Playlist, Week of 2024-04-28

Some random Muhal Richard Abrams shows this week... on the 1977 Chico Freeman sets (audience recordings), he's unfortunately underrecorded... too bad, because as a whole, the lineup is incredible (Freeman and Henry Threadgill on horns and the unbeatable rhythm section of Steve McCall, Fred Hopkins, and Muhal on piano)... Muhal was given a lot of solo space on the jam from the Jimmy Lyons tribute... even in a great band featuring Archie Shepp and Andrew Cyrille, Muhal stands out... finally, another stellar performance of Muhal with the Art Ensemble of Chicago... again, pretty muddily recorded, but I have a high tolerance for bootlegginess, especially with artists like these... In other great piano jazz, Paul Bley's Turning Point (also released as Turns) features some of John Gilmore's best playing outside the Arkestra... 

Playlist 2024-04-29:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: 1976-07-18 NYC (CDR)

*Art Ensemble of Chicago with Muhal Richard Abrams: 1974-08-07 Laren, The Netherlands (CDR)

*Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band (Anniversary Ed.) (disc 5, PCM Stereo)

*Paul Bley: Turning Point

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (disc 10)

*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (discs 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10) (streaming)

*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Who Doesn't Fade? "Who Doesn't Fade?"

*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: The Mathematics of War "New Landscape"

*Colla Parte: Live at Rhizome DC

*D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)

*Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (disc 2)

*Chico Freeman Quintet: 1977-02-11 NYC (CDR) (discs 1, 2)

*Genesis: Foxtrot "Supper's Ready"

*Gentle Giant: Playing the Fool (side 2)

*Benny Goodman: Fletcher Henderson Arrangements (CDR compilation) (discs 2, 3)

*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-10 Washington DC (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino: Concepts in Unity

*Happy the Man: "Better Late…" (side 2)

*Alexander Hawkins Trio: Carnival Celestial

*Fletcher Henderson's Sextet: 1950

*Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade

*George Lewis/Douglas Ewart: Jila-Save! Mon.-The Imaginary Suite

*Butch Morris: Butch Morris Conducts Berlin Skyscraper (disc 2)

*New Ting: 2024-04-17 OSB, Richmond VA (wav) 

*Pavement: Slanted and Enchanted

*Soft Machine: 5 (side 1)

*Sonic Youth: Evol

*Sparks: Hello Young Lovers (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)

*Sun Ra: In Some Far Place: Roma '77 (disc 1)

*Tasavallan Presidentti: Lambert Land (side 1)

*UYA: 1992-11-10 O.D.-in' w/Donald  (wav) "Old Dick Donald Had a Duck"

*UYA: 1992-12-06/08 We Got (wav)

*UYA: 1992-12-15 Buntcake Wonderland (wav)

*Various artists: Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos (discs 1, 2)

*Various artists: Jimmy Lyons Benefit 1986-02-01 NYC (disc 2) "All Star Jam"

*Way Out Northwest: The White Spot

*Joe Zawinul: Zawinul

*John Zorn/Simulacrum: Inferno

*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 12: Cleric

Reading List, Week of 2024-04-28

Reading List 2024-04-29:

*Chast, Roz. Childproof (reread/started)
*Empson, William. Essays on Shakespeare (started)
*Bradbury, Ray. Home to Stay! The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Anthony B. Dawson and Gretchen E. Minton) (reread/finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Roth, Philip. American Pastoral (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-04-21

 Well, it would appear I am not quite done with my deep dive into Muhal Richard Abrams yet... I discovered a few more concert recordings I'd lost track of, and I am still getting a lot out of returning to the '90s albums... between Muhal (these days), Anthony Braxton, Sun Ra, and Cecil Taylor (all the time), my playlist must seem a bit same-y from week to week... but of course the music sustains and encourages this kind of repeated listening, and I am not tired of it yet... 

Playlist 2024-04-22:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: FamilyTalk
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Think All Focus One
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Song for All
*Muhal Richard Abrams: One Line, Two Views
*Muhal Richard Abrams: Celestial Birds
*Zoh Amba: The Flower School
*Jeff Beck Group: Rough and Ready (side 1)
*Anthony Braxton with the Creative Jazz Orchestra: Composition No. 175, Composition No. 126 Trillium-Dialogues M (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 6, 7, 8, 9)
*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (discs 6, 7) (streaming)
*Sonny Clark: The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (disc 2)
*Kris Davis Trio: 2022-05-13 NYC (CDR)
*Jack DeJohnette/Made in Chicago: 2015-07-11 Rotterdam (CDR)
*Duke Ellington: 1899-1974 (sides 5, 6)
*Bill Evans: Trio 64
*Robert Fripp: Love Cannot Bear: Soundscapes - Live in the USA
*Benny Goodman: Fletcher Henderson Arrangements (CDR compilation) (disc 1)
*Lesley Gore: The Golden Hits of Lesley Gore (side 2)
*Grant Green: Street of Dreams
*Mary Halvorson/Jessica Pavone: Departure of Reason
*Alexander Hawkins Trio: Alexander Hawkins Trio
*Fletcher Henderson: Tidal Wave (selections)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Stir Crazy (CDR compilation) (discs 2, 3)
*Michael Mantler: No Answer/Silence (disc 1)
*John Medeski: Crawlspace
*Myra Melford: 2009-07-07 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Mendoza Hoff Revels: Echolocation
*Minutemen: Introducing the Minutemen
*Muffins: 1979-03-03 Bethesda MD (CDR) (disc 2)
*New Ting: 2024-04-17 OSB, Richmond VA (wav)
*Zeena Parkins/Ikue Mori: Phantom Orchard
*Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time (sides 1, 2)
*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (side 1)
*Sonic Youth: Sister
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Media Dreams (sides 1, 2)
*Li Chin Sung: Past
*Justin Timberlake: Tiny Desk Concert
*UMO Jazz Orchestra: UMO Plays the Music of Muhal Richard Abrams
*UYA: 1992-12-02/06 Attitude Extrusion (wav)
*Alex Ward: Gated
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 10: Julian Lage and Gyan Riley
*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 11: Jim Black Quartet

Reading List, Week of 2024-04-21

Reading List 2024-04-22:

*Roth, Philip. American Pastoral (started)
*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (finished)
*Ruff, Matt. The Destroyer of Worlds (finished)
*Bradbury, Ray. Home to Stay! The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Anthony B. Dawson and Gretchen E. Minton) (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-04-14

Getting into some later Muhal Richard Abrams this week... the 2012 reuniuon show of the Experimental Band from Saalfelden is a knockout, with a truly awesome lineup including Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Amina Claudine Myers, Wadada Leo Smith, and George Lewis... the AACM All-Stars... I need to listen more to the 2016 quintet with Jonathan Finlayson... In the meanwhile, Jack DeJohnette's Made in Chicago project is another mindblower, again with Mitchell and Threadgill... Muhal especially shines on the Threadgill composition "Leave Don't Go Away"... and this live version of "Chant" (a classic Roscoe Mitchell composition) features Muhal joyfully stretching out, especially at the end... great playing all around...

Playlist 2024-04-15:

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

*Muhal Richard Abrams Quintet: 2016-01-31 Milano (CDR)

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Paris Session "The Ninth Room" 

*Beatles: Beatles for Sale (2009 stereo remaster) (sides 1, 2)

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 4, 5)

*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 5) (streaming)

*James Brown and the Famous Flames: Think! (side 2)

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

*Sonny Clark: The Complete Sonny Clark Blue Note Sessions (disc 1)

*Rodger Coleman: Guitar Experiments

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-12-29 Nashville (rough mix wav)

*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate (side 2)

*Sylvie Courvoisier: Signs and Epigrams

*Jack DeJohnette: Made in Chicago

*Fire! Orchestra/Krzysztof Penderecki: Actions

*Aretha Franklin: Aretha Now (side 2)

*Fully Celebrated Orchestra: Sob Story

*Mary Halvorson: Cloudward

*Alexander Hawkins Mirror Canon: Break a Vase

*Fletcher Henderson: Swing's the Thing (1931-1934) (side 1)

*High Llamas: Hey Panda

*Dave Holland New Quartet: 2023-07-13 Pori, Finland (CDR)

*Kinks: The Journey: Part 1 (side 3)

*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Stir Crazy (CDR compilation) (disc 1)

*Michael Mantler: The Hapless Child

*Michael Mantler: Many Have No Speech

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: 2024-03-23 Knoxville TN (CDR)

*Roscoe Mitchell Orchestra: Littlefield Concert Hall, Mills College, March 19-20, 2018

*Butch Morris: Butch Morris Conducts Berlin Skyscraper (disc 1)

*Evan Parker ElectroAcoustic Septet: Seven "Seven-2"

*Annette Peacock: Sky-Skating

*Annette Peacock: Paradiso, Amsterdam February 21 1991

*Annette Peacock: 31:31

*Annette Peacock: 4 Emilia-Romagna W/LV

*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (side 1)

*Yamamoto Seiichi: Nu Frequency

*Ches Smith: Laugh Ash

*Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings Vol. 1 (selections)

*Soft Machine: Fifth

*Sparks: Balls (sides 1, 2, 3)

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

*Cecil Taylor Feel Trio: Two Ts for a Lovely T (disc 2)

*Henry Threadgill Very Very Circus: Spirit of Nuff…Nuff

*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: This Brings Us To, Volumes I & II (side 1)

*UYA: 1992-11-17 Sonic Extruder (wav)

*Anna Webber/Matt Mitchell: Capacious Aeration

*Nate Wooley: Mutual Aid Music (disc 1)

*John Zorn/Bladeunner: 2000-07-03 London (CDR)

Reading List, Week of 2024-04-14

Reading List 2024-04-15:

*Bradbury, Ray. Home to Stay! The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories (started)
*Ruff, Matt. The Destroyer of Worlds (started)
*Link, Kelly. The Book of Love (started/finished)
*Clowes, Daniel. Monica (finished)
*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Anthony B. Dawson and Gretchen E. Minton) (reread/in progress)

 

New Ting Gig Wednesday April 17, 2024 RVA

 

Coming up this Wednesday: New Ting gig at OSB. Opening for Setting, from North Carolina. Really looking forward to seeing them!

Playlist, Week of 2024-04-07

SoundDance has primo live piano work from Muhal Richard Abrams, duetting with Fred Anderson (and joined by George Lewis on disc 2)... The trio recordings with Lewis and Roscoe Mitchell are key later AACM works... I'll be wrapping up my runthrough of Muhal's work soon but there are still lots of loose ends and repeats to come... I'm liking the new Myra Melford Fire and Water Quintet album more than the first one... it's more cohesive... just lovely playing... Duke Ellington never had a better singer than Ivie Anderson... I swoon when "A Lonely Coed" comes on... Not so sure about the new High Llamas... too much autotune, not enough strong melodies... this, after 5-6 listenings... the title track is nice... Bandmate Fred lent me this old Sun Ra LP to identify it... he bought it from the band in the late '70s... totally blank white cover, white label, but markings on the vinyl plus the music itself revealed it to be Media Dreams... I got chills playing it: the first Saturn I've ever actually touched and played... it sounded great... 

Playlist 2024-04-08:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Lifea Blinec (side 2)

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

*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2009-08-29 S. Anna Arresi, Italy (CDR)

*Muhal Richard Abrams/Roscoe Mitchell: Spectrum

*Muhal Richard Abrams: SoundDance (discs 1, 2)

*Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (discs 2, 3)

*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (discs 2, 3, 4) (streaming)

*James Brown: In the Jungle Groove (sides 3, 4)

*Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)

*Ornette Coleman: Love Call (side 1)

*Rodger Coleman: Guitar Experiments

*Rodger Coleman and Andrew Dickson: 2016-11-02 Nashville (CDR)

*Kris Davis Trio: 2022-05-13 NYC (CDR)

*Mike Elder/Harry Forrest/Greg Jordan/Sam Byrd: New CDR Compilation (disc 1) "Dental Clarity"

*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Presents Ivie Anderson (sides 2, 3, 4)

*Tomas Fujiwara's Triple Double: March

*Frode Gjerstad/Isach Skeidsvoll: Twenty Fingers

*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-04 San Francisco (Download Series Vol. 8)

*Grateful Dead: 1971-11-07 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Alexander Hawkins Trio: Carnival Celestial

*Fletcher Henderson: A Study in Frustration (side 2)

*Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival

*High Llamas: Hey Panda

*Ahmad Jamal: The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions 1956-62 (disc 3)

*Layers of Memory: 2019-12-07 RVA (wav)"Improvisation No. 4"

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: For the Love of Fire and Water

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: Hear the Light Singing

*Matt Mitchell: Fiction

*Neighbours: Neighbours with Anthony Braxton

*P-Funk Guitar Army: Tributes to Jimi Hendrix, Vol. 1

*Zeena Parkins/Ikue Mori: Phantom Orchard

*Annette Peacock: 1982-09-16 BBC Radio 3 "Jazz in Britain" (CDR)

*Annette Peacock: Abstract-Contact

*Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (sides 1, 2)

*Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings Vol. 1 (selections)

*Sonic Youth: Evol

*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: In the Orbit of Ra (side 1)

*Sun Ra and his Arkestra: Media Dreams (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra: On Jupiter (side 2)

*Henry Threadgill Sextet: Subject to Change (side 2)

*Henry Threadgill Society Situation Dance Band: 1997-07-12 Den Haag (CDR)

*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: This Brings Us To, Volumes I & II (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)

*UYA: 1992-11-08/10: Double Load Love (wav)

*UYA: 1992-11-10 O.D.-in' w/Donald (wav) 

Reading List, Week of 2024-04-07

Reading List 2024-04-08:

*Clowes, Daniel. Monica (started)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Anthony B. Dawson and Gretchen E. Minton) (reread/started)
*Ruff, Matt. Lovecraft Country (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/finished)
*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2024-03-31

I am easing back into my deep dive into the music of Muhal Richard Abrams... I will definitely return to the mid-sized group recordings of the '90s, but now I am starting to delve into the remarkable series of trio recordings he did with George Lewis and Roscoe Mitchell... a most formidable lineup, for sure... especially with the layer of Lewis's Voyager electronics added in the mix... I am also excited about the release of the new Anthony Braxton box set, which I will be streaming over the next few days...

Playlist 2024-04-01:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: The Visibility of Thought

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

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

*Ahleuchatistas: Expansion

*Beatles: With the Beatles (2009 mono remaster)

*Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Incidentals "Sideshow"

*Paul Bley: Live in Haarlem "Blood"

*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 410)

*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Standards) 2020 (disc 1)

*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 1) (streaming)

*John Coltrane: The Prestige Recordings (disc 12)

*Kris Davis Trio: 2022-05-13 NYC (CDR)

*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Presents Ivie Anderson (side 1)

*Extra Large Unit: More Fun Please

*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 3)

*Grateful Dead: 1990-03-19 Hartford CT (CDR) (discs 2, 3)

*Barry Guy/London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Ode (discs 1, 2)

*High Llamas: Hey Panda

*Kinks: The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (Special Deluxe Ed.) (disc 2)

*Led Zeppelin: III

*John Mayall with Eric Clapton: Blues Breakers

*Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra/Small Unit: Spectral Fiction

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: Hear the Light Singing

*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: 2024-03-23 Knoxville TN (CDR)

*Matt Mitchell: Fiction

*Muffins: 1979-03-03 Bethesda MD (CDR) (disc 1)

*New Ting: 2024-03-04 "Slippery Traffic" (wav)

*Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson

*Annette Peacock: I Have No Feelings

*Matthew Shipp Trio: 2012-11-10 London (CDR)

*Ches Smith: Interpret It Well

*Ches Smith: Laugh Ash

*Sparks: Progress (12-in. maxi-single) (sides 1, 2)

*Sparks: Pretending To Be Drunk (12-in. maxi-single) (sides 1, 2)

*Trio M: 2009-10-31 Tampere, Finland (CDR) (track 1)

*Various artists: Golden Voices from the Silver Screen Vol. 2

*Various artists: Studio One 007: Licensed to Ska

*Various artists: Mix 4 Sammy (CDR compilation)

*Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (selections) 

Reading List, Week of 2024-03-31

Reading List 2024-04-01:

*Magee, Jeffrey. The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz (started)
*Ruff, Matt. Lovecraft Country (started)
*Sorrentino, Gilbert. Little Casino (reread/finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Timon of Athens (Arden 2nd ed., ed. H.J. Oliver) (reread/in progress)