Playlist, Week of 2025-10-26

I find it invigorating every so often to cleanse my musical palate with AMM or solo Keith Rowe... The Room fits the bill nicely... I was happy to finally get UYA Live at the Willow out on archive.org... over the last few years, I have been slowly working my way through all the UYA rehearsal tapes... we pretty much recorded everything, so there are multiple versions of songs we were working on (not really a problem for me to listen to since we were leaning toward the jazz side of things so every version is unique, for the most part) but there are also many, many improvisations (some successful, a few not)... there are over 350 of these tapes, and I have been going through them in chronological order for years now, taking notes and sorting out some possible tracks to put out, either on Bandcamp or the Internet Archive... it's an amazing but daunting body of work... I still have about 100 to go through, but it's slow going... I can't do more than one a week usually, so it's, shall we say, a long-term project... I listened to all of these right after we first recorded them, and I burned a few CDRs of some of the best improvs, but for the most part this music has been unheard by me since then, and it's been quite a revelation to revisit these 1988-1995 sessions... 

Playlist 2025-10-27:

*Lily Allen: West End Girl
*Marshall Allen: New Dawn
*Beatles: Abbey Road (Original Master Recording) (side 2)
*Beatles: Nice Time, Vol. 2 (boot CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 414)
*Peter Brötzmann Sextet/Quartet: More Nipples "More Nipples"
*Miles Davis: Bitches Brew 40th Anniversary (disc 2)
*Miles Davis: In Concert (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites "The Queen's Suite"
*Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (disc 1) "Suite Thursday"
*Duke Ellington: The Reprise Studio Recordings (disc 4)
*Duke Ellington: The Popular Duke Ellington (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: Live in Mexico "The Mexican Suite"
*Ella Fitzgerald: The Best of the Song Books
*Grateful Dead: 1971-04-25 Fillmore East (Enjoying the Ride, disc 7)
*Grateful Dead: 1971-11-15 Austin TX (CDR) "Dark Star > El Paso > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-12-05 NYC (CDR) "Dark Star > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star"
*Herbie Hancock: Sextant (side 2)
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-10-17 RVA (CDR)
*Bobby Hutcherson: Oblique
*ICP Orchestra: 2004-09-09 Bimhuis (CDR)
*Loretta Lynn: The Definitive Collection
*Rob Mazurek Sound Is Quintet: 2010-03-03 Italy? (CDR) (disc 2)
*Myra Melford: Snowy Egret
*Charles Mingus: Mingus Plays Piano (Spontaneous Compositions and Improvisations) (sides 1, 2)
*Thelonious Monk: Piano Solos (sides 1, 2)
*Muffins: Double Negative
*New Ting: 2025-10-20 "Tethered Dream" (wav)
*Evan Parker/Keith Rowe/Barry Guy/Eddie Prévost: Supersession
*Plumb: Plumb (discs 1, 2)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 6.0 (excerpts)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 7.0 (excerpts)
*Keith Rowe: The Room
*Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (BBC Symphony Orchestra)
*Sun Ra: Monorails & Satellites: Works for Solo Piano Vols. 1, 2, 3 (disc 3)
*Sun Ra: Nothing Is… (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Astro Black (side 1)
*Sun Ra & His Arkestra: The Cymbals​/​Symbols Sessions (New York, 1973) (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor: Spring of Two Blue-J's (side 1)
*Trio of Bloom: Trio of Bloom
*UYA: 1994-03-01 Billy Ability (wav)
*Various artists: The Singing Detective: Music from the BBC TV Serial (discs 1, 2)
*Mal Waldron: The Call (side 1)
*Stevie Wonder: Music of My Mind
*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans "Ritual"
*Frank Zappa: Lumpy Gravy
*John Zorn: Prolegomena
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Nocturnes

Reading List, Week of 2025-10-26

Reading List 2025-10-27:

*Bernard, Bruce. Century (started)
*Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass (reread/started)
*Windsor-Smith, Barry. Monsters (reread/started)
*Pullman, Philip. The Subtle Knife (reread/started/finished)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Love Letters in Ancient Brick (1927-28) (finished)
*O'Brien, Edna. Night (finished)
*Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
 

UYA Live at the Willlow Released on Internet Archive

I am pleased to announce the release of UYA Live at the Willow, Volumes 1 and 2. Originally released on two audio cassettes in 1992, the original files were remastered by Rodger Coleman in 2019, and it's taken me this long to get them up on the Internet Archive. Such is life. UYA (also known as Upstanding Young Americans, after our eponymous first album) was active in Boston from 1988 to 1995. Live at the Willow was our second release, and to my ears is far better than the studio CD. Easy to stream, but if you're so inclined, I recommend downloading the wav files and cranking them. Here are some details:

UYA (a/k/a UPSTANDING YOUNG AMERICANS):

Sam Byrd: drums, percussion toys, vocals, turntable, etc.

Rodger Coleman: guitar, bass, percussion, toy sampler, turntable, etc.

Steven Forrey: trumpet, bass, percussion, vocals, turntable, etc.

Eric Hipp: tenor saxophone, flute, percussion, vocals, turntable, etc.

*Christopher Murray: keyboards, bass, percussion, turntable, etc.  

Recorded live to 4-track at the Willow Jazz Club, Somerville, Massachusetts on October 11, 1992, by Rodger Coleman with Christopher Murray. Remixed by UYA at High Noon Studio, Belmont MA, on February 12, 1994.

Originally released on cassette (Live at the Willow Vols. 1-2) (Voidville Records) in 1994. Remastered by Rodger Coleman in 2019.

UYA played several times at the Willow Jazz Club, the venerable Somerville MA nightspot that was home to weekly performances of the Fringe for many years.  UYA usually played multiple long sets over the course of an evening, with guests (including Christopher Murray, John Medeski, and John Dirac) often joining in.  The band loved playing there; the club's narrow structure, mirrored walls, and lack of a stage meant that the band was pretty much right in the audience's lap, making for an intimate (if imposing) atmosphere of high-intensity music.

UYA Live at the Willow, which captures most of a show from October 11, 1992, is fairly typical of the range of the band at the time: original compositions as well as jazz covers and improvisations played in a heady mélange of free jazz, funk stylings, and driving rock, infused with punk energy, turntable hijinx, and harmolodic giddiness.  

A brief history of UYA

UYA was formed in Boston in 1988. Rodger Coleman, Steven Forrey, and Eric Hipp were students at the New England Conservatory of Music. Sam Byrd had just moved up to the Boston area from Richmond, Va. to work at MIT. After some intense rehearsing, UYA began gigging around town. In 1990, they recorded their first CD, Upstanding Young Americans, at Harp Studio in Braintree, MA.

The CD was well-received, with positive reviews from the Boston Phoenix, the Boston Globe, the Village Voice, Cadence, and Option. It was nominated for "Outstanding Jazz Album (Indie Label)" in the 1991 Boston Music Awards. UYA was also nominated for "Best Local Jazz Act" in the 1991 Boston Phoenix/WFNX Best Music Poll.

The band began spreading their performance sphere a bit wider, playing several times at the (old) Knitting Factory in NYC and sporadically in New Jersey and Rhode Island. Multi-instrumentalist Christopher Murray joined the band full-time in 1993. UYA Live at the Willow was their second official release. In 1995 they contributed the opening track, "Dancing Shadows," to the Sun Ra tribute CD Wavelength Infinity. 

Eventually UYA worked on a second studio album, but it fell apart in the mixing sessions and was never released. The band broke up in 1995. Steven Forrey went on to perform with Mundo Clave. Eric Hipp played with Free Range Rat and Club D'Elf.  Rodger Coleman relocated to Nashville, where he has worked on solo and collaborative projects. He and Sam Byrd have continued to record and perform as a duo. Byrd is also a founding member of the Richmond VA free improv band New Ting.

 

UYA 

Live At The Willow, Vol. 1

https://archive.org/details/UYA_Live_at_the_Willow_Vol_1

1. Ed, Son of America (Steve Forrey) (6:46)*

2. Hijack> (James Blood Ulmer) (4:42)

3. Wynston Take Note (Sam Byrd) (4:54)

4. Afro Blue (Mongo Santamaria) (13:27)*

5. Jive Surrey Women (Eric Hipp) (5:15)

6. Tales of Tillie (UYA) (21:28)

 

UYA 

Live At The Willow, Vol. 2

https://archive.org/details/UYA_Live_at_the_Willow_Vol_2 

1. Sleep Talk (Ornette Coleman) (6:25)

2. Hail to the Chief> (8:35)*

3. Election Day (Eric Hipp) (4:39)*

4. I Dreamed A Connection (Steve Forrey) (12:14)*

5. Vertical Responsibility Paradigm (Eric Hipp) (12:14)

6. Broadway Blues (Ornette Coleman) (7:21)*

Playlist, Week of 2025-10-19

After reading so much about the Beatles (see the latest Reading List), I am going to start delving into my bootleg collection again... I also have a soft spot for the various remixing efforts out there, even the misguided ones... they always send me back to the originals with fresh ears... At some point I am going to dive into a chronological listen to Sun Ra, but I'm not ready to do that yet... too much else going on with Duke Ellington and "Dark Star"... all in good time...

Playlist 2025-10-20:

*Muhal Richard Abrams Quintet: 1977-03-04 NYC (CDR) (disc 3)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1979-06-29 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Beatles: Beatles for Sale (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Arrive Without Aging (boot CDR)
*Beatles: Don't Forget the Apples When You Go Downtown (boot CDR)
*Beatles Remixers Group: Tuned to a Natural E, Vol. 3
*Boneshaker: Thinking Out Loud
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Birmingham) 1985 (discs 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (selections)
*John Butcher/Phil Durrant/Mark Wastell: Around the Square, Above the Hill
*R. Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders: R. Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders
*Miles Davis Septet: 1974-01-26 Willimantic, CT (CDR) (disc 2)
*Kiku Day/Henry Kaiser: Zen Kaiju
*Egg: Egg
*Egg: The Polite Force
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites "The Queen's Suite"
*Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (disc 1) "Suite Thursday"
*Duke Ellington: The Symphonic Ellington "Night Creature"
*Duke Ellington: The Popular Duke Ellington (side 1)
*George: "Do You Want to Go...Swimming?"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-10-24 Detroit (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 2 (1971-10-31 Columbus OH) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-11-07 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Janel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love
*Rob Mazurek Sound Is Quintet: 2010-03-03 Italy? (CDR) (disc 1)
*Hank Mobley: The Complete Blue Note Hank Mobley Fifties Sessions (disc 2)
*Muffins: Loveletter #2: The Ra Sessions
*Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
*Sparks: MAD! (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: MADDER! (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: 1964-12-30 Judson Hall, NYC (CDR)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: 1964-12-31 Judson Hall, NYC (CDR)
*Sun Ra: Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Strange Strings (Expanded Edition) (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (side 11)
*Sun Ra: Exotica (side 3)
*Sun Ra: Apple Purchases (CDR compilation) (disc 5)
*David Torn/Tim Berne/Ches Smith: Sun Of Goldfinger "Eye Meddle"
*UYA: 1994-02-13/25 Palm Beach Wally (wav)
*John Zorn: The Interpretation of Dreams

Reading List, Week of 2025-10-19

Reading List 2025-10-20:

I finished my foray into reading four prime Beatles sources dealing with the canon on a song-by-song basis... it was fun... Pollack and Everett deal more with music theory, while Riley and MacDonald are more literarily critical (yes, that's not a word)... I found myself agreeing more with Riley, whose spirit is overall more generous than MacDonald's... Everett does the best job of putting the Beatles' efforts into contemporary musical context... Overall, I find that my favorite Beatles songs are not those of any of these authors...

*O'Brien, Edna. Night (started)
*Simon, Joe, and Jack Kirby. The Best of Simon and Kirby (reread/started/finished)
*Sorrentino, Gilbert. Under the Shadow (reread/started/finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (reread/finished)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/finished)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/finished)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/finished)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Love Letters in Ancient Brick (1927-28) (in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene (in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-10-12

 

This trio recording from John Butcher is exhilarating.... I've never heard anyone else approach what he does with the sax... "Do You Want to Go...Swimming?", the new album from Richmond's own George (not to be confused with John Hollenbeck's group), is exhilarating in a different, rock-based way... Katie Condon's sultry overdubbed vocals are the main draw here, and her compositions are strengthened by the addition of a second guitarist... Who is that on the piano at the beginning of "The Mexican Suite"? Thelonious Monk? Sun Ra? Nope, it's Duke Ellington, and it's a brilliant intro to a superb late-career suite... 

Playlist 2025-10-13:

*Art Ensemble: 1967/68 (disc 1) "Quartet No. 1"
*Beatles: The Beatles (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Yellow Submarine Songtrack
*Beethoven: String Quartets (Pavel Haas Quartet)
*Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Shadow Man "Socket"
*Anthony Braxton Trio: 1979-11-19 Firenze (CDR) (disc 1)
*James Brown: Sex Machine (sides 1, 2)
*John Butcher: The Very Fabric
*John Butcher/Phil Durrant/Mark Wastell: Around the Square, Above the Hill
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: The Mathematics of War "New Landscape"
*Sylvie Courvoisier/Mary Halvorson: Bone Bells
*Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (disc 1) "Helen Butte/Mr. Freedom X  (Unedited Master)"
*Deerhoof: To Be Surrounded by Beautiful, Curious, Breathing, Laughing Flesh Is Enough
*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington and the Small Groups (Vol. 9/10) 1940-1946 (side 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Live Sessions 1943/1945 (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington's Concert of Sacred Music
*Duke Ellington/Ella Fitzgerald: Ella at Duke's Place
*Duke Ellington: Live in Mexico "The Mexican Suite"
*Tomas Fujiwara: Pith
*George: "Do You Want to Go...Swimming?"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-07-31 Yale Bowl (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-10-21 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star > Sittin' on Top of the World > Dark Star"
*Al Green: The Belle Album
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-10-04 RVA (CDR)
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-10-10 RVA (CDR)
*Alexander Hawkins: Song Unconditional
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 5)
*Fletcher Henderson: A Study in Frustration (side 3)
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland
*Mothers of Invention: We're Only in It for the Money
*New Ting: 2025-10-06 "Lofty News" (wav)
*Zeena Parkins: Pan-Acousticon
*Mario Pavone: Arc Trio
*Paula Sanchez: Pressure Sensitive
*Horace Silver: Song for My Father
*Slobber Pup: Black Aces "Accuser"
*Sparks: MADDER!
*Stereolab: Instant Holograms on Metal Film
*Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Kingdom of Discipline (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (side 3)
*Sun Ra: Uncharted Passages (side 2)
*Sun Ra Arkestra under the Direction of Marshall Allen: Lights on a Satellite (side 2)
*Lewis Taylor: Numb
*Henry Threadgill Ensemble Double Up: Old Locks and Irregular Verbs "Part One"
*McCoy Tyner: Tender Moments
*Weather Report: 1975-11-06 Berlin (CDR)
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Calculus "Parabolas"
*John Zorn/Chaos Magick: Through the Looking Glass

Reading List, Week of 2025-10-12

Reading List 2025-10-13:

*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Love Letters in Ancient Brick (1927-28) (started)
*Pynchon, Thomas. Shadow Ticket (started/finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene (in progress)
 

Playlist, week of 2025-10-07

Even after all these years of living with this album, I continue to be knocked out by Stevie Wonder's drumming... I am enjoying going back and exploring the early soul of Lewis Taylor... In "Dark Star" land, I am finally moving out of the güiro era and into Keith Godchaux territory... now things will really get serious... Prog props for Egg's second LP The Polite Force... I am digging this now way more than I did when I first got it way back when... The title track of Sun Ra's Space Probe is one of his finest sonic explorations... 

Playlist 2025-10-06:

*Adorables: The Adorables
*Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band (2009 stereo remaster) (side 2)
*Beau Hunks/Metropole Orchestra: LeRoy Shield's Our Relations (The Lost Laurel & Hardy Music)
*John Blum: Nine Rivers
*Booker T. & the MGs: Time Is Tight (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Five Pieces 1975 (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 4 (Ensemble) Compositions 1992 "Comp. 100"
*Nels Cline: Consentrik Quartet
*John Coltrane: The Other Village Vanguard Tapes (side 1)
*Deerhoof: Surprise Symphonies
*Egg: The Polite Force
*Duke Ellington: Afro-Bossa
*Duke Ellington: Ellington '66 (side 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Concert in the Virgin Islands (side 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1971-02-18 Port Chester, NY (CDR) "Dark Star > Wharf Rat > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-02-20 Port Chester, NY (Enjoying the Ride, disc 6)
*Grateful Dead: 1971-04-08 Boston (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-04-26 Fillmore East, NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-04-28 Fillmore East, NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*George Harrison: Wonderwall Music
*Joe Henderson: The Standard Joe
*Hugh Hopper/Kramer: A Remark Hugh Made
*Vijay Iyer: Compassion
*Makoto Kawashima: Arteria
*Joachim Kühn: Échappée (disc 2)
*Led Zeppelin: Live EP
*Jackie McLean: Right Now! (side 1)
*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: 2024-03-23 Knoxville TN (CDR)
*Ikue Mori: Labyrinth
*Prince: Blast from the Past 6.0 (excerpts)
*Elliott Sharp/Zeena Parkins: Psycho-Acoustic
*Sonic Liberation Front: Jetway Confidential
*Tyshawn Sorey/Kirsten Carey: Vociferously Yours "The Cruelest Goodbye"
*Sun Ra: Jazz by Sun Ra, Vol. 1 [Sun Song] (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Space Probe
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (side 8)
*Sun Ra: Kingdom of Discipline (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Uncharted Passages (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor Unit: Live in Vienna
*Lewis Taylor: Lewis Taylor
*Lewis Taylor: The Lost Album
*Lewis Taylor: Limited Edition 2004
*McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy (side 1)
*UYA: 1994-01-30 Up to 800 (wav)
*UYA: 1994-02-13 Streaks of Extrusion (wav)
*Various artists: Stax Revue: Live in '65! (disc 2)
*Various artists: The Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away
*Various artists: Treader Duos
*Weather Report: 1976-05-27 Seattle (CDR)
*Stevie Wonder: Music of My Mind

Reading List, Week of 2025-10-07

Reading List 2025-10-06:

Waiting for the new Thomas Pynchon!

*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene (in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-09-28

Great new quartet work from Nels Cline, with a hell of a band... I love the way Ingrid Laubrock is integrated into the sound, and Tom Rainey's drumming is stellar as always... Wonderful new solo piano from Alexander Hawkins... Inspired by Vinnie Sperrazza's research, I've been digging a lot into Joe Chambers... I still have a great cassette that Rodger made for me (back in the '90s!) featuring various Joe Chambers compositions... Still getting inspired by Cecil Taylor, Duke Ellington, Anthony Braxton, the Beatles, the Dead, and Sun Ra... my guiding lights...

Playlist 2025-09-29:

*Muhal Richard Abrams featuring Malachi Favors: Sightsong (side 2)
*Beatles: Past Masters (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2, 3)
*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Hard Day's Night (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Revolver (Super Deluxe 4 LP Edition 2022) (side 9)
*Beatles: Nice Time (boot CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (discs 4, 7, 8)
*Nels Cline: Consentrik Quartet
*Nick Dunston: Colla Voce
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E48 "New York"
*Duke Ellington and Count Basie: First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Reprise Studio Recordings (discs 1, 6)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Concert in the Virgin Islands (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Intimate Ellington
*Gang of Four: Another Day/Another Dollar (sides 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1970-10-11 Wayne, NJ (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-11-05 Port Chester, NY (CDR) "The Other One > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-11-08 Port Chester, NY (CDR) "Dark Star > The Main Ten"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-21 Bremen, West Germany (CDR) "The Other One"
*Alexander Hawkins: Song Unconditional
*Bobby Hutcherson: Happenings
*King Crimson: Larks' Tongues in Aspic (The Complete Recordings) (disc 7) "Improv: A Boolean Melody Medley"
*Ikue Mori: Of Ghosts and Goblins
*New Ting: 2025-08-30 Test Run, Richmond VA (wav)
*New Ting: 2025-09-22 "Carburetor Can" (wav)
*Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp String Trio: Armageddon Flower
*Phantom Orchard: Hit Parade of Tears
*Tom Rainey Trio: 2016-07-01 NYC (CDR) (disc 1) track 1
*Rascals: Freedom Suite "Cute"
*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (side 2)
*Wayne Shorter: Schizophrenia (side 2)
*Horace Silver: Song for My Father 
*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 2) "Reverie"
*Tyshawn Sorey/Kirsten Carey: Vociferously Yours "Unrelenting Insistence"
*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: MADDER! (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Hidden Fire
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor: Spring of Two Blue-J's (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 2)
*Lewis Taylor: Stoned - Part II
*McCoy Tyner: Tender Moments
*UYA: 1994-01-19 Mental Knee Jerk (wav)
*Various artists: Stax Revue: Live in '65! (disc 1)
*Muddy Waters: Hoochie Coochie Man
*John Zorn: Fantasma: Illusions from a Surrealist Mirror

Reading List, Week of 2025-09-28

Reading List 2025-09-29:

*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (reread/started)
*Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene (started)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/finished)
*Nadel, Dan. Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life (finished)
*Osman, Richard. The Last Devil to Die (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Othello (Arden 3rd series, ed. E.A.J. Honigmann) (reread/finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
 

Gilbert Sorrentino on Ross Macdonald

 

As with all committed writers, form, for Ross Macdonald, was not something to chafe against, but to transmute and develop within its own container. Through his early deference to a rigorous and conventionalized form his later, unconventional art flourished. (Gilbert Sorrentino, "Ross Macdonald: Some Remarks on the Limitations of Form," in Something Said: Essays, North Point Press, 1984, p. 226)

...and of course, the same thing is true for Sorrentino himself. 

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-09-21

As much as I enjoy Mary Halvorson's guitar work (and I do), I gotta say, I enjoy her playing as a member of other people's groups than when she plays her own compositions as a leader... cases in point: Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House and the Tom Rainey Trio... Still working my way through all the "Dark Stars," and, again, I feel compelled to say how tired I'm getting of the "Feelin' Groovy" section... looking forward to when they drop it for good... Also still much enamored with Duke Ellington these days... I doubt that will ever change...

Playlist 2025-09-22:

*Beatles: The Beatles' Second Album (mono 2024) (side 2)
*Beatles: Help! (2009 stereo remaster) (side 1)
*Beatles: Rubber Soul (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) (side 5)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium J (DVD) (Act IV)
*Butthole Surfers: Double Live (disc 2)
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E47 "Fools"
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Duke Ellington, Vol. 4: 1932 (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington and the Small Groups (Vol. 9/10) 1940-1946 (sides 3, 4)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Reprise Studio Recordings (disc 5)
*Tomas Fujiwara: Pith
*Gjerstad/Schlippenbach/Narvesen: Seven Tracks
*Grateful Dead: 1970-09-19 Fillmore East NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-10-11 Wayne, NJ (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-10-17 Cleveland (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-02-24 Port Chester, NY (Enjoying the Ride, discs 4, 5)
*Joe Henderson: Mode for Joe
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Axis: Bold as Love
*Joachim Kühn: Échappée (disc 1)
*Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: Strong Place
*Getatchew Mekuria/The Ex & Guests: Moa Anbessa
*Matt Mitchell: Sacrosanctity
*New Ting: 2024-07-14 "Magic Duck Feet" (wav)
*New Ting: 2025-08-30 Test Run, Richmond VA (wav)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 5.0 (excerpts)
*Wayne Shorter: Schizophrenia (side 1)
*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 2) "Movement V + VI + Reprise"
*Cecil Taylor: In Transition [Love for Sale] (side 3)
*Cecil Taylor/The Ensemble: The Light of Corona "Two"
*Cecil Taylor/Tony Oxley: Flashing Spirits
*Lewis Taylor: Stoned- Part I
*Henry Threadgill Zooid: This Brings Us To (side 3)
*UYA: 1993-12-02 It's Butter Now Isn't It? (wav) (selections)
*Dan Weiss/Miles Okazaki: Music for Drums and Guitar

Reading List, Week of 2025-09-21

With The Blue Hammer I have finally finished my reread of all of Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer novels in order. They really are wonderful on so many levels: the plots, the characters, and the language all work together for an unbeatable series of perfectly-crafted detective novels. For further reading, I highly recommend Gilbert Sorrentino's "Ross Macdonald: Some Remarks on the Limitations of Form," appearing in Sorrentino's essay collection Something Said.

Reading List 2025-09-22:

*Nadel, Dan. Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life (started)
*Osman, Richard. The Last Devil to Die (started)
*Macdonald, Ross. The Blue Hammer (reread/started/finished)
*Osman, Richard. The Bullet That Missed (started/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Othello (Arden 3rd series, ed. E.A.J. Honigmann) (reread/in progress) 

Playlist, Week of 2025-09-14

The new Sparks EP, Madder!, is a lot of fun... more of same, really, but four more great new songs? Yes, please... Spectrum Road is nice, but just makes me want to hear the Tony Williams Lifetime originals... 

Playlist 2025-09-15:

*Beatles: Beatles VI (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 6)
*Bill Bruford: Feels Good to Me (Remastered)
*Butthole Surfers: Double Live (disc 1)
*John Coltrane: Live in Japan (disc 4)
*Lol Coxhill: Digswell Duets
*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington and the Small Groups (Volumes 9/10) 1940-1946 (side 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-08 Fillmore West, SF (Enjoying the Ride, disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1970-09-17 Fillmore East NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Jimi Hendrix: The Baggy's Rehearsal Sessions
*Earl Hines: Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington (side 3)
*Matt Mitchell: Vista Accumulation (disc 2)
*New Ting: 2025-08-30 Test Run, Richmond VA (wav)
*Ivo Perelman/Tyshawn Sorey: Parallel Aesthetics (disc 2)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 4.0 (excerpts)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 5.0 (excerpts)
*Wayne Shorter: Etcetera
*Tyshawn Sorey Trio: The Susceptible Now
*Sparks (selections)
*Sparks: Indiscreet (side 2)
*Sparks: Exotic Creatures of the Deep (side 2)
*Sparks: MADDER! (sides 1, 2)
*Spectrum Road: Spectrum Road
*Sun Ra: Exotica (side 2)
*Sun Ra: God Is More than Love Can Ever Be!
*UYA: 1994-01-13 Havin' a Good Day!! (wav)
*Wolf Eyes/Anthony Braxton: Live at Pioneer Works, Red Hook, NY, October 26th 2023
*John Zorn/Secret Chiefs 3: Xaphan (Book of Angels Vol. 9)

Reading List, Week of 2025-09-14

Reading List 2025-09-15:

*Atwood, Margaret. The Year of the Flood (started/finished)
*Atwood, Margaret. MaddAddam (started/finished)
*Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake (finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Othello (Arden 3rd series, ed. E.A.J. Honigmann) (reread/in progress)
 

Sparks in DC

 

 

We saw Sparks in DC at the Lincoln Theatre on Tuesday night, and it was fantastic... they are such powerful performers, the band was in tip-top shape, and the sound was crystal clear. This is the only picture I got because, well, I can't take pictures. Was able to score the new EP, Madder!, and it's really good. A lovely evening!

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-09-07

 

 

Excellent tactile electronics and inventive percussion from Ikue Mori and Steve Noble...  Great to hear Tyshawn Sorey on drums in a "relatively" straight jazz quartet setting, with Mario Pavone... then to hear him stretch out with Kirsten Carey is exquisite... then to hear more stretching out with Ivo Perelman, and on piano, too! Amazing... Anthony Braxton really takes it out with his operas... Yes, as always, this blog is a real source for incisive criticism...

 

Playlist 2025-09-08:

*Derek Bailey: Aida
*Beatles: Help! (US Capitol LP) (sides 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 5)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium J (disc 4)
*John Butcher/Eddie Prévost: Interworks
*Gerald Cleaver: The Process
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E46 "More Trains"
*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington and the Small Groups (Volumes 9/10) - 1940-1946 (side 3)
*Duke Ellington: The Symphonic Ellington
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-05/07 Fillmore West, SF (Enjoying the Ride, disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1970-05-24 Newcastle, England (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-06-24 Port Chester NY (CDR) "Dark Star > Attics of My Life > Dark Star > Sugar Magnolia > Dark Star"
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced
*Master Musicians Of Joujouka: Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka
*Mephista: Black Narcissus
*Matt Mitchell: Vista Accumulation (disc 1)
*Roscoe Mitchell Quintet: Turn
*Ikue Mori/Steve Noble: Prediction and Warning
*New Ting: 2025-08-30 Test Run, Richmond VA (wav)
*Mario Pavone/Dialect Trio +1: Blue Vertical
*Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp String Trio: Armageddon Flower
*Ivo Perelman/Tyshawn Sorey: Parallel Aesthetics (disc 1)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 2.0 (excerpts)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 3.0 (excerpts)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 4.0 (excerpts)
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 2)
*Tyshawn Sorey/Kirsten Carey: Vociferously Yours
*Sparks: A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (sides 2, 3, 4)
*Sun Ra: Uncharted Passages (sides 3, 4)
*Lewis Taylor: Lewis Taylor
*Lewis Taylor: Lewis II
*Henry Threadgill Zooid: In for a Penny, In for a Pound "Dosepic (for Cello)"
*John Zorn: Fantasma: Illusions from a Surrealist Mirror
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Impromptus

Reading List, Week of 2025-09-07

Reading List 2025-09-08:

*Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake (started)
*Osman, Richard. The Man Who Died Twice (finished)
*Rushdie, Salman. Midnight's Children (finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Othello (Arden 3rd series, ed. E.A.J. Honigmann) (reread/in progress)
 

The Magic Jukebox: On the Road

 

Time for another installment of a Magic Jukebox playlist.... this one is a small sampling of what was heard on a recent cross-country car trip...

1. XTC - Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)
2. Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
3. Duke Ellington - Bonga
4. R.D. Burman - Dance Music
5. Beatles - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
6. Jack White -  Take Me with You when You Go
7. Deerhoof - Mario's Flaming Whiskers III
8. Coasters - Poison Ivy
9. Alemayehu Eshete - Tashamanaletch
10. Deerhoof - Dead Beast Queen
11. David Bowie - Suffragette City
12. Beatles - I Saw her Standing There
13. James Brown - Night Train
14. Elvis Costello - Baby's Got a Brand New Hairdo
15. Terry & the Lovemen - The Good Things
16. XTC - Ban the Bomb
17. Elvis Presley - Hound Dog
18. Sir Douglas Quintet - She's ABout a Mover
19. D'Angelo - Playa Playa
20. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - I Found Out
21. Beatles - Keep Your Hands Off My Baby
22. Sean Kuti & Egypt 80 - IMF
23. Deerhoof - Damaged Eyes Squinting into the Beautiful Overhot Sun
24. Led Zeppelin - How Many More Times
25. Earth Wind & Fire - Mighty Mighty
26. Alemayehu Eshete - Telantena Zare
27. Dead Kennedies - Stealing Peoples' Mail
28. Pere Ubu - Petrified
29. David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
30. Santana - Para Los Rumberos
31. Deerhoof - Scarcity Is Manufactured
32. Kinks - This Man He Weeps Tonight
33. Solomon Burke - Stupidity
34. Time - My Summertime Thang
35. Deerhoof - Who Do You Root For
36. Alemayehu Eshete - Yeweb Dar
37. Rutles - Get Up and Go
38. B-52s - Planet Claire
39. LaVern Baker - Jim Dandy
40. James Brown - I Got the Feelin'
41. Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band
42. Little Junior's Blue Flames - Feelin' Good
43. XTC - No Thugs in Our House
44. Charlie Parker - Koko
45. Johnny Kidd & the Pirates - Shakin' All Over
46. Paul McCartney - My Brave Face
47. White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
48. English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom
49. Asha Bhosle - O Mere Sona
50. Who - I can See for Miles
51. Beatles - Any Time at All
52. Jose Chepitos Areas - Guarafeo
53. Beach Boys - Here Comes the Night
54. Bill Haley - Rock the Joint
55. Marvelettes - Don't Mess with Bill
56. Asha Bhosle - Ankhen Meri Maikhana
57. Alemayehu Eshete - Addis Abeba Bete
58. Asha Bhosle - Karle Pyar Karle
59. Deerhoof - Black Pitch
60. Eddie Bo - Hook 'n' Sling, Pt. 2
61. Beach Boys - Child Is Father of the Man
62. Beatles - Martha My Dear
63. R.D. Burman - Mehbooba Mehbooba
64. Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl
65. Human Beinz - Nobody But Me
66. Rolling Stones - Complicated
67. Elvis Costello - Riot Act
68. Beatles - Savoy Truffle
69. Beat - Sorry
70. Beck - Qué Ondra Guero
71. Brian Eno - Kurt's Rejoinder
72. James Brown - Make It Funky
73. Bad Brains - Attitude 10_81
74. Beatles - Lady Madonna
75. Deerhoof - Kafe Mania!
76. Led Zeppelin - In the Light
77. Deerhoof - Overrated Species Anyhow
78. Sivaji Ganesan & Jayalalitha - Engal Kalyanam
79. Kinks - Party Line
80. Beach Boys - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
81. Prince - She's Always in My Hair
82. Elijah & the Ebonites - Hot Grits!!!
83. Beat - Jeanette
84. Led Zeppelin - That's the Way
85. Ramones - Rock 'n' Roll High School
86. Prince - I Wonder U 
87. Deerhoof - Learning to Apologize Effectively
88. White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
89. Rolling Stones - Connection
90. Temptations - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
91. Rolling Stones - I Wanna Be Your Man
92. Isley Brothers - Fight the Power
93. De La Soul - The Magic Number
94. Muffins - Angle Dance
95. Led Zeppelin - Down by the Seaside
96. Sam & Dave - I Thank You
97. Beach Boys - Little Deuce Coupe
98.Ululating Mummies - Adios
99. Bob Dylan - All I Really Want To Do
100. Beach Boys - Let Him Run Wild

Playlist, Week of 2025-08-31

 

 

 

 

 

Lotta road trip music from my son... will be getting back into the "Dark Star"/Ellington/Sun Ra groove pretty soon... 

Playlist 2025-09-01:

*100 Gecs: 1000 Gecs
*Alexisonfire: Alexisonfire
*Alexisonfire: Crisis
*Alexisonfire: Old Crows/Young Cardinals
*Animals as Leaders: The Joy of Motion
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 4)
*James Brown: Live at the Apollo (1962) (Expanded ed.)
*Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (selections)
*John Coltrane: The Major Works of John Coltrane (disc 1) "Om"
*Deerhoof: Noble and Godlike in Ruin
*Eidola: Mend
*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session
*Tomas Fujiwara: Triple Double
*Bobby Hutcherson: Components
*Machine Girl: Neon White (Soundtrack, Pt. 1:  The Wicked Heart)
*Machine Girl: RePorpoised Phantasies
*Machine Girl: MG Ultra
*Warne Marsh/Sal Mosca Quartet: Volume 2
*Muffins: Bandwidth
*Haru Nemuri/Frost Children: Soul Kiss
*New Ting: 2025-08-30 Test Run, Richmond VA (wav)
*Ovlov: Am
*Ovlov: Tru
*Ovlov: Buds
*Santana: Borboletta (side 2)
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 1)
*Sparks: MAD! 
*Sun Ra: Apple Purchases (CDR compilation) (discs 3, 4) 

Reading List, Week of 2025-08-31

Definitely read the book, but by all means stay away from the film; it's terrible...

Reading List 2025-09-01:

*Osman, Richard. The Man Who Died Twice (started)
*Osman, Richard. The Thursday Murder Club (started/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Othello (Arden 3rd series, ed. E.A.J. Honigmann) (reread/started)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Rushdie, Salman. Midnight's Children (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/in progress)
 

New Ting Gig Tonight, RVA

 

Gig tonight! We'll be playing with Walter Wright on electronics... Headliner is Bark Culture, from Philly... don't know much about them, but I hear good things...

Playlist, Week of 2025-08-24

 

Driving music...

Playlist 2025-08-25:

*Alexisonfire: Dogs Blood
*Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
*George Clinton: Computer Games
*Coheed and Cambria: The Second Stage Turbine Blade
*Daft Punk: Discovery
*D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah
*Duke Ellington: Afro-Bossa
*Duke Ellington: The Far East Suite
*Gorillaz: Plastic Beach
*Led Zeppelin: Coda
*Mars Volta: Amputechture
*Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath
*Psychedelic Porn Crumpets: High Visceral (Part One)
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Holiday for Soul Dance
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Bad and Beautiful
*Them Crooked Vultures: Them Crooked Vultures
*Tool: Ænima

Reading List, Week of 2025-08-24

Reading List 2025-08-25:

*Rushdie, Salman. Midnight's Children (started)
*Cortázar, Julio. Cronopios and Famas (transl. Paul Blackburn) (finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-08-17

 "Salt Lake City"!....

Playlist 2025-08-18:

*B-52s: The B-52s
*B-52s: Wild Planet
*Beach Boys: All Summer Long
*Beach Boys: Today! 
*Beach Boys: Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)
*Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
*Kyuss: Blues for the Red Sun
*Kyuss: Welcome to Sky Valley
*Charles Mingus and His Jazz Groups: Mingus Dynasty
*Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West
*Perfect Circle: Mer de Noms
*Perfect Circle: Thirteenth Step
*Puscifer: Conditions of My Parole
*Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf
*Queens of the Stone Age: Era Vulgaris
*Royal Blood: Royal Blood
*Wayne Shorter: Juju
*X: Los Angeles
*X: More Fun in the New World 

Reading List, Week of 2025-08-17

Reading List 2025-08-18:

*Cortázar, Julio. Cronopios and Famas (transl. Paul Blackburn) (started)
*Hawkes, John. The Lime Twig (finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/in progress
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-08-10

Getting caught up... I prefer the Miles quintet version of "Footprints" to the earlier-recorded Wayne Shorter version on Adam's Apple... 

Playlist 2025-08-11:

*Marshall Allen/Sam Byrd/Tim Harding/Elliott Levin/Thomas Stanley: 2007-12-13 Richmond VA (CDR) track 5
*Antarctic: Antarctic
*Beatles: Anthology 1 (disc 2)
*Beatles: Revolver (Super Deluxe 4 LP Edition 2022) (sides 5, 6, 7, 8)
*Tim Berne/Tom Rainey/Gregg Belisle-Chi: Yikes Too (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 6)
*Death Grips: The Money Store
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E45 "Trains"
*Duke Ellington: His Piano and His Orchestra at the Bal Masque (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Symphonic Ellington
*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session
*Good Tiger: A Head Full of Moonlight
*Grateful Dead: 1970-04-24 Denver (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-05-08 Delhi, NY (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-05-15 Fillmore East, NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 4)
*Kyuss: …And the Circus Leaves Town
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 12)
*New Ting: 2024-08-04 "Merely a Rather Uninteresting Symbol" (wav)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 1.0 (excerpts)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 2.0 (excerpts)
*Queens of the Stone Age: Villains
*Queens of the Stone Age: In Times New Roman
*Wayne Shorter: Adam's Apple
*Sparks: MAD! (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Astro Black "The Cosmo-Fire"
*Sun Ra: Exotica (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Apple Purchases (CDR compilation) (disc 2)
*Sun Ra Arkestra under the Direction of Marshall Allen: Babylon (disc 2)
*Cecil Taylor Big Band: 1995-07-03 NYC (CDR) (disc 3) Track 2

Reading List, Week of 2025-08-10

 

Reading List 2025-08-11:

*Hawkes, John. The Lime Twig (started)
*Christgau, Robert, and John Piccarella. "Portrait of the Artist as a Rock & Roll Star," in The Ballad of John and Yoko, ed. Rolling Stone (started/finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-08-03

 

 

More of same... and yet so different!

 

Playlist 2025-08-04:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1978-10-14 Philadelphia (CDR) (disc 2)
*Derek Bailey: Aida
*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Anthony Braxton: 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII (disc 4)
*Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (selections)
*Ornette Coleman: 1966-02-18 Paris (CDR)
*Lol Coxhill: Digswell Duets
*Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (UltraDisc One-Step) (sides 3, 4)
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E44 "Texas"
*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington and the Small Groups (Volumes 9/10) 1940-1946 (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: His Piano and His Orchestra at the Bal Masque (side 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Festival Session (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Girls' Suite/The Perfume Suite
*Duke Ellington: Afro-Bossa
*Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Symphonic Ellington
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-05 Fillmore West, SF (Enjoying the Ride, disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-14 Fillmore East, NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-03-24 Dania FL (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Jimi Hendrix: At the Beeb
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (discs 10, 11)
*Sam Rivers: Contours
*Santana: Moonflower (disc 2)
*Horace Silver Quintet: The Cape Verdean Blues
*Small Faces: Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
*Steely Dan: Aja
*Sun Ra: Exotica (side 6)
*Sun Ra: Uncharted Passages (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (side 3)
*Sun Ra: 1977-07-08 WKCR-FM, NYC (CDR)
*Cecil Taylor Workshop Ensemble: Melancholy "Sphere No. 2"
*John Zorn: The Interpretation of Dreams

Reading List, Week of 2025-08-03

Reading List 2025-08-04:

*Shakespeare, William. King Lear (Arden 2nd series, ed. Kenneth Muir) (reread/started)
*Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick, or, the Whale (reread/finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-07-27

Quartet (England) 1985, the digital release of 8 sets from Anthony Braxton's tour of the UK in 1985 (I realize I am just basically repeating the information in the title!), is a cause for celebration... this music, 8 CDs' worth, was originally recorded in mono on cassette by Graham Lock, author of the indispensable Forces in Motion, and it's been digitally restored... it sounds just fine... the performances are uniformly stellar, and amazingly there are no repetitions in the material used across the four evenings... this quartet, of course, is one of the absolute greatest jazz groups of any era (or any sub-genre of "jazz," however you define it)...  pianist Marilyn Crispell deserves special mention for superlative playing, but the whole band is playing at peak levels here... 

Playlist 2025-07-28:

*Beatles: Kicks, Kudos, and Cash: The Making of the Silver Beatals (boot CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 1969-10-25 Paris (CDR) track 1
*Anthony Braxton Quartet: 1976-10-28 Graz, Austria (CDR) track 3
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (discs 7, 8)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium R: Composition 162 - An Opera in Four Acts/Shala Fears for the Poor (disc 3)
*Clash: Sound System Extras (disc 2)
*Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Armed Forces (side 1)
*Miles Davis: Bitches Brew (UltraDisc One-Step) (sides 1, 2)
*Deerhoof: Noble and Godlike in Ruin
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E43 "Colors"
*Duke Ellington: Afro-Bossa
*Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-08 Fillmore West, SF (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-11 Fillmore East, NYC (CDR) "Dark Star > Spanish Jam"
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 4 (1970-02-13 Fillmore East) (disc 1) "Dark Star"
*Eddie Hazel: Eddie Hazel: Game, Dames, and Guitar Thangs
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (discs 8, 9)
*New Ting: 2024-07-14 "Magic Duck Feet" (wav)
*New Ting: 2024-07-21 "Red Canister Under Pressure" (wav)
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (side 3)
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (side 2)
*Sun Ra Arkestra Under the Direction of Marshall Allen: Babylon (disc 1)
*UYA: 1994-01-12 Cut Me, Dippy (wav)
*John Zorn: At the Gates of Paradise
*John Zorn: The Concealed

Reading List, Week of 2025-07-27

Reading List 2025-07-28:

*Ware, Chris. The Acme Novelty Library (finished)
*Everett, Walter. The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head, 3rd ed. (reread/in progress)
*Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick, or, the Whale (reread/in progress)
*Pollack, Allan W. Notes on … Series (reread/in progress)
*Riley, Tim. Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary (reread/in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-07-20

Wonderful music on the two albums of big band cover tunes Duke Ellington recorded for Reprise, which appeared in the albums Will the Big Bands Ever Come Back? and Recollections of the Big Band Era... another master class in the art of arranging, as Ellington and Billy Strayhorn rework the hits of others (like Fletcher Henderson and Cab Calloway) in their own image... I don't know much about the Chicago improvisation group the Hallowed Plant, but there's nice playing on their self-titled release... Amazing how Anthony Braxton just fits right in to the techno-wizardry of Wolf Eyes...

Playlist 2025-07-21:

*Art Bears: Revisited (disc 2)
*Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Everyday Chemistry (boot CDR)
*Alban Berg: Violin Concerto (BBC Symphony Orchestra)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (discs 4, 5, 6)
*Anthony Braxton  & the Wesleyan Tri-Centric Orchestra: 2011-04-25 Middletown, CT (CDR) (disc 
*Clash: Sound System Extras (disc 1)
*Betty Davis: They Say I'm Different
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E42 "Shoes"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Three Suites "The Nutcracker Suite"
*Duke Ellington: The Reprise Studio Recordings (disc 1)
*Gentle Giant: 1971-12-12 BBC (CDR)
*Grateful Dead: 1969-12-04 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 19 (1970-01-23 Honolulu) (disc 2) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-02 St. Louis (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-05 Fillmore West, SF (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-16 Luxembourg "The Other One"
*Hallowed Plant: The Hallowed Plant
*Jimi Hendrix: Rainbow Bridge
*Andrew Hill: Compulsion
*Son House: The Legendary Son House Father of Folk Blues
*Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue
*Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory: The Bad Guys
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 7)
*Charlie Parker: Live Bird Is the Best Bird (CDR compilation) (disc 2)
*Zeena Parkins/Wobbly: Triplicates
*Santana: Moonflower (disc 1)
*Sparks: No. 1 in Heaven (40th Anniversary Ed.) (sides 1, 2)
*Steely Dan: Katy Lied
*Steely Dan: The Royal Scam
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Sleeping Beauty (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Kingdom of Discipline (side 1)
*UYA: 1993-12-05 Bulge Manipulator (wav)
*Muddy Waters: The Best of Muddy Waters
*Wolf Eyes/Anthony Braxton: Live at Pioneer Works, Red Hook, NY, October 26th 2023
*Stevie Wonder: Music of My Mind (side 1)
*Yes: 1974-11-20 NYC (disc 1) "Gates of Delirium"
*Frank Zappa: Cheaper than Cheep (discs 1, 2)