Finnegan Again

I'm doing it. I'm taking the plunge and rereading Finnegans Wake. I first read it in the '80s and it was a mind-blowing experience. This time, I am reading the Oxford World's Classics edition, edited by Robbert-Jan Henkes and Erik Bindervoet, and I am also reading along with the massive recording of the whole book as read by Patrick Healy. Reading it this way adds a whole other dimension to the experience, seeing the  words and hearing one aspect of them aloud at the same time, especially with Healy's strong Irish accent. He reads at a pretty pace, so it's pretty bracing to immerse yourself in this world this way. But as quick as it might go this way, it's still a long laborious read.... laborious in a good way. It's big fun. Even so, this book will be appearing on my Reading Lists "in progress" for quite some time, I'm sure!

Playlist, Week of 2019-05-26

Al Jackson Jr.'s drum set at the Stax Museum

Ever since visiting the Stax Museum earlier this month, I've been on a Carla Thomas kick... what a voice... the true Queen of Soul... still catching up to the greatness of the drumming of Al Jackson Jr., one of my all-time favorites and a major inspiration... that solid whack on the snare... the always clever but also always suitable bass drum patterns... the perfect accompaniment to great singers... I also have a soft spot in my heart for Chaka Khan, whose work with Rufus was uneven, due to the material... but their album Ask Rufus is a solid masterpiece... and "Sweet Thing" still slays me...

Playlist 2019-05-27:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago with Don Pullen: Fundamental Destiny
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton/Milford Graves/William Parker: Beyond Quantum
*Stephan Crump/Ingrid Laubrock/Cory Smythe: Channels
*Elder Ones: From Untruth
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 24 (discs 1, 2)
*Fred Hersch: Point in Time
*Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: 2016-11-12 Wels, Austria (CDR)
*Archie Shepp and the Full Moon Ensemble: Live in Antibes (discs 1, 2)
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Sun Ra: Soundtrack to the Film “Space Is the Place”
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Pathways to Unknown Worlds (Remastered 2019)
*Sun Ra: Solo Keyboards, Minnesota, 1978
*Craig Taborn Junk Magic: 2008-08-24 Saalfelden (CDR)
*David Torn/Tim Berne/Ches Smith: Sun Of Goldfinger
*Blast: Wire Stitched Ears
*Butthole Surfers: Hairway to Steven
*Dirty Projectors: Lamp Lit Prose
*Dr. Dog: Critical Equation
*Funkadelic: Free Your Mind…
*Hüsker Dü: New Day Rising
*Mars Volta: Tremulant
*Muffins: Air Fiction
*New York Dolls: New York Dolls
*Rascals: Time Peace: The Rascals Greatest Hits
*Rascals: The Island of Real
*Rufus: From Rags to Rufus
*Rufus: Rufusized
*Rufus: Ask Rufus
*Rufus: Street Player
*Chris Squire: Fish Out of Water
*Carla Thomas: Gee Whiz: The Best of Carla Thomas
*Carla Thomas: Carla
*Carla Thomas: Comfort Me
*Carla Thomas: Hidden Gems
*Traffic: Traffic
*U.S. Maple: Sang Phat Editor
*U.S. Maple: Talker
*Edgar Winter's White Trash: Edgar Winter's White Trash
*Brian Wilson: Imagination

Reading List, Week of 2019-05-26

A re-revision of my reading plan, more solidified now (for now): finish up John Le Carré (new one coming out in October), read the rest of Ian Rankin, read the rest of N.K. Jemisin, re-read all of Ross Macdonald, get to the new James Ellroy (out any old time now), more Shakespeare (I'm thinking King John and Midsummer's Night Dream after I re-re-re-read Romeo and Juliet), a smattering of poetry (contemporary and otherwise, thinking Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and William Carlos Williams), plus slowly re-reading Finnegans Wake, then.... Malazan!

Reading List 2019-05-27:

*Colan, Gene, et al. Essential Tomb of Dracula, Vol. 1 (started)
*Le Carré, John. A Delicate Truth (started)
*Stein, Gertrude. Tender Buttons (started)
*Barry, Lynda. What It Is (finished)
*Macdonald, Ross. The Moving Target (reread/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet (Arden 3rd series, ed. René Weis) (reread/finished)
*Nelson, Paul, and Kevin Avery with Jeff Wong. It's All One Case: The Illustrated Ross MacDonald Archives. (in progress)

Space Is the Place at the Byrd

https://byrdtheatre.com/information/fundraising/



I was pleased to be asked to speak at a special screening of the Sun Ra film Space Is the Place last night at the Byrd Theatre (no relation!) here in RVA. I gave a brief five-minute introduction, babbling on about the film and its music, with special attention paid to my favorite scene (pictured above), Ra being driven around Oakland with that crazy, great 7/8 vamp playing (you can find it, titled "Jimmy Fey Interviews Ra," on the CD in the 40th anniversary edition of the movie). The version screened was a special Blu-Ray disc in 4K resolution, sent to the Byrd directly from Jim Newman, the film's producer, himself. It looked fantastic on the big screen, and sounded fantastic as well. I came away with an even deeper appreciation of how successful the film is at conveying Ra's messages to humanity, while also being a snappy rock-and-roll film hinging on the suspense of whether the big concert will take place (spoiler alert: it does--after which the earth explodes!). Not to worry--all is well on the Sun Ra Mothership. What a gas!

Playlist, Week of 2019-05-19

In a world of abstract dreams, do words have a place?

Playlist 2019-05-20:

*AMM: 1988-01 BBC Maida Vale Studios (CDR)
*AMM: The Inexhaustible Document
*Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (Parker) 1993 (disc 5)
*Nels Cline Singers: Instrumentals
*Rodger Coleman: Soundcloud selections
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2019-05-02 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2019-05-03  Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Barry Guy/Marilyn Crispell/Paul Lytton: Ithaca
*Hieroglyphic Being/J.I.T.U. Ahn-Sahm-Buhl: We Are Not the First
*Vijay Iyer/Craig Taborn: The Transitory Poems
*Steve Miller/Lol Coxhill: "The Story So Far​.​.​." ".​.​.​Oh Really?" (disc 1)
*Roscoe Mitchell/Montreal-Toronto Art Orchestra: Ride the Wind
*Naked City: Absinthe
*Archie Shepp: Fire Music
*Archie Shepp: The Way Ahead
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 3)
*Sun Ra: Sun Song [Jazz by Sun Ra Vol. 1]
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette
*Cecil Taylor Tentet: 1992-08-28 Saalfelden (CDR)
*Thing: Boot!
*Various artists: chrONiclEs 1: O.N.E. Free Improvised Chamber Music 2003-2004
*John Zorn/Simulacrum: Simulacrum
*3-2-1: Improvisations (1984): Longer than 3-2-1
*David Bowie: David Live (disc 1)
*David Bowie: Station to Station
*Al Bowlly: Proud of You
*Brecker Brothers: Sneakin' Up Behind You (selections)
*Bob Dylan: The 1966 Live Recordings (disc 10)
*Experimental Audio Research: Phenomena 256
*Al Green: Al Green Gets Next to You
*King Crimson: Live in Newcastle
*Thurston Moore/John Moloney: Caught on Tape - Full Speed
*OOIOO: Taiga
*Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
*Tito Puente: The Complete 78s: Vol. 3 (disc 2)
*Tito Puente: The Complete 78s: Vol. 4 (disc 1)
*Rufus: Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
*Various artists: Welcome to the Tiki Room (CDR)
*Neil Young: Lesser Known Gems (CDR compilation) (disc 2)

Reading List, Week of 2019-05-19

Reading List: 2019-05-20:

*Barry, Lynda. What It Is (started)
*Macdonald, Ross. The Moving Target (reread/started)
*Mullen, Harryette. Trimmings (finished)
*Rankin, Ian. Dead Souls (finished)
*Nelson, Paul, and Kevin Avery with Jeff Wong. It's All One Case: The Illustrated Ross MacDonald Archives. (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet (Arden 3rd series, ed. René Weis) (reread/in progress)

RIP Garry Martin 1954-2019

RIP, Garry. Garry taught me to play drums. Garry got me to go see Jimi Hendrix and Soft Machine with him in 1968. I grew up with the Beatles with Garry. My first band was his band. He was a fantastic guitarist and a wonderful friend. Goddam, I hate to see him go. Suffice it to say this blog wouldn't be here without him. I'll miss him.

Playlist, Week of 2019-05-12

Another mammoth recording session with Rodger Coleman! Over three hours of over-the-top electronics, noise, and free improvising... big fun...

Playlist 2019-05-13:

*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (Parker) 1993 (disc 4)
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Who Doesn't Fade?
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2019-05-02 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2019-05-03  Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Flaga: Flaga (Zorn/Masada Book Two: The Book of Angels Vol. 27)
*RAIC: Lamentations
*Tom Rainey Trio: Hotel Grief
*Soft Machine: 5
*Sun Ra & His Solar-Myth Arkestra: The Solar-Myth Approach (Vol. 1)
*Alex Ward Item 10: Volition (Live At Cafe Oto)
*Jimi Hendrix: Both Sides of the Sky
*Rufus: Ask Rufus
*Various artists: Exotica for Monty (CDR) (disc 2)

Reading List, Week of 2019-05-12

Reading List: 2019-05-13:

*Mullen, Harryette. Trimmings (started)
*Nelson, Paul, and Kevin Avery with Jeff Wong. It's All One Case: The Illustrated Ross MacDonald Archives. (started)
*Rankin, Ian. Dead Souls (started)
*Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet (Arden 3rd series, ed. René Weis) (reread/started)
*Rankin, Ian. The Hanging Garden (started/finished)
*Sorrentino, Gilbert. Aberration of Starlight (reread/started/finished)

Playlist, Week of 2019-05-05

Mostly traveling music....

Playlist 2019-05-06:

*Marshall Allen/Danny Ray Thompson/Jamie Saft/Trevor Dunn/Balazs Pandi/Roswell Rudd: Ceremonial Healing
*AMM: Laminal (disc 3)
*Eric Dolphy: Far Cry
*Jimmy Ghaphery/Gary Rouzer/Sam Byrd/Robert Andrew Scott: 2019-03-30 Richmond (Rouzer edit) (wav)
*Marilyn Crispell: 2003-01-13 Cologne (CDR)
*Jackie McLean: One Step Beyond
*Charles Mingus: The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
*New Ting: 2019-04-22 "Leaving Thirsty" (wav)
*New Ting: 2019-04-29 "Unsettling Salted" (wav)
*David Sancious And Tone: Transformation (The Speed Of Love)
*Soft Machine: Third
*Sun Ra: Of Abstract Dreams
*Cecil Taylor: Love for Sale
*Cecil Taylor: New York City R&B
*Cecil Taylor: Conquistador! (side 1)
*Various artists: History of Electronic/Electroacoustic Music (CDR compilation) (disc 29)
*Weather Report: Weather Report
*Emerson Lake & Palmer: Tarkus (side 1)
*Emerson Lake & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
*Grateful Dead: One From The Vault (disc 2)
*Guided By Voices:  selections (Magic Jukebox playlist)
*Guided By Voices: Warp and Woof
*Jimi Hendrix: Both Sides of the Sky
*Horse Lords: Interventions (side 1)
*Korekyojin: Korekyojin
*Muffins: Manna/Mirage
*National Health: National Health
*National Health: Of Queues and Cures
*Todd Rundgren/Emil Nikolaisen/Hans-Peter Lindstrom: Runddans
**Talk Talk: Laughing Stock
*Upsetters: Super Ape

Reading List, Week of 2019-05-05

Reading List 2019-05-06:

*Burt, Stephen. The Poem Is You: 60 Contemporary American Poems and How to Read Them (finished)