Playlist, Week of 2023-11-26

Don't know if I've mentioned this recording before, but I was not prepared for how intense and engaging Alex Ward's Gated is... I knew of Ward from a few improv records, and from his large ensemble CD Volition, and I knew him to be an excellent clarinetist AND guitarist (and a Cecil Taylor scholar)... but this... well, I don't have the words... powerful, powerful music... sonic psychedelia, Henry Cow grooves, free improv, bludgeoning noise, hard-charging rock, complex time signatures, goodness knows what other touchstones are here... well, it's just blowaway and right up my alley... 

Playlist 2023-11-27:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (disc 5)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Young at Heart/Wise in Time (side 1)
*AMM: An Unintended Legacy (disc 1)
*Area: Caution Radiation Area
*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (sides 2, 3, 5)
*Anthony Braxton: For Trio (side 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Nine Compositions (DVD) 2003 "Comp. 292 (12tet)"
*Don Byas: 1946
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 6)
*Elvis Costello: This Year's Model
*Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (discs 1, 2)
*Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (disc 2) "Ife"
*Deerhoof: Love-Lore
*Deerhoof: Miracle-Level (sides 1, 2)
*Silke Eberhard/Céline Voccia: Wild Knots
*Donnie & Joe Emerson: Dreamin' Wild
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-10 Amsterdam (CDR) (disc 3) "Truckin'> > "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-13 Lille, France (CDR) (disc 2) "Truckin'> > "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1982-04-02 Durham NC (CDR) (discs 2, 3)
*Andrew Hill: A Beautiful Day
*Ingrid Laubrock: Contemporary Chaos Practices
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Mat Maneri: Pentagon
*Brian Marsella: Gatos Do Sul
*Metaphysical Animation: Metaphysical Animation
*Amina Claudine Myers Trio: The Circle of Time (side 1)
*New Ting: 2023-10-10 "The Heavy Box" (wav)
*Annette Peacock: Sky-Skating
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 2, 7)
*David Sancious and Tone: Transformation (The Speed of Love)
*Sun Ra: Space Is the Place (Blue Thumb) (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor/Anthony Braxton/William Parker: 2007-10-12 Bologna (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor Quartet featuring Anthony Braxton: 2007-10-13 Reggio Emilia, Italy (CDR) (disc 1)
*Henry Threadgill Zooid/Silke Eberhard Potsa Lotsa XL: 2023-11-04 Berlin (CDR)
*Birgit Ulher/Franz Hautzinger: Kleine Trompetenmusik
*Various artists: The Rough Guide to Salsa Dance (Special Ed.)
*Alex Ward: Gated
*Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention: Over-Nite Sensation (5oth Anniversary Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 1)

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-26

 

I hate trying to format things in this blog... just try to imagine that these two pictures are side by side...

Reading List 2023-11-13:

*James, Henry. The Ambassadors (reread/started)

*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (finished)

*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (finished)

*Chast, Roz. Theories of Everything (reread/in progress)

*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)

*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-19

Been digging the new Kinks album... like its predecessor, The Journey Part 2 is an overview of the work with each side arranged thematically... the concept works, and I'm really enjoying some of the later tunes that I hadn't gotten into as much...I generally stopped after Muswell Hillbillies (although I did see them in 1975 on the Soap Opera tour... they were great, I mean great, but mostly on the older stuff)... I never did rush out to buy Soap Opera, but there are three live tracks from that on this collection, and they are still just... okay, especially when compared to "Monica" and :Animal Farm"... The new live Pere Ubu release just reaffirms how crucial Allen Ravenstine was to their sound...  

Playlist 2023-11-20:

*AACM Great Black Music Ensemble: Umbria Jazz 2009, Perugia, Italy (CDR) (discs 3, 4)

*Muhal Richard Abrams Experimental Band: 2012-08-25 Saalfelden, Austria (CDR)

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (New Haven) 2014 (disc 3)

*James Brown: In the Jungle Groove (side 1)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 5)

*John Coltrane: 1963-11-04 Stuttgart (disc 2)

*Decoy: Spirit Vol. 1 "Native Origins"

*Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant avec Folie à Quatre: Séances

*Duke Ellington: All Star Road Band (side 1)

*Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet: As Things Go

*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-16 Luxembourg (disc 2)

*Alexander Hawkins Mirror Canon: Break a Vase

*Charles Ives: Complete Symphonies (LA Philharmonic/Gustavo Dudamel) "Symphony No. 1"

*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine

*Kinks: The Journey, Part 1 (sides 1, 3)

*Kinks: The Journey, Part 2 (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)

*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: And Other Desert Towns

*Metaphysical Animation: Metaphysical Animation

*Nicole Mitchell: Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds

*Nicole Mitchell/Tomeka Reid/Mike Reed: Artifacts

*Roscoe Mitchell: Dots/For Percussion and Woodwinds

*Sean O'Hagan: Radum Calls, Radum Calls

*Annette Peacock: The Perfect Release

*Pere Ubu: We Do What We Do

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden

*Luis Russell and His Orchestra: 1930-1934

*Sun Ra: Cymbals "Thoughts under a Dark Blue Light"

*Toe: Hear You

*David Torn/Tim Berne/Ches Smith: Sun Of Goldfinger "Spartan, Before It Hit"

*Frank Zappa: The Grand Wazoo

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-19

Reading List 2023-11-13:

*Chast, Roz. Theories of Everything (reread/started)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 2 (Arden 2nd ed., ed. A.R. Humphreys) (reread/started)
*Breathed, Berkeley. One Last Little Peek, 1980-1995 (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. David Scott Kastan) (reread/finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-12

 

Had the exquisite pleasure of seeing Nicole Mitchell play last night here in Richmond, in a trio with locals Scott Clark on drums and Adam Hopkins on double bass... she is a master, and her playing blew me away... I have really enjoyed her playing with Anthony Braxton on the Iridium box set and with Roscoe Mitchell on the Black Earth Ensemble CD Three Compositions... another favorite is her album The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson with Craig Taborn... just amazing...

Playlist 2023-11-13:

*Fred Anderson Quartet: Birdhouse
*Art Ensemble Of Chicago: 1980-05-23 Moers (CDR)
*Derek Bailey/Pat Metheny/Gregg Bendian/Paul Wertico: The Sign Of 4 (disc 2)
*Beatles: 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: For Trio (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 2 (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium R (disc 4)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (FRM) 2007 (discs 3, 4)
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 416)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: The Mathematics of War
*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 4)
*Walt Dickerson/Sun Ra: Visions
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 2)
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings (disc 5)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-07 Wigan, England (discs 2, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-16 Luxembourg (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-25 Chicago (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1982-04-02 Durham NC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Fletcher Henderson: Tidal Wave
*Charles Ives: The Four Symphonies of Charles Ives (Bernstein et al.) (discs 2, 3)
*Philly Joe Jones Sextet & Quintet: Live at Birdland: Historic Unreleased 1962 Recordings
*Joseph Holbrooke Trio: The Moat Studio Recordings (discs 1, 2)
*George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: Voyage and Homecoming
*Charles Mingus: The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964-65 (disc 6)

*Pere Ubu: We Do What We Do
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 5, 6)
*Sparks: Balls
*Cecil Taylor: Respiration
*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 4)
*Frank Zappa: Waka/Jawaka

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-12

Reading List 2023-11-13:

*Breathed, Berkeley. One Last Little Peek, 1980-1995 (started)
*Chast, Roz. I Must Be Dreaming (started/finished)
*Breathed, Berke. Bloom County Babylon (reread/finished)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. David Scott Kastan) (reread/in progress)
*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-05

I listen to a lot of AACM-related stuff, as a cursory glance at any of my Playlists will show... there may be a lot more than usual these days since I'm reading Paul Steinbeck's book Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM, which contains detailed analyses of several key AACM recordings... I thought his book on the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Message to Our Folks, was excellent, and this one is also a lot of fun... The music of the AACM is a rich and enduring legacy of boundary-demolishing and life-affirming music... 

Playlist 2023-11-06:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Levels and Degrees of Light
*Air: Air Time
*Derek Bailey/Pat Metheny/Gregg Bendian/Paul Wertico: The Sign Of 4 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Knitting Factory (Piano/Quartet) 1994, Vol. 2 (disc 1)
*Coheed and Cambria: The Second Stage Turbine Blade
*Colla Parte: Periplus
*John Coltrane: One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note (disc 2)
*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 6) "Directions"
*Silke Eberhard/Céline Voccia: Wild Knots
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 5 (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 1)
*Kate Gentile: Mannequins
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-04 Paris (CDR) (discs 3, 4)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-07 Wigan, England (disc 1)
*Julius Hemphill: One Atmosphere
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 6)
*Dave Holland: Emerald Tears (side 1)
*Freddie Hubbard: Red Clay
*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine
*Ingrid Laubrock: 2017-06-05 Moers (CDR) "Vogelfrei"
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*James Brandon Lewis Trio: 2023-05-24 Vienna (CDR) (disc 1)
*Metaphysical Animation: Metaphysical Animation
*Roscoe Mitchell Sextet: Sound
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 1, 3, 4)
*Ravi Shankar: Master of Sitar "Raag Bihag"
*Tyshawn Sorey: Verisimilitude "Obsidian"
*Sparks: Propaganda (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Space Is the Place (Blue Thumb) (sides 1, 2)
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 3
*Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures "Unit Structure/As of a Now/Section"
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane (Ubuntu): 2005-12-18 (CDR) (disc 2)
*Alex Ward: Gated
*XTC: The Big Express (Surround Sound Series) (disc 4)

Reading List, Week of 2023-11-05

Reading List 2023-11-06:

*Breathed, Berke. Bloom County Babylon (reread/started)
*Luo Guanzhong. Three Kingdoms (transl. Moss Roberts) (in progress)
*Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (Arden 3rd ed., ed. David Scott Kastan) (reread/in progress)
*Steinbeck, Paul. Sound Experiments: The Music of the AACM (in progress)