Playlist, Week of 2021-03-28

I'll have more to say about the new Jefferson Pilot EP in a week or two... The Great Paris Concert is the Duke Ellington band at its slickest and most polished... definitive versions of both "Suite Thursday" and "Harlem," and a killer version of "Theme From "Asphalt Jungle"... Sam Woodyard driving the band hard... Tapering off on the Miles Davis end, will get back to that in due course... 

Playlist 2021-03-29:

*Muhal Richard Abrams feat. Amina Claudine Myers: Duet (side 2)
*Area: Are(A)zione (side 1)
*Daniel Barbiero: Timekeepers Map the Already Gone
*Beach Boys: SMiLE (side 3)
*Brahms: Violin Concerto (Yehudi Menuhin/BBC Symphony Orchestra)
*Anthony Braxton Trio: 1974-12-08 Toronto (CDR) (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton/Eugene Chadbourne: Duo (Improv) 2017 (discs 7, 8)
*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington (Giants of Jazz) (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Great Chicago Concerts (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Duke Ellington Carnegie Hall Concerts, December, 1947 (discs 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington (discs 4, 5)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Happy Birthday Duke! Vol. 3
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Such Sweet Thunder
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Festival Session
*Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (discs 1, 2)
*Flying Zamboni Brothers: February (Break) (streaming)
*Ganelin Trio: Baltic Triangle (side 1)
*Fletcher Henderson: Swing's the Thing (1931-1934) (side 2)
*Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Music
*Andrew Hill: One for One (sides 3, 4)
*Jefferson Pilot: The Hopeless News
*King Crimson: Starless (disc 10)
*Ingrid Laubrock: Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt (disc 1)
*Mar-Keys & Booker T. & the MGs: Back to Back
*Charles Mingus: Mingus in Stuttgart April 28 1964 Concert (side 1)
*David Murray: 3D Family (side 4)
*Tom Rainey Trio: 2013-10-19 Brooklyn NY (CDR) "track 6"
*Sun Ra: Nothing Is… (side 2)
*Larry Young: Into Somethin’

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-28

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-29:

*The Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington (ed. Edward Green) (started)
*Giddins, Gary. Weather Bird: Jazz at the Dawn of Its Second Century (started)
*Perry, Thomas. The Informant (started)
*Perry, Thomas. The Burglar (started/finished)
*Tanner, Tony. “Henry VIII,” in Prefaces to Shakespeare (reread/started/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Henry VIII (Arden 3rd series, ed. Gordon McMullan) (reread/finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2021-03-21

Yet more beautiful and thoughtful solo double bass from Daniel Barbiero... Timekeepers Map the Already Gone is dedicated to the memory of the late Kevin O'Meara, Dan's bandmate in Colla Parte... Try February (Break) from the Flying Zamboni Brothers for a slab of construction noise and discordant twang on homemade instruments... nice... On the Duke Ellington front, I'm reinvestigating pieces I know I'll return to again and again... "The Queen's Suite" from The Ellington Suites and the entire Latin American Suite are cases in point... !!!Live!!! from Billy Strayhorn actually features Ellington on piano... maybe it should have been titled ???Huh???... 

Playlist 2021-03-22:

*AMM: An Unintended Legacy (discs 1, 2)
*Daniel Barbiero: Timekeepers Map the Already Gone
*Anthony Braxton/Eugene Chadbourne: Duo (Improv) 2017 (disc 6)
*Lol Coxhill & Steve Miller: Coxhill/Miller Miller/Coxhill (side 2)
*Miles Davis: The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 (disc 7)
*Miles Davis: Directions (side 4)
*Duke Ellington: The Original Edward “Duke” Ellington Hits: Vol. 2 (1931/38) (selections)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Duke Ellington Carnegie Hall Concerts, January, 1943 (side 5)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Happy Birthday Duke! Vol. 1
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Happy Birthday Duke! Vol. 2
*Duke Ellington: Duke 56/62 Vol. 1 (side 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites
*Duke Ellington/Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book (disc 3) (selections)
*Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges: Side by Side
*Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges: Back To Back (Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Latin American Suite
*Flying Zamboni Brothers: February (Break) (streaming)
*Grant Green: Talkin' About!
*Joe Henderson: The Kicker
*Joe Henderson: Tetragon
*High Llamas: Hawaii
*Lucas & Corey: Welcome, Waste Management Consultants (streaming)
*Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1 (side 1)
*Rolling Stones: Fully Finished Studio Outtakes (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Billy Strayhorn: !!!Live!!!
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Angels and Demons at Play
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Nubians of Plutonia
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Fate in a Pleasant Mood
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Interstellar Low Ways
*Sun Ra: God Is More than Love Can Ever Be!
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Omniverse
*Sun Ra Arkestra: Live from Soundscape
*Sun Ra: Hidden Fire 1
*Cecil Taylor: 1998-12-06 Yoshi's, Oakland (CDR) (disc 2)
*World Saxophone Quartet: W.S.Q. (side 2)

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-21

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-22:

*DiAngelo, Robin. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Henry VIII (Arden 3rd series, ed. Gordon McMullan) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2021-03-14

Sluggish mental week....but swingin' all the way!

Playlist 2021-03-15:

*Beatles: Hot as Sun (boot CDR)
*Anthony Braxton/Eugene Chadbourne: Duo (Improv) 2017 (disc 5)
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Unheard Voices "Waltzing with Adolph"
*Miles Davis: The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 (disc 6)
*Dave Douglas: Convergence
*Duke Ellington & His World Famous Orchestra: The Collection: '46-47 Recordings (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Duke Ellington: The Great Concerts: Cornell University 1948 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown
*Duke Ellington: Three Suites
*Duke Ellington: The Great Concerts: London & New York 1963-1964 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington's 70th Birthday Concert (discs 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 37 (1978-04-18 Pittsburgh) (disc 3)
*Jimi Hendrix: Villanova Junction
*Jimi Hendrix: Songs for Groovy Children (The Fillmore East Concerts) (disc 4)
*Rolling Stones: Fully Finished Studio Outtakes (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Sun Ra: Egypt 1971 (disc 4)
*Various artists: Africa Dances
*Teddy Wilson: Teddy Wilson (Giants of Jazz) (side 1)

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-14

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-15:

*DiAngelo, Robin. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism (started)
*Shakespeare, William. Henry VIII (Arden 3rd series, ed. Gordon McMullan) (reread/started)
*Manguel, Alberto. Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey: A Biography (started/finished)
*Greene, Graham. Brighton Rock (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2021-03-07

Outside of Herb Jeffries, Duke Ellington was unfortunate in his choice of male vocalists... on Rotterdam 1969, Tony Watkins is no exception... his execution of "It don't mean a thing" is excruciatingly non-swinging... whether at Duke's behest or on his own volition, it's a real buzzkill that mars an otherwise strong, swinging set... The title song of Primping for the Prom is just the sort of suave, swinging urbanity from Duke that's floating my boat these days... No time for Miles this week... On Les Girls, "The Girls Suite" is a seldom-played set of wonder and swing that I know I'll be returning to time and again... "Suite Thursday" is yet another awesomely swinging suite... What the hell is Coltrane doing on "Offering" from Expression?...it's an offering of love in a torrent of overflowing notes and tones that reach (and maybe even surpass) the intensity often achieved on Interstellar Space... 

Playlist 2021-03-08:

*Air: Air Raid (side 1)
*Noël Akchoté: Compositions 241 (Plays Anthony Braxton)
*Noël Akchoté: Compositions 255 (Plays Anthony Braxton)
*Noël Akchoté: Compositions 286 (Plays Anthony Braxton)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Message to Our Folks (side 2)
*Daniel Barbiero/Cristiano Bocci: Now/Here
*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Help! (2009 mono remaster)
*Booker T. & the MGs: Soul Selections (CDR compilation)
*Anthony Braxton/Eugene Chadbourne: Duo (Improv) 2017 (disc 4)
*Circle: 1971-03-03 Hamburg (CDR) "There Is No Greater Love"
*John Coltrane: Expression (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: Monologue (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: Primping for the Prom (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: Les Girls! The Girls Suite & Toot Suite Premieres (1958-1963)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Suite Thursday/Controversial Suite/Harlem Suite (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: In Coventry, 1966
*Duke Ellington: The Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA-Victor Recordings (disc 20)
*Duke Ellington: Cool Rock
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Rotterdam 1969
*Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: The Conny Plank Session
*Duke Ellington: Uppsala 1971
*Duke Ellington: Live in Poland (1971)
*Gentle Giant: In a Glass House (side 1)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 37 (1978-04-15 Williamsburg VA) (disc 2)
*Jimi Hendrix: War Heroes (side 1)
*Jimi Hendrix: Burning Desire
*Jimi Hendrix: Songs for Groovy Children (The Fillmore East Concerts) (disc 3)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Stir Crazy (CDR compilation) (disc 11)
*Love Supreme Electric: A Love Supreme and Meditations (disc 2)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Splatter
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis (side 2)
*Luis Russell: 1929-1930 (CDR compilation) (disc 2)
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 1)
*Sun Ra: Egypt 1971 (disc 3)
*Cecil Taylor: 1998-12-06 Yoshi's, Oakland (CDR) (disc 1)
*Various artists: Telephone Lobi
*Yes: Close to the Edge "Close to the Edge"

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-07

Reading List, Week of 2021-03-08:

*Greene, Graham. Brighton Rock (started)
*Powell, Dawn. The Wicked Pavilion (finished)
*Wilczek, Frank. Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2021-02-28

The two best pieces from Duke Ellington's Bethlehem recordings are the two Billy Strayhorn numbers "Midriff" and "Upper Manhattan Medical Group"... The 1940 aircheck recordings on Stereo Reflections in Ellington are just outstanding... great to hear Jimmy Blanton and Ben Webster with the rest of the band in live settings... those remote recordings are just solid gold... time machine material for sure...

Playlist 2021-03-01:

*Noël Akchoté: Compositions 72 - 148 (Plays Anthony Braxton)
*Noël Akchoté: Composition 199 & 304 (Plays Anthony Braxton)
*Noël Akchoté: Composition 220 (Plays Anthony Braxton)
*Art Ensemble: 1967/68 (disc 3) "Number 1"
*Anthony Braxton/Eugene Chadbourne: Duo (Improv) 2017 (disc 3)
*Circle: 1971-03-03 Hamburg (CDR) "Comp. 6A"
*Ornette Coleman: The Great London Concert "Forms and Sounds for Wind Quintet"

*Miles Davis: The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 (disc 5)
*Eric Dolphy: Other Aspects (side 2)
*Duke Ellington: Stereo Reflections in Ellington
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Duke Ellington, Vol. 4: 1932 (side 4)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (disc 6)
*Duke Ellington: Flying Home
*Duke Ellington: Welcome to the Club
*Duke Ellington: Duke's Mood
*Jan Garbarek: Paths, Prints (side 1)
*Jimi Hendrix with Curtis Knight and the Squires: George's Club 20, Hackensack, NY 1965 (CDR)
*Jimi Hendrix: Songs for Groovy Children (The Fillmore East Concerts) (disc 2)
*Henry Cow: Unrest (Cow Box Redux)
*Junk Magic: Compass Confusion
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Stir Crazy (CDR compilation) (disc 10)
*Luis Russell: 1929-1930 (CDR compilation) (disc 1)
*Dmitri Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues Op.87 (Keith Jarrett) (discs 1, 2)
*Stephen Stills: Stephen Stills
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Nubians of Plutonia
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Fate in a Pleasant Mood
*Sun Ra: A Fireside Chat with Lucifer (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor: 1998-12-05 Yoshi's, Oakland CA (CDR) (disc 2)
*Ben Webster: The Big Tenor: The Complete Ben Webster on EmArcy (side 1)
*World Saxophone Quartet: W.S.Q. (side 1)

Reading List, Week of 2021-02-28

Reading List 2021-03-01:

*Powell, Dawn. The Wicked Pavilion (started)
*Wilczek, Frank. Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality (started)
*Beaumont, Francis, and John Fletcher. The Woman Hater (started/finished)
*Manguel, Alberto. Packing My Library: An Elegy and Ten Digressions (started/finished)
*Giuliano, Geoffrey and Brenda Giuliano. The Lost Beatles Interviews (finished)
*Robinson, Kim Stanley. Red Mars (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/in progress)