Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-24

Metamorphoses is a series of typically brilliant improvisations from double bassist Daniel Barbiero and electronics wizard (he also plays cello, but not here) Gary Rouzer... I am proud to have improvised with both these guys in the past (but not at the same time).... here, Dan plays wonderful bass lines manipulated and augmented by Gary to create delightfully spacy concoctions... 

Playlist 2023-09-25:

*Daniel Barbiero/Gary Rouzer: Metamorphoses
*Béla Bartók: 6 String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) (disc 2)
*Beethoven: The Late String Quartets (disc 1) (Emerson String Quartet)
*Paul Bley: Fragments
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 1, 2)
*Peter Brötzmann Octet: The Complete Machine Gun Sessions "Machine Gun Live"
*Baikida Carroll: Shadows and Reflections
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: 2008-03-04 "No. 3 [tt, synth, dr]"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 4 (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington: Midnight in Paris (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1968-08-03 Hollywood, CA (CDR)
*Szabados György/Roscoe Mitchell: Jelenés [Revelation]
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-11-13 Kansas City (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-09 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 3, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-10 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-10-18 Winterland, SF (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Fela Kuti: Stalemate
*Fela Kuti: Fear Not for Man
*Ingrid Laubrock: The Last Quiet Place
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Counterfeit Mars
*London Jazz Composers Orchestra featuring Anthony Braxton: 1988-03-25 Basel, Switzerland (CDR) (disc 2) "Unidentified Barry Guy Composition"
*Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium
*Charles Mingus: Live in Stuttgart 1964 (disc 1)
*Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West
*Evan Parker ElectroAcoustic Septet: Seven "Seven-1"
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter One: Les Gens de Couleur Libres
*Todd Rundgren: Initiation
*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (disc 2)
*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 2) "Movement IV"
*Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars (disc 2)
*Sparks: The Rest of Sparks (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Taking a Chance on Chances
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Prophet
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 2
*Cecil Taylor: Love for Sale
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) (sides 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor: Respiration
*Cecil Taylor: Garden (disc 1) "Elell"
*Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One
*Robert Turman: Chapter Eleven (disc 4)
*UYA: 1992-09-02: Ice Rings, Brown Coffee (wav)
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 13: Speed-Irabagon Quartet
*John Zorn/Incerto: 2023-09-02 San Francisco (CDR)

Mars Volta at the National, RVA 2023-09-19

 

Saw an amazing show last week at the National: the Mars Volta, who have reformed and are currently touring (well, that's pretty obvious...) --anyway, this was an excellent show. The band played for over two hours non-stop, a very, very intense and tightly-played set featuring healthy doses of songs from De-Loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute. The songs were connected with anarchic free passages of fusion-tinged noise and psychedelia. The lead singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, was in fine voice, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's guitar work was excellent. An overwhelming and transcendent experience!

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-24

Reading List 2023-09-25:

*Litz, A. Walton. The Art of James Joyce: Method and Design in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake (started)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (started)
*Kreutzmann, Bill, with Benjy Eisen. Deal (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/finished)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

 

Monday, September 18, 2023

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-17

 

Just a list this week...

Playlist 2023-09-18:

*AMM: The Crypt - 12th June 1968 (disc 2) "Coffin nor Shelf"
*Baby Huey: The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend
*Béla Bartók: 6 String Quartets (Emerson String Quartet) (disc 1)
*Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: 1965-03-07 London (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (FRM) 2007 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 46 (+168 and Language Music)
*Bubble Puppy: A Gathering of Promises
*John Coltrane: Blue Train
*John Coltrane Quartet: Africa/Brass Volumes 1 & 2
*John Coltrane: 1961-07-23? Village Gate, NYC (CDR)
*Duke Ellington: The Indispensable Duke Ellington (Volumes 5/6) - 1940 (sides 2, 3)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1966-04-09 Dakar, Senegal (CDR)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-09 Washington DC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1993-09-12 Williamsburg VA
*Neil Jendon: Cardew: Treatise, Vol. 1 (Pages 1​-​24)
*Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly
*London Experimental Ensemble: Cornelius Cardew's Treatise (disc 2)
*Charles Mingus: Mingus at the Bohemia
*Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus with Orchestra
*New Ting: 2022-06-07 "Undergrowth" (wav)
*Woody Shaw: The Complete Muse Sessions (disc 1)
*Leo Smith Creative Orchestra: Budding of a Rose "Budding of a Rose"
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: The Magic City (remastered and expanded stereo version)
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: 1965-07-02 Newport (CDR) "Steps"
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane (Ubuntu): 2005-12-18 (CDR) (disc 1)
*Various artists: We're an American Band: A Journey through the USA Hard Rock Scene 1967-1973 (discs 1, 2)
*John Zorn: In the Hall of Mirrors
*John Zorn New Electric Masada: 2023-09-03 San Francisco (CDR)
*John Zorn's Cobra: 2023-09-03 San Francisco (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-17

Reading List 2023-09-18:

*Kreutzmann, Bill, with Benjy Eisen. Deal (started)
*Radtke, Kristen. Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness (finished)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/in progress)

 

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-10


Who knew that John Zorn has turned out to be a brilliant composer of classic jazz piano trios? Probably lots of folks, and I'm just playing catch-up... Zorn has written and produced a formidable array of piano trios, with absolutely stunning painists like Craig Taborn (Flaga), Stephen Gosling (In the Hall of Mirrors), Kris Davis (Bagatelles), and most fruitfully, Brian Marsella (Buer, Bagatelles, Calculus, and many, many others)... Tyshawn Sorey contributes fantastic drums in these settings as well (In the Hall of Mirrors, Flaga)... great stuff...

Playlist 2023-09-11:

*Allman Brothers: Eat a Peach (disc 1)
*Art Ensemble Of Chicago: 1980-05-23 Moers (CDR)
*Beach Boys: 1967: Sunshine Tomorrow (discs 1, 2)
*Beatles: 1963-04-04 Stowe School, Buckingham (CDR)
*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 mono remaster)
*Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 (discs 3, 4)
*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (FRM) 2007 (disc 1)
*Clash: London Calling
*John Coltrane:  Trane's First Ride 1951 [Dizzy Gillespie] (side 1)
*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate (side 4)
*Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra: 1957-07-01 Ravinia Festival, Chicago (CDR)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1963-02-05 Helsinki (CDR) (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: Hundred Year Hall (1972-04-26 Frankfurt) (disc 2) "Truckin' > The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-03 Paris (CDR) (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-07-26 Portland (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-05-26 San Francisco (CDR) (disc 4)
*Holst, Gustav: The Planets (BBC Philharmonic/Yan Pascal Totelier)
*London Experimental Ensemble: Cornelius Cardew's Treatise (disc 1)
*Charles Mingus: Mingus in Europe Vol. 2 (side 2)
*Charles Mingus: Mingus Moves
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-12-11 "Burrito Response" Bandito's, RVA (wav)
*Wadada Leo Smith: Ten Freedom Summers (disc 2)
*Sparks: Indiscreet
*Sparks: Introducing Sparks
*Sparks: No. 1 in Heaven (40th Anniversary Ed.) (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: Balls
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: The Magic City (remastered and expanded stereo version)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Ultra 21st Century Arkestra: 1990-06-27 Lugano, Switzerland (disc 2)
*Cecil Taylor: In Transition (side 3)
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series) (sides 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor New AHA Trio + Andy Bey: 2007-05-06 NYC (CDR)
*Robert Turman: Chapter Eleven (disc 3)
*UYA: 1994-10-13 Hey, Turn That Fan Off, Will Ya? (wav) (side B)
*John Zorn: Flaga (Book of Angels Vol. 27)
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Buer (Book of Angels Vol. 31)
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Calculus "Parabolas"

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-10

 

Reading List 2023-09-11:

*Radtke, Kristen. Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness (started)
*Barth, John. The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor (reread/finished)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/in progress)

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Playlist, Week of 2023-09-03

Strange Celestial Roads is one of Sun Ra's strongest studio recordings... "I'll Wait for You" is unstoppable... I love the quiet placidity of Paul Bley's takes on the music of Annette Peacock... The other Village Gate recording of John Coltrane in 1961 features a unique live recording of "Olé"... There's "Dark Star," and then there's the other one... what is it called, the other long piece the Dead used to use to take it out, before (and during) the time "Playing in the Band" began to expand? Oh, yeah, "The Other One".... I am starting to really enjoy exploring the other "Other Ones" that really take it out there... case in point: 1972-03-28, Academy of Music... whoa... 

Playlist 2023-09-04:

*AMM: Ammmusic "Later during a Flaming Riviera Sunset"
*Paul Bley: Live in Haarlem
*Paul Bley: Annette
*Paul Bley/Evan Parker/Barre Phillips: Time Will Tell
*Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 4 Compositions (Ulrichsberg) 2005 Phonomanie VIII (disc 3)
*Peter Brötzmann: Fuck De Boere "Fuck De Boere"
*Peter Brötzmann/Milford Graves/William Parker: Historic Music Past Tense Future
*Dave Bryant: Night Visitors
*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate
*John Coltrane: 1961-07-23? Village Gate, NYC (CDR)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Duke Ellington Carnegie Hall Concerts, December 1944 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1963-02-05 Helsinki (CDR) (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: 1966-04-09 Dakar, Senegal (CDR)
*Fire! Orchestra: Echoes (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 30 (1972-03-28 Academy of Music, NYC) (discs 3, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-05-26 San Francisco (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*John Medeski Trio: 2023-04-02 Big Ears Festival, Knoxville TN (CDR)
*Charles Mingus: Pre-Bird
*Charles Mingus: Changes Two
*Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus
*Santana: Welcome (selections)
*Santana: 1975-06-20 Charlotte NC (CDR)
*Wadada Leo Smith: Ten Freedom Summers (disc 1)
*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Sound of Joy
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Visits Planet Earth
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun
*Sun Ra: Solo Keyboards, Minnesota 1978
*Sun Ra: Strange Celestial Road
*Cecil Taylor: Looking Ahead!
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: Stereo Drive
*Robert Turman: Chapter Eleven (disc 2) 

Reading List, Week of 2023-09-03

 

Reading List 2023-09-04:

*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (started)
*Mingus, Charles. More than a Fakebook (reread/finished)
*Barth, John. The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor (reread/in progress)
*DeVito, Chris, et al. The John Coltrane Reference (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Coriolanus (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Peter Holland) (reread/in progress)

Friday, September 1, 2023

Magic Jukebox Shuffle Time


I realized it's been over three years since I lasted posted a bonus playlist from the Magic Jukebox 2, so here's another one!

1. Mary Wells - Prove it
2. Chris Clark - If you should walk away
3. Residents - Diskomo
4. Candy and the Kisses - The 81
5. Charlie Rich - It's too late
6. Beach Boys - You still believe in me
7. Dan Penn - Miss Personality
8. Petula Clark - Coke commercial
9. Stooges - L.A. blues
10. Soft Machine - Hibou, Anemone, and Bear
11. Tower of Power - This time it's real
12. Rufus/Chaka Khan - At midnight
13. Bull Moose Jackson - Big ten inch record
14. Santana - Gumbo
15. Matching Mole - Nan True's hole
16. Dan Penn - I dig a big town
17. Leslie Gore - Hey now (live)
18. Brian Wilson - This beautiful day
19. Tad Thaddock - Bad Bunny Hill
20. Rolling Stones - I just want to make love to you
21. Weather Report - Birdland
22. Charles Mingus Octet - Pink Topsy
23. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - The man in you
24. Santana - Jugando
25. Sun Ra - Untitled improvisation (live Detroit 1980)
26. Miles Davis - Spanish key
27. Ruth Brown - Wild wild young men
28. Duke Ellington - Grievin' (live Boston 1938)
29. Beach Boys - Never learn not to love
30. Supremes - You can't hurry love
31. Beach Boys - The night was so young (vocals only)
32. James Blood Ulmer - Woman coming
33. Guided By Voices: Running off with the Fun City girls
34. Impressions - We're rolling on (pts. 1 & 2)
35. Henry Cow - Halsteren: Extension 4
36. Wee Willie Walker -There goes my used to be
37. Beach Boys - This whole world (vocals only)
38. Steely Dan - My rival
39. Zach Hill - Face tat
40. Go! Team - Ladyflash
41. Naked City - Cairo chop shop
42. De La Soul - A rolle skating jam named "Saturday"
43. Deliver us from the elements - XTC
44. Foundations - Back on my feet again
45. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - How do I let a good man down?
46. Bootsy's Rubber Band - Very yes
47. OOIOO - Jesso testa
48. Simulacrum - Alterities
49. Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas - Little children (live)
50. Temptations - Who you gonna run to
51. J.B.s - My brother pts. 1 & 2
52. Chicago - Free (live Carnegie Hall)
53. Tower of Power - Get yo' feet back on the ground (live)
54. Bob Dylan - Baby let me follow you down (live 1966)
55. Roy "C" - I wasn't there
56. Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters - Toasted pickle
57. Santana - Taboo
58. Spring - It's like heaven
59. Big Star - Feel
60. Thundercat - Uh uh
61. UYA - The fan is ____
62. Allied Chemical Brothers - G-tar
63. Earth Wind & Fire - Serpentine fire
64. Rolling Stones - It won't take long
65. Precisions - If this is love (I'd rather be lonely)
66. Pat Stallworth - Questions (pt. 1)
67. Bettye Swann - Make me yours
68. Duke Ellington - My greatest mistake
69. Duke Ellington - Dear old Southland (t. 2)
70. Duke Ellington - Something
71. Robert Wyatt - Out of the blue
72. Sparks - Sainthood is not in your future
73. Robert Wyatt - Little Red Robin Hood hit the road
74. James Brown - I'm a greedy man
75. Johnny Burnette Trio - The train kept a-rollin'
76. Negro Problem - Joys: Sea of heat
77. Etta James - Sweet little angel (live)
78. Happy the Man - Ibby it is
79. Muffins - Horsebones (remix)
80. Mary Wells - Drop in the bucket
81. Little Walter - Blues with a feeling
82. Funkadelic - She loves you
83. Barbara George - If you think
84. Carla Thomas - Comfort me
85. Impressions - Only you
86. Michael Rubini - Blues cha cha
87. Beach Boys - Child is the father to the man
88. Supremes - Baby love
89. Paul McCartney - Oo you
90. Irma Thomas - Without love
91. Funkadelic - (Not just) Knee deep
92. Sun Ra - Sometimes I'm happy (live 1978)
93. Rolling Stones - You can't always get what you want
94. Duke Ellington - The lady who couldn't be kissed
95. Laura Lee - Crumbs off the table
96. Sly & the Family Stone - Family affair
97. Steely Dan - Don't take me alive
98. James Brown - Let a man come in and do the Popcorn
99. Duke Ellington - Summer samba
100. Chris Clark - Whisper you love me boy