Playlist, Week of 2025-12-07

 Like most recent weeks, this one turned out to be a Duke Ellington one... Of the two versions of the Togo Brava Suite, the Storyville release is the most comprehensive, but both are worth checking out... on the plus side, Joe Benjamin is one of Duke's greatest bass players, and he adds so much... on the downside, the absence of Johnny Hodges and Jimmy Hamilton in the sax section is deeply felt... Nice to be reminded how exciting and vital Anthony Braxton's trio work with Dave Holland and Barry Altschul was back in the '70s... 

Playlist 2025-12-08:

*100 Gecs: 10,000 Gecs
*B-52s: Whammy!
*B-52s: Party Mix
*B-52s: Mesopotamia
*Beatles: Introducing the Beatles (side 2)
*Beatles Remixers Group: Tuned to a Natural E Vol. 6 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton Trio: 1974-12-08 Toronto (CDR) (disc 2) track 2
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium R: Composition 162 - An Opera in Four Acts/Shala Fears for the Poor (disc 3)
*Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (DVD)
*Deerhoof: The Magic
*Deerhoof: Future Teenage Cave Artists
*Deerhoof: Devil Kids (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Three Suites    
*Duke Ellington: Cool Rock
*Duke Ellington: Live in Mexico "The Mexican Suite"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Conny Plank Session
*Duke Ellington: Togo Brava Suite (Blue Note) "Togo Brava Suite"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Togo Brava Suite (Storyville) "Togo Brava Suite"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites "The Uwis Suite"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-25 London (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-15 Boston (Enjoying the Ride, disc 11)
*Herbie Hancock: Sextant
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-11-29 RVA (m4a)
*Heldon: Agneta Nilsson
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Bold as Love: The Axis: Bold as Love Sessions (discs 3, 4)
*Freddie Hubbard: Breaking Point
*Bobby Hutcherson: Medina
*Insect Life: Insect Life
*John Lennon/Yoko Ono: Milk and Honey
*Rob Mazurek Sound Is Quintet: 2010-03-03 Italy? (CDR) (disc 1)
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 4)
*Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle: Exhaust
*Tomeka Reid Quartet: Dance! Skip! Hop!
*Sparks: MADDER!
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (disc 1)
*Sun Ra: The Creator of the Universe (The Lost Reel Collection, Vol. 1) (disc 1)
*Stevie Wonder: Talking Book
*Wrens: Half of What You See
*John Zorn/The Dreamers: A Dreamers Christmas

Reading List, Week of 2025-12-07

Reading List 2025-12-08:

*Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (Arden 3rd series, ed. Juliet Dusinberre) (reread/started)
*Becker, Adam. More Everything Forever (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (Arden 2nd series, ed. Agnes Latham) (reread/finished)
*Sheffield, Rob. Dreaming the Beatles (finished)
*Simonson, Walter, et al. The Mighty Thor: Omnibus (finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)
*Ellmann, Lucy. Ducks, Newburyport (reread/in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-11-30

 

I like Future Teenage Cave Artists much better now than when it first came out... Deerhoof makes great driving music (as I was reminded of in August), and I need to go back and revisit all the albums after Breakup Song (which for me they still have yet to top, although Noble and Godlike in Ruin comes close)... The quality of Duke Ellington's later suites drops off considerably after The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, not least because of the death of Johnny Hodges shortly before, but there's still some great moments to come...

Playlist 2025-12-01:

*Marshall Allen's Ghost Horizons: Live in Philadelphia
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1980-02-23 New Haven (CDR) (disc 1)
*Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 4)
*Beatles: Anthology 4 (discs 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (selections)
*Patricia Brennan: Of the Near and Far
*Kris Davis Trio: 2025-11-05 Vienna (CDR) (disc 2)
*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (disc 4)
*Miles Davis: Dark Magus (disc 1)
*Deerhoof: Future Teenage Cave Artists
*Deerhoof: Noble and Godlike in Ruin
*Duke Ellington: Latin American Suite
*Duke Ellington: New Orleans Suite
*Duke Ellington: The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites "The Goutelas Suite"
*Fred Frith/Mariá Portugal: Matter
*Grateful Dead: 1970-09-19 Fillmore East NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-11 Rotterdam (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-18 Munich (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-23 London (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-15 Boston (Enjoying the Ride, disc 10)
*Guided By Voices: It's Not Them. It Can't Be Them. It Is Them!
*Guided By Voices: La La Land
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-11-21 RVA (m4a)
*Bobby Hutcherson: Spiral
*King Crimson: Lizard (Elemental Mixes)
*Fela Ransome-Kuti and the Africa '70 with Ginger Baker: Live! (sides 1, 2)
*Joëlle Léandre/Jérôme Bourdellon: Evidence
*Paul McCartney: Band on the Run (side 2)
*Camila Nebbia featuring Marilyn Crispell & Lesley Mok: A Reflection Distorts over Water
*News From Babel: Sirens & Silences/Work Resumed on the Tower
*News from Babel: Letters Home
*Nicole Mitchell & an_ARCHE NewMusic Ensemble: Arc Of O: For Improvisers, Chamber Orchestra & Electronics
*Joe Morris: Abstract Truth
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 3)
*New Ting: 2025-11-24 "I Got a Backyard in My Truck" (wav)
*Sifters: Sifters
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: The Magic City (remastered and expanded stereo version) (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3: The Lost Tapes
*Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity Arkestra: Continuation (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Intergalactic Research (The Lost Reels Collection Vol. 2) "Intergalactic Universe"
*UYA: 1994-04-21 Quaver Behavior (wav)
*UYA: 1994-04-27 Surfin' with Dick Dole! (wav)
*Various artists: That Devilin' Tune: A Jazz History (1927-1934) (Vol. II, discs 1, 3)

Reading List, Week of 2025-11-30

Reading List 2025-12-01:

*Becker, Adam. More Everything Forever (in progress)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)
*Ellmann, Lucy. Ducks, Newburyport (reread/in progress)
*Sheffield, Rob. Dreaming the Beatles (in progress)
*Simonson, Walter, et al. The Mighty Thor: Omnibus (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (Arden 2nd series, ed. Agnes Latham) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-11-23

 

Craig Taborn channels Sun Ra on Trio of Bloom... powerful playing here from the whole trio... What a force of nature Globe Unity must have seemed back in 1967... this music is still forceful and powerful today, rivaling Sun Ra in sheer intensity (minus the synths, of course)... I am nearing the end of my consecutive sweep through Duke Ellington's suites... just a few more to go... but of course, I will be returning to many of these again and again for the rest of my life... 

Playlist 2025-11-24:

*Allied Chemical Brothers: Meet Mr. Beat
*Beatles Remixers Group: Tuned to a Natural E,Vol. 5
*Patricia Brennan: 2025-08-22 Saalfelden (CDR)
*Patricia Brennan: Of the Near and Far
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Cosmologies (side 2)
*Kris Davis Trio: 2025-11-05 Vienna (CDR) (disc 1)
*Miles Davis: The Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection, Vol. 2 (LP 2: sides 1, 2; LP 5: side 1)
*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 5) "What I Say"
*Deerhoof: Future Teenage Cave Artists
*Bill Dixon: Bill Dixon in Italy, Vol. 2 (side 1)
*Bob Dylan: Oh Mercy
*Duke Ellington: Ellington Remembered (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: Latin American Suite
*Duke Ellington: New Orleans Suite
*Globe Unity Orchestra: Globe Unity ‘67 & ‘70 "Globe Unity '67"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-04-27 Fillmore East (Enjoying the Ride, disc 9)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-04 Paris (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Europe '72 Vol. 2 (disc 2) "Dark Star > The Other One"
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: Bassline Excerpts (CDR)
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Axis: Bold as Love
*Bobby Hutcherson: Total Eclipse
*Thomas Morgan: Around You Is a Forest
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 2)
*New Ting: 2025-11-17 "Preservedly Gargle" (wav)
*Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
*Plumb: Plumb (disc 1)
*Smokey Robinson & the Miracles: Ooo Baby: The Anthology (disc 1)
*Small Faces: Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
*Ches Smith: Clone Row
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (sides 3, 4)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (sides 1, 4)
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (side 12)
*Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Berlin 1970 (youtube)
*Sun Ra: Lanquidity (45rpm version) (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Sun Ra: Media Dreams (side 2)
*Henry Threadgill: Listen Ship
*Trio of Bloom: Trio of Bloom
*UYA: 1994-04-10 Bath Mat on Toast (wav)
*Various artists: That Devilin' Tune: A Jazz History (1927-1934) (Vol. II, disc 2)
*Various artists: Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues (A Musical Journey) (disc 2)

Reading List, Week of 2025-11-23

Reading List 2025-11-24:

*Becker, Adam. More Everything Forever (started)
*Sheffield, Rob. Dreaming the Beatles (started)
*Simonson, Walter, et al. The Mighty Thor: Omnibus (started)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Howling Among the Halls of Night: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 4: 1919 (finished)
*Leonard, Elmore. The Complete Western Stories (finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)
*Ellmann, Lucy. Ducks, Newburyport (reread/in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (Arden 2nd series, ed. Agnes Latham) (reread/in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-11-16

The new remaster of Sun Ra's Supersonic Jazz (the "21st Century Expanded Edition") sounds the best it ever has, and Rodger Coleman does a great job on the liner notes... recorded in early 1956 before their Transition record (Jazz by Sun Ra, aka Sun Song), Super-Sonic Jazz (originally released with the hyphen) can lay claim to being the Arkestra's first album.... and what an album it is, replete with tunes that would become Ra standards: "Sunology" (later performed with vocals as "The Lion of the Heavens"), "Advice to Medics" (which would later morph into "Friendly Galaxy"), "El Is the Sound of Joy"... as usual, Cosmic Myth has generously loaded the release with an album's worth of extra tracks, including some alternate takes of tunes on the album, but also several unreleased gems, some of which seem to have come from the Transition sessions ("Delilah," "Stratosphere")... overall a fantastic release, with one quibble: I wish they'd included the unreleased track "Journey to Discland" on the vinyl version instead of as a CD-only bonus track... oh well... 

Playlist 2025-11-17:

*Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra: Blu Blu Blu "Bloodline"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1979-11-25 Washington DC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Beatles: Past Masters (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 2, 3)
*Beatles: Yesterday and Today (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 3)
*Anthony Braxton: Quintet (Basel) 1977 "Comp. 69J"
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 1)
*D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah (sides 3, 4)
*Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet 1965-1968 (disc 4) "Circle in the Round"
*Walt Dickerson/Sun Ra: Visions
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E50 "Spring Cleaning Pt. 1"
*Duke Ellington: Yale Concert
*Duke Ellington: Live in Mexico "The Mexican Suite"
*Duke Ellington: Third Sacred Concert: The Majesty Of God
*Grateful Dead: 1971-04-25/27 Fillmore East (Enjoying the Ride, disc 8)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-17 Copenhagen (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Rockin' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead (disc 3) "Dark Star > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-29 Hamburg (CDR) (disc 2) "Dark Star"
*Tim Harding/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-09-29 RVA (CDR)
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-10-17 RVA (CDR)
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-11-01 RVA (CDR)
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-11-07 RVA (CDR)
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-11-14 RVA (CDR)
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: Bassline Excerpts (CDR)
*Henry Cow: Unrest
*Bobby Hutcherson: Oblique
*Bobby Hutcherson: Patterns
*Henry Kaiser/Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles!: Upriver (disc 2)
*Pat Metheny: "Quartet"
*New Ting: 2024-07-14 "Magic Duck Feet" (wav)
*New Ting: 2025-11-10 "Thirty Year Woofer" (wav)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 8.0 (excerpts)
*Luis Russell 1929-1930 (disc 2)
*Wayne Shorter: Adam's Apple
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Trio of Bloom: Trio of Bloom
*UYA: 1994-03-27 Educate My Mandole (wav)
*UYA: 1994-03-29 Can I Be Your Palbino? (wav)
*Who: The Who Sell Out

Reading List, Week of 2025-11-16

Reading List 2025-11-17:

*Ellmann, Lucy. Ducks, Newburyport (reread/started)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Howling Among the Halls of Night: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 4: 1919 (started)
*Shakespeare, William. As You Like It (Arden 2nd series, ed. Agnes Latham) (reread/started)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: The Limbo of Useless Unconsciousness: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 3: 1918 (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry VIII (Arden 2nd series, ed. R.A. Foakes) (reread/finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Leonard, Elmore. The Complete Western Stories (in progress)
 

Nicole Mitchell and JoVia Armstrong at Artspace, RVA, 2025-11-10

 

 

  

Excellent show last night from Nicole Mitchell and JoVia Armstrong at Artspace in Richmond. Lots of electronics from both players, with several intensely trancey grooves. Just beautiful.

Playlist, Week of 2025-11-09

 

Duke Ellington's 1948 Carnegie Hall concert is a gem... the first documented recording of "Lush Life" (featuring its composer, Billy Strayhorn, on piano) and wonderful versions of "Reminiscing in Tempo" and "The Tattooed Bride" (also its premiere)... all this and Ben Webster too (although he's not featured nearly enough)... Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness) is poppier than other Praxis records I've heard, and is weaker for it... Jumpin' and jivin' with Luis Russell... now I can't get "The New Call of the Freaks" out of my head... More to say on the new release of Sun Ra's Supersonic Jazz after I've absorbed it some more...

Playlist 2025-11-10:

*Marshall Allen: The Universe Oriki
*AMM: The Inexhaustible Document
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Paris Session "The Ninth Room"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1979-11-25 Washington DC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Beatles Remixers Group: Tuned to a Natural E, Vol. 4
*Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 173 "Opening Music - Introduction"
*Jack DeJohnette New Directions: 1992-02-22 Charlottesville VA (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E49 "Death and Taxes"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Carnegie Hall, November 13, 1948 (discs 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: Second Sacred Concert
*Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong: Porgy and Bess
*Grateful Dead: 1971-10-21 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star > Sittin' on Top of the World > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 2 (1971-10-31 Columbus OH) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-12-05 NYC (CDR) "Dark Star > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-14 Copenhagen (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Barry Guy/Mats Gustafsson/Raymond Strid: Tarfala
*Joe Henderson: Mode for Joe
*Paul McCartney: Band on the Run (side 1)
*Roscoe Mitchell: One Head Four People
*Praxis: Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness)
*Prince: Blast from the Past 7.0 (excerpts)
*Keith Rowe/John Tilbury: Duos for Doris (disc 1)
*Luis Russell 1929-1930 (disc 1)
*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 1)
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 3)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Prophet
*Weather Report: 1980-11-14 London (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2025-11-09

A wonderful, satisfying (if bittersweet) ending to Pullman's marvelous series...

Reading List 2025-11-10:

*Leonard, Elmore. The Complete Western Stories (started)
*Pullman, Philip. The Rose Field (The Book of Dust, Vol. 3) (started/finished)
*Pullman, Philip. The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, Vol. 2) (reread/finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: The Limbo of Useless Unconsciousness: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 3: 1918 (in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry VIII (Arden 2nd series, ed. R.A. Foakes) (reread/in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-11-02

 

In my "Dark Star" listening, I am now up to 1972, the beginning of the golden age of Dark Stars... some intense listening coming up, and the Steppin' Out "Star" (1972-04-08 London) is one of the best ever... Duke Ellington's Paris, March 1964 has great live versions of several tunes from The Far East Suite... As I have said before, I have found that I quite love Sun Ra's LP Prophet... so glad they discovered that music... it's amazing what he could do with an instrument he was playing for the first time... 

Playlist 2025-11-03:

*Rashied Ali/Frank Lowe: Duo Exchange (side 1)
*Art Ensemble: 1967/68 (disc 5) "Congliptious/Old"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1979-06-29 NYC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 2)
*Sonny Clark: The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (disc 3)
*Kenny Clarke/Andrew Cyrille/Milford Graves/Famoudou Don Moye: Pieces of Time (side 1)
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Cosmologies (side 1)
*John Coltrane: Selflessness featuring My Favorite Things (side 2)
*D’Angelo and the Vanguard: 2015-06-14 Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Miles Davis: In Concert (disc 2)
*Jack DeJohnette New Directions: In Europe (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Girls' Suite/The Perfume Suite (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: Paris, March 1964
*Duke Ellington: Soul Call
*Duke Ellington: The Far East Suite (side 2)
*Faust: The Faust Tapes
*George: "Do You Want to Go...Swimming?"
*Grateful Dead: 1971-12-15 Ann Arbor (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-03-23 Academy of Music, NYC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72 (disc 4) "Dark Star"
*Tim Harding/OJ Hunter/Fred McGann/Sam Byrd: 2025-11-01 RVA (CDR)
*King Crimson: Lizard (Elemental Mixes)
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 1)
*Pere Ubu: Datapanik in the Year Zero (sides 1, 2)
*Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time (sides 1, 2)
*Wayne Shorter: The All Seeing Eye
*Sonic Youth: Goodbye 20th Century (disc 1)
*Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Research Arkestra: Paradiso Amsterdam 1970 (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Media Dreams (side 1)
*Sun Ra: On Jupiter (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Prophet (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Solo Works (CDR compilation)
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (discs 1, 2)
*Sun Ra Arkestra: Live at the Paradox
*Henry Threadgill: Listen Ship
*Trio of Bloom: Trio of Bloom
*UYA: 1994-03-13 Ideological Nipple (wav)
*UYA: 1994-03-24/27 Up Your Arkestra (wav)
*Various artists: Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues (A Musical Journey) (disc 1)
*Various artists: Stax Revue: Live in '65! (discs 1, 2)
*John Zorn: Prolegomena
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Nocturnes

Reading List, Week of 2025-11-02

Rereading His Dark Materials and the first two volumes of the Pullman trilogy The Book of Dust in preparation for the brand new third volume!

Reading List 2025-11-03:

*Pullman, Philip. The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, Vol. 2) (reread/started)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: The Limbo of Useless Unconsciousness: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 3: 1918 (started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry VIII (Arden 2nd series, ed. R.A. Foakes) (reread/started)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 1: 1916 (started/finished)
*Pullman, Philip. La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust, Vol. 1) (reread/started/finished)
*Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass (reread/finished)
*Windsor-Smith, Barry. Monsters (reread/finished)
*Bernard, Bruce. Century (in progress)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections) 

 

 

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)