Playlist, week of 2016-02-28

I've been on a real Tom Rainey kick lately...can't get enough of his playing. He's brilliant on this. Love his Kris Davis trio work as well. His own trio, with Ingrid, with Tim Berne, with Braxton...damn, lots of listening to do! More on this at some point.

Playlist 2016-02-29:

*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton (disc 7)
*Anthony Braxton: Anthony Braxton Quartet [Sao Paulo 2014]
*Peter Brötzmann Sextet/Quartet: Nipples
*Peter Brötzmann Sextet/Quartet: More Nipples
*Rodger Coleman: 2016-02-18 “Moog” (wav)
*John Coltrane Quartet: 1963-01-19 University Park, PA. (CDR)
*Kris Davis: Capricorn Climber
*Kris Davis Trio: Waiting for You to Grow
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2015-11-23 “Doll Arm in Limbo Threshold” (wav)
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2015-12-07 “Accept This Cooler” (wav)
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-02-01 “Featherduster” (wav)
*Sun Ra: The Singles
*Sun Ra & His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra: The Intergalactic Thing (streaming) (selections)
*Sun Ra and His Mythic Science Arkestra: The Paris Tapes: Live at le Theatre du Chatelet 1971 (disc 2)
*Sun Ra: Disco 3000: The Complete Milan Concert 1978 (Art Yard) (disc 2)
*Lester Young: The Aladdin Sessions (side 1)
*Bob Dylan: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Volume 12 (discs 5, 6)
*Hatfield and the North: 1974-04-13 London (CDR)
*High Llamas: Here Come the Rattling Trees
*Little Feat: Waiting for Columbus (disc 2)
*National Health: Playtime
*No BS! Brass: Brass Knuckles
*Soft Machine: 1975-01-10 Enschede, The Netherlands (CDR) (disc 1)
*Supremes: I Hear a Symphony
*Supremes: The Supremes a ‘Go-Go
*Supremes: The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland
*Television: Marquee Moon
*Various artists: Indian Old Comedy Cancel Songs, Vol. 152 (side A)

Reading List, Week of 2016-02-28

I don't read so much poetry these days. Thought I'd try this out, since Barthelme refers to him so much. Call it stretching my mind: I understand almost none of it, but it's fun to read. Feeble, my mind. But I will try more, and come back to it.

Reading List 2016-02-29:

*Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare, ed. Arthur F. Kinney (started)
*Arden of Faversham, in William Shakespeare and Others. Collaborative Plays, ed. Jonathan Bate et al. (started/finished)
*Ashbery, John. Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror (finished)
*Le Carré, John. The Russia House (finished)
*Taylor, Gary. “The Canon and Chronology of Shakespeare’s Plays,” in Stanley Wells, et al. William Shakespeare: A Textual Companion (finished)
*Geerken, Hartmut, et al. Omniverse Sun Ra [Expanded and revised 2nd ed.] (in progress)
*Kondo, Marie. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2016-02-21

New Diamond Curtain Wall music, with Ingrid Laubrock, Mary Halvorson, and Taylor Ho Bynum live in São Paulo. Excellent two-CD set! I'll be digging into this for a while...

Playlist 2016-02-22:

*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton (discs 5, 6)
*Anthony Braxton: 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (disc 4)
*Anthony Braxton: Anthony Braxton Quartet [Sao Paulo 2014]
*Peter Brötzmann Trio: For Adolphe Sax
*John Coltrane Quartet: 1962-11-22 Copenhagen (CDR) (disc 2)
*Kris Davis Trio: Waiting for You to Grow
*Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: Roulette of the Cradle
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2015-11-23 “Doll Arm in Limbo Threshold” (wav)
*Soft Heap: Soft Heap (side 1)
*Sun Ra: The Sub-Dwellers (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Cosmo Earth Fantasy: Sub Underground Series Vol. 1 & 2 (Art Yard) (selections)
*Sun Ra and His Astro-Solar Infinity Arkestra: My Brother the Wind Volume 1
*Sun Ra and His Mythic Science Arkestra: The Paris Tapes: Live at le Theatre du Chatelet 1971 (disc 1)
*Sun Ra: Calling Planet Earth (2015 ORG Music LP) (side 2)
*Sun Ra: God Is More than Love Can Ever Be!
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Omniverse
*Sun Ra: Disco 3000: The Complete Milan Concert 1978 (Art Yard) (disc 1)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Paris 1983
*Cecil Taylor Unit: Live in Bolgna (side 1)
*Beatles: On Air: Live at the BBC Volume 2 (disc 1)
*Bob Dylan: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Volume 12 (discs 3, 4)
*Funkadelic: First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate (disc 1)
*Grand Funk Railroad: On Time (selections)
*High Llamas: Here Come the Rattling Trees
*Little Feat: Waiting for Columbus (disc 1)
*Yani Martinelli: Bubble Station
*Nova: Vimana (side 1)
*Brian Wilson: No Pier Pressure (side 4)
*XTC: Apple Venus
*Zombies: The BBC Radio Sessions (side 1)

Reading List, Week of 2016-02-21

Reading List 2016-02-22:

*Kondo, Marie. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (started)
*Le Carré, John. The Russia House (started)
*Taylor, Gary. “The Canon and Chronology of Shakespeare’s Plays,” in Stanley Wells, et al. William Shakespeare: A Textual Companion (started)
*Kushner, Rachel. The Flamethrowers (finished)
*Taylor, Gary. “General Introduction,” in Stanley Wells, et al. William Shakespeare: A Textual Companion (finished)
*Ashbery, John. Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror (in progress)
*Geerken, Hartmut, et al. Omniverse Sun Ra [Expanded and revised 2nd ed.] (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2016-02-14

For a long time I felt like every album by an artist had to be better than the previous one, a concept nurtured by the Beatles and solidified by progressive rock. As I've gotten older, I've changed my mind. Continuous improvement is not only impossible after a certain plateau is reached, but it does a disservice to the music and to the musicians. Obviously a lot more could be said on this topic, but all of this is by way of saying that initial impressions of "more of the same" don't necessarily have to be derogatory. In the case of the High Llamas, "more of the same" is downright delightful. It'll take a few listens for me to fully absorb this, but since it's (on the surface anyway) similar to the last few albums by them, I know it will continue to yield its riches over time and never disappoint. Let the ear worms begin!

Playlist 2016-02-15:

*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton (discs 3, 4)
*Anthony Braxton: Piano Music (1968-2000)/Performed by Genevieve Foccroulle (disc 9)
*Anthony Braxton: 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (disc 3)
*John Coltrane: The Classic Quartet: The Complete Impulse! Recordings (discs 1, 2)
*John Coltrane Quartet: 1962-11-22 Copenhagen (CDR) (disc 1)
*Mahavishnu Orchestra: Between Nothingness & Eternity
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-02-05 “Up and Atom” RVA Noise Showcase, WRIR Party, Richmond VA (wav)
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-02-08 “Optose” (wav)
*Sun Ra: iTunes remaster bonus cuts (selections)
*Various artists: Anthology of Noise and Electronic Music #7: Seventh and Last a-Chronology 1930-2012 (disc 2)
*Beach Boys: Landlocked (soniclovenoize reconstruction) (boot CDR)
*Beach Boys: Adult/Child (soniclovenoize reconstruction) (boot CDR)
*Beatles: 1+
*Olga Bell: Krai
*Elvis Costello: Trust
*D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah
*Dark Carpet: 2016-02-10 Parkside Lounge, NYC (aif)
*Bob Dylan: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Volume 12 (discs 1, 2)
*Mike Elder/Harry Forrest/Greg Jordan/Sam Byrd: 2016-01-29 (wav)
*Flying Lotus: Until the Quiet Comes
*Funkadelic: First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate (disc 3)
*Jimi Hendrix & the Cry of Love: First Rays of the New Rising Sun (soniclovenoize reconstruction)
*High Llamas: Here Come the Rattling Trees
*Mars Volta: Frances the Mute
*National Health: 1979-11-05 Boston (CDR)
*Soft Machine: Turns on Paradiso (March 29, 1969)
*Brian Wilson: No Pier Pressure (side 3)

Reading List, Week of 2016-02-14

http://www.amazon.ca/Which-Shakespeare-Users-Guide-Editions/dp/0335090354

Which Shakespeare? is a somewhat useful but pretty dry comparison of various editions of Shakespeare. Very dated by this point (it came out in 1992, before any of the Arden Third Series had appeared), it is still useful for its treatment of the earlier Ardens and for its consideration of presentation and editing choices.

Reading List 2016-02-15:

*Ashbery, John. Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror (started)
*Kushner, Rachel. The Flamethrowers (started)
*Taylor, Gary. “General Introduction,” in Stanley Wells, et al. William Shakespeare: A Textual Companion (started)
*Homes, A. M. The End of Alice (started/finished)
*Barthelme, Donald. Forty Stories (finished)
*King, Stephen. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (finished)
*Thompson, Ann, et al. Which Shakespeare?: A User's Guide to Editions (finished)
*Geerken, Hartmut, et al. Omniverse Sun Ra [Expanded and revised 2nd ed.] (in progress)

Notes on "Making Music"

http://www.dennisdesantis.com/

Here are some random and scattered thoughts on Dennis DeSantis' book Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers. As I said when I finished it, even though the book is aimed at, well, electronic music producers, there's much in it that can apply to all musicians, even improvisers working in areas where overall planning and detailed construction of orchestrated melodies and motifs don't really come into play. Although when I write it that way, it occurs to me that even in improv there's a fair amount of sound construction going on. I do try to aspire to what I think the best improvisers do, which is to improvise compositionally, to build a sense of structure of some sort from the flimsiest of platforms: thin air.

So DeSantis' book is organized around a series of possible problems and practical solutions to those problems, which is  a nice way to get at many of the snags and hitches that can arise during the creative process. For example, in "Drums to Pitches and Vice Versa" (p. 194), he writes about the problem of coming up with appropriate melodic or harmonic ideas for already-existing drum patterns (or vice versa). One idea he offers is to use a melodic line for one instrument (say, bass) to trigger patterns from entirely different instruments (say, drums). How does that apply to my playing drums in an improvised context? Simply this: I listen closely to what the other players are doing, and sometimes emulate their lines (or sounds) on the drums. It doesn't match exactly, of course, but the inspiration is there and ready to expound on. I didn't need DeSantis to make me think of this; it's something I've developed on my own--but DeSantis does make me consider that process and how it fits into my improvisational toolkit.

A related idea he has is increasing your supply of rhythmic ideas by creating random loops from different sources and emulating the patterns that emerge  ("Implied Rhythms in Short Loops," p. 146). Now this is something I have toyed with in the past but not pursued with focus. Reading about it will help me to be more aware of the rhythms and sounds around me, and while I won't be capturing any sounds out in the wild to make loops with, I will be listening for patterns and beats I can incorporate into my playing.

Two interesting concepts he deals with directly apply to some of the directions I've taken with my playing over the last few years: "Avoidance List" (p. 26) and "Arbitrary Constraints" (p. 42). If  you find your music getting in a rut, repeating the same ideas, he suggests breaking the music down into its various components ("attributes") and experimenting with creating music while avoiding some of them. Similarly, you can try applying certain constraints on your music before you even begin (he suggests things like making every sound from one sample). I have pursued solutions like these by reducing my kit in various ways, sometimes limiting myself to just a floor tom and a cymbal, or just snare and hi-hat. Granted, sometimes this has been for practical reasons (it's hard to justify lugging the entire kit for a 15-minute gig!), but for a while there I was doing it purposefully. It definitely broadened my horizons, forcing me to explore different sonic possibilities with a limited set of sound sources. I was influenced  in this direction by the example of Ian Davis, who I saw one time sit behind his whole kit and only play chains on top of his snare for an entire 45-minute set, all the while making it interesting and musical. I have often found myself limiting my playing to certain pieces of the kit even when I have all of it in front of me. Of course, it doesn't always work: once I decided to only play what I could find in an old suitcase of second-tier discarded toys and percussion instruments I'd recently rediscovered that'd been in the attic for years. Turned out they'd been in the attic for a reason--but that's experimentation for you.

Of course, not all of DeSantis' suggestions work for me, which is only natural. For example, "Write drunk; edit sober" (p. 46), while wonderful advice for a producer, doesn't really work for me with improv: there, I've got to do my editing on the spot, and the challenge is to do that while, if not drunk, then pleasantly buzzed...on the music. Overall, though, Making Music is a great way to jump start different thought processes on the whole wonderful activity.

New Ting Ting Loft, live at the Renaissance Ballroom, RVA Noise Showcase, WRIR Party for the Rest of Us

Here's our recording of the live performance last Friday night at the WRIR party. It's pretty wild. The place was so loud before we started, the noise level of shouted conversations very high from the high ceilings and the loud bands in the ballroom, that by the time we played (in a separate, smaller room) our ears were shot. Maybe you can tell, but we really couldn't hear each other much and there's not any of the kind of dynamics we get at our weekly explorations at Tim's house. Here, it's all balls-to-the-wall noise...well, after all, it was a noise showcase. We do tend to be a bit more aggressive live. And it's only for 15 minutes. I was only playing hi-hat and snare, no full kit. The recording starts with a bit of ambience as we get settled, and the music doesn't kick in until about 2:35 or thereabouts. You can also stream or download it here. Probably best played loud!

Playlist, Week of 2016-02-07

My ongoing chronological listen to Coltrane continues. As much as I love his work on Prestige, his work with Miles and Monk, and his work on Atlantic (and I do love all of it, madly), we're starting to get into the REAL stuff now. I also love the early classic quartet stuff (not to mention the unbelievable Village Vanguard sessions), but I'm approaching 1965, when things really start to take off, especially live. (Coltrane always seemed to be more advanced playing live than in the studio...by the time he recorded A Love Supreme, his live performances were light years ahead.) Anyway, for the next couple of weeks I'll still be delving into the studio Impulse stuff and the live 1963-1964 performances. Then....whooo!

Playlist, Week of 2016-02-08:

*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton (discs 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Piano Music (1968-2000)/Performed by Genevieve Foccroulle (disc 8)
*Anthony Braxton: 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (disc 2)
*Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: 2014-12-30 Nashville (wav)
*John Coltrane: Live Trane: The European Tours (discs 5, 6, 7)
*John Coltrane: 1962-06-20 Studio Reel (CDR)
*John Coltrane: 1962-11-13 Studio Reel (CDR)
*Decoy: Vol 2: The Deep
*Globe Unity Orchestra: 1970-11-07 Berlin (CDR)
*Drew Gress Quintet: 2006-01-22 Bimhuis, Amsterdam (CDR)
*Herbie Hancock: Thrust
*Kip Hanrahan: Exotica
*Fletcher Henderson: Jazz Age: Great Original Performances 1925 to 1928
*Mahavishnu Orchestra: Between Nothingness & Eternity
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-01-11 “Lincoln Log Interval” (wav)
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-02-01 “Featherduster” (wav)
*Red Nichols and Miff Mole: Great Original Performances 1925 to 1930
*Tom Rainey Trio: Pool School
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: My Way Is the Spaceways
*Various artists: Anthology of Noise and Electronic Music #7: Seventh and Last a-Chronology 1930-2012 (disc 1)
*Area: Maledetti (Maudits)
*Olga Bell: Incitation
*Binbot: Tumblr (selections)
*Funkadelic: First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate (disc 2)
*Hatfield and the North: 1973-09-25 Paris
*National Health: 1977-11-16 Kingston upon Hull, England (CDR)
*National Health: 1979-11-19 Lawrence, Kansas (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2016-02-07

I am going to have much, much more to say about this gigantic book! Stay tuned...

Reading List 2016-02-08:

*King, Stephen. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (started)
*Johnston, Anthony, and Christopher Mitten. Wasteland: The Apocalyptic Edition, Vol. 2 (started/finished)
*DeSantis, Dennis. Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers (finished)
*Hawkins, Paula. The Girl on the Train (finished)
*Barthelme, Donald. Forty Stories (in progress)
*Geerken, Hartmut, et al. Omniverse Sun Ra [Expanded and revised 2nd ed.] (in progress)
*Thompson, Ann, et al. Which Shakespeare?: A User's Guide to Editions (in progress)

Gig! New Ting Ting Loft This Friday

New Ting Ting Loft is part of the lineup for this Friday's WRIR birthday celebration. More details here. We'll be playing for 15 minutes as part of the RVA Noise Showcase, scheduled to happen between 9 and 10. Once again, I'm packing light: snare and hi-hat. I'm wondering if I can get away with not bringing a stool.

Playlist, Week of 2016-01-31

Like all of Ingrid Laubrock's albums, it's going to take me a while to absorb this. Beautifully recorded, it's just too brilliant to take it all in. Masterful playing from all concerned: fresh, inventive, mysterious, always compelling.

Playlist, Week of 2016-02-01:

*Shostakovich: The String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) (disc 5)
*Daniel Barbiero/Cristiano Bocci: Vόστος
*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton (disc 8)
*Anthony Braxton: 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (disc 1)
*Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: 2014-12-29 Nashville (wav)
*Rodger Coleman: 2016-01-20 Portland Brew 12 South, Nashville (wav)
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Perihilion
*John Coltrane: Live Trane: The European Tours (disc 4)
*Kris Davis Trio: 2015-01-22 Vienna (CDR)
*Duke Ellington: Soul Call
*Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: Roulette of the Cradle
*Ingrid Laubrock Ubatuba: 2015-10-08 Bremen, Germany (CDR)
*Joe Morris Quartet: 2015-12-04 Bimhuis, Amsterdam (CDR)
*Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble: 2006-11-17 London (CDR)
*Return to Forever: Where Have I Known You Before (selections)
*Sun Ra: 1971-10-12 Dramaten, Stockholm (CDR) “Discipline 8/Sketch”
*Sun Ra: Gilles Peterson Presents Sun Ra and His Arkestra: To Those of Earth...and Other Worlds
*James Blood Ulmer and Band: 2015-08-30 Saalfelden (CDR)
*David Bowie: Blackstar
*Mike Elder/Harry Forrest/Greg Jordan/Sam Byrd: 2016-01-08 (wav)
*Mike Elder/Harry Forrest/Greg Jordan/Sam Byrd: 2016-01-29 (wav)
*Henry Cow: In Praise of Learning
*Ilaiyaraaja: Solla Solla: Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and the Electronic Pop Sound of Kollywood 1977-1983
*Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly
*Marketing: We Need Sad Songs
*NRBQ: Interstellar (10-in. LP)
*Ravi Shankar: Platinum
*Wig Drop: 2015 selections (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2016-01-31

Well. Gotta say: this blew me away the second time easily as much as the first. It's been a while (I read it when it first came out, 20 years ago), so I'd lost track of just how damn funny it is. A masterpiece.

Reading List, Week of 2016-02-01:

*Barthelme, Donald. Forty Stories (started)
*Geerken, Hartmut, et al. Omniverse Sun Ra [Expanded and revised 2nd ed.] (started)
*Hawkins, Paula . The Girl on the Train (started)
*Thompson, Ann, et al. Which Shakespeare? A User's Guide to Editions (started)
*Johnston, Anthony, and Christopher Mitten. Wasteland: The Apocalyptic Edition, Vol. 1 (started/finished)
*Zirpolo, Michael P. “The Strayhorn Effect: The Pastel Musical world of Billy Strayhorn 1939-mid 1942,” in IAJRC Journal (Sept. 2015) (started/finished)
*Vickers, Brian. Shakespeare, Co-Author: A Historical Study of the Five Collaborative Plays (finished)
*Wallace, David Foster. Infinite Jest (reread/finished)
*DeSantis, Dennis. Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers (in progress)