Playlist, Week of 2026-05-24

 

Always nice to return to the lethargic majesty of Robert Wyatt's masterpiece.... with the always important underpinning of two great bassists, Richard Sinclair and Hugh Hopper... My original vinyl of Tales from Topographic Oceans sounds so much better than the Steven Wilson remix... that doesn't take away from the fun in hearing different details in the remix, though... I need to check out Vol. 1 of Ayumi Ishito's Roboquarians, because Vol. 2 is fantastic... 

Playlist 2026-05-25:

*[Ahmed]: Play Monk (disc 1)
*Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
*Ayumi Ishito: Roboquarians, Vol. 2
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 5)
*Bruford: Gradually Going Tornado (side 1)
*Caravan: In the Land of Grey and Pink (side 1)
*Nels Cline Singers: The Giant Pin
*Nels Cline Singers: Macroscope
*John Coltrane: Live Trane: The European Tours (disc 1)
*Richard Dawson: The Ruby Cord
*Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Masterpieces by Ellington (side 3)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Ellington at Newport (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: Dance Date Air Force U.S.A. March 1958 (side 1)
*Emerson Lake and Palmer: Emerson Lake & Palmer
*Entropic Hop: Entropic Hop
*Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (side 3)
*Goal Weight: Keep Telling Yourself That
*Grateful Dead: 1978-04-11 Atlanta (CDR) (discs 2, 3)
*Grateful Dead: Formerly the Warlocks (disc 5) "Dark Star," "Space"
*Grateful Dead: 1989-10-16 East Rutherford NJ (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1989-10-26 Miami (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1989-12-31 Oakland CA (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Kip Hanrahan: 1991 Stuttgart (CDR)
*Happy the Man: Happy the Man (sides 1, 2)
*Joe Henderson: The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (side 2)
*Hyper Gal: After Image
*Lazro/Léandre/Lovens: For Baritone Sax, Double Bass & Drumset
*Matching Mole: Matching Mole (side 1)
*Merzbow/Mats Gustafsson/Balázs Pándi: Cuts Cut
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 10)
*New Ting: 2026-05-11 "Battering Wham" (wav)
*Nico: 1980-09-26 Squat Theater, NYC (CDR)
*OOIOO: The Horizon Spiral
*Jimmy Reed: Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee-Jay Singles (disc 3)
*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (side 2)
*Residents: Eskimo (side 2)
*David Sancious: Forest of Feelings (side 2)
*Michael Sarian: The Sea, the Space, and Egypt, Vol. 1
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Crystal Spears (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Strange Celestial Road (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-29 Detroit (CDR) (disc 1)
*Test: Ecstatic Peace 
*Various artists: Bollywood Movie Title Music
*Various artists: Telugu Connection (CDR)
*Various artists: WSAM: Dark Star and Behind (CDR compilation)
*Robert Wyatt: Rock Bottom (sides 1, 2)
*XTC: Apple Venus, Vol. 1
*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans (sides 2, 4)
*Yes: Going for the One 

Reading List, Week of 2026-05-24

Reading List 2026-05-25:

*Clowes, Daniel. The Complete Eightball: Issues 1-18 (started)
*Homer. The Odyssey (transl. Emily Wilson) (reread/started)
*Pullman, Philip. Dæmon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling (finished)
*Boyd, Brian. Nabokov's Pale Fire: The Magic of Artistic Discovery (in progress)
*Garner, Bryan A. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. (in progress)
*Rothfuss, Patrick. The Wise Man's Fear (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2026-05-17

 

Some wonderful music coming out of Daniel Carter's label 577 Records... I am particularly intrigued by the playing of Ayumi Ishito... In the land of "Dark Star," I am now firmly in the age of the return of double drums, and so far they just aren't working for me... they're just plodding and jaunty... Nicole Mitchell's Arc of O starts off with an Ascension-level bang... great stuff... 

Playlist 2026-05-18:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1977-07-30 NYC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Ayumi Ishito: Ayumi Ishito and the Spacemen, Vol. 2
*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 4 (Ensemble) Compositions 1992 "Comp. 100"
*James Brown: In the Jungle Groove
*Nels Cline Singers: Draw Breath
*Miles Davis: The Columbia Years 1955-1985 (disc 3)
*Egg: The Metronomical Society
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (disc 10)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 13 (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-10 Washington DC (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1979-01-20 Buffalo NY (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1981-12-31 Oakland CA (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1984-07-13 Berkeley CA (CDR) "Dark Star"
*King Crimson: In the Wake of Poseidon (40th Anniversary Ed.) (2010 stereo mix)
*Leroy Jenkins: Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival Of America
*Nicole Mitchell & an_ARCHE NewMusic Ensemble: Arc Of O: For Improvisers, Chamber Orchestra & Electronics
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 9)
*New Ting: 2022-06-07 "Undergrowth" (wav)
*Playfield: Playfield, Vol. 2
*Playfield: Stepping Out, Vol. 1
*Wadada Leo Smith/Roscoe Mitchell Creative Orchestra: 1979-06-03 Moers "track 3"
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 3)
*Sun Ra: Crystal Spears (Remastered)
*Sun Ra & His Arkestra: The Cymbals​/​Symbols Sessions (New York City 1973) (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-28 Detroit (CDR) (disc 6)
*Tool: Undertow
*Lennie Tristano: Lennie Tristano
*Umlaut Big Band: Mary's Ideas (disc 1)
*UYA: 1994-12-13 Captain Cancre-Newt (wav)
*UYA: 1995-01-22 Spreading Love All Over the Wall (wav)
*Various artists: Ethiopiques 25: 1971-1975 Modern Roots
*Various artists: Variations #1: Transition (Jon Leidecker) (CDR)
*White Noise: An Electric Storm
*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans (side 1)

Reading List, Week of 2026-05-17

Reading List 2026-05-18:

*Pullman, Philip. Dæmon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling (started)
*Rothfuss, Patrick. The Wise Man's Fear (reread/started)
*Rothfuss, Patrick. The Name of the Wind (reread/finished)
*Sorrentino, Gilbert. Splendide-Hôtel (reread/finished)
*Boyd, Brian. Nabokov's Pale Fire: The Magic of Artistic Discovery (in progress)
*Garner, Bryan A. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. (in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2026-05-10

Nice playing from Daniel Barbiero on Moon in Winter... It's been while since I revisited Quartet (New Haven) 2014... it's great hearing Nels Cline and Greg Saunier in the context of Braxton... I'd love a reprise, Mr. Braxton... John Gilmore shines like a golden beacon of sound on Dizzy Reece's From In to Out... Still working my way through the remarkable run of George Lewis replacing Lester Bowie in the Art Ensemble of Chicago at Storyville in 1977... 

Playlist 2026-05-11:

*Rashied Ali Quartet: New Directions in Modern Music (side 1)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1977-07-30 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Ayumi Ishito: Ayumi Ishito and the Spacemen, Vol. 1
*Béla Bartók: 6 String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (New Haven) 2014 (disc 1)
*Will Bryce/Sam Byrd/Jimmy Ghaphery: 2026-05-02 RVA (CDR)
*Daniel Carter: Open Question, Vol. 1
*Andrea Centazzo: Moon in Winter
*Nels Cline: Dirty Baby (disc 2)
*Ornette Coleman: Beauty Is a Rare Thing: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (disc 3)
*John Coltrane/Don Cherry: The Avant-Garde
*Deerhoof: Miracle-Level
*Deerhoof: Deerhoof and the Sound Sanctuary
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S02 E54: California
*Duke Ellington: Midnight in Paris
*Duke Ellington and Count Basie: First Time! The Count Meets the Duke
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Latin American Suite
*Entropic Hop: Live at Downtown Music Gallery
*Grateful Dead: 1974-10-18 Winterland, SF (CDR) "Seastones Jam > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: The Closing Of Winterland: December 31, 1978 (disc 4) "Dark Star > The Other One > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1979-01-10 Nassau NY (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Jefferson Pilot: Spirit of '77
*Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra/Small Unit: Spectral Fiction
*Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66: Crystal Illusions
*New Ting: 2026-05-04 "Watering Can Holler"
*Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes
*OOIOO: The Horizon Spiral
*Eddie Prévost et al.: The Secret Handshake With Danger, Vol. 2
*Dizzy Reece: From In to Out
*Santana: Caravanserai
*Santana: Welcome
*Archie Shepp: The Magic of Ju-Ju (side 1)
*Tyshawn Sorey: Alloy "Movement"
*Sparks: Whomp That Sucker (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Jazz by Sun Ra, Vol. 1 [Sun Song]
*Sun Ra & His Arkestra: The Cymbals​/​Symbols Sessions (New York City 1973) (disc 2)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-28 Detroit (CDR) (disc 5)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Saturn XIII (sides 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra of Two Continents: 1984-10-20 Rubigen, Switzerland (CDR) (disc 2)
*Various artists: Rockabilly (disc 1)
*Alex Ward Item 10: Volition (Live At Cafe Oto) "Volition"

Reading List, Week of 2026-05-10

Reading List 2026-05-11:

*Boyd, Brian. Nabokov's Pale Fire: The Magic of Artistic Discovery (started)
*Rothfuss, Patrick. The Name of the Wind (reread/started)
*Sorrentino, Gilbert. Splendide-Hôtel (reread/started)
*King, Stephen, and Peter Straub. Black House (reread/finished)
*Wilmer, Valerie. As Serious as Your Life: The Story of the New Jazz (rev. ed.) (reread/finished)
*Garner, Bryan A. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. (in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2026-05-03

Still absorbing and getting new insights from Deerhoof's Miracle-Level and Ingrid Laubrock's Serpentines... Prog rocks gotten off: Passion Play and Tarkus... Overall I have preferred the 1974 "Dark Stars" to the 1973 ones... I am almost at the end of the fantastic run of Bill Kreutzmann-only versions... Slowly working my way through the epic Sun Ra Detroit run of December 1980...

Playlist 2026-05-04:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1977-07-29 NYC (CDR) (discs 2, 3)
*Béla Bartók: 6 String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) (disc 1)
*Borderlands Trio: Asteroidea "Borderlands"
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 4)
*Nels Cline: Dirty Baby (disc 1)
*John Coltrane: Transition
*John Coltrane: First Meditations (For Quartet) (sides 1, 2)
*John Coltrane: A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle
*Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (disc 2)
*Miles Davis: The Columbia Years 1955-1985 (disc 1)
*Deerhoof: Miracle-Level (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (disc 9)
*Duke Ellington: Duke 56/62 Vol. 1 (sides 3, 4)
*Duke Ellington: The Private Collection: Vol. 10, Studio Sessions New York & Chicago 1965, 1966, 1971 "Harlem"
*Emerson Lake and Palmer: The Atlantic Years (disc 1) "Tarkus"
*Flying Sutra with Ayumi Ishito: Out Beyond Orbit
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 12 (1974-06-28 Boston) (disc 3) "Weather Report Suite > Jam> U.S. Blues"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) (disc 2) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 7 (1974-09-10 London) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1978-04-11 Atlanta (CDR) (disc 1)
*Guru Guru: UFO
*Jimi Hendrix: Hendrix in the West
*Charles Ives: Symphonies No. 1 & 4 (Michael Tilson Thomas)
*Jethro Tull: A Passion Play
*Kinks: The Journey: Part 2 (side 1)
*Steve Lacy/Andrea Centazzo: Tao
*Ingrid Laubrock: Serpentines
*Lightning Bolt: The Horizon Viral
*Allen Lowe: Jews and Roots: An Avant-Garde of Our Own (discs 7, 8)
*Charles Mingus: Mingus in Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts (disc 2)
*New Ting: 2025-10-20 "Tethered Dream" (wav)
*OOIOO: The Horizon Spiral
*Keith Rowe/John Tilbury: E.E. Tension and Circumstance
*Todd Rundgren: Healing
*Fie Schouten: Open Space
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Sound of Joy
*Sun Ra: The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-28 Detroit (CDR) (discs 3, 4)
*Cecil Taylor Big Band: 1995-07-03 NYC (CDR) (disc 1) track 1
*UYA: 1994-12-07 Frosty the Newt
*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 11, 12)