Playlist, Week of 2024-11-17

We Are on the Edge just gets better and better every time I listen to it... a true landmark record... Nice to have more Charlie Parker but nothing earth-shattering or revelatory on Bird in Kansas City... Brilliant piano trio playing from Matt Mitchell, but from him I expect no less... Revisiting old favorites: Juju: comfort food for the ears... Joe Henderson rocking it on Unity... John Gilmore smoking on Music from Tomorrow's World... I had it in my mind that he didn't solo so much on the Majestic session, but he definitely does, especially on "Possession"... that whole CD is damn revelatory, and explores whole sides of Sun Ra not heard elsewhere... specifically, live 1960 Arkestra and the superlative arrangements on the Majestic session (more florid and worked-out than the Transition albums)... 

Playlist 2024-11-18:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (disc 1)
*Beatles: Real Love (maxi CD single)
*Paul Bley/Evan Parker/Barre Phillips: Time Will Tell
*John Blum Quartet feat. Marshall Allen: Deep Space
*Kim Cass: Levs
*George Clinton/P-Funk All Stars: How Late Do U Have 2BB4UR Absent? (disc 1)
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 15)
*Miles Davis: Miles at the Fillmore: Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (disc 1)
*Bob Dylan: Together Through Life
*Bob Dylan: Tempest
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1936-1940 Variety, Vocalion, and Okeh Small Group Sessions (disc 7)
*Farmers By Nature: Out of This World's Distortions
*Agustí Fernández Ensemble: Via Augusta
*Forebrace: Steeped
*Grateful Dead: 1989-10-09 Hampton VA (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Mary Halvorson: Reverse Blue
*Hatfield and the North: The Manor Demos
*Alexander Hawkins Trio: Carnival Celestial
*Dave Holland New Quartet: 2023-07-13 Pori, Finland (CDR)
*Jackie McLean: Action
*Matt Mitchell: Zealous Angles
*Roscoe Mitchell's Cards For Orchestra Project: 2009-08-30 Sant'Anna Arresi, Italy (CDR)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Conversations II
*New Ting: 2024-11-11 "Wall Hangings and a Crustacean"(wav)
*Charlie Parker: Bird in Kansas City
*David Sancious and Tone: Transformation (The Speed of Love)
*Wayne Shorter: Juju (side 1)
*Sparks: Big Beat (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Music from Tomorrow's World
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Strange Strings (Expanded Edition) (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His All-Star Inventions: 1991-11-17 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Sun Ra: Saturn Research: Rarities and Oddities (CDR compilation) (discs 1, 2)
*Craig Taborn/Tomeka Reid/Ches Smith: 2023-03-05 Vienna (CDR)
*Sharon Tandy: You Gotta Believe It's... Sharon Tandy
*Cecil Taylor Unit: 1966-11-30 Paris (CDR)
*Thumbscrew: Wingbeats
*Lennie Tristano: Personal Recordings 1946-1970 (disc 5)
*Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince
*Anna Webber: simpletrio2000
*Larry Young: Unity

Reading List, Week of 2024-11-17

Reading List 2024-11-18:

*Berman, Tosh. Sparks-Tastic: Twenty-One Nights with Sparks in London (started)
*Tingen, Paul. Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967-1991 (started)
*Gibson, William. Agency (started/finished)
*Davidson, Mark, and Parker Fishel. Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine (finished)
*Gibson, William. The Peripheral (finished)
*Marguerite Young, Our Darling: Tributes and Essays, ed. Miriam Fuchs (finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2024-11-10

I am still under the sway of seeing Annette Peacock at Big Ears over two years ago... The Advocate has some of Tony Oxley's most powerful and intricate playing... in a dream world, there would have been a trio album with Oxley, Derek Bailey, and Cecil Taylor... "Dark Star:" comfort food for my ears... much needed this week...

Playlist 2024-11-11:

*Muhal Richard Abrams featuring Malachi Favors: Sightsong (side 2)

*Zoh Amba: Bhakti

*André 3000: New Blue Sun (disc 2)

*Boredoms: Wow 2

*Brides of Funkenstein: Never Buy Texas from a Cowboy (side 2)

*Peter Brötzmann/Fred Hopkins/Rashied Ali: Songlines

*Kim Cass: Levs

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2019-08-28 Nashville (rough mix wav)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 14)

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

*Marilyn Crispell: Live at Mills College, 1995

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

*Kris Davis Trio: Run the Gauntlet

*Bob Dylan: 14 Hidden Gems from the Bootleg Series 1963-1997

*Bob Dylan: Oh Mercy

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

*Alèmayèhu Eshèté: Ethiopiques 2: 1969-1974

*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-14 Monterey (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-11 Rotterdam (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-27 Jersey City, NJ (Dick's Picks 11) (disc 3) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: Dark Star Comp 4 (1984, 1989-1990) (CDR compilation)

*Milford Graves: Stories

*Dave Holland/Sam Rivers: Dave Holland/Sam Rivers

*Dave Holland New Quartet: 2024-09-14 Santa Fe (CDR) (disc 2)

*Steve Howe: Beginnings

*Michael Thomas Jackson:  chrONiclEs 1: O.N.E: Free Improvised Chamber Music 2003-2004

*King Crimson: Live in Toronto (disc 2)

*Peter Kowald: Was Da Ist

*Joëlle Léandre/Craig Taborn/Mat Maneri: hEARoes

*Brian Marsella’s iMAGiNARiUM: Mediatas (discs 2, 3)

*Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra: Live at the Adler Planetarium

*Myra Melford/Han Bennink: Eleven Ghosts

*Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime (side 1)

*Roscoe Mitchell/Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble: Three Compositions "Quintet #9 for Eleven"

*New Ting: 2024-11-04 "Inconsiderate Concrete Implications" (wav)

*Office Ladies: Brains in Bed, Brains and Boots, No Boots in Bed (side 2)

*OOIOO: Nijimusi

*Tony Oxley/Derek Bailey: The Advocate

*Charlie Parker: Live and Private Recordings in Chronological Order (disc 13)

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

*Annette Peacock: Sky-Skating

*Annette Peacock: I Have No Feelings

*Rascals: The Island of Real

*Don Redman and His Orchestra: 1931-1933

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

*Sonny Rollins: East Broadway Run Down (side 1)

*Santana: Borboletta

*Elliott Sharp/Sally Gates/Tashi Dorji: Ere Guitar

*Wayne Shorter: 1965-08-01 Village Vanguard, NYC (CDR)

*Sun Ra and His Outskirts of the Universe Arkestra: 1980-10-31? Philadelphia (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: 1985-06-10 Philadelphia (CDR) (disc 2)

*Sun Ra: Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC (side 4)

*Sun Ra: Kingdom of Discipline

*Cecil Taylor/Bill Dixon/Tony Oxley: Cecil Taylor/Bill Dixon/Tony Oxley

*Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince

*John Zorn: In the Hall of Mirrors 

Reading List, Week of 2024-11-10

Finally finished the mammoth Miss MacIntosh, My Darling... took me over half a year, but damn it was worth it... a monumental, bewildering, beautiful novel...

Reading List 2024-11-11:

*Gibson, William. The Peripheral (started)
*Marguerite Young, Our Darling: Tributes and Essays, ed. Miriam Fuchs (started)
*Vellekoop, Maurice. I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir (finished)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (finished)
*Davidson, Mark, and Parker Fishel. Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-11-03

Excellent clarinet playing from Alex Ward on Steeped... Been digging deep into classic second quintet Miles Davis... this music has fascinated and puzzled me for years and years, largely due to the brilliance of Tony Williams... As much as I loved (and was influenced by) Bill Bruford's drumming with Yes, I gotta say I prefer Alan White's, especially on Tales and Relayer... Bruford really didn't come into his own until King Crimson, where his almost uptight syncopations and off-kilter beats meshed better, whereas White is anything but uptight...he's earthy and he swings... I lost interest in Yes as a going concern pretty soon after Awakening, but I return quite often to Tales, largely because of Alan White... 

Playlist 2024-11-04:

*AMM: The Crypt - 12th June 1968 (disc 2) "Coffin nor Shelf"

*Derek Bailey/John Butcher/Gino Robair: Scrutables

*Blast: Stringy Rugs

*Blood Incantation: Hidden History of the Human Race

*John Blum Quartet feat. Marshall Allen: Deep Space

*Boredoms: Pop Tatari

*Brand X: Unorthodox Behaviour (side 1)

*Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet: Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022 (discs 1, 2, 3, 4)

*John Butcher/Pat Thomas/Dominic Lash/Steve Noble: Fathom

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

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2019-05-02/03 Nashville (rough mix wav) (disc 2)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 13)

*Lol Coxhill: Ear of the Beholder

*Kris Davis Trio: Run the Gauntlet

*Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (disc 2)

*Miles Davis: E.S.P.

*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles Smiles

*Miles Davis: Sorcerer

*Miles Davis: Nefertiti

*Miles Davis: Miles in the Sky

*Miles Davis: Miles Davis at Fillmore (side 3)

*Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding

*Earth Wind and Fire: All 'n All (side 1)

*Folk Choir: They'll Know We Are Christians

*Forebrace: Steeped

*Marvin Gaye: What's Going On (50th Anniversary) (side 1)

*Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges

*Mary Halvorson Septet: Illusionary Sea

*Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage

*Joe Henderson: Barcelona

*Jimi Hendrix: First Rays of the New Rising Sun

*Dave Holland New Quartet: 2024-09-14 Santa Fe (CDR) (disc 1)

*Bobby Hutcherson: Joe Chambers: Composer (cassette compilation) (sides A, B)

*King Crimson: Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Elemental Mixes)

*Christian Marclay: More Encores

*Brian Marsella’s iMAGiNARiUM: Mediatas (disc 1)

*Roscoe Mitchell/Malachi Favors: 1993-10-16 Oakland CA (CDR)

*Roscoe Mitchell Discussions Orchestra: Discussions "Who Dat"

*New Ting: 2024-10-28 "I'm Step Not Your Stones" (wav)

*Office Ladies: Brains in Bed, Brains and Boots, No Boots in Bed (side 1)

*Charlie Parker: Live and Private Recordings in Chronological Order (disc 12)

*Annette Peacock: I Have No Feelings

*Ivo Perelman Trio: Garden of Jewels

*Tomeka Reid/Kyoko Kitamura/Taylor Ho Bynum/Joe Morris: Geometry of Caves

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis (side 1)

*Soft Machine: Six (side 2)

*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 2)

*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Strange Strings (Expanded Edition) (side 4)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: 1985-06-10 Philadelphia (CDR) (disc 1)

*Sun Ra: Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC

*Various artists: Tokyo Flashback

*Anna Webber: simpletrio2000

*Mary Wells: Forgive & Forget: Selected Tracks 1960-64 (CDR compilation)

*Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (side 2)

*Yes: Yes (side 1)

*Yes: Time and a Word (side 1)

*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans (2016 remaster) (disc 2) "Ritual"

*Yes: Relayer (2016 remaster) (disc 1)

*Neil Young: Zuma

Reading List, Week of 2024-11-03

Down to the finish line with Miss Macintosh...

Reading List 2024-11-04:

*Vellekoop, Maurice. I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir (started)
*Walker, David F. et al. Bitter Root: Omnibus Book 1 (started/finished)
*Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (finished)
*Waters, Keith. The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68 (finished)
*Davidson, Mark, and Parker Fishel. Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-10-30

Been immensely enjoying the newest Anthony Braxton box of Lorraine music, played by saxophone quartet (plus computer)... this particular configuration really suits the music, in a different way I think than the various combinations on 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022... at any rate, this is a wealth of new Braxton music that I'm sure will continue to yield years of pleasure... RIP Phil Lesh, and a tip of the hat to Daniel Barbiero, who got me to check out (again, and it's been a while) the great bass playing on "Eyes of the World" from June 16, 1974 in Des Moines... 

Playlist 2024-10-28:

*Alco Frisbass: Le Bateleur
*At the Drive-In: Relationship of Command
*Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet: Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022 (discs 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Carter Family: 1927-1934 (disc 1)
*Kim Cass: Levs
*Stephan Crump: Slow Water
*Kris Davis Trio: Run the Gauntlet
*Miles Davis: 1969-03 Rochester NY (CDR) (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1936-1940 Variety, Vocalion, and Okeh Small Group Sessions (disc 6)
*Duke Ellington: …And His Mother Called Him Bill
*Grateful Dead: 1974-06-16 Des Moines (CDR) (disc 2)
*Herbie Hancock: Takin' Off
*Jimi Hendrix: Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Brink
*Love Cry Want: Love Cry Want
*Brian Marsella's iMAGiNARiUM: Chapter One: The Clocks Have Gone Mad
*Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra: Live at the Adler Planetarium
*Jackie McLean: It's Time!
*Micro-East Collective: 20000325 Micro​-​East Collective, Red Room, Baltimore, MD
*Matt Mitchell: Zealous Angles
*New Ting: 2019-09-30 "Emulsify My Desires" (wav)
*New Ting: 2024-10-14 "Druids and Salarymen on the Oedo Line Weep Silently before Dawn" (wav)
*Charlie Parker: Live and Private Recordings in Chronological Order (disc 11)
*Annette Peacock: 31:31
*Elvis Presley: The Complete Elvis Presley Masters (disc 20)
*Pretty Things: S.F. Sorrow
*Tomeka Reid/Kyoko Kitamura/Taylor Ho Bynum/Joe Morris: Geometry of Phenomena
*Jon Rose/Mark Dresser: Band Width
*Sara Schoenbeck: Sara Schoenbeck
*Ches Smith: Laugh Ash
*Soft Machine: 1967-11-10 London (CDR) (disc 2)
*Sparks: Angst in My Pants (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Strange Strings (Expanded Edition) (side 3)
*Sun Ra: Media Dreams (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Kingdom of Discipline
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 5)
*Cecil Taylor: 2016-04-14 Whitney Museum, NYC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Thumbscrew: Wingbeats
*Tom and Marty Band: Afraid to Go to Sleep
*Various artists: That Devilin' Tune (Vol. I, disc 4)
*Various artists: Éthiopiques 1 : Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music 1969-1975
*Alex Ward: Gated
*Anna Webber/Matt Mitchell: Capacious Aeration