Playlist, Week of 2020-07-26

Now more than ever, we need a brand new Funky President....

Playlist 2020-07-27:

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2008-08-29 S. Anna Arresi, Italy (CDR)

*Beatles: Something New (sides 1, 2)

*Beatles: Let It Be (sides 1, 2)

*Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor (Emerson String Quartet)

*Beethoven: String Quartet No. 17 in F Major (Emerson String Quartet)

*Anthony Braxton: The Complete Braxton 1971 (sides 1, 2, 3)

*Anthony Braxton Large Ensemble: 2010-04-29 Wesleyan (CDR) (disc 1)

*Clifford Brown: The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings (disc 2)

*James Brown: The 50th Anniversary Collection (disc 2)

*Chemical Brothers: Exit Planet Dust

*Don Cherry/Penderecki/The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra: Actions

*Alice Coltrane: Huntington Ashram Monastery

*Daft Punk: Discovery

*Kris Davis: Massive Threads

*Deerhoof: Future Teenage Cave Artists

*Derek and the Ruins: Saisoro

*Whit Dickey: Morph (disc 2)

*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington Volumes 5/6 1940 (side 1)

*Fire! Orchestra/Krzysztof Penderecki: Actions

*Grateful Dead: Live/Dead (sides 1, 2, 3)

*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 11 (1972-11-17 Wichita KS) (disc 1)

*Steve Hillage: Fish Rising (side 1)

*King Crimson: Islands (40th Anniversary Ed.) (disc 1)

*Ingrid Laubrock/Sylvie Courvoisier/Mark Feldman/Tom Rainey: Tism

*Booker Little: Out Front (side 2)

*Roscoe Mitchell with Ostravská Banda: Distant Radio Transmission (side 1)

*Thurston Moore: Spirit Counsel (disc 2)

*Joe Morris/Agustí Fernández/Nate Wooley: From the Discrete to the Particular

*New Order: (The Best Of) New Order

*Outkast: Stankonia

*Dan Penn: Close To Me: More Fame Recordings

*Sam Rivers Quintet: Zenith

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter One: Les Gens de Couleur Libres

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile

*Matthew Shipp Quartet Declared Enemy: Our Lady of the Flowers

*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Myth Science Solar Arkestra: Sleeping Beauty (side 2)

*Tool: Undertow

*Trouble Funk: Live/Early Singles (disc 1)

Reading List, Week of 2020-07-26

Reading List 2020-07-27:

*Erikson, Steve. Reaper's Gale (reread/in progress)

*Mars-Jones, Adam. Noriko Smiling (in progress)

*Mustich, James. 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2020-07-19

Lots to say, no time to write... 

Playlist 2020-07-20:

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: Streaming

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2008-08-17 Antwerp (CDR)

*Airto: Virgin Land

*At the Drive-In: Acrobatic Tenement

*Daniel Barbiero & Will Robin: Away from the Center Toward X

*Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band (mono) (side 1)

*Ken Boothe: Live Good

*Ken Boothe: Crying Over You: Anthology 1963-1978 (disc 1) (selections)

*David Bowie: Low

*Clifford Brown: The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings (disc 1)

*James Brown: Soul Classics (side 2)

*Terri Lyne Carrington: The Mosaic Project: Love and Soul

*Circle: Paris Concert (side 3)

*Alice Coltrane: Carnegie Hall '71

*Alice Coltrane: Lord of Lords

*Chick Corea: Circulus (side 3)

*Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons

*Miles Davis: Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (disc 1)

*Miles Davis: Miles Davis At Carnegie Hall (sides 1, 2)

*Death Grips: Year of the Snitch

*Whit Dickey: Morph (disc 1)

*Grateful Dead: It Crawled Out of the Vaults of KSAN Vol. 1

*Guided By Voices: Fast Menthol Airplane Stations (CDR compilation)

*Hampton Hawes: Trio and Quartet 1951-1956: Live and Studio Sessions (disc 2)

*Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid: Shards and Constellations

*Ingrid Laubrock + Kris Davis: Blood Moon

*George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: Voyage and Homecoming

*Mars Volta: Amputechture

*Charles Mingus: The Complete Candid Recordings of Charles Mingus (side 5)

*Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections: The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson

*Roscoe Mitchell Quartet: Before There Was Sound

*Roscoe Mitchell with Ostravská Banda: Distant Radio Transmission

*David Murray Octet: New Life (side 2)

*Gary Peacock: Tales of Another

*Don Pullen/Chico Freeman/Fred Hopkins/Bobby Battle: Warriors (side 1)

*Residents: A Nickle If Your Dick's This Big (disc 2)

*Revolutionary Ensemble: The People's Republic (side 1)

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

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

*Rolling Stones: 12 x 5 (side 2)

*Matthew Shipp Quartet: Not Bound

*Squeeze: 1980-05-03 Bottom Line, NYC (CDR)

*Sun Ra Arkestra: 1974: Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City (CDR)

*Cecil Taylor European Orchestra: Alms/Tiergarten (Spree) (disc 1)

*Trouble Funk: Live/Early Singles (disc 2)

*Various artists: Little Club Jazz: Small Groups in the '30s (side 1)

*Otomo Yoshihide/Chris Pitsiokos: Live in Florence

*John Zorn: Calculus

Reading List, Week of 2020-07-19

Reading List 2020-07-20:

*Erikson, Steve. Reaper's Gale (reread/started)

*Mars-Jones, Adam. Noriko Smiling (started)

*Erikson, Steve. The Bonehunters (reread/finished)

*Howe, Susan. My Emily Dickinson (finished)

*Mustich, James. 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2020-07-12

Sweet soul from Ken Boothe... Getting off on "Nowhere Man" and "What Goes On"... American single only, but gaddam what a double smash... the soul of Ringo... Black Messiah continues to resonate more and more, and is easily one of the top albums of the last decade... Pianists blowing my mind: Kris Davis, Matthew Shipp, Craig Taborn (stellar work on Nicole Mitchell's Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson), Alexander Hawkins... Favorite Pollard solo album? maybe Waved Out... Current fave track on Wig Drop 3: "Stick around"...

Playlist 2020-07-13:

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2003-09-20 Venice (CDR)

*Airto: Fingers

*Beatles: Meet the Beatles (sides 1, 2)

*Beatles: Yesterday and Today (sides 1, 2)

*Beatles: Revolver (sides 1, 2)

*Anthony Braxton: 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 (disc 2)

*John Coltrane: Coltrane (side 1)

*John Coltrane: The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (disc 2)

*D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah

*Dark Carpet: Factory Side

*Kris Davis: Good Citizen

*Miles Davis: Miles Davis At Fillmore (side 1)

*Deerhoof: Future Teenage Cave Artists

*Deerhoof: To Be Surrounded by Beautiful, Curious, Breathing, Laughing Flesh Is Enough

*Giorgio Gaslini/Anthony Braxton: Four Pieces

*Gentle Giant: Free Hand

*Groundhogs: Thank Christ for the Bomb

*Guided By Voices: Alien Lanes

*Herbie Hancock: Sextant

*Hampton Hawes: Trio and Quartet 1951-1956: Live and Studio Sessions (disc 1)

*Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid: Shards and Constellations

*Henry Cow: Hamburg (Cow Box Redux)

*Keith Jarrett: Nude Ants (disc 2)

*Keith Jarrett: Keith Jarrett At The Blue Note: The Complete Recordings (disc 2)

*Robert Landfermann/Ingrid Laubrock/Achim Kaufmann/Tom Rainey: Topaz

*Ingrid Laubrock + Kris Davis: Blood Moon

*George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: Voyage and Homecoming

*Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66: Foursider

*Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections: The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson

*Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

*Joe Morris/Agusti Fernandez/Nate Wooley: From the Discrete to the Particular

*Muffins: Air Fiction

*Robert Pollard: Waved Out

*Robert Pollard: Liquid Vacation Package: The Best of Robert Pollard 2015-2017 (CDR compilation)

*Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 in E Minor (BBC Philharmonic/Edward Downes)

*Residents: A Nickle If Your Dick's This Big (disc 1)

*Sviatoslav Richter: The Piano: Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, & Schumann

*Terry Riley: In C, Conducted by Anthony Pirog (streaming)

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis (side 2)

*Matthew Shipp Chamber Ensemble: The Gospel According to Matthew & Michael

*Simulacrum: Beyond Good and Evil

*Dave Slusser: Delight at the End of the Tunnel

*Steely Dan: Citizen Steely Dan 1972-1980 (disc 4)

*Sun Ra: Of Abstract Dreams

*Sun Ra And His Intergalactic Myth Science Solar Arkestra: Sleeping Beauty (sides 1, 2)

*Cecil Taylor Orchestra of Two Continents: 1984-10-20 Rubigen, Switzerland (CDR) (disc 2)

*Tool: Lateralus

*Various artists: The Concerto: Works by Cirelli, Vivaldi, Bach, and Beethoven

*Various artists: Leslie Kong's Connection Vol. 2

*Wig Drop: Wig Drop 3

Reading List, Week of 2020-07-12

Reading List 2020-07-13:

*Howe, Susan. My Emily Dickinson (started)

*Fordham, Finn. Lots of Fun at Finnegans Wake: Unravelling Universals (finished)

*Erikson, Steve. The Bonehunters (reread/in progress)

*Mustich, James. 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die (in progress)

Self-Reflective Revision

A nice account of one aspect of Finnegans Wake:

In a process of revision that is itself self-reflective, Joyce moulds language for purposes we cannot grasp, leaving us to guess at how to bring these strange words towards meaning, at how they might 'same with' other words. This game with language seems purely experimental, toying with fixed rules of language, but it also reflects on the common processes of language change and variation--such as the way phrasal verbs, expressions, and grammatical structure emerge (and fade) continually. It compresses and makes these processes explicit, while taking them to an extreme, continually stressing the materiality of language and suggests that we can, if we wish, do what we like with it. Joyce refuses to lag behind those changes that occur to language in its everyday use, wishing instead to embody the spirit of the transformation of expression.  (Finn Fordham, Lots of Fun at Finnegans Wake, Oxford 2007, p. 203-204)

Playlist, Week of 2020-07-05

My fascination with the Coin Coin series from Matana Roberts continues unabated... Continued and repeated listenings yield exponential pleasures... case in point: Sean O'Hagan's Radum Calls, Radum Calls... "America's Band" was always a stupid appellation for the Beach Boys, but damn, they sure sounded good on the 4th of July... Hot damn, Matthew Shipp on Whit Dickey's Morph... once again, I prove that writing about music is easy and fun!... 

Playlist 2020-07-06:

*AMM: The Nameless Uncarved Block

*Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

*Beach Boys: Smiley Smile (sides 1, 2)

*Beach Boys: Friends (sides 1, 2)

*Beach Boys: Spirit of America (sides 2, 3)

*Tim Berne's Snakeoil: The Fantastic Mrs. 10

*Terri Lyne Carrington: The Mosaic Project: Love and Soul

*Cold Blood: Cold Blood

*Alice Coltrane: Universal Consciousness

*Death Grips: Year of the Snitch

*Deerhoof: Future Teenage Cave Artists

*Deerhoof: To Be Surrounded by Beautiful, Curious, Breathing, Laughing Flesh Is Enough

*Sugar Pie DeSanto: Go Go Power: The Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966

*Whit Dickey: Morph (discs 1, 2)

*Jack DeJohnette: In Movement

*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (disc 11)

*Fela: Monkey Banana/Excuse O

*Fire!: The Hands

*Gang of Four: Entertainment

*George: Outside

*Gorillaz: Plastic Beach

*Zach Hill: Face Tat

*Ingrid Laubrock + Kris Davis: Blood Moon

*Garry Martin Project (CDR compilation) (selections)

*Nicole Mitchell/Tomeka Reid/Mike Reed: Artifacts

*Roscoe Mitchell Quartet: Before There Was Sound

*Roscoe Mitchell with Ostravská Banda: Distant Radio Transmission (sides 1, 2)

*Roscoe Mitchell: Splatter

*Thurston Moore: Spirit Counsel (disc 1)

*Sean O'Hagan: Radum Calls, Radum Calls

*Mike Patton: Pranzo Oltranzista

*Perch Hen Brock & Rain: Live @ The Jazz Happening Tampere

*Flora Purim: Everyday, Everynight

*Flora Purim: That's What She Said

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile

*Santana: Lotus (disc 2)

*Simulacrum: Beyond Good and Evil

*Sonic Youth: Sonic Nurse

*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Other Planes of There

*Lewis Taylor: Lewis II

*McCoy Tyner: Mosaic Select (disc 2)

*Various artists: Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures Vol. 5

*Brian Wilson: SMiLE

*XTC: Coat of Many Cupboards (disc 3)

Reading List, Week of 2020-07-05

Reading List 2020-07-06:

*Erikson, Steve. The Bonehunters (reread/started)

*Erikson, Steve. Midnight Tides (reread/finished)

*Fordham, Finn. Lots of Fun at Finnegans Wake: Unravelling Universals (in progress)

*Mustich, James. 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die (in progress)