Playlist, Week of 2024-04-21

 Well, it would appear I am not quite done with my deep dive into Muhal Richard Abrams yet... I discovered a few more concert recordings I'd lost track of, and I am still getting a lot out of returning to the '90s albums... between Muhal (these days), Anthony Braxton, Sun Ra, and Cecil Taylor (all the time), my playlist must seem a bit same-y from week to week... but of course the music sustains and encourages this kind of repeated listening, and I am not tired of it yet... 

Playlist 2024-04-22:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: FamilyTalk
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Think All Focus One
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Song for All
*Muhal Richard Abrams: One Line, Two Views
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Celestial Birds
*Zoh Amba: The Flower School
*Jeff Beck Group: Rough and Ready (side 1)
*Anthony Braxton with the Creative Jazz Orchestra: Composition No. 175, Composition No. 126 Trillium-Dialogues M (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 6, 7, 8, 9)
*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (discs 6, 7) (streaming)
*Sonny Clark: The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (disc 2)
*Kris Davis Trio: 2022-05-13 NYC (CDR)
*Jack DeJohnette/Made in Chicago: 2015-07-11 Rotterdam (CDR)
*Duke Ellington: 1899-1974 (sides 5, 6)
*Bill Evans: Trio 64
*Robert Fripp: Love Cannot Bear: Soundscapes - Live in the USA
*Benny Goodman: Fletcher Henderson Arrangements (CDR compilation) (disc 1)
*Lesley Gore: The Golden Hits of Lesley Gore (side 2)
*Grant Green: Street of Dreams
*Mary Halvorson/Jessica Pavone: Departure of Reason
*Alexander Hawkins Trio: Alexander Hawkins Trio
*Fletcher Henderson: Tidal Wave (selections)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Stir Crazy (CDR compilation) (discs 2, 3)
*Michael Mantler: No Answer/Silence (disc 1)
*John Medeski: Crawlspace
*Myra Melford: 2009-07-07 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Mendoza Hoff Revels: Echolocation
*Minutemen: Introducing the Minutemen
*Muffins: 1979-03-03 Bethesda MD (CDR) (disc 2)
*New Ting: 2024-04-17 OSB, Richmond VA (wav)
*Zeena Parkins/Ikue Mori: Phantom Orchard
*Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time (sides 1, 2)
*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (side 1)
*Sonic Youth: Sister
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Media Dreams (sides 1, 2)
*Li Chin Sung: Past
*Justin Timberlake: Tiny Desk Concert
*UMO Jazz Orchestra: UMO Plays the Music of Muhal Richard Abrams
*UYA: 1992-12-02/06 Attitude Extrusion (wav)
*Alex Ward: Gated
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 10: Julian Lage and Gyan Riley
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 11: Jim Black Quartet

Reading List, Week of 2024-04-21

Reading List 2024-04-22:

*Roth, Philip. American Pastoral (started)
*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (finished)
*Ruff, Matt. The Destroyer of Worlds (finished)
*Bradbury, Ray. Home to Stay! The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Anthony B. Dawson and Gretchen E. Minton) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-04-14

Getting into some later Muhal Richard Abrams this week... the 2012 reuniuon show of the Experimental Band from Saalfelden is a knockout, with a truly awesome lineup including Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Amina Claudine Myers, Wadada Leo Smith, and George Lewis... the AACM All-Stars... I need to listen more to the 2016 quintet with Jonathan Finlayson... In the meanwhile, Jack DeJohnette's Made in Chicago project is another mindblower, again with Mitchell and Threadgill... Muhal especially shines on the Threadgill composition "Leave Don't Go Away"... and this live version of "Chant" (a classic Roscoe Mitchell composition) features Muhal joyfully stretching out, especially at the end... great playing all around...

Playlist 2024-04-15:

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

*Muhal Richard Abrams Quintet: 2016-01-31 Milano (CDR)

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Paris Session "The Ninth Room" 

*Beatles: Beatles for Sale (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 4, 5)

*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 5) (streaming)

*James Brown and the Famous Flames: Think! (side 2)

*Don Cherry/Penderecki/New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra: Actions "Actions"

*Sonny Clark: The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (disc 1)

*Rodger Coleman: Guitar Experiments

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)

*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate (side 2)

*Sylvie Courvoisier: Signs and Epigrams

*Jack DeJohnette: Made in Chicago

*Fire! Orchestra/Krzysztof Penderecki: Actions

*Aretha Franklin: Aretha Now (side 2)

*Fully Celebrated Orchestra: Sob Story

*Mary Halvorson: Cloudward

*Alexander Hawkins Mirror Canon: Break a Vase

*Fletcher Henderson: Swing's the Thing (1931-1934) (side 1)

*High Llamas: Hey Panda

*Dave Holland New Quartet: 2023-07-13 Pori, Finland (CDR)

*Kinks: The Journey: Part 1 (side 3)

*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Stir Crazy (CDR compilation) (disc 1)

*Michael Mantler: The Hapless Child

*Michael Mantler: Many Have No Speech

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: 2024-03-23 Knoxville TN (CDR)

*Roscoe Mitchell Orchestra: Littlefield Concert Hall, Mills College, March 19-20, 2018

*Butch Morris: Butch Morris Conducts Berlin Skyscraper (disc 1)

*Evan Parker ElectroAcoustic Septet: Seven "Seven-2"

*Annette Peacock: Sky-Skating

*Annette Peacock: Paradiso, Amsterdam February 21 1991

*Annette Peacock: 31:31

*Annette Peacock: 4 Emilia-Romagna W/LV

*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (side 1)

*Yamamoto Seiichi: Nu Frequency

*Ches Smith: Laugh Ash

*Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings Vol. 1 (selections)

*Soft Machine: Fifth

*Sparks: Balls (sides 1, 2, 3)

*Cecil Taylor Orchestra of Two Continents: 1984-10-20 Rubigen, Switzerland (CDR) (disc 2)

*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 2)

*Henry Threadgill Very Very Circus: Spirit of Nuff…Nuff

*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: This Brings Us To, Volumes I & II (side 1)

*UYA: 1992-11-17 Sonic Extruder (wav)

*Anna Webber/Matt Mitchell: Capacious Aeration

*Nate Wooley: Mutual Aid Music (disc 1)

*John Zorn/Bladeunner: 2000-07-03 London (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2024-04-14

Reading List 2024-04-15:

*Bradbury, Ray. Home to Stay! The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories (started)
*Ruff, Matt. The Destroyer of Worlds (started)
*Link, Kelly. The Book of Love (started/finished)
*Clowes, Daniel. Monica (finished)
*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Anthony B. Dawson and Gretchen E. Minton) (reread/in progress)

 

New Ting Gig Wednesday April 17, 2024 RVA

 

Coming up this Wednesday: New Ting gig at OSB. Opening for Setting, from North Carolina. Really looking forward to seeing them!

Playlist, Week of 2024-04-07

SoundDance has primo live piano work from Muhal Richard Abrams, duetting with Fred Anderson (and joined by George Lewis on disc 2)... The trio recordings with Lewis and Roscoe Mitchell are key later AACM works... I'll be wrapping up my runthrough of Muhal's work soon but there are still lots of loose ends and repeats to come... I'm liking the new Myra Melford Fire and Water Quintet album more than the first one... it's more cohesive... just lovely playing... Duke Ellington never had a better singer than Ivie Anderson... I swoon when "A Lonely Coed" comes on... Not so sure about the new High Llamas... too much autotune, not enough strong melodies... this, after 5-6 listenings... the title track is nice... Bandmate Fred lent me this old Sun Ra LP to identify it... he bought it from the band in the late '70s... totally blank white cover, white label, but markings on the vinyl plus the music itself revealed it to be Media Dreams... I got chills playing it: the first Saturn I've ever actually touched and played... it sounded great... 

Playlist 2024-04-08:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Lifea Blinec (side 2)

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2008-08-17 Antwerp (CDR)

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2009-08-29 S. Anna Arresi, Italy (CDR)

*Muhal Richard Abrams/Roscoe Mitchell: Spectrum

*Muhal Richard Abrams: SoundDance (discs 1, 2)

*Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 2, 3)

*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (discs 2, 3, 4) (streaming)

*James Brown: In the Jungle Groove (sides 3, 4)

*Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)

*Ornette Coleman: Love Call (side 1)

*Rodger Coleman: Guitar Experiments

*Rodger Coleman and Andrew Dickson: 2016-11-02 Nashville (CDR)

*Kris Davis Trio: 2022-05-13 NYC (CDR)

*Mike Elder/Harry Forrest/Greg Jordan/Sam Byrd: New CDR Compilation (disc 1) "Dental Clarity"

*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Presents Ivie Anderson (sides 2, 3, 4)

*Tomas Fujiwara's Triple Double: March

*Frode Gjerstad/Isach Skeidsvoll: Twenty Fingers

*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-04 San Francisco (Download Series Vol. 8)

*Grateful Dead: 1971-11-07 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Alexander Hawkins Trio: Carnival Celestial

*Fletcher Henderson: A Study in Frustration (side 2)

*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival

*High Llamas: Hey Panda

*Ahmad Jamal: The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions 1956-62 (disc 3)

*Layers of Memory: 2019-12-07 RVA (wav)"Improvisation No. 4"

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: For the Love of Fire and Water

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: Hear the Light Singing

*Matt Mitchell: Fiction

*Neighbours: Neighbours with Anthony Braxton

*P-Funk Guitar Army: Tributes to Jimi Hendrix, Vol. 1

*Zeena Parkins/Ikue Mori: Phantom Orchard

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

*Annette Peacock: Abstract-Contact

*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (sides 1, 2)

*Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings Vol. 1 (selections)

*Sonic Youth: Evol

*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: In the Orbit of Ra (side 1)

*Sun Ra and his Arkestra: Media Dreams (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra: On Jupiter (side 2)

*Henry Threadgill Sextet: Subject to Change (side 2)

*Henry Threadgill Society Situation Dance Band: 1997-07-12 Den Haag (CDR)

*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: This Brings Us To, Volumes I & II (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)

*UYA: 1992-11-08/10: Double Load Love (wav)

*UYA: 1992-11-10 O.D.-in' w/Donald (wav) 

Reading List, Week of 2024-04-07

Reading List 2024-04-08:

*Clowes, Daniel. Monica (started)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Anthony B. Dawson and Gretchen E. Minton) (reread/started)
*Ruff, Matt. Lovecraft Country (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/finished)
*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-03-31

I am easing back into my deep dive into the music of Muhal Richard Abrams... I will definitely return to the mid-sized group recordings of the '90s, but now I am starting to delve into the remarkable series of trio recordings he did with George Lewis and Roscoe Mitchell... a most formidable lineup, for sure... especially with the layer of Lewis's Voyager electronics added in the mix... I am also excited about the release of the new Anthony Braxton box set, which I will be streaming over the next few days...

Playlist 2024-04-01:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: The Visibility of Thought

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2003-09-20 Venice (CDR)

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: Streaming

*Ahleuchatistas: Expansion

*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 mono remaster)

*Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Incidentals "Sideshow"

*Paul Bley: Live in Haarlem "Blood"

*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 410)

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (disc 1)

*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 1) (streaming)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 12)

*Kris Davis Trio: 2022-05-13 NYC (CDR)

*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Presents Ivie Anderson (side 1)

*Extra Large Unit: More Fun Please

*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 3)

*Grateful Dead: 1990-03-19 Hartford CT (CDR) (discs 2, 3)

*Barry Guy/London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Ode (discs 1, 2)

*High Llamas: Hey Panda

*Kinks: The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (Special Deluxe Ed.) (disc 2)

*Led Zeppelin: III

*John Mayall with Eric Clapton: Blues Breakers

*Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra/Small Unit: Spectral Fiction

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: Hear the Light Singing

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: 2024-03-23 Knoxville TN (CDR)

*Matt Mitchell: Fiction

*Muffins: 1979-03-03 Bethesda MD (CDR) (disc 1)

*New Ting: 2024-03-04 "Slippery Traffic" (wav)

*Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson

*Annette Peacock: I Have No Feelings

*Matthew Shipp Trio: 2012-11-10 London (CDR)

*Ches Smith: Interpret It Well

*Ches Smith: Laugh Ash

*Sparks: Progress (12-in. maxi-single) (sides 1, 2)

*Sparks: Pretending To Be Drunk (12-in. maxi-single) (sides 1, 2)

*Trio M: 2009-10-31 Tampere, Finland (CDR) (track 1)

*Various artists: Golden Voices from the Silver Screen Vol. 2

*Various artists: Studio One 007: Licensed to Ska

*Various artists: Mix 4 Sammy (CDR compilation)

*Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (selections) 

Reading List, Week of 2024-03-31

Reading List 2024-04-01:

*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (started)
*Ruff, Matt. Lovecraft Country (started)
*Sorrentino, Gilbert. Little Casino (reread/finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-03-24

Busy week, with Big Ears taking up most of the listening time... there may be a Big Ears report at some point... Best of show: Ingrid Laubrock, Myra Melford, Kris Davis, Ches Smith, Tomeka Reid...

Playlist 2024-03-25:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Vision Towards Essence
*Jon Anderson: Olias of Sunhillow
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Miles Davis: The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (disc 5)
*Dave Douglas: Five
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Jefferson Pilot: The Return of Troubled Youth Orchestra "TYO/Open Your Eyes"
*Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory: 1994-08-28 Saalfelden (CDR)
*New Ting: 2024-03-04 "Slippery Traffic" (wav)
*Richard Pinhas: Tranzition

*David Sancious and Tone: Transformation (The Speed of Love) "Transformation (The Speed of Love)"
*Sharp/Lopez/Kaiser/Amendola: Minus X: A Tribute to the Music of Iannis Xenakis (disc 2)
*Wayne Shorter: 2010-10-27 Zurich (CDR)
*Ches Smith: Laugh Ash
*Sun Ra: Blue Delight "They Dwell on Other Planes"
*UYA: 1992-11-03: The Jazz Stains (wav)
*Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 9: Asmodeus

Reading List, Week of 2024-03-24

Reading List 2024-03-25:

*Sorrentino, Gilbert. Little Casino (reread/started)
*Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility (reread/finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/in progress)

Tim Berne Trio at the Camel, RVA

Excellent show last night from Tim Berne, with Gregg Belisle-Chi on guitar and Tom Rainey on drums. This was the first time I'd seen Rainey, and he was a pleasure to watch. Berne's knotty compositions were the perfect framework for Rainey to build slowly-evolving sound constructions. Rainey is not a timid player. Berne's razor-sharp tone was in full effect. A fascinating show, and a great appetizer for Big Ears...

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-03-17

These four medium-sized big band Muhal Richard Abrams studio recordings from the early '90s all kind of run together in my mind... I obviously need to listen to them more in order to differentiate them... there's a lot going on in them, with each piece stylistically its own thing... Something I need to come to terms with: I am not so fond of his synthesizer work... what he's playing is fine, and fits in with the pieces, sort of, but it feels like he is using manufacturer pre-set tones... perhaps it's grossly unfair to compare his synth work with Sun Ra's, but who else in the jazz big band universe employs synthesizers in these ways? (I'm sure there are others.... let me know who I'm missing...)... to me, Sun Ra's use of synthesizers is more organic and inventive, and is better integrated into the music... but (in all seriousness) what do I know? Muhal's synthesizer work doesn't move me like Ra's does... This coming week I'll be taking a short break from my Muhal Richard Abrams deep dive... I'll be attending Big Ears and thus will be otherwise preoccupied! Will pick it back up the week after... 

Playlist 2024-03-18:

*Muhal Richard Abrams Sextet: 1973-11-04 Berlin (CDR)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: 1986-03-28 Charlottesville VA (CDR)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: FamilyTalk
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Think All Focus One
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Song for All
*Muhal Richard Abrams: One Line, Two Views
*Louis Armstrong: The Louis Armstrong Story Vol. 3: Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines (side 1)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City: Live at Iridium (disc 2)
*Daniel Barbiero/Cristiano Bocci: Now/Here
*Paul Bley: Live in Haarlem
*Terri Lyne Carrington: New Standards, Vol. 1
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 11)
*Chick Corea: The Complete "Is" Sessions (disc 2)
*Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Best of Duke Ellington (side 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 6 (disc 1)
*Farmers By Nature: Love and Ghosts "Aquilo"
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 2)
*Samuel Goff: Transmissions
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-10 Washington DC (CDR) (disc 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1990-03-19 Hartford CT (CDR) (disc 1)
*Mary Halvorson: Cloudward
*Andrew Hill Trio: 1972 Yellow Springs, OH (CDR)
*London Jazz Composers Orchestra featuring Anthony Braxton: 1988-03-25 Basel, Switzerland (CDR) (disc 2)
*Charles Mingus and His Jazz Groups: Mingus Dynasty (side 1)
*Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory: 2000-09-02 Chicago (CDR)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Not Yet: Six Compositions
*National Health: National Health (side 1)
*New Ting: 2024-03-04 "Slippery Traffic" (wav)
*Sam Rivers: Sizzle (side 1)
*Ernesto Rodrigues/Guilherme Rodrigues/Daniel Barbiero: [The] Nature [of Things] Likes to Hide
*Ches Smith: Laugh Ash
*Soft Machine: Fourth (side 2)
*Sparks: Propaganda (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: The Rest of Sparks (side 1)
*Sparks: Big Beat (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Saturn XIII (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Omniverse (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor Quartet: In Europe (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 7)
*Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One
*UYA: 1992-10-27: The Flaw Won (wav)
*UYA: 1992-11-01: Actifact (wav)
*Various artists: 7 x 7
*Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince 

Reading List, Week of 2024-03-17

Reading List 2024-03-18:

*Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility (reread/started)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/started)
*Carroll, Emily. A Guest in the House (started/finished)
*Empson, William. Seven Types of Ambiguity (finished)
*Paulo, Joaquim. Jazz Covers (finished)
*Subitzky, Ed. Poor Helpless Comics! The Cartoons (and More) of Ed Subitzky (finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

 

Cecil Taylor: Memories and Some Resources

 

Six years after his death, I find myself listening to Cecil Taylor as much as I ever have. I was lucky enough to see him several times. The first time was one of the greatest concerts of my life: the Unit at Blues Alley in Washington DC in 1980, for two sets of incredibly dense and unrelenting energy. Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, William Parker, Rashid Bakr. Blues Alley was a fairly small club, with no stage, and our table (me and my brother and our bemused but patient girlfriends) was directly in front, right in front of Cecil. The piano was angled so we could see his fingers and the piano keys from the angle of his right shoulder. This was almost too much to bear; I get chills thinking about it even now.

Afterwards we were lucky enough to talk to both Cecil and Jimmy Lyons (and yes, this white fanboy got their autographs on my copy of Spring of Two Blue-J's). They were both gentlemen, if a bit reticent and wary (I mean, after all, they had just exploded the cosmos for two hours), but they put up with us for a few minutes. What would I say to him now? Thanks again, for blowing my mind all these years?

Here's a random list of various resources and writing about Cecil Taylor that I have found useful over the years. It's hard to write about music, and it's especially difficult to write about the titanic maelstrom and towering achievements of a giant like Taylor, so I really appreciate it when I come across writing that manages to capture some of his intensity and originality in print. This list is not meant to be exhaustive by any means; this is just some of my favorite writing about Taylor: useful places to explore.

Gary Giddins has long been a champion of Taylor's, and his writing is always impeccably astute. The essays and reviews in Visions of Jazz (especially pp. 455-467) and Weather Bird are always enlightening, and, like any good music writing, send you back to the music.

Richard Cook and Brian Morton, in their exemplary Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD (my favorite edition is the 5th, the last to include an in-depth and indispensable index) always provide excellent reviews and critical assessments.

I love Ekkehard Jost's relatively early (1974) take on Cecil's music, in his book Free Jazz, with his description of Taylor's emphasis on "a kind of playing whose dynamic impetus arose not from off-beat phrasing but from combining the parameters of time, intensity and pitch, thereby creating a new music quality, energy"(p. 69).

Musician Alex Ward has done some amazing detailed analysis of Taylor's work, both on his blog and in three extended compilations on YouTube. There's a lifetime of listening in his analyses alone!

After Taylor's death, there were naturally a lot of testaments, tributes, and career summaries on the web. Some of the best included:

 

--Alexander Hawkins: "The Unit Structures of Cecil Taylor" (the Wire)

--Taylor Ho Bynum:  "Visceral and Cathartic Joy: An Appreciation of Cecil Taylor" (Point of Departure) with reminiscences of his playing in Cecil's large ensembles.

--Adam Shatz: "The World of Cecil Taylor" (the New York Review of Books)

--David Grundy: " '...And Not Goodbye': Cecil Taylor" Part 1 and Part 2 (from his blog Streams of Expression) --includes an invaluable extended analysis of Taylor's poetry

--the Free Jazz Collective blog ran an excellent three-part "tribute to Cecil Taylor's music through his discography": Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

I am looking forward to Phil Freeman's upcoming biography of Taylor, due out later this year. I also read somewhere that Ben Young was working on a Taylor book, but I have heard no more about that.

Playlist, Week of 2024-03-10

My Muhal Richard Abrams deep dive continues... as you can tell, I am repeating a lot of albums, since these recordings are so dense and rich and I love returning to them... I am starting to get into the later orchestra and medium-sized group albums, which I am less familiar with, and they sound great!... On Anthony Braxton's Creative Orchestra Music 1976, "Comp. 55" (side 2, track 2) has a beautifully compact Muhal piano solo... 

Playlist 2024-03-11:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Spihumonesty
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Mama and Daddy (side 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams Quintet: 1977-03-04 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: The Hearinga Suite
*Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: Blu Blu Blu
*Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: 1991-11-01 Berlin (CDR)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: FamilyTalk
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Think All Focus One
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City: Live at Iridium (disc 1)
*Beach Boys: Wake the World: The Friends Sessions
*Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13, Op. 130 (Juilliard String Quartet)
*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Braxton 1971 "Comp. 6J"
*Anthony Braxton: Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton Large Ensemble: 2008-12-03 Wesleyan (CDR) "Comp. 100/134/91"
*Anthony Braxton's Sonic Genome Project: 2010-01-31 Vancouver (CDR) (disc 1)
*James Brown: Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (side 2)
*Rodger Coleman: Real Gone "Moogertron"
*Rodger Coleman and Andrew Dickson: 2016-11-02 Nashville (CDR)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 10)
*Chick Corea: The Complete "Is" Sessions (disc 1)
*Sylvie Courvoisier/Ikue Mori/Evan Parker: 2017-06-04 Moers (DVD)
*Creative Construction Company: Creative Construction Company Vol. II
*Daft Punk: Discovery
*Danger Mouse: The Grey Album
*Miles Davis: 1973-01-12 NYC (DVD)
*Duke Ellington: 1938 (side 3)
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-05 Fillmore West, NYC (CDR)
*Grateful Dead: 1983-10-12 NYC (CDR) (disc 3)
*George Lewis: Shadowgraph, 5 (Sextet)
*Muffins: 1979-02-25 Bethesda MD (CDR)
*New Ting: 2024-02-19 RVA (wav)
*Annette Peacock: I'm the One
*Prince: 1999 (side 4)
*Sparks: Angst in My Pants (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor: 1999-04-21 Culver City, CA (CDR)
*Cecil Taylor Ensemble: Almeda
*Henry Threadgill Zooid: In for a Penny, In for a Pound (disc 2) "Unoepic (for Guitar)"
*David Torn/Tim Berne/Ches Smith: Sun Of Goldfinger "Spartan, Before It Hit"
*UYA: 1992-09: Live Masscann and After (wav)
*UYA: 1992-09-29/10-04: Puff Rub (wav)
*UYA: 1992-10-04/10: Melt the Chocolate (wav)
*XTC: Rag & Bone Buffet
*Dionne Warwick: The Complete 1960s Singles Plus (selections)
*Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince

Reading List, Week of 2024-03-10

My son says a better title for the Empson book would be "Six or Seven Types of Ambiguity"...

Reading List 2024-03-11:

*Empson, William. Seven Types of Ambiguity (started)
*Paulo, Joaquim. Jazz Covers (started)
*Garner, Dwight. The Upstairs Delicatessen (finished)
*Williams, William Carlos. The Farmers' Daughters: The Collected Stories of William Carlos Williams (finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Subitzky, Ed. Poor Helpless Comics! The Cartoons (and More) of Ed Subitzky (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2024-03-03

Two major big band masterpieces from Muhal Richard Abrams this week: The Hearinga Suite and Blu Blu Blu... so much to say about both of these... well, I ain't saying anything now... except that Blu Blu Blu has an excellent reworking of "Bloodline" that features absolute killer piano from Abrams... and: let's hear it for the whistler!

Playlist 2024-03-04

*Muhal Richard Abrams: 1978 Laren, Holland (CDR)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Rejoicing with the Light (side 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: The Hearinga Suite
*Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: Blu Blu Blu
*Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell: Duets and Solos
*Barry Altschul: You Can't Name Your Own Tune
*Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
*Beach Boys: The Smile Sessions (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Jacob Bivins/Ian Davis: Benthic
*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton (discs 7, 8)
*Anthony Braxton: Two Compositions (Orchestra) 2005
*Anthony Braxton: Echo Echo Mirror House (NYC) 2011
*Ornette Coleman: Ornette at 12, Crisis to Man on the Moon Revisited
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Elvis Costello: Taking Liberties (sides 1, 2)
*Aaron Diehl and the Knights: Zodiac Suite
*Fats Domino: They Call Me the Fat Man... (The Legendary Imperial Recordings) (selections)
*Duke Ellington: Ellington '66 (side 2)
*Nick Fraser/Kris Davis/Tony Malaby: Zoning
*Glass Triangle: Blue and Sun-Lights
*Grateful Dead: 1983-10-12 NYC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Fletcher Henderson: The Complete Fletcher Henderson 1927-1936 (side 4)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: 2017-01-04 NYC (CDR)
*Thelonious Monk: Monk's Music
*New Ting: 2024-02-19 RVA (wav)
*Original Silence: The Second Original Silence
*Tony Oxley/Derek Bailey Quartet: Tony Oxley/Derek Bailey Quartet
*Tony Oxley Sextet: 1998-09-10 Cologne (CDR)
*Jeff Parker: The New Breed
*Annette Peacock: 4 Emilia-Romagna W/LV
*Max Roach: The Max Roach Trio Featuring the Legendary Hasaan
*Rolling Stones: Aftermath (Expanded mono ed.)
*David Sancious: The Bridge
*Sleepwalker: Skopofoboexoskelett
*Tamio Shiraishi: Sora
*Tyshawn Sorey and Marilyn Crispell: The Adornment of Time
*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor Big Band: 1995-07-03 NYC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Traffic: John Barleycorn Must Die
*UYA: 1992-09-09: What Gomer Likes (wav)
*Various artists: Masters of the Modern Piano 1955-1966 (side 2)
*Various artists: Ethiopian Groove: The Golden Seventies
*WSAM: D.Reamin' (CDR compilation)
*John Zorn Electric Masada: 2003-01-30 NYC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: 2023-09-01 San Francisco "Suite for Piano" (CDR) 

Reading List, Week of 2024-03-03

Reading List 2024-03-04:

*Subitzky, Ed. Poor Helpless Comics! The Cartoons (and More) of Ed Subitzky (started)
*Williams, William Carlos. The Farmers' Daughters: The Collected Stories of William Carlos Williams (started)
*Marshall, James. George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends (started/finished)
*Cisco, Michael. Animal Money (finished)
*Partridge, Andy. Popartery (finished)
*Garner, Dwight. The Upstairs Delicatessen (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-02-25

 

My Muhal Richard Abrams listening this week focused on the amazing run of albums he released on Black Saint in the 1980s and '90s, which will culminate next week with two of his big band masterpieces... the groundwork for those masterpieces was laid especially with Blues Forever and Rejoicing with the Light, in that both albums are stylistically all over the place, spanning the entire history of jazz while shining light on more obscure, unexplored territories... his piano playing is masterful and assured on these, but as usual he often steps out of the way and lets his arrangements and band members do the talking... when I was younger, I was drawn to the more swinging pieces like "Bloodlines" and "Blues Forever," but now (in my dotage, er, as my more mature and seasoned self) I am attracted to the more abstract tone poem pieces like "Cluster for Many Worlds" and "Blessed Be the Heavens at 12"... well, it's all amazing... 

Playlist 2024-02-26:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (discs 6, 7)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: 1-OQA+19
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Spihumonesty
*Muhal Richard Abrams feat. Amina Claudine Myers: Duet (sides 1, 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Spiral: Live at Montreux 1978
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Mama and Daddy (sides 1, 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Blues Forever (sides 1, 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Rejoicing with the Light (sides 1, 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams Octet: View from Within
*Muhal Richard Abrams Octet: Colors in Thirty-Third
*André 3000: New Blue Sun
*Beach Boys: I Can Hear Music: The 20/20 Sessions (disc 2)
*Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (OST) (side 1)
*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (side 2)
*Beatles: 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) (side 5)
*Anthony Braxton Ensemble: 1976-06-27 Carnegie Hall, NYC (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (FRM) 2007 (discs 3, 4)
*Circle: 1971-03 Bologna (CDR) (disc 2)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 9)
*John Coltrane: Ascension (Edition II)
*John Coltrane: Meditations "Love/Consequences/Serenity"
*Miles Davis: Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (side 1)
*DJ Shadow: Endtroducing.....
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 25 (discs 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Bethlehem Years, Vol. 1 (side 2)
*Farmers By Nature: Love and Ghosts (disc 2) "Bisanz"
*Aretha Franklin: Two Sides of Love (sides 1, 2)
*George: Leave It
*Jimmy Giuffre 3: 1961 (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-12-08 Durham NC (CDR) (disc 3) "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: So Many Roads (1965–1995) (disc 2) "Dark Star Jam > Spanish Jam > U.S.Blues"
*Grateful Dead: 1983-10-12 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Grant Green: Idle Moments
*Drew Gress: The Irrational Numbers
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: An Evening with the Jimi Hendrix Experience (disc 2)
*Dave Holland Prism: 2013-10-25 Umea, Sweden (CDR) (disc 1)197611
*Kinks: The Journey: Part 1 (sides 3, 4)
*Henry Mancini: Breakfast at Tiffany's (OST)
*Matt Mitchell: A Pouting Grimace
*Roscoe Mitchell: Nonaah (disc 2)
*Muffins: Secret Signals 3
*Annette Peacock: Sky-Skating
*Stephanie Richards: Fullmoon
*Sparks: Music That You Can Dance To (sides 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor: Conquistador! "With (Exit)"
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 1)
*John Zorn Electric Masada: 2003-01-29 NYC (CDR)
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 8: John Medeski Trio
*John Zorn/Heaven and Earth Magick: 2023-09-23 San Francisco (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2024-02-25

Reading List 2024-02-26:

*Garner, Dwight. The Upstairs Delicatessen (started)
*Ayala, Vita and Emily Peason. The Wilds (started/finished)
*Garber, Marjorie. “Merry Wives of Windsor” in Shakespeare After All (reread/started/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Merry Wives of Windsor (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/finished)
*Cisco, Michael. Animal Money (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Partridge, Andy. Popartery (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-02-18

This week in my Muhal Richard Abrams explorations, I primarily focused on his appearances as a sideman, mostly with Anthony Braxton... the 1976 Carnegie Hall recording, one long suite listed by the Library of Congress as "Suite For Duke Ellington," consists of compositions I am not familiar with... Muhal excels on the Basel date, especially on "Comp. 69G"... in the Milan show, it's great to hear the band romp through several of the "40" series of Braxton compositions, especially since the original recorded versions don't have piano... On the Creative Construction Company recordings, Muhal is, as he so often is, self-effacing, definitely a team player... On Marion Brown's Sweet Earth Flying, he shares keyboard duties with Paul Bley, but they really don't get into each other's way... The Muhal-led quintet performance from 1978 in Holland features extended takes on two songs from the album 1-OQA+19, with everybody from that album except Braxton: Henry Threadgill and George Lewis fronting a powerhouse rhythm section of Muhal, Leonard Jones, and Steve McCall... 

Playlist 2024-02-19:

*Muhal Richard Abrams featuring Malachi Favors: Sightsong
*Muhal Richard Abrams: 1978 Laren, Holland (CDR)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Mama and Daddy
*Beach Boys: Love You (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (side 1)
*Anthony Braxton Ensemble: 1976-06-27 Carnegie Hall, NYC (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Quintet (Basel) 1977
*Anthony Braxton Quintet: 1977-06-03 Milan (CDR)
*Marion Brown: Sweet Earth Flying
*Circle: 1971-03 Bologna (CDR) (disc 1)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True (side 1)
*Creative Construction Company: Creative Construction Company
*Creative Construction Company: Creative Construction Company Vol. II
*Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 23 (disc 2)
*Firesign Theater: I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus (sides 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-14 Monterey (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-21 Hollywood (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Fletcher Henderson: Swing 1929-1937
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland
*Booker Little: Out Front (side 1)
*Muffins: 1977 Washington DC (CDR)
*Pere Ubu: Live at the Longhorn April 1, 1978 (side 1)
*Pere Ubu: We Do What We Do
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 1)
*Tito Puente: The Complete 78s: Vol. 1 1949-55 (disc 2)
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (side 1)
*Sparks: Whomp That Sucker (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Crystal Spears (Remastered)
*Sun Ra and His Interplanetary Vocal Arkestra: The Space Age Is Here to Stay
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 8
*Cecil Taylor: Respiration
*Cecil Taylor Unit: 1969-11-04 Copenhagen (youtube)
*Cecil Taylor: Silent Tongues (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor: 1999-04-21 Culver City, CA (CDR)
*Tower of Power: East Bay Grease (side 1)
*Trio What (Else): 2024-02-11 Richmond VA (mp3)
*June Tyson/Sun Ra: Saturnian Queen of the Sun Ra Arkestra (side 2)
*XTC: English Settlement (sides 3, 4)
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 7: Brian Marsella

Reading List, Week of 2024-02-18

Reading List 2024-02-19:

*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (started)
*Partridge, Andy. Popartery (started)
*Shakespeare, William. Merry Wives of Windsor (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/started)
*Hayman, David. The "Wake" in Transit (finished)
*Moore, Alan, J.H. Williams III, and Mick Gray. Promethea (20th Century Deluxe Ed.), Book 3 (finished)
*Cisco, Michael. Animal Money (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-02-11

The 1977 Muhal Richard Abrams quintet gig is a wonderful audience recording from Ali's Alley in NYC, featuring Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, and Fred Hopkins...now there's a lineup!... as always, Muhal is generous with the solo space, so there's lots of stretching out here... I thank the music gods that I got to see McCall and Hopkins together with Arthur Blythe at the Vanguard... right place, right time... Spihumonesty is another great chamber jazz album from Muhal with knotty melodies that I can't quite wrap my head around... I love the uncertainty... Barry Altschul's You Can't Name Your Own Tune is a brilliant album with generous helpings of Muhal on piano, especially on "Cmbeh" (incidentally, a Muhal composition)... Ethan Iverson has a nice review of this album here... For some great ensemble keyboard playing that's not Muhal, check out Alexander Hawkins on Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Paal Nilssen-Love's Guts & Skins: super-exciting...

Playlist 2024-02-12:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (discs 2, 4)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Lifea Blinec
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Spihumonesty (sides 1, 2)
*Muhal Richard Abrams Quintet: 1977-03-04 NYC (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Barry Altschul: You Can't Name Your Own Tune
*Tim Berne's Snakeoil: The Deceptive 4 (Live) (disc 1) "Perception"
*Anthony Braxton: Nine Compositions (DVD) 2003 " (tracks 1-4, 6)
*Rodger Coleman and Andrew Dickson: 2016-12-14 Nashville (CDR)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (discs 7, 8)
*Wild Bill Davis/ Johnny Hodges: Con-Soul and Sax (side 2)
*Dimitriadis/Dörner/Freedman/Parkins/Williams: BeingFive
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 22 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 23 (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Masterpieces by Ellington (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Ellington Indigos (side 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Festival Session (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: Ellington '66 (side 1)
*Ensemble Dedalus & Erikm: Fata Morgana
*Farmers By Nature: Love and Ghosts (disc 2) "Bisanz"
*Aretha Franklin: Runnin' Out of Fools (sides 1, 2)
*Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Paal Nilssen-Love: Guts & Skins
*Kate Gentile: Mannequins
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 4 (1970-02-13 Fillmore East) (disc 2) "That's It for the Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-09-19 Fillmore East NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories (disc 2)
*Curtis Mayfield: There's No Place Like America Today
*Matt Mitchell/Kate Gentile: Snark Horse (disc 6)
*Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections: The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson
*Roscoe Mitchell: Sound Songs (disc 1)
*New Ting: 2024-01-29 "Here's Your Organ Donor" (wav)
*Sam & Dave: Hold On, I'm Comin' (side 1)
*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (side 2)
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 7
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (side 1)
*Cecil Tayor: Conquistador! "With (Exit)" (alternate take)
*Cecil Taylor: Algonquin
*Henry Threadgill 14 Or 15 Kestra AGG: Dirt... And More Dirt

Reading List, Week of 2024-02-11

Reading List 2024-02-12:

*Cisco, Michael. Animal Money (started)
*Moore, Alan, J.H. Williams III, and Mick Gray. Promethea (20th Century Deluxe Ed.), Book 3 (started)
*Moore, Alan, J.H. Williams III, and Mick Gray. Promethea (20th Century Deluxe Ed.), Book 2 (started/finished)
*Dederer, Claire. Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma (finished)
*Moore, Alan, J.H. Williams III, and Mick Gray. Promethea (20th Century Deluxe Ed.), Book 1 (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry V (Arden 3rd ed., ed. T.W. Craik) (reread/finished)
*Hayman, David. The "Wake" in Transit (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2024-02-04

This week I have focused more on Muhal Richard Abram's work as a "sideman" (hard to think of him that way since he plays such a strong role on everything he guests on)... On Roscoe Mitchell's Live at "A Space" 1975, he contributes to the drummerless jazz chamber orchestra feel beautifully, with the kind of playing he had already exhibited on Anthony Braxton's first LP, 3 Compositions of New Jazz... I love Muhal's playing with the Art Ensemble of Chicago--he is not a guest; he is fully integrated into their sound and approach... On the live Kalabala he is agressive and energetic; on the studio Fanfare for the Warriors he is an integral part of the texture... Of his own albums, Lifea Blinec is one of my absolute favorites... the double piano lineup of Abrams and Amina Claudine Myers is killer... First session in 2024 for New Ting... nice to play again with a full contigent... 

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Lifea Blinec
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Spiral: Live at Montreux 1978
*AMM: Ammmusic "After Rapidly Circling the Plaza"
*Art Ensemble: 1967/68 (disc 1) "Quartet No. 1"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Kabalaba
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Fanfare for the Warriors
*Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra (Stokowski/Houston Symphony Orchestra) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (sides 4, 5)
*Beatles: 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) (side 5)
*Booker T & the MGs: Play the "Hip Hits"
*Anthony Braxton: 3 Compositions of New Jazz
*Anthony Braxton: Tentet (Wesleyan) 1999 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (FRM) 2007 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Sonic Genome (2019-10-31 Berlin) (CDR)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Colla Parte: 2010-09-19 Sonic Circuits, Fairfax VA (CDR)
*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate "Africa"
*Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Armed Forces (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 22 (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: Live/Dead
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (disc 7) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 48 (1971-11-20 UCLA) (disc 2) "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-10 Amsterdam (CDR) (disc 3) "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 3 (1973-12-06 Cleveland) (bonus disc) "Dark Star > Eyes of the World"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream (Veneta, Oregon, August 27, 1972) (disc 2) "Playing in the Band"
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hollywood Bowl August 18, 1967
*Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories (disc 1)
*Joseph Jarman: As If It Were the Seasons
*Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: 2010-06-28 KCRW-FM, Santa Monica CA (CDR)
*Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: 2014-01-15 KCRW-FM, Santa Monica CA (CDR)
*Kinks: The Journey, Part 2 (sides 1, 2)
*George Lewis: Shadowgraph, 5 (Sextet)
*Minutemen: Introducing the Minutemen
*Grachan Moncur III: Some Other Stuff
*Garry Martin Project (CDR compilation) (discs 10, 11)
*Charles Mingus Sextet: 1961-10-21 Birdland, NYC (CDR)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Nonaah (disc 1)
*Roscoe Mitchell Quartet: Live at "A Space" 1975
*New Ting: 2024-01-29 "Here's Your Organ Donor" (wav)
*Original Silence: The Second Original Silence
*Annette Peacock: 31:31
*Matana Roberts: 2009-04-01 London (CDR)
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee (sides 1, 2)
*Terje Rypdal: Odyssey in Studio & in Concert (disc 1)
*Shirley Scott: Queen of the Organ
*Sharp/Lopez/Kaiser/Amendola: Minus X: A Tribute to the Music of Iannis Xenakis (disc 2)
*Sleepwalker: Skopofoboexoskelett
*Tamio Shiraishi: Sora
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun (side 2)
*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (side 1)
*Supremes: Time Changes Things: The Best of the Rest 1961-67 (CDR compilation)
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 6
*Cecil Taylor: Another Material Complex from Cecil Taylor's 1988-91 Music
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 8)
*Trio What (Else): 2024-01-28 Richmond VA (mp3)
*Various artists: 7 x 7
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 6: Brian Marsella Trio

Reading List, Week of 2024-02-04

Reading List 2024-02-05:

*Dederer, Claire. Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma (started)
*Moore, Alan, J.H. Williams III, and Mick Gray. Promethea (20th Century Deluxe Ed.), Book 1 (started)
*Harkaway, Nick. Angelmaker (finished)
*Hayman, David. The "Wake" in Transit (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry V (Arden 3rd ed., ed. T.W. Craik) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-01-28

I've started my deep Muhal Richard Abrams dive... the amount of variety and sheer ingenuity displayed on these four early studio albums is just stunning... with the cream of the AACM crop aboard... I've always dug Duets 1976 with Anthony Braxton, and I absolutely love the version of "Maple Leaf Rag"... Lots to think about with the new Sun Ra LP Paradiso Amsterdam 1970... I made some comments about it over at the Hoffman All-Purpose Sun Ra Thread here... More amazing Braxton (and early Chick Corea, back when he was interesting) on the new (to me) Bologna Circle concert... Lots to get excited about...

Playlist 2024-01-29:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Levels and Degrees of Light
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Young at Heart/Wise in Time
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Things to Come from Those Now Gone
*Muhal Richard Abrams: 1-OQA+19
*Susan Alcorn/Leila Bordreuil/Ingrid Laubrock: Bird Meets Wire
*Art Ensemble: 1967/68 (disc 4) "A to Ericka"
*Albert Ayler: The Hilversum Session
*Beatles: The Beatles (Super Deluxe Edition) (disc 7) (Dolby TrueHD 5.1) (sides 3, 4)
*Anthony Braxton with Muhal Richard Abrams: Duets 1976
*Anthony Braxton: Tentet (Wesleyan) 1999 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Two Compositions (Orchestra) 2005
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (FRM) 2007 (disc 1)
*Circle: 1971-03 Bologna (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 21 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Great Concerts: Cornell University 1948 (disc 1)
*George: Leave It
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 4 (1970-02-13) (disc 1) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Rockin' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1983-10-11 NYC (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Grant Green: Idle Moments
*Drew Gress: The Irrational Numbers
*Drew Gress: The Sky Inside
*Andrew Hill Trio: 1972 Yellow Springs, OH (CDR)
*King Crimson: Islands (40th Anniversary Ed.) (DVD) 2010 mix
*Garry Martin Project (CDR compilation) (discs 8, 9)
*Matt Mitchell/Kate Gentile: Snark Horse (disc 2) "Thumbly"
*Matt Mitchell/Kate Gentile: Snark Horse (disc 5)
*Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory: 1994-08-28 Saalfelden (CDR)
*Evan Parker/Keith Rowe/Barry Guy/Eddie Prévost: Supersession
*Rasmussen/Flaherty/Rowden/Corsano: Crying in Space
*Sharp/Lopez/Kaiser/Amendola: Minus X: A Tribute to the Music of Iannis Xenakis (disc 1)
*Sparks: Live at the Record Plant 1974 (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: Whomp That Sucker (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: Angst in My Pants (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (sides 2, 4)
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 5
*John Zorn/Various artists: Chamber Music 2023-09-03 San Francisco (CDR)
*John Zorn/Chaos Magick: Parrhesiastes

Reading List, Week of 2024-01-28

Reading List 2024-01-29:

*Harkaway, Nick. Angelmaker (started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry V (Arden 3rd ed., ed. T.W. Craik) (reread/started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry V (Arden 2nd ed., ed. J.H. Walter) (reread/finished)
*Windsor-Smith, Barry. Monsters (finished)
*Hayman, David. The "Wake" in Transit (in progress)

 

Playlist, 2024-01-21

Matana Roberts' remarkable Coin Coin project continues with another strong chapter... this is devastating stuff thematically, with some wonderful sax passages... I am digging the recent attention Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite is getting, with interesting new versions from Aaron Diehl and the Umlaut Chamber Orchestra... her own piano versions remain my favorite, though... Every once in a while I like to warp my understanding of jazz standards with Art Tatum's amazing convolutions... Yes, it is mostly jazz in all its wonderful permutations that's floating my boat these days... Over the next few weeks, I am going to embark on a roughly chronological outing through my Muhal Richard Abrams collection (as a leader and as a sideman)... I am always listening to AACM folks these days so I think it's time to go back to the source... 

Playlist 2024-01-22:

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

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1982-03-23 Copenhagen (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris (Live at Sons D’Hiver) (disc 2)

*Mulatu Astatke: New York-Addis-London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975

*Anthony Braxton: Tentet (Paris) 2001

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

*Circle: Circle 1: Live in Germany Concert "There Is No Greater Love"

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: Aphelion "Out of Orbit"

*John Coltrane: 1965-07-27 Antibes (CDR) "Blue Valse (Ascension)" 

*Miles Davis: The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 (disc 2b)

*Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (disc 4) "He Loved Him Madly"

*Aaron Diehl and the Knights: Zodiac Suite

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 21 (disc 1)

*Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Paal Nilssen-Love: Guts & Skins

*George: Leave It

*Jimmy Giuffre 3: 1961 (disc 1)

*Glass Triangle: Blue and Sun-Lights

*Grateful Dead: Dark Star Comp 1 (1967-1969) (CDR compilation)

*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (discs 10, 11)

*Layers of Memory: 2019-12-07 RVA (wav)"Improvisation No. 3"

*London Brew: London Brew (disc 2)

*Matt Mitchell/Kate Gentile: Snark Horse (discs 3, 4)

*Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory: 2000-09-02 Chicago (CDR)

*Grachan Moncur III: Some Other Stuff

*Larry Ochs/Nels Cline/Gerald Cleaver: What Is To Be Done "Outcries Rousing"

*Annette Peacock: Abstract-Contact

*Annette Peacock: Paradiso, Amsterdam February 21 1991

*Plymouth: Plymouth "Standish"

*Stephanie Richards: Fullmoon

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter One: Les Gens de Couleur Libres (sides 2, 3, 4)

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)

*David Sancious: The Bridge

*Knoel Scott featuring Marshall Allen: Celestial

*Sparks: Whomp That Sucker (sides 1, 2)

*Sparks: Angst in My Pants (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (sides 2, 3, 4)

*Sun Ra Arkestra: 1970-11-18 Amsterdam (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 4

*Henry Threadgill Zooid: In for a Penny, In for a Pound (disc 2) "Tresepic (for trombone and tuba)"

*Henry Threadgill: Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus

*Cal Tjader: Soul Sauce

*Umlaut Chamber Orchestra: Zodiac Suite

*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 5: Kris Davis Quartet

*John Zorn: Perchance to Dream

Reading List, Week of 2024-01-21

Reading List 2024-01-22:

*Hayman, David. The "Wake" in Transit (started)
*Windsor-Smith, Barry. Monsters (started)
*Faber, Michel. The Book of Strange New Things (finished)
*Tatsuki Fujimoto. Chainsaw Man, vol. 3 (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry V (Arden 2nd ed., ed. J.H. Walter) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-01-14

 

Back to my "comfort listening"... lots of Grateful Dead, especially "Dark Star" and "The Other One," some Cecil Taylor, some Sun Ra... Art Ensemble of Chicago, Roscoe Mitchell, Matana Roberts... next week, some Anthony Braxton... Also trying to absorb new sounds, like Kate Gentile's amazingly challenging new album Find Letter X... the work of her as a solo artist and with Matt Mitchell (especially on Snark Horse) is consistently invigorating and different... angular, knotty composed melodic lines underpinned by an ever-shifting rhythmic pulse with irregular patterns and angular, knotty drum sentences... her drumming encompasses and synthesizes free jazz, Chris Cutler-style rock, and dynamic metal... Matt Mitchell is a brilliant piano player, and I'm looking forward to seeing him at Big Ears this year... too bad Gentile isn't in the lineup as well!

Playlist 2024-01-15:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (disc 1)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1980-08-03 Seattle (CDR)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (disc 2)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris (Live at Sons D’Hiver) (disc 1)
*Beach Boys: I Can Hear Music: The 20/20 Sessions (disc 1)
*Beatles: The Beatles (Super Deluxe Edition) (disc 7) (PCM Stereo, sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) (sides 1, 2)
*Paul Bley: With Gary Peacock
*Paul Bley: Open, To Love
*D’Angelo: Brown Sugar (Deluxe Ed.) (disc 1)
*Miles Davis Quintet: In Concert at the Olympia, Paris 1957
*Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet: As Things Go
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (discs 2, 3)
*Gong: Gazeuse!
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (disc 9)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 48 (1971-11-20 UCLA) (disc 2) "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-27 Jersey City, NJ (Dick's Picks 11) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead 1973-10-25 Madison, WI (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1982-09-21 NYC (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Fletcher Henderson: Louis Armstrong with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra 1924 to 1925 (side 2)
*Dave Holland Prism: 2013-10-25 Umea, Sweden (CDR) (disc 2)
*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*London Brew: London Brew (disc 1)
*Madvillain: Madvillainy
*Mars Volta: Amputechture
*Matt Mitchell/Kate Gentile: Snark Horse (disc 2)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Sound Songs (discs 1, 2)
*Nieuw Ensemble: 2011-01-20 Amsterdam (CDR) (Stockhausen, Berio, Xenakis, etc.)
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter One: Les Gens de Couleur Libres (sides 1, 2)
*Wadada Leo Smith: Najwa "Ornette Coleman's Harmolodic Sonic Hierographic Forms: A Resonance Change in the Millennium"
*Sparks: Live at the Record Plant 1974 (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun (side 1)
*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor/Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1984-10-30 Paris (CDR) (track 2)
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane: 2004-03-23 NYC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Tony Williams Lifetime: Emergency!
*XTC: 3D EP
*John Zorn/Incerto: Full Fathom Five
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 4: Ikue Mori

Reading List, Week of 2024-01-14

Reading List 2024-01-15:

*Faber, Michel. The Book of Strange New Things (started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry V (Arden 2nd ed., ed. J.H. Walter) (reread/started)
*Tatsuki Fujimoto. Chainsaw Man, vol. 3 (started)
*McGuire, Joshua. The Secret of Music: A Look at the Listening Life (started/finished)
*Tatsuki Fujimoto. Chainsaw Man, vol. 2 (started/finished)
*Tatsuki Fujimoto. Chainsaw Man, vol. 1 (started/finished)
*The Beatles through a Glass Onion, ed. Mark Osteen (finished)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. James C. Bulman) (reread/finished)

Playlist, Week of 2024-03-07

Catching up... will be back with more "incisive" musical commentary, I swear!

Playlist 2024-01-08:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (disc 1)
*Beatles: 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) (sides 5, 6)
*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (FRM) 2007 (disc 2)
*Bob Dylan: Modern Times
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (discs 6, 7, 8)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-08-06 Jersey City NJ (CDR) (discs 3, 4)
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 12 (1974-06) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 7 (1974-09) (disc 1)
*Dave Holland Prism: 2013-10-25 Umea, Sweden (CDR) (disc 1)
*Mat Maneri: Pentagon
*Mendoza Hoff Revels: Echolocation
*Roscoe Mitchell: Sound Songs (disc 2)
*Willie Nelson: That's Life
*Soft Machine: Virtually
*Sun Ra: Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow
*Sun Ra: Cosmos
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 3
*Cecil Taylor Quartet featuring Anthony Braxton: 2007-10-13 Reggio Emilia, Italy (CDR) 

Reading List, Week of 2024-01-07

Reading List 2024-01-08:

*Hall, James W. Buzz Cut (reread/started/finished)
*Ponchione, Sergio. Memorabilia (started/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)