: Sam Eastmond
*John Zorn/Incerto: Full Fathom Five

Reading List, Week of 2023-10-15

Reading List 2023-10-16:

*King, Stephen. Holly (started)
*Ellroy, James. The Enchanters (finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-10-08

 

Sometimes I say a lot, sometimes I say little... not much to say this week... the new Ingrid Laubrock continues to amaze me... Coltrane always amazes me... I'll have more to say about the new Matana Roberts Coin Coin record, but damn... and every time I listen to Roscoe Mitchell, I think, why aren't I listening to this guy all the time??... but then there's Duke, and Mingus, and Cecil, and Braxton, and Sun Ra... and whoa Bill Kreutzmann! So, yeah.... 

Playlist 2023-10-09:

*Marshall Allen/Danny Ray Thompson/Jamie Saft/Trevor Dunn/Balazs Pandi/Roswell Rudd: Ceremonial Healing "Honoring the Healing Spirits"

*Art Ensemble Of Chicago: 1980-07-19 Den Haag, Netherlands (CDR)

*Daniel Barbiero/Gary Rouzer: Metamorphoses

*Paul Bley: Ballads (side 1)

*Anthony Braxton: Echo Echo Mirror House (NYC) 2011

*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 420)

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (disc 3)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 1)

*John Coltrane: Impassioned Tenor-Man (side 1)

*John Coltrane: The Major Works of John Coltrane "Kulu Sé Mama"

*John Coltrane: Live in Japan (disc 1)  "Afro Blue"

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

*Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (disc 2)

*Miles Davis Quintet: Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (side 2)

*Demian: Demian

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 4 (disc 2)

*Duke Ellington: Primping for the Prom (side 1)

*Duke Ellington: Duke 56/62 Vol. 1 (sides 1, 4)

*Exploding Star Orchestra: Stars Have Shapes "Ascension Ghost Impression #2" 

*Gang of Four: Solid Gold (side 1)

*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-08 London (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-26 London (CDR) (disc 3)

*Grateful Dead: 1973-11-11 Winterland (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1980-11-30 Atlanta (CDR) (discs 2, 3)

*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 2)

*Ingrid Laubrock/Sylvie Courvoisier/Mark Feldman/Tom Rainey: TISM

*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes

*Layers of Memory: 2019-12-07 RVA "Improvisation #1"

*Charles Mingus: Blues & Roots

*Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus with Orchestra

*Roscoe Mitchell Quintet: Turn

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden

*Pete La Roca Sims: Turkish Women at the Bath

*Soft Machine: Grides

*Sparks: No. 1 in Heaven (40th Anniversary Ed.) (sides 1, 2)

*Speaker Music: Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry (disc 1)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Super-Sonic Jazz

*Sun Ra: The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (side 2)

*Sun Ra: Cosmos

*Cecil Taylor: The World of Cecil Taylor

*Cecil Taylor: Student Studies "Amplitude"

*Cecil Taylor Quartet featuring Anthony Braxton: 2007-07-08 London (CDR)

*UYA: 1992-09-06: Heart and Lung Function (wav)

*John Zorn/Awakening Ground: 2023-08-30 San Francisco (CDR)

*John Zorn/Simulacrum: 2023-09-02  San Francisco (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2023-10-08

Reading List 2023-10-09:

*Ellroy, James. The Enchanters (started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/started)
*Litz, A. Walton. The Art of James Joyce: Method and Design in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake (finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

Reading Plan for 2024 and Beyond

 

I have been planning to do this for a while, but I have finally embarked on reading Three Kingdoms, the massive classic Chinese novel atributed to Luo Guanzhong. I am reading the 4-volume translation by Moss Roberts. The book is challenging not just because of the proliferation of similar and unfamiliar names, but because of the episodic quality of the narrative: one battle after another, with shifting loyalties, betrayals, and realignments. All this this is to say that while this will be my main novel for the next few months (the book is over 2000 pages long), I also fully expect to be distracted from time to time... 

I am also continuing my long-range plan to read all of the Arden 2nd and 3rd series Shakespeares. By my calculations I almost two-thirds of the way through this. Next up are the Henry IV-Henry V history plays.

My TBR piles are all over the place. I am going to dip into some more Finnegans Wake-related criticism in preparation for another reread in a few years. Other plans include finishing rereading Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer novels, and rereading Middlemarch and some late Henry James. So, reading and rereading basically. Eventually I am hoping for more Malazan books, and I may even dip into Wheel of Time, after enjoying the Amazon series so much.

Playlist, Week of 2023-10-01

 

Ingrid Laubrock knocks it out of the park again with Monochromes... No Ellington this week... Choosing what to listen to is such a mixed bag... I set myself goals (or restrictions) and say, next I will listen to [these artists, or these records], and that works until it doesn't... I always leave room for impulse (and Impulse!) and whim... sometimes the possibilities of choice are overwhelming, and that's where the Magic Jukebox comes in... my first iPod is totally stuffed with long-form jazz and "Dark Stars" and never fails to delight and surprise me when I need it... the second, the one featured here occasionally, is filled with shorter songs for the most part, and always satisfies my need for serendipity, variety, and juxtapositional transitions... then I can go back to my several pre-determined piles of discs and continue to work my way through a path of yet more wonderful music...

Playlist 2023-10-02:

*Art Ensemble Of Chicago: 1980-06-01 Kongsberg, Norway (CDR)
*Daniel Barbiero/Gary Rouzer: Metamorphoses
*Beatles: Help! (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (selections)
*Circle: 1971-03-03 Hamburg (CDR) "Comp. 6I"
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-07-19 Nashville (wav)
*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate
*John Coltrane: Quartet & Quintet in Europe (side 2)
*John Coltrane: 1965-03-28 Village Gate, NYC (CDR)
*Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (disc 1)
*Miles Davis: Seven Steps to Heaven
*Aaron Diehl & the Knights: Zodiac Suite
*Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch (side 1)
*Ray Draper featuring John Coltrane: A Tuba Jazz
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-11 Newcastle, Eng. (CDR) (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: Europe '72 Vol. 2 (disc 2) "Dark Star > The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-10 Washington DC (CDR) (disc 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1980-11-30 Atlanta (CDR) (disc 1)
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 1)
*Ingrid Laubrock: 2017-06-05 Moers (CDR) "Vogelfrei"
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Charles Mingus Groups: Debut Rarities Vol. 3
*Charles Mingus: Live in Stuttgart 1964 (disc 2)
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2017-05-08 "No Crickets Here" (wav)
*New Ting: 2023-08-29 "Safety in Numbers" (wav)
*Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp: We're OK. But We're Lost Anyway.
*Wadada Leo Smith: Ten Freedom Summers (discs 3, 4)
*Sparks: Propaganda
*Sparks: Whomp That Sucker
*Sparks: Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Pictures of Infinity
*Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Solar Arkestra: Space Is the Place: Music from the Original Soundtrack (disc 2)
*Sun Ra: A Fireside Chat with Lucifer (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor/Buell Neidlinger: New York City R&B
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor Ensemble: Always a Pleasure "First"
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane: 2004-03-23 NYC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Various artists: We're an American Band: A Journey through the USA Hard Rock Scene 1967-1973 (disc 3)
*Iannis Xenakis: Terretektorh/Nomos Gamma
*XTC: Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 78-80
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 14: Peter Evans
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 15: Ben Goldberg 4
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: 2023-09-01 San Francisco (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2023-10-01

Reading List 2023-10-02:
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (finished)
*Litz, A. Walton. The Art of James Joyce: Method and Design in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake (in progress)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-24

Metamorphoses is a series of typically brilliant improvisations from double bassist Daniel Barbiero and electronics wizard (he also plays cello, but not here) Gary Rouzer... I am proud to have improvised with both these guys in the past (but not at the same time).... here, Dan plays wonderful bass lines manipulated and augmented by Gary to create delightfully spacy concoctions... 

Playlist 2023-09-25:

*Daniel Barbiero/Gary Rouzer: Metamorphoses
*Béla Bartók: 6 String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) (disc 2)
*Beethoven: The Late String Quartets (disc 1) (Emerson String Quartet)
*Paul Bley: Fragments
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 1, 2)
*Peter Brötzmann Octet: The Complete Machine Gun Sessions "Machine Gun Live"
*Baikida Carroll: Shadows and Reflections
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: 2008-03-04 "No. 3 [tt, synth, dr]"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 4 (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington: Midnight in Paris (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1968-08-03 Hollywood, CA (CDR)
*Szabados György/Roscoe Mitchell: Jelenés [Revelation]
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-11-13 Kansas City (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-09 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 3, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-10 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-10-18 Winterland, SF (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Fela Kuti: Stalemate
*Fela Kuti: Fear Not for Man
*Ingrid Laubrock: The Last Quiet Place
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Counterfeit Mars
*London Jazz Composers Orchestra featuring Anthony Braxton: 1988-03-25 Basel, Switzerland (CDR) (disc 2) "Unidentified Barry Guy Composition"
*Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium
*Charles Mingus: Live in Stuttgart 1964 (disc 1)
*Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West
*Evan Parker ElectroAcoustic Septet: Seven "Seven-1"
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter One: Les Gens de Couleur Libres
*Todd Rundgren: Initiation
*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (disc 2)
*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 2) "Movement IV"
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 2)
*Sparks: The Rest of Sparks (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Taking a Chance on Chances
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Prophet
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 2
*Cecil Taylor: Love for Sale
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) (sides 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor: Respiration
*Cecil Taylor: Garden (disc 1) "Elell"
*Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One
*Robert Turman: Chapter Eleven (disc 4)
*UYA: 1992-09-02: Ice Rings, Brown Coffee (wav)
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 13: Speed Ibragon Quartet
*John Zorn/Incerto: 2023-09-02 San Francisco (CDR)

Mars Volta at the National, RVA 2023-09-19

 

Saw an amazing show last week at the National: the Mars Volta, who have reformed and are currently touring (well, that's pretty obvious...) --anyway, this was an excellent show. The band played for over two hours non-stop, a very, very intense and tightly-played set featuring healthy doses of songs from De-Loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute. The songs were connected with anarchic free passages of fusion-tinged noise and psychedelia. The lead singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, was in fine voice, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's guitar work was excellent. An overwhelming and transcendent experience!

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-24

Reading List 2023-09-25:

*Litz, A. Walton. The Art of James Joyce: Method and Design in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake (started)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (started)
*Kreutzmann, Bill, with Benjy Eisen. Deal (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/finished)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-17

 

Just a list this week...

Playlist 2023-09-18:

*AMM: The Crypt - 12th June 1968 (disc 2) "Coffin nor Shelf"
*Baby Huey: The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
*Béla Bartók: 6 String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) (disc 1)
*Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: 1965-03-07 London (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (FRM) 2007 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 46 (+168 and Language Music)
*Bubble Puppy: A Gathering of Promises
*John Coltrane: Blue Train
*John Coltrane Quartet: Africa/Brass Volumes 1 & 2
*John Coltrane: 1961-07-23? Village Gate, NYC (CDR)
*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington (Volumes 5/6) - 1940 (sides 2, 3)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1966-04-09 Dakar, Senegal (CDR)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-09 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1993-09-12 Williamsburg VA
*Neil Jendon: Cardew: Treatise, Vol. 1 (Pages 1​-​24)
*Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly
*London Experimental Ensemble: Cornelius Cardew's Treatise (disc 2)
*Charles Mingus: Mingus at the Bohemia
*Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus with Orchestra
*New Ting: 2022-06-07 "Undergrowth" (wav)
*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (disc 1)
*Leo Smith Creative Orchestra: Budding of a Rose "Budding of a Rose"
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: The Magic City (remastered and expanded stereo version)
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: 1965-07-02 Newport (CDR) "Steps"
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane (Ubuntu): 2005-12-18 (CDR) (disc 1)
*Various artists: We're an American Band: A Journey through the USA Hard Rock Scene 1967-1973 (discs 1, 2)
*John Zorn: In the Hall of Mirrors
*John Zorn New Electric Masada: 2023-09-03 San Francisco (CDR)
*John Zorn's Cobra: 2023-09-03 San Francisco (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-17

Reading List 2023-09-18:

*Kreutzmann, Bill, with Benjy Eisen. Deal (started)
*Radtke, Kristen. Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness (finished)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-10

Who knew that John Zorn has turned out to be a brilliant composer of classic jazz piano trios? Probably lots of folks, and I'm just playing catch-up... Zorn has written and produced a formidable array of piano trios, with absolutely stunning painists like Craig Taborn (Flaga), Stephen Gosling (In the Hall of Mirrors), Kris Davis (Bagatelles), and most fruitfully, Brian Marsella (Buer, Bagatelles, Calculus, and many, many others)... Tyshawn Sorey contributes fantastic drums in these settings as well (In the Hall of Mirrors, Flaga)... great stuff...

Playlist 2023-09-11:

*Allman Brothers: Eat a Peach (disc 1)

*Art Ensemble Of Chicago: 1980-05-23 Moers (CDR)

*Beach Boys: 1967: Sunshine Tomorrow (discs 1, 2)

*Beatles: 1963-04-04 Stowe School, Buckingham (CDR)

*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 mono remaster)

*Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 (discs 3, 4)

*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (FRM) 2007 (disc 1)

*Clash: London Calling

*John Coltrane:  Trane's First Ride 1951 [Dizzy Gillespie] (side 1)

*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate (side 4)

*Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra: 1957-07-01 Ravinia Festival, Chicago (CDR)

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1963-02-05 Helsinki (CDR) (disc 2)

*Grateful Dead: Hundred Year Hall (1972-04-26 Frankfurt) (disc 2) "Truckin' > The Other One"

*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-03 Paris (CDR) (disc 3)

*Grateful Dead: 1972-07-26 Portland (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1973-05-26 San Francisco (CDR) (disc 4)

*Holst, Gustav: The Planets (BBC Philharmonic/Yan Pascal Totelier)

*London Experimental Ensemble: Cornelius Cardew's Treatise (disc 1)

*Charles Mingus: Mingus in Europe Vol. 2 (side 2)

*Charles Mingus: Mingus Moves

*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-12-11 "Burrito Response" Bandito's, RVA (wav)

*Wadada Leo Smith: Ten Freedom Summers (disc 2)

*Sparks: Indiscreet

*Sparks: Introducing Sparks

*Sparks: No. 1 in Heaven (40th Anniversary Ed.) (sides 1, 2)

*Sparks: Balls

*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: The Magic City (remastered and expanded stereo version)

*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Ultra 21st Century Arkestra: 1990-06-27 Lugano, Switzerland (disc 2)

*Cecil Taylor: In Transition (side 3)

*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) (sides 1, 2)

*Cecil Taylor New AHA Trio + Andy Bey: 2007-05-06 NYC (CDR)

*Robert Turman: Chapter Eleven (disc 3)

*UYA: 1994-10-13 Hey, Turn That Fan Off, Will Ya? (wav) (side B)

*John Zorn: Flaga (Book of Angels Vol. 27)

*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Buer (Book of Angels Vol. 31)

*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Calculus "Parabolas"

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-10

 

Reading List 2023-09-11:

*Radtke, Kristen. Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness (started)
*Barth, John. The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor (reread/finished)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-03

Strange Celestial Roads is one of Sun Ra's strongest studio recordings... "I'll Wait for You" is unstoppable... I love the quiet placidity of Paul Bley's takes on the music of Annette Peacock... The other Village Gate recording of John Coltrane in 1961 features a unique live recording of "Olé"... There's "Dark Star," and then there's the other one... what is it called, the other long piece the Dead used to use to take it out, before (and during) the time "Playing in the Band" began to expand? Oh, yeah, "The Other One".... I am starting to really enjoy exploring the other "Other Ones" that really take it out there... case in point: 1972-03-28, Academy of Music... whoa... 

Playlist 2023-09-04:

*AMM: Ammmusic "Later during a Flaming Riviera Sunset"
*Paul Bley: Live in Haarlem
*Paul Bley: Annette
*Paul Bley/Evan Parker/Barre Phillips: Time Will Tell
*Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII (disc 3)
*Peter Brötzmann: Fuck De Boere "Fuck De Boere"
*Peter Brötzmann/Milford Graves/William Parker: Historic Music Past Tense Future
*Dave Bryant: Night Visitors
*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate
*John Coltrane: 1961-07-23? Village Gate, NYC (CDR)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Duke Ellington Carnegie Hall Concerts, December 1944 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1963-02-05 Helsinki (CDR) (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1966-04-09 Dakar, Senegal (CDR)
*Fire! Orchestra: Echoes (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 30 (1972-03-28 Academy of Music, NYC) (discs 3, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-05-26 San Francisco (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*John Medeski Trio: 2023-04-02 Big Ears Festival, Knoxville TN (CDR)
*Charles Mingus: Pre-Bird
*Charles Mingus: Changes Two
*Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus
*Santana: Welcome (selections)
*Santana: 1975-06-20 Charlotte NC (CDR)
*Wadada Leo Smith: Ten Freedom Summers (disc 1)
*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Sound of Joy
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Visits Planet Earth
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun
*Sun Ra: Solo Keyboards, Minnesota 1978
*Sun Ra: Strange Celestial Road
*Cecil Taylor: Looking Ahead!
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: Stereo Drive
*Robert Turman: Chapter Eleven (disc 2) 

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-03

 

Reading List 2023-09-04:

*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (started)
*Mingus, Charles. More than a Fakebook (reread/finished)
*Barth, John. The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor (reread/in progress)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/in progress)

Magic Jukebox Shuffle Time

I realized it's been over three years since I lasted posted a bonus playlist from the Magic Jukebox 2, so here's another one!

1. Mary Wells - Prove it
2. Chris Clark - If you should walk away
3. Residents - Diskomo
4. Candy and the Kisses - The 81
5. Charlie Rich - It's too late
6. Beach Boys - You still believe in me
7. Dan Penn - Miss Personality
8. Petula Clark - Coke commercial
9. Stooges - L.A. blues
10. Soft Machine - Hibou, Anemone, and Bear
11. Tower of Power - This time it's real
12. Rufus/Chaka Khan - At midnight
13. Bull Moose Jackson - Big ten inch record
14. Santana - Gumbo
15. Matching Mole - Nan True's hole
16. Dan Penn - I dig a big town
17. Leslie Gore - Hey now (live)
18. Brian Wilson - This beautiful day
19. Tad Thaddock - Bad Bunny Hill
20. Rolling Stones - I just want to make love to you
21. Weather Report - Birdland
22. Charles Mingus Octet - Pink Topsy
23. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - The man in you
24. Santana - Jugando
25. Sun Ra - Untitled improvisation (live Detroit 1980)
26. Miles Davis - Spanish key
27. Ruth Brown - Wild wild young men
28. Duke Ellington - Grievin' (live Boston 1938)
29. Beach Boys - Never learn not to love
30. Supremes - You can't hurry love
31. Beach Boys - The night was so young (vocals only)
32. James Blood Ulmer - Woman coming
33. Guided By Voices: Running off with the Fun City girls
34. Impressions - We're rolling on (pts. 1 & 2)
35. Henry Cow - Halsteren: Extension 4
36. Wee Willie Walker -There goes my used to be
37. Beach Boys - This whole world (vocals only)
38. Steely Dan - My rival
39. Zach Hill - Face tat
40. Go! Team - Ladyflash
41. Naked City - Cairo chop shop
42. De La Soul - A rolle skating jam named "Saturday"
43. Deliver us from the elements - XTC
44. Foundations - Back on my feet again
45. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - How do I let a good man down?
46. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Very yes
47. OOIOO - Jesso testa
48. Simulacrum - Alterities
49. Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas - Little children (live)
50. Temptations - Who you gonna run to
51. J.B.s - My brother pts. 1 & 2
52. Chicago - Free (live Carnegie Hall)
53. Tower of Power - Get yo' feet back on the ground (live)
54. Bob Dylan - Baby let me follow you down (live 1966)
55. Roy "C" - I wasn't there
56. Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters - Toasted pickle
57. Santana - Taboo
58. Spring - It's like heaven
59. Big Star - Feel
60. Thundercat - Uh uh
61. UYA - The fan is ____
62. Allied Chemical Brothers - G-tar
63. Earth Wind & Fire - Serpentine fire
64. Rolling Stones - It won't take long
65. Precisions - If this is love (I'd rather be lonely)
66. Pat Stallworth - Questions (pt. 1)
67. Bettye Swann - Make me yours
68. Duke Ellington - My greatest mistake
69. Duke Ellington - Dear old Southland (t. 2)
70. Duke Ellington - Something
71. Robert Wyatt - Out of the blue
72. Sparks - Sainthood is not in your future
73. Robert Wyatt - Little Red Robin Hood hit the road
74. James Brown - I'm a greedy man
75. Johnny Burnette Trio - The train kept a-rollin'
76. Negro Problem - Joys: Sea of heat
77. Etta James - Sweet little angel (live)
78. Happy the Man - Ibby it is
79. Muffins - Horsebones (remix)
80. Mary Wells - Drop in the bucket
81. Little Walter - Blues with a feeling
82. Funkadelic - She loves you
83. Barbara George - If you think
84. Carla Thomas - Comfort me
85. Impressions - Only you
86. Michael Rubini - Blues cha cha
87. Beach Boys - Child is the father to the man
88. Supremes - Baby love
89. Paul McCartney - Oo you
90. Irma Thomas - Without love
91. Funkadelic - (Not just) Knee deep
92. Sun Ra - Sometimes I'm happy (live 1978)
93. Rolling Stones - You can't always get what you want
94. Duke Ellington - The lady who couldn't be kissed
95. Laura Lee - Crumbs off the table
96. Sly & the Family Stone - Family affair
97. Steely Dan - Don't take me alive
98. James Brown - Let a man come in and do the Popcorn
99. Duke Ellington - Summer samba
100. Chris Clark - Whisper you love me boy