Playlist, Week of 2024-02-18

This week in my Muhal Richard Abrams explorations, I primarily focused on his appearances as a sideman, mostly with Anthony Braxton... the 1976 Carnegie Hall recording, one long suite listed by the Library of Congress as "Suite For Duke Ellington," consists of compositions I am not familiar with... Muhal excels on the Basel date, especially on "Comp. 69G"... in the Milan show, it's great to hear the band romp through several of the "40" series of Braxton compositions, especially since the original recorded versions don't have piano... On the Creative Construction Company recordings, Muhal is, as he so often is, self-effacing, definitely a team player... On Marion Brown's Sweet Earth Flying, he shares keyboard duties with Paul Bley, but they really don't get into each other's way... The Muhal-led quintet performance from 1978 in Holland features extended takes on two songs from the album 1-OQA+19, with everybody from that album except Braxton: Henry Threadgill and George Lewis fronting a powerhouse rhythm section of Muhal, Leonard Jones, and Steve McCall... 

Playlist 2024-02-19:

*Muhal Richard Abrams featuring Malachi Favors: Sightsong
*Muhal Richard Abrams: 1978 Laren, Holland (CDR)
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Mama and Daddy
*Beach Boys: Love You (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (side 1)
*Anthony Braxton Ensemble: 1976-06-27 Carnegie Hall, NYC (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Quintet (Basel) 1977
*Anthony Braxton Quintet: 1977-06-03 Milan (CDR)
*Marion Brown: Sweet Earth Flying
*Circle: 1971-03 Bologna (CDR) (disc 1)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)
*Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True (side 1)
*Creative Construction Company: Creative Construction Company
*Creative Construction Company: Creative Construction Company Vol. II
*Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 23 (disc 2)
*Firesign Theater: I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus (sides 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1969-06-14 Monterey (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-07-21 Hollywood (CDR) (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Fletcher Henderson: Swing 1929-1937
*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland
*Booker Little: Out Front (side 1)
*Muffins: 1977 Washington DC (CDR)
*Pere Ubu: Live at the Longhorn April 1, 1978 (side 1)
*Pere Ubu: We Do What We Do
*Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 1)
*Tito Puente: The Complete 78s: Vol. 1 1949-55 (disc 2)
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (side 1)
*Sparks: Whomp That Sucker (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Crystal Spears (Remastered)
*Sun Ra and His Interplanetary Vocal Arkestra: The Space Age Is Here to Stay
*Art Tatum: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces Vol. 8
*Cecil Taylor: Respiration
*Cecil Taylor Unit: 1969-11-04 Copenhagen (youtube)
*Cecil Taylor: Silent Tongues (side 1)
*Cecil Taylor: 1999-04-21 Culver City, CA (CDR)
*Tower of Power: East Bay Grease (side 1)
*Trio What (Else): 2024-02-11 Richmond VA (mp3)
*June Tyson/Sun Ra: Saturnian Queen of the Sun Ra Arkestra (side 2)
*XTC: English Settlement (sides 3, 4)
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 7: Brian Marsella