Playlist, Week of 2025-05-11

Deep Space is one of the most enjoyable recordings of late Marshall Allen, if only because of the company he's keeping... John Blum studied with Cecil Taylor and Milford Graves, and it shows... he is simply brilliant here... powerful stuff... The compositions of Marek Pospieszalski show off the playing of Zoh Amba to great advantage, more so maybe than some of the totally free sessions she's participated in... 

Playlist 2025-05-12:

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (disc 1)
*Air: 1979-06-25 Rome (CDR) (disc 1)
*Louis Armstrong/Duke Ellington: The Great Summit, Complete Sessions, Deluxe Edition (disc 1)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1978-10-07 Chicago (CDR) (disc 1)
*John Blum Quartet feat. Marshall Allen: Deep Space
*Anthony Braxton Trio: 1979-11-19 Firenze (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Tadd Dameron and His Orchestra: The Magic Touch
*Kris Davis Trio: 2025-03-29 Big Ears, Knoxville TN (CDR)
*Deerhoof: Noble and Godlike in Ruin
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E36 "Hair"
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1936-1940 Variety, Vocalion, and Okeh Small Group Sessions (disc 7)
*Duke Ellington and His Award Winners: Blues in Orbit (side 1)
*Michael Fornanek Elusion Quartet: Time Like This
*Satoku Fujii/Myra Melford: Under the Water
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-07 Fillmore West, SF (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-14 Monterey (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-09-12 Williamsburg VA (CDR) (disc 1)
*Langston Hughes/Charles Mingus: Harlem in Vogue
*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 1 (disc 1)
*Warne Marsh Quartet: Ne Plus Ultra
*Mephista: Black Narcissus
*Ikue Mori/Steve Noble: Prediction and Warning
*David Murray Quartet: Long Goodbye
*Marek Pospieszalski Octet & Zoh Amba: Now!
*Roxy Music: Roxy Music
*Masahiko Satoh/Otomo Yoshihide/Roger Turner: Sea
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (sides 11, 12)
*Synapse: Raw
*Henry Threadgill Society Situation Dance Band: 1997-07-12 Den Haag (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2025-05-11

Finished this massive masterpiece for the second time... what a ride... there's really nothing else like it... highly recommended, but not for the faint of heart!

Reading List 2025-05-12:

*Haber, Mark. Lesser Ruins (started)
*Lavezzoli, Peter. The King of All, Sir Duke: Ellington and the Artistic Revolution (started)
*Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica (ed. and transl. William H. Race) (started/finished)
*Berrigan, Ted. The Sonnets (started/finished)
*Williams, Tad. The Navigator's Children (finished)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-05-04

Mingus Dynasty: one LP to rule them all... Eventually I'll have something to say about the new Sun Ra box but it's a lot to absorb... As a matter of fact, all the music I listen to is a lot to absorb, and I usually take in more than I can give out in words...

Playlist 2025-05-05:

*AcidMothersGuruGuru: Guru Guru Fest 2010
*Sophie Agnel: Song
*Air: Air Time
*Artifacts: …And Then There’s This
*Johann Sebastian Bach: Concertos for Piano And Orchestra Nos. 1–5 & 7 (Gould/Bernstein) (disc 2)
*Tim Berne/Tom Rainey/Gregg Belisle-Chi: Yikes Too (disc 1)
*Blondie: Blondie Singles Collection: 1977-1982 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton Quartet: 1975-06-06 Hamburg (CDR)
*John Butcher/John Edwards/Mark Sanders: Last Dream of the Morning
*Frédéric Chopin: Favourite Piano Works (Vladimir Ashkenazy) (disc 1)
*Nels Cline: Consentrik Quartet
*Sylvie Courvoisier/Mary Halvorson: Bone Bells
*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (disc 3)
*Deerhoof: Noble and Godlike in Ruin
*Jim Denley/Peter Farrar/Dale Gorfinkel: Vents
*Bill Dixon: 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur
*Paul Dunmall/Matthew Shipp/Joe Morris/Gerald Cleaver: The Bright Awakening
*Nick Dunston: Colla Voce
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E35 "Women's Names"
*Bob Dylan: Shadows in the Night
*Marc Edwards/Weasel Walter Group: Blood of the Earth
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: Les Girls! The Girls Suite & Toot Suite Premieres (1958-1963)
*Duke Ellington: Anatomy of a Murder
*Duke Ellington: Piano in the Foreground
*Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (disc 1) "Suite Thursday"
*Duke Ellington: The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973) (disc 18) "In the Beginning God"
*Duke Ellington: The Private Collection: Vol. 10, Studio Sessions New York & Chicago 1965, 1966, 1971 "Harlem"
*Duke Ellington: Live at the Berlin Jazz Festival 1969-1973
*Glass Triangle: Blue and Sun-Lights
*Grateful Dead: 1969-05-30 Portland OR (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-05-31 Eugene OR (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-05 Fillmore West, SF (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Blues for Allah
*Milford Graves: Bäbi (disc 1)
*Herbie Hancock: Speak Like a Child
*Hasidic New Wave: Jews and the Abstract Truth
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 1)
*Joe Henderson: The Milestone Years (disc 8)
*Lightnin' Hopkins: Dirty House Blues (disc 1)
*Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five: 1945-1946
*Henry Kaiser/Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles!: Upriver (disc 1)
*Charles Mingus and His Jazz Groups: Mingus Dynasty
*New Ting: 2025-04-28 "Brake in Perception" (wav)
*Zeena Parkins/Wobbly: Triplicates
*Marek Pospieszalski Octet & Zoh Amba: Now!
*Ravi Shankar: Three Ragas
*Sly and the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On
*Sun Ra: Jazz by Sun Ra, Vol. 1 [Sun Song]
*Sun Ra: Sound of Joy
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (sides 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
*Sun Ra: St. Louis Blues: Solo Piano
*Various artists: Anthology of Noise and Electronic Music vol. 3: Third a-chronology 1952-2004 (disc 1)
*Various artists: Nobody Wins: Stax Southern Soul 1968-1975
*Anna Webber: Third Floor People
*Wolf Eyes/Anthony Braxton: Live at Pioneer Works, Red Hook, NY, October 26th 2023
*John Zorn/Chaos Magick: Through the Looking Glass

Reading List, Week of 2025-05-04

Reading List 2025-05-05:

*Williams, Tad. The Navigator's Children (started)
*Nabokov, Vladimir. Think, Write, Speak: Uncollected Essays, Reviews, Interviews, and Letters to the Editor (finished)
*Williams, Tad. Into the Narrowdark (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-04-27

Hot Summer Dance is extremely well-recorded and gives a good hint at just how powerful this band must have been from the dance floor... Sun Song is still one of my all-time favorite Sun Ra records... that's all for now...

Playlist 2025-04-28:

*Air: Open Air Suit (sides 1, 2)

*Marshall Allen: New Dawn

*Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars: Satch Plays Fats

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1978-10-05 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Johann Sebastian Bach: Concertos for Piano And Orchestra Nos. 1–5 & 7 (Gould/Bernstein) (disc 1)

*Beatles: The Alternate Anthology Part 2 (disc 2)

*Beatles: The Alternate Anthology Part 3 (discs 1, 2)

*Anthony Braxton: Trillium R: Composition 162 - An Opera in Four Acts/Shala Fears for the Poor (disc 2)

*Anthony Braxton's Sonic Genome Project: 2010-01-31 Vancouver (CDR) (disc 2)

*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 415)

*Gerald Cleaver: 22/23

*Gerald Cleaver: The Process

*Patsy Cline: Imagine That: The Lost Recordings 1954-1963 (disc 1)

*Sylvie Courvoisier: 2025-03-29 Big Ears, Knoxville TN (CDR)

*Kris Davis Trio: 2025-03-29 Big Ears, Knoxville TN (CDR)

*Miles Davis: In Concert (side 3)

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E33 "Countdown"

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Three Suites "Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 and 2"

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Three Suites "Suite Thursday"

*Duke Ellington: Unknown Session

*Duke Ellington: Hot Summer Dance

*Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong: The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve (disc 2)

*Michael Formanek Quartet: Pre-Apocalyptic

*Michael Formanek Quartet: Other Zones

*Grateful Dead: 1969-05-10 Pasadena CA (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1969-05-23 Hollywood FL (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Darius Jones: fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred)

*Darius Jones: Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)

*New Ting: 2025-04-21 "Dappled Dappers" (wav)

*Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble: Warszawa 2019

*Pere Ubu: The Tenement Year (sides 1, 2)

*Ivo Perelman: The Art of the Improv Trio, Vol. 5

*Ravi Shankar/Ali Akhbar Khan: Ragas

*Wadada Leo Smith: Big Ears, Knoxville TN (CDR)

*Sun Ra: Jazz by Sun Ra, Vol. 1 [Sun Song] (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra: Uncharted Passages

*Sun Ra Arkestra under the Direction of Marshall Allen: Lights on a Satellite (side 4)

*Henry Threadgill Sextet: Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket (side 1)

*UYA: 1993-10-24 The Foot Finder (wav)

*Vandermark 5: Beat Reader

*Weather Report: Tale Spinnin' (side 1)

Reading List, Week of 2025-04-27

Reading List 2025-04-28:

*Williams, Tad. Into the Narrowdark (started)

*Williams, Tad. Empire of Grass (finished)

*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)

*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

*Nabokov, Vladimir. Think, Write, Speak: Uncollected Essays, Reviews, Interviews, and Letters to the Editor (in progress)

*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-04-20

I barely go for Christmas music at Christmas time, much less the rest of the year, but damn if Ellington and Strayhorn's version of the Nutcracker cuts through all that crap and swings mightily... I can take that all year round... "Princess Blue" is a relatively minor piece, pleasant enough while it's on, but I'm having a hard time getting a melodic handle on it...  A solid free jazz session from New Ting, with Fred McGann back on keyboard (it's been a while)... Meanwhile, the "Dark Stars" are getting longer... 

Playlist 2025-04-21:

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (disc 5)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1977-01-28 Philadelphia (CDR)
*Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier (Glenn Gould) (disc 3)
*Beatles: Revolver (Super Deluxe 4 LP Edition 2022) (side 7)
*Beatles: The Alternate Anthology Part 1 (disc 2)
*Beatles: The Alternate Anthology Part 2 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton (disc 4) "Opus 76 (Version 2)"
*Gerald Cleaver: 22/23
*Gerald Cleaver: The Process
*John Coltrane: 1966-07-02 Newport (CDR) "Leo"
*Sylvie Courvoisier: 2025-03-29 Big Ears, Knoxville TN (CDR)
*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (disc 2)
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E32 "Moon"
*Duke Ellington: 1938 (side 3)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Newport 1958 "Princess Blue"
*Duke Ellington: Anatomy of a Murder
*Duke Ellington: Les Girls! The Girls Suite & Toot Suite Premieres (1958-1963)
*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Live! At the Newport Jazz Festival '59 "Idiom '59"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Three Suites "The Nutcracker Suite"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Three Suites "Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 and 2"
*Michael Formanek Quartet: Pre-Apocalyptic
*Michael Formanek Quartet: Other Zones
*Gang of Four: Solid Gold (side 2)
*Gentle Giant: Sampler (CDR compilation)
*Gentle Giant: Interview
*Grateful Dead: 1969-04-22 Boston (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-04-23 Boston (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 26 (1969-04-26/27) (disc 2) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-05-07 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Darius Jones: fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred)
*Darius Jones: Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)
*Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin II
*Brandon Lopez: Nada Sagrada
*New Ting: 2025-04-14 "Heat Pad" (wav)
*Zeena Parkins/Wobbly: Triplicates
*Ivo Perelman: The Art of the Improv Trio, Vol. 3
*Ivo Perelman: The Art of the Improv Trio, Vol. 5
*Ivo Perelman: The Art of the Improv Trio, Vol. 6
*Wadada Leo Smith: Big Ears, Knoxville TN (CDR)
*Sun Ra: Disco 3000 (Complete Milan Concert 1978) (discs 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Uncharted Passages
*Cecil Taylor Workshop Ensemble: Melancholy "Sphere No. 1"
*Various artists: Anthology of Noise and Electronic Music vol. 2: Second a-chronology 1936-2003 (disc 2)
*Frank Zappa: Apostrophe (50th Anniversary Ed.) (disc 3)