Playlist, Week of 2025-03-30

I have almost all the stuff in the 4-CD Louis Armstrong box set Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: 1923-1934 on other discs, but it's been a real treat to spend some deep listening time with the box... the music, of course, is fantastic... the selection is solid, and the annotations by Dan Morgenstern and Loren Schoenberg are brilliant... it's always a joy when Armstrong pops up on the Magic Jukebox, but it was a great weekend being immersed in this music... I have a slew of live Art Ensemble of Chicago I'll be working my way through, in addition to my ongoing Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, and Grateful Dead forays... Speaking of Ellington, I am loving Anatomy of a Murder madly... I rewatched the movie, and the music really adds extra spice... plus we get to see Duke himself playing a duet with Jimmy Stewart... 

Playlist 2025-03-31:

*Marshall Allen: New Dawn

*Louis Armstrong: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 1923-1934 (discs 1, 2, 3)

*Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars: Satch Plays Fats

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1974-11-16 Tokyo (CDR)

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1975-09-09 Five Spot, NYC (CDR) (disc 1)

*Blue Notes: Blue Notes for Johnny

*Anthony Braxton: Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 4 (disc 1)

*Anthony Braxton Quartet: Standards (Brussels) 2006 (discs 4, 5, 6)

*John Butcher/John Edwards/Mark Sanders: Last Dream of the Morning

*Dustin Carlson: Air Ceremony

*John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (deluxe ed.) (disc 2) "Pursuance"

*John Coltrane: Live in Seattle "Out of This World"

*Miles Davis: 1972-10-01 Palo Alto, CA (CDR)

*Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3 (disc 2)

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E27 "Dance"

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E28 "Sleep"

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E29 "Food"

*Silke Eberhard/Céline Voccia: Wild Knots

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman

*Duke Ellington: Happy Reunion

*Duke Ellington: 1899-1974 (sides 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Newport 1958 "Princess Blue"

*Duke Ellington: Anatomy of a Murder

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Festival Session (sides 1, 2)

*Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Paal Nilssen-Love: Guts & Skins

*Grateful Dead: 1969-04-04 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1969-04-05 San Francisco (CDR) "Mountains of the Moon > Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1969-04-11 Tucson AZ (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1969-04-12 Salt Lake City (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grant Green: Idle Moments

*Mary Halvorson: Belladonna

*Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis

*Earl Hines: Giants of Jazz (disc 1)

*Noah Howard: The Black Ark

*Freddie Hubbard: Hub-Tones

*Jefferson Pilot: Recordeo

*Henry Kaiser/Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles!: Sky Garden (disc 2)

*Henry Kaiser/Robert Musso: Echoes for Sonny

*Brandon Lopez: Nada Sagrada

*Jimmie Lunceford: The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions (discs 5, 6)

*Massacre: Meltdown

*Matt Mitchell: Zealous Angles

*Jemeel Moondoc/Hilliard Greene: Cosmic Nickelodeon

*New Loft Quartet: Mergus Goes to Baltimore

*New Ting: 2025-03-24 "Retroactivity Noticed" (wav)

*Painkiller: Samsara

*Zeena Parkins/Chris Brown/William Winant/Ben Davis: Scree

*Jon Rose/Mark Dresser: Band Width

*Alexander von Schlippenbach/Globe Unity Orchestra: Globe Unity: 50 Years

*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Angels and Demons at Play

*Sun Ra and His Myth-Science Arkestra: The Nubians of Plutonia

*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: When Angels Speak of Love (side 1)

*Sun Ra: Kingdom of Discipline (side 2)

*McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (disc 1)

*UYA: 1993-09-26 We Salute You (wav)

*Various artists: That Devilin' Tune (Vol. I, disc 8)

*Various artists: Latin Rhythms in Hi Fi

*Ben Webster: Ballads (sides 3, 4)

*John Zorn/JACK Quartet: The Complete String Quartets (disc 1)

Reading List, Week of 2025-03-30

Reading List 2025-03-31:

*Threadgill, Henry, and Brent Hayes Edwards. Easily Slip into Another World (started)
*Williams, Tad. The Burning Man. In Legends, ed. Robert Silverberg (started/finished)
*Williams, Tad. The Heart of What Was Lost (started/finished)
*Eco, Umberto. Confessions of a Young Novelist (finished)
*Williams, Tad. To Green Angel Tower (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

Henry Threadgill on John Gilmore

Henry Threadgill writes about John Gilmore:

He was playing some very advanced harmonic and rhythmic information on the saxophone. His rhythmic approach was amazing. John used to tell me about practicing out of drum books, working on rhythmic patterns. ... It gives you a grounding in rhythmic patterns that you wouldn't ordinarily have, playing a melodic instrument. Gilmore's playing was very rhythmic playing. I don't meant that it was necessarily always busy, even if at times it was. It's more that there were very unusual rhythmic patterns in his playing. A lot of people knew about his musical thinking; Coltrane used to come and listen to him play. Gilmore was a highly sophisticated player, and totally original. (Threadgill, Easily Slip into Another World, Knopf 2023, p. 37)
 

Playlist, Week of 2025-03-23

Weird of Mouth consists of improvisations from the trio of Mette Rasmussen, Ches Smith, and Craig Taborn... Smith and Taborn I was familiar with, but Rasmussen less so... she is an excellent, fiery alto sax player... their playing together here is dazzling and brilliant... Yes, What's Going On is a masterpiece, but I have a soft spot in my heart for I Want You, and I think it's a better seduction album than Let's Get It On... I am finding "The Queen's Suite" to be one of the weakest of Duke Ellington's suites, in spite of what Lambert has to say about it... I will listen more to see what I am missing... I love the concept of Yo Miles! but they can't touch the pure intensity of what inspired them... but it's great that that music continued to be played; it needs to be, even if it ain't Miles... 

Playlist 2025-03-24:

*Louis Armstrong: From the Original Okehs Vol. 3 1928/29
*Average White Band: Average White Band
*Black Host: Life in the Sugar Candle Mines "Hover"
*Blood Incantation: Absolute Elsewhere
*Blue Notes: Blue Notes for Mongezi (disc 2)
*Blue Notes: Blue Notes in Concert
*Anthony Braxton: 2 Compositions (Ensemble) 1989/1991
*Anthony Braxton Quartet: Standards (Brussels) 2006 (discs 2, 3)
*Patricia Brennan Septet: Breaking Stretch
*Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live at the Village Vanguard (disc 1)
*Kris Davis Trio: 2022-05-13 NYC (CDR)
*Miles Davis: 1972-09-14 Boston (CDR)
*Miles Davis: In Concert (sides 1, 2)
*Nick Dunston: Atlantic Extraction
*Nick Dunston: Colla Voce
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E26 "Halloween"
*Duke Ellington: The Private Collection, Vol. 1: Studio Sessions Chicago, 1956
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Newport 1958
*Duke Ellington/Johnny Hodges: Back to Back
*Duke Ellington/Johnny Hodges: Side by Side
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Ellington Suites "The Queen's Suite"
*Marvin Gaye: I Want You (Deluxe Edition) (discs 1, 2)
*Grateful Dead: The Complete Fillmore West 1969 (disc 8) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-03-15 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-03-22 Pasadena (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-03-28 Modesto, CA (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-03-29 Las Vegas (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1974-09-11 London (CDR) "Seastones"
*Grateful Dead: 1980-09-04 Providence RI (Download Series Vol. 7) (disc 3)
*Mary Halvorson Octet: Away with You
*Mary Halvorson Octet: 2018-11-12 Venice (CDR)
*Henry Kaiser/Wadada Leo Smith: Yo Miles!: Sky Garden (disc 1)
*Janel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love
*Little Feat: Waiting for Columbus (disc 1)
*Locals: Play the Music of Anthony Braxton
*Brandon Lopez: Nada Sagrada
*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 2 (discs 1, 2)
*Brian Marsella’s iMAGiNARiUM: Mediatas (disc 3)
*Charles Mingus and His Jazz Groups: Mingus Dynasty
*Matt Mitchell: Vista Accumulation (discs 1, 2)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Solo [3] (disc 3)
*Roscoe Mitchell: One Head Four People
*Ikue Mori: Obelisk
*New Ting: 2025-03-03: "Cleaning Up the Corners" (wav)
*Opeth: The Last Will and Testament
*Ozric Tentacles: Jurassic Shift
*Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble: Warszawa 2019
*Red Trio/John Butcher: Summer Skyshift
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile
*Ravi Shankar: Live: Ravi Shankar at the Monterey International Pop Festival
*Sharp/Lopez/Kaiser/Amendola: Minus X: A Tribute to the Music of Iannis Xenakis (disc 1)
*Matthew Shipp Trio: New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz
*UYA: 1993-08-21 Office Facility Love Nest Rug (wav)
*UYA: 1993-09-13 Intervallic Shapes (wav)
*UYA: 1993-09-19 Off the Corner (wav)
*Various artists: That Devilin' Tune (Vol. I, disc 7)
*Anna Webber: simpletrio2000
*Webber/Morris Big Band: Both Are True
*Ben Webster: Ballads (sides 1, 2)
*Weird of Mouth: Weird of Mouth

Reading List, Week of 2025-03-23

Reading List 2025-03-24:

*Eco, Umberto. Confessions of a Young Novelist (started)
*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 2 (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Williams, Tad. To Green Angel Tower (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-03-16

The most well-known version of "Dark Star" has to be the first one the Grateful Dead released, on Live/Dead... and that really was the best version they'd played (that was recorded, anyway) up to that point... everything comes together... up to then, Bill Kreutzmann had kept himself to half-heartedly playing shakers, with only occasional tentative forays on the drum kit, until 1969-02-22, and that must have felt good, because here, a few days later, he plays the kit forcefully for part of the song, driving Garcia in a different way and adding a new dimension, which to my ears kicks it to the next level... "Dark Star" is becoming more and more of a full-group improvisatory exploration... This week my listening was focused, it seems, on "Dark Star," Duke Ellington, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, and Sun Ra... so what else is new?

Playlist 2025-03-17:

*[Ahmed]: Wood Blues

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (disc 2)

*All Set: All Set

*Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier (Glenn Gould) (disc 1)

*Beatles: The Early Beatles (mono 2024) (side 1)

*Blue Notes: Blue Notes for Mongezi (disc 2)

*Hamiet Bluiett: Orchestra, Duo, & Septet (sides 1, 2)

*Anthony Braxton: Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 3 (disc 2)

*Anthony Braxton Ensemble: 2006-06-10 Kerava, Finland (CDR)

*Anthony Braxton Sextet: 2006-08-12 Lisboa (CDR)

*Anthony Braxton Quartet: Standards (Brussels) 2006 (disc 1)

*Peter Brötzmann Octet: The Complete Machine Gun Sessions "Machine Gun"

*Clear Frame: Clear Frame

*Gerald Cleaver & Violet Hour: Live At Firehouse 12

*John Coltrane: One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note (disc 1)

*John Coltrane: First Meditations (For Quartet) (side 1)

*Miles Davis: In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete (disc 3)

*Miles Davis Quintet: 1967-11-07 Karlsruhe, Germany (CDR)

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E24 "Time"

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E25 "Guns"

*Duke Ellington: The Girls' Suite/The Perfume Suite (side 2)

*Duke Ellington/Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book (disc 3) "Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald"

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Ellington Indigos (sides 1, 2)

*Duke Ellington: His Piano and His Orchestra at the Bal Masque

*Duke Ellington's Spacemen: The Cosmic Scene

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Live at Newport 1958 (discs 1, 2)

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II (side 1)

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Ellington Jazz Party in Stereo (side 1)

*Kate Gentile: Mannequins

*George: Leave It (side 2)

*George: Letters to George (side 2)

*Grateful Dead: Fillmore East 2-11-69 (disc 2) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-14 Philadelphia (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-15 Philadelphia (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-21 Vellejo, CA (CDR) (disc 1)

*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-22 Vellejo, CA (CDR) "Mountains of the Moon > Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: Live/Dead "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: The Complete Fillmore West 1969 (disc 4) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: The Complete Fillmore West 1969 (disc 7) "Dark Star"

*Mary Halvorson: Reverse Blue

*Billie Holiday: The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945-1959 (disc 1)

*Vijay Iyer: Compassion

*Jefferson Pilot: The Return of Troubled Youth Orchestra

*Jefferson Pilot: Sad Magazine

*Ned Lagin: Seastones (1975 versions)

*Lama + Chris Speed: Lamaçal

*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 1 (discs 1, 2)

*Jimmie Lunceford: The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions (disc 4)

*Brian Marsella’s iMAGiNARiUM: Mediatas (discs 1, 2)

*Roscoe Mitchell: Songs in the Wind

*Roscoe Mitchell: 2012-03-10 London (CDR)

*Roscoe Mitchell/Brus Trio: After Fallen Leaves

*Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory: The Bad Guys

*Thelonious Monk: Piano Solos (side 1)

*Ikue Mori: Class Insecta

*New Ting: 2025-03-03: "Cleaning Out the Corners" (wav)

*NRBQ: Interstellar (side 1)

*Tony Oxley Quintet: The Baptised Traveller

*Zeena Parkins: Dam Against the Spring Tide

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile

*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (sides 3, 4)

*Sonny Rollins: Worktime (side 1)

*Otis Rush: 1956-1958 Cobra Recordings

*Secret People: Secret People

*Ravi Shankar: The Sounds of India

*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Other Planes of There (side 2)

*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: When Angels Speak of Love (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra: Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3: The Lost Tapes

*Sun Ra: Spaceways [Outer Spaceways Inc.]

*Sun Ra: Monorails & Satellites: Works for Solo Piano Vols. 1, 2, 3 (disc 3)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Thunder of the Gods (side 1)

*Sun Ra: Egypt 1971 (disc 3)

*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: Pop Start the Tape, StoP

*Mary Lou Williams Trio: Free Spirits

*John Zorn: New Masada Quartet Vol. 3

*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Ballades

Reading List, Week of 2025-03-16

Reading List 2025-03-17:

*Williams, Tad. To Green Angel Tower (started)
*Paré, Alix, and Valérie Sueur-Hermel. The Fantastic Gustave Doré (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 2 (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-03-09

Not much to say this weak week... drifting in and out of listening...

Playlist 2025-03-10:

*Marshall Allen: New Dawn
*Borderlands Trio: Wandersphere (discs 1, 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 3 (disc 1)
*Death Ambient: Drunken Forest
*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E23 "Water"
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Such Sweet Thunder
*Duke Ellington/Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: 1969-01-26 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-04 Omaha, NE (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-05 Kansas City (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-06 St. Louis (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-02-07 Pittsburgh (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Jefferson Pilot: Welcome Stranger
*Jefferson Pilot: Long Distance
*Jefferson Pilot: The Hopeless News
*Locals: Play the Music of Anthony Braxton
*Mindbreath Trio: 2015-01-10 Union Arts, Washington DC (wav)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Solo [3] (disc 2)
*Ikue Mori: Hex Kitchen
*Charlie Parker: Yardbird in Lotusland (side 1)
*Ravi Shankar: India's Master Musician
*Sun Ra: Saturn Research: Rarities and Oddities (CDR compilation) (disc 2)
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Fate in a Pleasant Mood
*Sun Ra: Egypt 1971 (discs 1, 2)
*Sunn O))): Kanno
*Henry Threadgill Very Very Circus: 1992-01-30 London (CDR)
*Two Much: Reut Regev/Igal Foni: Never Enough
*UMO Jazz Orchestra: UMO Plays the Music Of Muhal Richard Abrams
*Vandermark 5: Beat Reader
*Various artists: Turn Me Loose White Man (discs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
*Various artists: Subradar Sampler #02
*David S. Ware et al.: Planetary Unknown
*Hank Williams: The Original Singles Collection Plus (disc 3)
*Wire: Pink Flag
*Neil Young: After the Gold Rush

Reading List, Week of 2025-03-09

The new Ali Smith novel is all too scaringly prescient, and yet also hopeful... 

Reading List 2024-03-10:

*Smith, Ali. Gliff (started/finished)
*Williams, Tad. Stone of Farewell (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 2 (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Paré, Alix, and Valérie Sueur-Hermel. The Fantastic Gustave Doré (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-03-02

 

Roscoe Mitchell's Solo [3] is becoming my favorite of his solo recordings (except for the original solo version of "Nonaah")... Solo [3] is one disc horn overdubs, one disc solo alto, and one disc percussion or solo sax... it is incredibly compelling... It's hard to get past some of the coy narration, but there are some musical gems scattered throughout A Drum Is a Woman, especially from Clark Terry... it's really too bad that no footage of the original televised show seems to exist... Such Sweet Thunder, on the other hand, is nothing but one magnificent gem of a masterpiece... The Dark Stars are getting interesting in a different way now that Tom Constanten has joined... he's certainly interesting, but his early shows are rough, and I am missing Pigpen on organ... I think that will change by the time we get to Live/Dead...

Playlist 2025-03-03:

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (disc 1)
*All Set: All Set
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Third Decade (side 2)
*Albert Ayler et al.: New York Eye and Ear Control (side 1)
*Beatles: Beatles for Sale (2009 mono remaster)
*Anthony Braxton with the Creative Jazz Orchestra: Composition No. 175, Composition No. 126 Trillium-Dialogues M (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton + Duke Ellington: Concept Of Freedom (Dahinden/Kleeb/Polisoidis/Höldrich)
*Anthony Braxton/Italian Instabile Orchestra: Creative Orchestra (Bolzano) 2007 "Comp. 164 pt. 1"
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2022-11-26 Nashville (wav) track 1
*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate "Africa"
*Cream: Best of Cream (side 2)
*Miles Davis Quintet: Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1 (disc 3)
*Nick Dunston: Atlantic Extraction
*Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3 (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 11 (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington: Ellington at Newport 1956 (Complete) (discs 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Such Sweet Thunder (sides 1, 2)
*Duke Ellington: Money Jungle
*Grateful Dead: 1969-01-24 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1969-01-25 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1972-04-11 Newcastle (CDR) "Truckin'"
*Mary Halvorson Quintet: Saturn Sings
*Earl Hines: Giants of Jazz (disc 2)
*Jefferson Pilot: Shadow Hobby
*Jimmie Lunceford: The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions (disc 3)
*Charles Mingus: Let My Children Hear Music (side 2)
*Roscoe Mitchell & the Note Factory: Song for My Sister
*Roscoe Mitchell: Solo [3] (disc 1)
*Paul Motian: Tribute (side 1)
*New Ting: 2025-02-24 "Advance Remorse for Bell of the Cow" (wav)
*Painkiller: Samsara
*Evan Parker ElectroAcoustic Septet: Seven "Seven-2"
*Zeena Parkins: Dam against the Spring Tide
*Pete "La Roca" Sims: Basra
*Nino Rota: 8 ½ (OST)
*Nino Rota: Fellini's Amarcord (side 1)
*Hazel Scott Trio: Relaxed Piano Moods
*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 2) "Movement V + VI + Reprise"
*Tyshawn Sorey Trio: The Susceptible Now
*Sparks: Exotic Creatures of the Deep (sides 3, 4)
*Sun Ra: Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: Strange Strings (Expanded Edition) (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra: Sun Embassy (side 1)
*Sun Ra Arkestra: Live At Pit-Inn Tokyo, Japan, 8, 8, 1988 (side 1)
*Bettye Swann: The Money Recordings
*Tower of Power: 1974-12-31 Winterland, SF (CDR)
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: 1965-07-02 Newport (CDR)
*Various artists: Turn Me Loose White Man (disc 8)
*Various artists: Latin Rhythms in Hi Fi
*Various artists: Easy Rhythms for Your Cocktail Hour
*Various artists: Space Age Cocktail Lounge (disc 1)
*Various artists: Anthology of Noise and Electronic Music vol. 1: First a-chronology 1921-2001 (disc 2)
*Anna Webber: Shimmer Wince
*Anna Webber/Matt Mitchell: Capacious Aeration
*John Zorn/JACK Quartet: The Complete String Quartets (disc 2)

Reading List, Week of 2025-03-02

Reading List 2025-03-03:

*Williams, Tad. Stone of Farewell (started)
*Harkaway, Nick. Karla's Choice (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 2 (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Paré, Alix, and Valérie Sueur-Hermel. The Fantastic Gustave Doré (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-02-23

It's instructive to think about the Duke Ellington/Charles Mingus/Max Roach trio LP Money Jungle in light of Relaxed Moods, the earlier Hazel Scott trio album from 1955. That album, included on the Mingus complete Debut recordings box set, has Mingus and Roach in a much more supporting role with pianist Hazel Scott... was she more compliant, or was Duke just more cantankerous?... I have always felt that Money Jungle was not able to overcome the apparent animosity and/or distractedness of its participants, making it a somewhat disappointing session, in spite of its deep beauty, and, well, players... but the Hazel Scott trio is quite nice, everyone cooperating and playing well together, but of course Hazel ain't Duke... well, who is?... still, she's really good, and this may be the more "successful" piano trio album, maybe because expectations aren't as high... For the most part, the two albums Duke Ellington recorded for Bethlehem in 1956 are way more interesting than anything he did in his short-lived stint with Capitol (with the exception of the piano trios)... for one thing, Paul Gonsalves doesn't solo nearly as much, or as gloriously, on anything for Capitol as he does on "Laura" from Duke Ellington Presents... for another, the Capitol sessions lack two key players, Johnny Hodges, who had just rejoined in time for the Bethlehem recordings, and Sam Woodyard, who makes his Ellington debut on the Bethlehem sessions... Woodyard was one of Ellington's greatest drummers, second in my mind only to Sonny Greer... Woodyard was a master of the shuffle, and his distinctive hard-driving swing helps define many of the Duke's later masterpieces... as Lambert puts it, "Woodyard was the last musician to come into the band who could make it sound different by his very presence" (p. 176)... 

Playlist 2025-02-24:

*Marshall Allen: New Dawn

*Beatles: Anthology 3 (disc 1) (selections)

*Blue Notes: Blue Notes for Mongezi (disc 1)

*Anthony Braxton: 3 Compositions of New Jazz (side 1)

*Anthony Braxton/Fred Simmons Trio: 9 Standards (Quartet) 1993 (disc 2)

*Circle: Gathering

*Clash: Combat Rock (sides 1, 2)

*Patsy Cline: The Patsy Cline Collection (disc 4)

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2009-07-23 Nashville (wav) track 3 "Moon Landing"

*John Coltrane: Coltrane (side 1)

*John Coltrane Quartet: Africa/Brass (side 1)

*Miles Davis Quintet: Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (side 1)

*Miles Davis:  The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions (disc 1) "Two Faced"

*Death Ambient: Death Ambient

*Death Ambient: Synaesthesia

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E21 "School"

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E22 "Telephone"

*Duke Ellington: Giants of Jazz (sides 3, 4)

*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Presents Ivie Anderson (side 4)

*Duke Ellington: The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington (disc 5)

*Duke Ellington: The Bethlehem Years, Vol. 1 (sides 1, 2)

*Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Presents…

*Rosemary Clooney and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Blue Rose

*Jimmy Ghaphery: Fife Studies and Songs about Birds

*Grateful Dead: 1968-11-01 Chico CA (CDR)

*Grateful Dead: 1968-11-22 Columbus OH (CDR)

*Grateful Dead: 1968-12-07 Louisville KY (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: 1968-12-29 Hallandale, FL (CDR)

*Grateful Dead: 1969-01-17 Santa Barbara CA (CDR) "Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: The Complete Fillmore West 1969 (disc 1) "That's It for the Other One"

*Mickey Hart & the Hartbeats: 1968-10-30? San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star Jam"

*Earl Hines: Giants of Jazz (disc 1)

*William Hooker/Chrstian Marclay/Lee Ranaldo: Bouquet

*Keith Jarrett: Expectations (side 4)

*Janel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash

*Charles Mingus: The Complete Debut Recordings (discs 7, 8)

*Charles Mingus: Let My Children Hear Music (side 1)

*Matt Mitchell: Zealous Angles

*Roscoe Mitchell: One Head Four People

*New Ting: 2025-01-20 "Swipe the Not Enough of Too Much" (wav)

*New Ting: 2025-02-18 "Just Under the Ground"  (wav)

*Zeena Parkins/Chris Brown/William Winant/Ben Davis: Scree

*Tom Rainey Trio: Hotel Grief "Proud Achievements In Botany"

*Secret People: Secret People

*Tyshawn Sorey: The Inner Spectrum of Variables (disc 2) "Reverie"

*Tyshawn Sorey:  Verisimilitude "Algid November"

*Sparks: Indiscreet (side 1)

*Sun Ra: The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (side 2)

*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun "Flight to Mars"

*Cecil Taylor: Student Studies "Amplitude"

*Cecil Taylor: Garden (disc 2) "Garden 1 > Stepping on Stars"

*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane: 2004-03-23 NYC (CDR) (disc 2)

*Lennie Tristano: The Complete Atlantic Recordings of Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz, & Warne Marsh (discs 5, 6)

*Various artists: Turn Me Loose White Man (discs 5, 6, 7)

*John Zorn/JACK Quartet: The Complete String Quartets (disc 1)

Reading List, Week of 2025-02-23

Reading List 2025-02-24:

*Harkaway, Nick. Karla's Choice (started)
*Williams, Tad. The Dragonbone Chair (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 2 (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Paré, Alix, and Valérie Sueur-Hermel. The Fantastic Gustave Doré (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-02-16

Kris Davis's rhythmic impulse and impeccable sense of timing is on full display on Rob Mazurek's Desert Encrypt Vol. 1... plus some of Mazurek's best playing... Two interesting things to note about the "Dark Star"-related jams by Mickey Hart & the Hartbeats in 1968: they are all effectively guitar-bass duets (whether it's Phil Lesh or Jack Casady on bass), and these jams are the first time, however sparingly, that someone (probably Bill Kreutzmann) plays full drum kit in the song... before, with the Dead, and with most of the Hartbeats versions, the percussion accompaniment up to this time was mostly shaker, gong, and guiro... A month's worth of new improvisations from New Ting here... it's good to be playing again... plus, a new solo release from Jimmy Ghaphery: Fife Studies...

Playlist 2025-02-17:

*Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Concertos (Alina Ibragimova/BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra)
*Johann Christian Bach: Six Favorite Overtures (Christopher Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music)
*Beatles: The Beatles' Second Album (mono 2024) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Something New (mono 2024) (sides 1, 2)
*Black Host: Life in the Sugar Candle Mines
*Anthony Braxton: Composition 95 (For Two Pianos)
*Anthony Braxton: 2 Compositions (Ensemble) 1989/1991
*Anthony Braxton/Fred Simmons Trio: 9 Standards (Quartet) 1993 (disc 1)
*Patricia Brennan Septet: Breaking Stretch
*Dustin Carlson: Air Ceremony
*Patsy Cline: The Patsy Cline Collection (disc 3)
*John Coltrane: The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. IV: "Trane's Modes" (side 3)
*Miles Davis: 1969-05/06? Village Gate, NYC (CDR)
*Miles Davis: Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West (side 2)
*J Dilla: Donuts
*Nick Dunston: Colla Voce
*Duke Ellington: 1949 NYC "The Tattooed Bride"
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington (discs 2, 3, 4)
*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 1)
*George: Letters to George (side 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1968-09-02 Sultan WA (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1968-10-12 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven"
*Grateful Dead: 1968-10-13 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream (Veneta, Oregon 8/27/72) (disc 2) "Playing in the Band"
*Mary Halvorson: Cloudward
*Mickey Hart & the Hartbeats: 1968-10-08 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Mickey Hart & the Hartbeats: 1968-10-10 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star Jam"
*Mickey Hart & the Hartbeats: 1968-10-30 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star Jam"
*Henry Cow: In Praise of Learning (Cow Box Redux)
*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 2 (disc 1)
*Rob Mazurek: Desert Encrypts Vol. 1
*Charles Mingus: The Complete Debut Recordings (discs 5, 6)
*Roscoe Mitchell/Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble: Three Compositions "Quintet #9 for Eleven"
*Ikue Mori: One Hundred Aspects of the Moon
*New Ting: 2025-02-10 "Farberware" (wav)
*Opeth: The Last Will and Testament
*Plymouth: Plymouth "Manomet"
*Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (sides 1, 2)
*Santana: Lotus (side 1)
*Devadip Carlos Santana/Turiya Alice Coltrane: Illuminations
*Soft Machine: Høvikodden 1971 (disc 2)
*Sun Ra: Saturn Research: Rarities and Oddities (CDR compilation) (disc 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Music from Tomorrow's World
*Sun Ra: The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Astro Black (side 2)
*Sun Ra: At the Showcase: Live in Chicago 1976-1977 (disc 1)
*Sun Ra: Lanquidity (45rpm version) (sides 1, 2)
*Joe Tex: From the Roots… …Came the Rapper
*McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (disc 2)
*UYA: 1993-03-02 And the Fritos? Sure (wav)
*UYA: 1993-07-17 Dik-Plexiglass Ass 95 Remix (side A) (wav)
*Various artists: Turn Me Loose White Man (disc 4)
*Various artists: Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults
*Weird of Mouth: Weird of Mouth
*Mary Lou Williams Trio: Free Spirits
*Tony Williams Lifetime: (Turn It Over) (side 1)
*Yes: Yesterdays (side 2) "America"
*Lester Young: The Aladdin Sessions (side 3)

Reading List, Week of 2025-02-16

Reading List 2025-02-17:

*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 2 (started)
*Paré, Alix, and Valérie Sueur-Hermel. The Fantastic Gustave Doré (started)
*Williams, Tad. The Dragonbone Chair (started)
*Ditko, Steve, and Stan Lee. The Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks, Vol. 1 (reread/started/finished)
*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 1 (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-02-09

 

So, I have embarked on a listening run though of every "Dark Star" I can get my hands on... they may not all show up in the playlist, but they're getting heard, and it's already fascinating how the band expanded the tune from its humble (and fast-paced) beginning on the single, exploding it from the inside out as sections grow and morph, and it gets longer and longer... I am not tired of Pigpen's organ riff yet, and of course the Jerry/Phil interplay is outstanding... I am also reworking my way through Eddie Lambert's excellent book Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide and listening to more Duke, especially the later suites (while skipping over Jimmy Grissom)... Really been enjoying the new Allen Lowe sets... some fine piano playing, especially from Loren Schoenberg, plus avant-garde banjo!... RIP Mike Ratledge... so glad I got to see him with Soft Machine on the tour backing Jimi Hendrix...

Playlist 2025-02-10:

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (disc 5)
*Art Ensemble: 1967/68 (disc 2) "Trio (Oh Susanna)"
*Blue Notes: Legacy: Live in South Afrika 1964
*Borderlands Trio: Asteroidea
*Anthony Braxton: Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 4 (discs 1, 2)
*Peter Brötzmann Octet: The Complete Machine Gun Sessions "Machine Gun"
*James Brown: The CD of JB (Sex Machine & Other Soul Classics)
*Patsy Cline: The Patsy Cline Collection (disc 2)
*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (discs 4, 5, 6)
*Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (disc 2) "A Tone Parallel to Harlem (Harlem Suite)"
*Erroll Garner: Erroll Garner
*George: Letters to George (side 1)
*Grateful Dead: So Many Roads (1965–1995) (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: Dark Star Comp 1 (1967-1969) (CDR compilation)
*Grateful Dead: 1968-01-20 Eureka CA (CDR)
*Grateful Dead: 1968-02-03 Portland OR (CDR)
*Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 2 (1968) (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1968-03-29 San Francisco (CDR)
*Grateful Dead: 1968-08-22 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star > Cryptical Envelopment/The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1968-08-23 San Francisco (CDR) "Dark Star > St. Stephen > The Eleven"
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Jams (CDR) (disc 2)

*Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 3 (1973-12-06 Cleveland) (bonus disc) "Eyes of the World"
*Layers of Memory: 2019-12-07 RVA (wav)"Improvisation No. 4"
*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 1 (disc 2)
*Charles Mingus: The Complete Debut Recordings (disc 4)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Songs in the Wind
*Roscoe Mitchell: 2012-03-10 London (CDR)
*New Ting: 2025-01-20 "Swipe the Not Enough of Too Much" (wav)
*New Ting: 2025-02-03 "Sound Immersion Plan" (wav)
*Ivo Perelman Quartet: Water Music
*Dudu Pukwana: Diamond Express (side 1)
*Soft Machine: Seven
*Tyshawn Sorey: Alloy "Movement"
*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 5)
*Henry Threadgill: X-75 Vol. 1 (Expanded Version)
*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: Pop Start the Tape, StoP
*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: This Brings Us To, Volumes I & II (side 2)
*Lennie Tristano: The Complete Atlantic Recordings of Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz, & Warne Marsh (discs 3, 4)
*UYA: 1993-02-23 G, J, and Q (wav)
*Various artists: Turn Me Loose White Man (disc 3)
*John Zorn/Brian Marsella Trio: Ballades

Reading List, Week of 2025-02-09

Reading List 2025-02-10:

*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 1 (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-02-02

Maintaining this blog (and these lists) is starting to feel more and more like fiddling while Rome burns, but for now I am gonna keep going... I have really taken to Brian Wilson's At My Piano, so much more than when I first heard it... speaking of Brian Wilson, Gardner Campbell has two excellent radio specials on Wilson here... he does a great job giving overviews of Wilson's "spiritual odyssey" and his work in the studio... John Zorn's sax playing keeps getting better and better... at times his blistering alto work on New Masada Quartet Vol. 3 is like he's channeling Marshall Allen... Superb George Coleman sax work on the latest Miles Davis box... not to mention the rest of the band!... 

Playlist 2025-02-03:

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (discs 3, 4)

*Area: Crac! (side 2)

*Beach Boys: Friends

*Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band (Anniversary Ed.) (disc 1)

*Blood Incantation: Absolute Elsewhere

*Blood Sweat & Tears: B, S & T; 4

*Anthony Braxton: Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 3 (disc 2)

*James Brown: Hot Pants (side 1)

*Gardner Campbell: The Epic Journey of Brian Wilson (podcast)

*Gardner Campbell: In the Studio with Brian Wilson (podcast)

*Chicago: Chicago Transit Authority

*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (discs 2, 3)

*Miles Davis Quintet: Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1 (disc 2)

*De La Soul: De La Soul Is Dead

*Bob Dylan: Planet Waves

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E20 "Musical Map"

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 10 (disc 2)

*Duke Ellington: The Great Concerts: Cornell University 1948 (disc 1)

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Masterpieces by Ellington (sides 1, 2, 4)

*Stan Getz: The Complete Roost Recordings (disc 3)

*Grateful Dead: 1968-01-20 Eureka CA (CDR) "Spanish Jam > Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks) > Dark Star"

*Grateful Dead: Dark Star Comp 6 (1991) (CDR compilation)

*Grateful Dead: Dark Star Comp 7 (1991) (CDR compilation)

*Grateful Dead: Dark Star Comp 8 (1991-1992) (CDR compilation)

*Grateful Dead: Dark Star Comp 9 (1992-1994) (CDR compilation)

*Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis

*Joseph Holbrooke Trio: The Moat Studio Recordings (disc 2)

*Ty Karim: The Complete Ty Karim: Los Angeles' Soul Goddess

*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 1 (disc 1)

*Brian Marsella’s iMAGiNARiUM: Mediatas (disc 3)

*Roscoe Mitchell: Solo [3] (discs 2, 3)

*Mothers of Invention: Burnt Weeny Sandwich (side 1)

*New Ting: 2025-01-20 "Swipe the Not Enough of Too Much" (wav)

*New Ting: 2025-01-27 "Less Opaque" (wav)

*Elvis Presley: The Complete '68 Comeback Special (disc 1)

*Red Trio/John Butcher: Summer Skyshift

*Matthew Shipp Trio: New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz

*Wadada Leo Smith/Peter Kowald/Bobby Naughton: 1981-10-07 RAW, Richmond VA (CDR) track 01

*Wadada Leo Smith & Roscoe Mitchell Creative Orchestra: 1979-06-03 Moers "track 3"

*Soft Machine: 5 (side 2)

*Bruce Springsteen: Winterland, 1978 (Live In The Promised Land) (selections)

*Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Live/1975-85 (side 3)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (sides 1, 4)

*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun (side 1)

*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Omniverse (side 2)

*Cecil Taylor: In Florescence

*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane (Ubuntu): 2005-12-18 (CDR) (disc 2)

*Lennie Tristano: The Complete Atlantic Recordings of Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz, & Warne Marsh (disc 2)

*McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy (side 1)

*Various artists: That Devilin' Tune (Vol. I, disc 6)

*Various artists: Turn Me Loose White Man (discs 1, 2)

*Weather Report: Live in Tokyo (side 2)

*Brian Wilson: At My Piano

*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans (2016 remaster) (disc 2) "Ritual"

*Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never Sleeps

*Frank Zappa: Orchestral Favorites (side 2)

*John Zorn: New Masada Quartet Vol. 3

Reading List, Week of 2025-02-02

Reading List 2025-02-03:

*Lowe, Allen. Turn Me Loose White Man, or, Appropriating Culture: How to Listen to American Music, 1900-1960, Vol. 1 (started)
*Buxton, Kira Jane. Hollow Kingdom (finished)
*Mueller, Darren. At the Vanguard of Vinyl: A Cultural History of the Long-Playing Record in Jazz (finished)
*Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide (reread/selections)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-01-26

It's taking me a while to absorb Giant Beauty, because I've never heard anything quite like it... I know Pat Thomas mostly from his work with Tony Oxley... this music develops with a keen sense of patience and determination... Patient listening is also rewarded with Tyshawn Sorey's The Susceptible Now... and then there's Ellington, always Ellington... I am rereading portions of Eddie Lambert's Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide, and using it to guide some deep listening, focusing on the suites and longer compositions like "The Tattooed Bride"... The later versions of "Dark Star" from the '90s are a mixed bag, but there are definitely moments of beauty there, especially if Mickey Hart refrains from being so plodding and heavy on the bass drum... love the double drums but nothing matches the subtlety and driving excitement of Bill Kreutzmann on his own in the '70s... eventually I plan to work my way through every version of "Dark Star," just for the hell (or heaven) of it...

Playlist 2025-01-27:

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (discs 1, 2)

*Zoh Amba: Bhakti

*Beatles: Abbey Road (side 2)

*Black Host: Life in the Sugar Candle Mines

*Anthony Braxton: Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997, Vol. 3 (disc 1)

*Anthony Braxton + Duke Ellington: Concept Of Freedom (Dahinden/Kleeb/Polisoidis/Höldrich)

*Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet: Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 4)

*Can: Ege Bamyasi

*Patsy Cline: The Patsy Cline Collection (disc 1)

*Miles Davis Quintet: Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 (disc 1)

*Miles Davis: Miles at the Fillmore: Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (disc 3)

*Miles Davis: 1975-01-22 Tokyo (CDR)

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E18 "Radio"

*Earth Wind and Fire: All 'n All (side 1)

*Duke Ellington: The Great Chicago Concerts (disc 1) "Deep South Suite"

*Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown "The Liberian Suite"

*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Masterpieces by Ellington (side 3)

*Duke Ellington: Liederhall Stuttgart 1967

*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 3)

*George: Letters to George (sides 1, 2)

*Tilahun Gessesse: Ethiopiques 17

*Stan Getz: The Complete Roost Recordings (disc 2)

*Grateful Dead: 1970-02-05 Fillmore West, SF (CDR)

*Earl Hines: Giants of Jazz (disc 2)

*Joseph Holbrooke Trio: The Moat Studio Recordings (disc 1)

*King Crimson: The Power to Believe

*Ingrid Laubrock: Sleepthief

*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: In the Dark (disc 1)

*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 1 (disc 2)

*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 2 (disc 1)

*Jimmie Lunceford: The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions (disc 2)

*Brian Marsella’s iMAGiNARiUM: Mediatas (disc 2)

*Jackie McLean: Jacknife

*Matt Mitchell: Vista Accumulation (disc 2)

*Roscoe Mitchell: More Cutouts

*Roscoe Mitchell: Solo [3] (disc 1)

*Tyler Mitchell Octet: Sun Ra's Journey featuring Marshall Allen

*Jelly Roll Morton: The Saga of Mister Jelly Lord (side 11)

*Tony Oxley Quintet: The Baptised Traveller

*Zeena Parkins/Ikue Mori: Phantom Orchard

*Mario Pavone Sextet: Deez to Blues

*Tom Rainey Trio: 2013-10-19 Brooklyn NY (CDR) track 6

*Tyshawn Sorey Trio: The Susceptible Now

*Sun Ra and His Solar-Myth Arkestra: The Solar​-​Myth Approach, Vol. 1

*Sun Ra: Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (side 2)

*Sun Ra Arkestra under the Direction of Marshall Allen: Lights on a Satellite (side 3)

*Cecil Taylor: Erzulie Maketh Scent

*Lennie Tristano: The Complete Atlantic Recordings of Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz, & Warne Marsh (disc 1)

*Various artists: Songs from Four LPs and One CD (cassette compilation) (sides A, B)

*Webber/Morris Big Band: Both Are True

*Mary Lou Williams Trio: Free Spirits

*Neil Young: Zuma

Reading List, Week of 2025-01-26

Reading List 2025-01-27:

*Buxton, Kira Jane. Hollow Kingdom (started)
*Mueller, Darren. At the Vanguard of Vinyl: A Cultural History of the Long-Playing Record in Jazz (started)
*Perry, Thomas. Pro Bono (started/finished)
*Dunn, Daisy. Catullus' Bedspread: The Life of Rome's Most Erotic Poet (finished)
*Porter, Jane. The Scottish Chiefs (finished)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

Playlist, Week of 2025-01-19

Lots of great new music out there, but I can't seem to drag myself away from "Pharaoh's Dance"... Find myself getting overwhelmed these days... only thing to do is keep listening (and playing)... Between Patricia Brennan's Breaking Stretch, Allen Lowe's Louis Armstrong's America, [Ahmed]'s Giant Beauty, Jefferson Pilot's Recordeo, Anthony Braxton's Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022, John Blum's Deep Space, and Kris Davis's Run the Gauntlet, 2024 was a damn good year for great music... 

Playlist 2025-01-20:

*Black Host: Life in the Sugar Candle Mines

*Blood Incantation: Absolute Elsewhere

*John Blum Quartet feat. Marshall Allen: Deep Space

*Anthony Braxton: Braxton Quartet (San Jose), 1976 "Comp. 50" (streaming) 

*Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet: Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 3)

*Patricia Brennan Septet: Breaking Stretch

*Dustin Carlson: Air Ceremony

*Miles Davis: Filles de Kilimanjaro

*Miles Davis Quintet: 1967-10-31 Stockholm (CDR)

*Miles Davis Quintet: 1967-11-04 Berlin (CDR)

*Miles Davis: The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (disc 1)

*Miles Davis: 1973-06-19 Tokyo (DVD)

*Miles Davis: 1973-10-27 Stockholm (DVD)

*Bob Dylan: New Morning

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E19 "The Bible"

*Duke Ellington: Liederhall Stuttgart 1967

*Agustí Fernández Ensemble: Via Augusta

*Kate Gentile: Find Letter X (disc 2)

*Grateful Dead: Dick's Jams (CDR) (disc 1)

*John Greaves: Songs

*Mary Halvorson: Belladonna

*Earl Hines: Giants of Jazz (disc 1)

*Bobby Hutcherson: Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970 (discs 5, 6, 7)

*Last Exit: Iron Path (side 1)

*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Brink

*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 1 (disc 1)

*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 2 (discs 1, 2)

*Brian Marsella’s iMAGiNARiUM: Mediatas (disc 1)

*Matt Mitchell: Vista Accumulation (disc 1)

*Lee Morgan: The Sidewinder 

*David Murray Octet: Picasso

*Opeth: The Last Will and Testament

*Jeff Parker/ETA IVtet: The Way Out of Easy

*Tom Rainey Trio: Hotel Grief "Hotel Grief"

*Sun Ra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Vol. 1

*Sun Ra: Haverford College, Jan. 25, 1980

*Cecil Taylor: In East-Berlin (disc 1)

*McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (disc 1)

*UMO Jazz Orchestra: UMO Plays the Music of Muhal Richard Abrams

*Various artists: Turtle Humperdink Tender Load (cassette compilation) (side B)

*Various artists: WSAM 2024 Mix of Odds and Ends (CDR compilation)

*Weird of Mouth: Weird of Mouth

*Hank Williams: The Original Singles Collection Plus (disc 2)

*John Zorn et al.: Environment for Sextet

*John Zorn/Chaos Magick/Simulacrum: 2024-03-03 NYC (CDR)

*John Zorn: Homenaje a Remedios Varo

*John Zorn/Chaos Magick: Parrhesiastes

Reading List, Week of 2025-01-19

Reading List 2025-01-20:

*Burns, Charles. Final Cut (started/finished)
*Parker, T. Jefferson. Desperation Reef (started/finished)
*Dunn, Daisy. Catullus' Bedspread: The Life of Rome's Most Erotic Poet (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)
*Porter, Jane. The Scottish Chiefs (in progress)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-01-12

Any doubts about the monumental greatness of Joe Henderson should be dispelled once and for all by this great release of a 1966 Slug's show with McCoy Tyner... Henderson is simply incredible, and Jack DeJohnette is right behind him every step of the way, playing more like Elvin Jones than I've ever heard him before.. 

Playlist 2025-01-13:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: FamilyTalk
*AMM III: It Had Been an Ordinary Enough Day in Pueblo, Colorado "Radio Activity"
*Average White Band: Average White Band
*Johann Sebastian Bach: Concertos for Piano And Orchestra Nos. 1–5 & 7 (Gould/Bernstein) (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton Saxophone Quartet: Sax QT (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 2)
*Patricia Brennan Septet: Breaking Stretch
*Stephan Crump: Slow Water
*Kris Davis: Massive Threads
*Miles Davis: Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West (side 1)
*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 1)
*Miles Davis: The Complete On the Corner Sessions (disc 2)
*Miles Davis: Agharta (disc 2)
*Miles Davis: Pangaea (sides 1, 2, 3, 4)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington (disc 2)
*Duke Ellington: The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
*Gentle Giant: Octopus
*Gentle Giant: The Power and the Glory
*Mary Halvorson's Code Girl: Artlessly Falling
*Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (disc 2)
*Dave Holland New Quartet: 2024-09-14 Santa Fe (CDR) (disc 2)
*Bobby Hutcherson: Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970 (disc 4)
*Jefferson Pilot: Recordeo
*Korekyojinn: Isotope
*Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra: Louis Armstrong's America, Vol. 1 (discs 1, 2)
*Jimmie Lunceford: The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions (disc 1)
*Massacre: Meltdown
*Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra: Live at the Adler Planetarium
*Jackie McLean: Consequence
*Roscoe Mitchell: More Cutouts
*Roscoe Mitchell/Brus Trio: After Fallen Leaves
*Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory: The Bad Guys
*Thelonious Monk: Solo Monk
*Ikue Mori: Hex Kitchen
*Ikue Mori: Class Insecta
*Opeth: The Last Will and Testament
*Rascals: The Island of Real
*Matthew Shipp Trio: New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz
*Tyshawn Sorey Trio: The Susceptible Now
*Bruce Springsteen: The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle
*Sun Ra: Singles: The Definitive 45s Collection 1952-1991 (discs 2, 3)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Other Planes of There (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Thunder of the Gods (side 2)
*Cecil Taylor: Garden (disc 2)
*Cecil Taylor Orchestra Humane (Ubuntu): 2005-12-18 (CDR) (disc 1)
*McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (disc 2)
*UYA: 1993-02-19 Funk Don't Shop at Sears (wav)
*UYA: 1993-02-21 Butter Unit 5 (wav)
*Various artists: Ra/Trane (cassette compilation) (sides A, B)
*Various artists: Turtle Humperdink Tender Load (cassette compilation) (side A)
*Hank Williams: The Original Singles Collection Plus (disc 1)
*Xtatika: Tongue Bath
*Lester Young: The Aladdin Sessions (side 2)
*John Zorn: Heaven and Earth Magick

Reading List, Week of 2025-01-12

Reading List 2025-01-13:

*Dunn, Daisy. Catullus' Bedspread: The Life of Rome's Most Erotic Poet (started)

*Porter, Jane. The Scottish Chiefs (started)

*Harrow, Alix E. Starling House (started/finished)

*Dylan, Bob. The Philosophy of Modern Song (finished)

*Harrow, Alix E. The Once and Future Witches (finished)

*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)

*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/in progress)

 

Easy to Accept

The radio was on from beyond a wall and the sound was coming in through static. The Beatles were singing, "Do You Want to Know a Secret." They were so easy to accept, so solid. (Bob Dylan, Chronicles, Vol. 1, Simon & Schuster 2004, p. 204)

 

Dylan on Cecil Taylor

Of course I shouldn't have been surprised, but still it was nice to see...

It was mostly a jazz coffeehouse where Cecil Taylor played a lot. I played there with Cecil once. We played "The Water Is Wide," the old folk song. Cecil could play regular piano if he wanted to. (Bob Dylan, Chronicles, Vol. 1, Simon & Schuster 2004, p. 74)

 

Playlist, Week of 2025-01-05

Had a nice listening session last night, starting off with Hatfield and the North's first album, with Geoff Leigh's sax work on "Rifferama" leading me to Henry Cow's first record, and from both of them, back to Zappa's Uncle Meat... you can make a direct connection between "Son of 'There's No Place Like Homerton'" and "The Legend of the Golden Arches"...

Playlist 2025-01-06:

*B-52s: Cosmic Thing

*Johann Sebastian Bach: Concertos for Piano And Orchestra Nos. 1–5 & 7 (Gould/Bernstein) (disc 1)

*Beatles: The Early Beatles (mono 2024) (sides 1, 2)

*Beatles: The Beatles' Second Album (mono 2024) (sides 1, 2)

*Beatles: Something New (mono 2024) (sides 1, 2)

*Blood Incantation: Absolute Elsewhere

*Borderlands Trio: Rewilder (disc 2)

*Anthony Braxton with the Creative Jazz Orchestra: Composition No. 175, Composition No. 126 Trillium-Dialogues M (disc 1)

*Clash: London Calling

*Rosemary Clooney and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Blue Rose

*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2015-05-14 Nashville (wav) track 3

*Marilyn Crispell: Live at Mills College, 1995

*Miles Davis Quintet: Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1 (disc 1)

*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 4) "Inamorata"

*Bob Dylan: Biograph (disc 3)

*Bob Dylan/Various artists: Theme Time Radio Hour S01 E17 "Friends and Neighbours"

*Duke Ellington: The Great Ellington Units

*Duke Ellington: All American in Jazz

*Farmers By Nature: Out of This World's Distortions

*Grateful Dead: Hundred Year Hall (1972-04-26 Frankfurt) (disc 2) "The Other One"

*Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 3 (1973-12-06 Cleveland) (bonus disc) "Dark Star"

*Milford Graves: Stories

*Mary Halvorson: Code Girl (disc 2)

*Herbie Hancock: The Prisoner

*Hatfield and the North: Hatfield and the North (side 1)

*Henry Cow: Leg End (Cow Box Redux)

*Billie Holiday: The Legacy (1933-1958) (disc 2)

*Bobby Hutcherson: Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963-1970 (discs 2, 3)

*Ravi Shankar: India's Master Musician "Morning Raag"

*Matt Mitchell: Vista Accumulation (disc 2)

*Matt Mitchell/Kate Gentile: Snark Horse (disc 1)

*OOIOO: Kila Kila Kila

*Tony Oxley/Derek Bailey: The Advocate

*Annette Peacock: 4 Emilia-Romagna W/LV

*Pere Ubu: Live at the Longhorn April 1, 1978 (sides 1, 2)

*Polyorchard: Ink (disc 1)

*Rascals: Peaceful World

*Elliott Sharp/Sally Gates/Tashi Dorji: Ere Guitar

*Tyshawn Sorey Trio: The Susceptible Now

*Sparks: Terminal Jive (sides 1, 2)

*Sun Ra: Kingdom of Discipline (side 2)

*Sun Ra: Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (sides 2, 3, 4)

*Sun Ra Arkestra: Live At Pit-Inn Tokyo, Japan, 8, 8, 1988 (side 2)

*Cecil Taylor: The World of Cecil Taylor

*Cecil Taylor: Air

*Cecil Taylor: Garden (disc 1)

*McCoy Tyner/Joe Henderson: Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs' (disc 1)

*UYA: 1993-02-09 Water Damage (wav)

*Webber/Morris Big Band: Both Are True

*Frank Zappa: Uncle Meat (disc 1)

*John Zorn/Chaos Magick: 444

Reading List, Week of 2025-01-05

I thought I had done with Miss MacIntosh , My Darling for a while, but then I found out about this reading group, and damn if I haven't started it again... 

Reading List 2025-01-06:

*Harrow, Alix E. The Once and Future Witches (started)
*Young, Marguerite. Miss MacIntosh, My Darling (reread/started)
*Robey, Tim. Box Office Poison: Hollywood's Story in a Century of Flops (finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Macbeth (Arden 3rd ed., ed. Sandra Clark, Pamela Mason) (reread/finished)
*Dylan, Bob. The Philosophy of Modern Song (in progress)
*Mendelson, Cheryl. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (in progress)