Playlist, Week of 2026-03-22

 

More of same... but it's such good stuff!... After hearing Charles Mingus's "Cumbia and Jazz Fusion" on In Argentina,  I went back to the original version and was blown away all over again... this is my absolute favorite of late-period Mingus... its cinematic sweep and grandeur are unparalleled in his work, plus it swings deeply, Ellingtoniangly... Speaking of Ellington, In the Uncommon Market is a great Pablo compilation of '60s live material... And Sun Ra continues to rock my boat... in the early recordings, I find myself drawn to his marvelous piano playing throughout all the solos... he's doing way more than comping... it's just mesmerizing...

Playlist 2026-03-23:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1995-10 Umea, Sweden (CDR)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1998-08-14 Oakland CA (CDR)
*B-52s: Mesopotamia
*Tim Berne's Snakeoil: You've Been Watching Me "Small World in a Small Town"
*Anthony Braxton: For Trio (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Sextet (Istanbul) 1996 (disc 1)
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium R: Composition 162 - An Opera in Four Acts/Shala Fears for the Poor (disc 4)
*Nels Cline: The Inkling
*Nels Cline: Dirty Baby (disc 1)
*John Coltrane: The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Such Sweet Thunder (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: In the Uncommon Market
*Jimmy Ghaphery/Sam Byrd: 2026-02-14 Richmond (wav)
*Grateful Dead: 1972-05-07 Wigan, England (CDR) "The Other One"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-30 Universal City CA (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-08-01 Jersey City NJ (CDR) (disc 2) "Dark Star"
*Guru Guru: UFO
*Julius Hemphill: The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony (disc 6)
*Joe Henderson: 1975-12-19 San Francisco (CDR) (disc 2)
*Impressions: The Fabulous Impressions
*Impressions: We're a Winner
*Ingrid Laubrock: Serpentines
*Charles Mingus: Cumbia Jazz Fusion (side 1)
*Roscoe Mitchell: Roscoe Mitchell and the Sound and Space Ensembles (side 1)
*Thelonious Monk: The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection (disc 1) 
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 8)
*Larry Ochs/Joe Morris/Charles Downs: Every Day → All The Way
*Evan Parker/Keith Rowe/Barry Guy/Eddie Prévost: Supersession
*Tomeka Reid/Kyoko Kitamura/Taylor Ho Bynum/Joe Morris: Geometry of Phenomena
*Sonny Rollins: Way Out West Plus
*Keith Rowe: The Room
*Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson: Sonny Stitt Bud Powell J.J. Johnson
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: When Angels Speak of Love (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Other Planes of There "Other Planes of There"
*Sun Ra: Heliocentric Worlds Vol. 3: The Lost Tapes
*Sun Ra and His Astro-Infinity Arkestra: Continuation (side 1)
*Sun Ra and His Inter-Galactic Research Arkestra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght (side 12)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-27 Detroit (CDR) (disc 1)
*Sun Ra: Somewhere Else
*Sun Ra: Other Shades (CDR compilation)
*Cecil Taylor: All the Notes (DVD)
*UYA: 1994-10-13 Hey, Turn That Fan Off, Will Ya? (wav)
*Various artists: Doob Doob O'Rama: Filmsongs from Bollywood
*Baby Face Willette: Face to Face
*Stevie Wonder and Wonderlove: 1973-03-04 Berkeley CA (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans (Super Deluxe Ed.) (discs 7, 8)

Reading List, Week of 2026-03-22

Reading List 2026-03-23:

*Ferrante, Elena. The Story of a New Name (transl. Ann Goldstein) (started)
*Ferrante, Elena. My Brilliant Friend (transl. Ann Goldstein) (started/finished)
*Leonard, Elmore. Forty Lashes Less One (started/finished)
*Lock, Graham. "Sun Ra: The Mysteries of Mr. Ra" and "John Gilmore: Big John's Special," in Chasing the Vibration (reread/started/finished)
*Garner, Bryan A. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. (in progress)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: "There Is a Heppy Lend--Fur, Fur Awa-a-ay": 1925-1926 (in progress)
*Ovid. Metamorphoses (transl. A.D. Melville) (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra (Arden 2nd series, ed. M.R. Ridley) (reread/in progress)
 

Brody on Sun Ra: Catching Up

His philosophy was a vision of progress--of a future, inspired by black American culture, that would be as glorious in its own way as the one promised by the technological advances of a segregated American society. Ra affirmed that the musical past of jazz was part of the avant-garde, so far ahead of its time that he and his musicians were still struggling to catch up with it. (Richard Brody, "The Sun Ra Centanary," New Yorker, 2014-05-22)

 

Playlist, Week of 2026-03-15

 

In addition to my weekly forays in the worlds of Sun Ra, Duke Ellington, and "Dark Star," this has been a week of exciting electric guitar... For reasons unknown, Nels Cline and Gregg Bendian's revisioning of John Coltrane and Rashied Ali's Interstellar Space had eluded me... whoa, it's incredible... I am slowly exposing myself to more of Otomo Yoshihide's exploratory guitar work... it's particularly strong on his big band album Stone Stone Stone... In my journeys through the UYA archives, the standout aspect for me has been the outstanding sonic explosions of Rodger Coleman's guitar solos... like throwing James Blood Ulmer, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, and Thurston Moore in a blender... great stuff...

Playlist 2026-03-16:

*And Big Band: 2026-03-01 Chapel Hill NC (wav)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1988-08-31 Chicago (CDR)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1995-01-08 Oakland CA (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: Octet (New York) 1995
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium X (disc 4)
*Nels Cline: Destroy All Nels Cline
*Nels Cline/Gregg Bendian: Interstellar Space Revisited
*Rodger Coleman/Sam Byrd: Imaginary Vinyl "Face A"
*Kris Davis/Lutosławski Quartet: The Solastalgia Suite
*Miles Davis: In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete (disc 3)
*Deepstaria Enigmatica: The Eternal Now is the Heart of a New Tomorrow
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (disc 5)
*Duke Ellington Octet: Live at the Rainbow Grill
*Duke Ellington Small Bands: The Intimacy of the Blues
*Globe Unity Orchestra and Guests: Baden-Baden '75
*Grateful Dead: 1973-03-16 Long Island, NY (CDR) (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-10 Washington DC (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-06-24 Portland OR (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star > Eyes of the World"
*Heldon: Third ("It's Always Rock'n'Roll") (disc 1)
*Joe Henderson: 1975-12-19 San Francisco (CDR) (disc 1)
*Impressions: People Get Ready
*Fela Kuti: Roforofo Fight
*Charles Mingus: Mingus in Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts (disc 1)
*New Ting: 2026-03-09 Partially parking (wav)
*Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet: Hat and Beard
*Otomo Yoshihide Special Big Band: Stone Stone Stone
*Eddie Prévost et al.: The Secret Handshake With Danger, Vol. 1
*Sergei Rachmaninov: Rachmaninov Plays Chopin
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Visits Planet Earth
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Interstellar Low Ways
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: Fate in a Pleasant Mood
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: When Sun Comes Out
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-26 Detroit (CDR) (disc 3)
*Henry Threadgill: Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus "Game Is Up"
*UYA: 1994-08-30 Steamin' Demons (wav)
*UYA: 1994-09-07 Laundry Bar Billy (wav)
*UYA: 1994-09-13 Jiggle Tooth (wav)
*Baby Face Willette: Stop and Listen

Reading List, Week of 2026-03-15

Reading List 2026-03-16:

*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: "There Is a Heppy Lend--Fur, Fur Awa-a-ay": 1925-1926 (started)
*Ovid. Metamorphoses (transl. A.D. Melville) (started)
*Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra (Arden 2nd series, ed. M.R. Ridley) (reread/started)
*Leonard, Elmore. Hombre (started/finished)
*Leonard, Elmore. Valdez Is Coming (started/finished)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Shed a Soft Mongolian Tear: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 9: 1924 (finished)
*Pynchon, Thomas. Shadow Ticket (reread/finished)
*Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure (Arden 3rd series, ed. A.R. Braunmuller and Robert N. Watson) (reread/finished)
*Garner, Bryan A. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. (in progress)
 

Playlist, Week of 2026-03-08

 Piano Recital is one of my favorite Sun Ra solo piano albums... especially his swinging takes on "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Penthouse Serenade"... some critics have complained about the sound, but it sounds fine to me... I've always had a high tolerance for less-than-stellar sound quality... with Ra, of course, it's all stellar.... I love the different arrangement of "This Whole World" on Spring... that whole album is really special, notably for Marilyn Rovell's vocals... 

Playlist 2026-03-09:

*[Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (disc 3)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1987-03-07 Montreal (CDR)
*Beatles: The Beatles' Second Album (mono 2024) (sides 1, 2)
*Beatles: Beatles for Sale (2009 stereo remaster) (side 2)
*Anthony Braxton: Four Compositions (Quartet) 1995
*Anthony Braxton and the Wesleyan Tri-Centric Orchestra: 2011-04-25 Middletown, CT (CDR) (disc 1)
*Gerald Cleaver & Violet Hour: Live At Firehouse 12
*Gerald Cleaver/Brandon Lopez/Hprizm: In the Wilderness
*John Coltrane: The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (disc 6)
*Kris Davis/Lutosławski Quartet: The Solastalgia Suite
*Jackie DeShannon: The Complete Singles, Vol. 1 (1960-1963) (selections)
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (disc 6)
*Duke Ellington: Anatomy of a Murder
*Duke Ellington: Paris, March 1964
*Duke Ellington: In the Uncommon Market
*Famous Actors from Out of Town: FA3574
*Globe Unity Orchestra and Guests: Baden-Baden '75
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 4 (1970-02-13 Fillmore East) (disc 1) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-03-16 Long Island, NY (CDR) (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 32 (1973-03-24 Philadelphia) (disc 3) "Jam > Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 16 (1973-03-28 Springfield, MA) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grant Green: Grant's First Stand
*Gulph of Berlin: Gulph of Berlin
*Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts
*Impressions: Keep On Pushing
*Insect Life: Insect Life
*Jefferson Pilot: Spirit of '77
*George Lewis: Homage to Charles Parker
*Curtis Mayfield: Curtis/Live!
*Thelonious Monk: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (disc 2)
*Jason Moran: Facing Left
*New Ting: 2026-02-23 "My Dear What Is That Plant?" (wav)
*Larry Ochs/Nels Cline/Gerald Cleaver: What Is To Be Done "Outcries Rousing"
*Okuden: Every Dog Has Its Day but It Doesn't Matter because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter (disc 2)
*Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra: Out to Lunch
*Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet: Tails Out
*Spring: Spring
*Sun Ra: Pathways to Unknown Worlds (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: Piano Recital, Teatro La Fenice, Venezia
*Sun Ra: Sleeping Beauty (side 2)
*Sun Ra: Strange Celestial Road (side 2)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-26 Detroit (CDR) (disc 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Prophet
*Sun Ra Arkestra: Hours After
*UYA: 1994-08-23 A Distinct Mood for the Hearer (wav)
*Various artists: Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues (A Musical Journey) (disc 4)
*XTC: Drums and Wires (Surround Sound Series) (disc 1)

Reading List, Week of 2026-03-08

Reading List 2026-03-09:

*Stein, Gertrude. The Making of Americans (finished)
*Garner, Bryan A. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. (in progress)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Shed a Soft Mongolian Tear: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 9: 1924 (in progress)
*Pynchon, Thomas. Shadow Ticket (reread/in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure (Arden 3rd series, ed. A.R. Braunmuller and Robert N. Watson) (reread/in progress)
 

Jefferson Pilot: Spirit of '77

 

Jefferson Pilot's newest EP, Spirit of '77, is a melancholy, beautiful meditation on absence and return--or is it the hopeful rejuvenation of a lost love? Spirit of '77 is a three-part suite similar in tone and spirit to 2023's Sad Magazine as well as the imaginary sound explorations of "Slow Divide" and "Chimney Line (abridged)" on 2021's The Hopeless News. The mournful Klaxon horn in "Returned from Space" is echoed by the plaintive sax sounds in "Reentry/Girl on a Swing." The mood captures the feeling of awakening from a dream, as details slip away, leaving  only an aurally imprinted sense of loss. Despite the positive soulfulness of the harmony vocals singing "Baby I'm back," in the overall sonic landscape of the suite, things are ambiguous, and questions are unanswered: Has the return from space actually occurred? Has he really been gone, or (as he thought) was he only dreaming? Have you seen my blazer? 

Sun Ra's Big Band

Despite the expertise of other contemporary big bands, it is in hearing the most avant garde of them all, the Arkestra, play Prelude To A Kiss or Blue Lou, that the listener feels what it must have been like to hear, say, Duke Ellington circa 1940, and when that same quality--the freedom of texture and improvisation combined with the ability to swing--is heard here immediately afterwards on Lights On A Satellite, the largeness of the Arkestra's accomplishment is made clear. (David Lee, "Notes from the Basement," Coda May/June 1994, issue 255)
 

Playlist, Week of 2026-03-01

I have really been enjoying the Music on Vinyl reissue of Hatfield and the North's classic album The Rotter's Club, certainly one of my favorite records of all time... thanks forever, Tom, for turning me on to this way back when... this new pressing is crystal clear, really putting the original Virgin vinyl to shame... also enjoyable is Sinclair and the South, Hatfield bassist Richard Sinclair's curated recreation of the album using fan-created selections... thanks, Jeff, for that gift!... my favorite tracks are the ones that don't try to exactly copy the instrumentation or arrangements of the original... the absolute best is Raymond Benson's solo piano version of "Fitter Stoke Has a Bath"... we certainly enjoyed it... In other listening, though, I am finding it hard to pull myself away from Sun Ra... one thing leads to another, and it's all so damn good... 

Playlist 2026-03-02:

*[Ahmed]: Sama'a [Audition] "Isma'a [Listen]"
*AMM: Ammmusic "After Rapidly Circling the Plaza"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1985-03-29 Cambridge MA (CDR) (discs 1, 2)
*Beach Boys: We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years (discs 1, 2, 3) (selections)
*Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Incidentals "Sideshow"
*Anthony Braxton: Tentet (New York) 1995
*Anthony Braxton: Trillium X (disc 3)
*Deerhoof: Miracle-Level
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: A Drum Is a Woman (side 1)
*Duke Ellington: The Private Collection, Vol. 10: Studio Sessions
*Exploding Star Orchestra: Stars Have Shapes "Three Blocks of Light"
*Gang of Four: Songs of the Free (side 1)
*Jimmy Ghaphery/Sam Byrd: 2026-02-14 Richmond (wav)
*Globe Unity: Jahrmarkt/Local Fair
*Grateful Dead: 1973-03-16 Long Island, NY (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1973-03-21 Utica, NY (CDR) (disc 3) "Dark Star"
*Jefferson Pilot: Spirit of '77
*Layers of Memory: 2019-12-07 RVA (wav)"Improvisation No. 2"
*Thelonious Monk: Bremen 1965 (discs 1, 2)
*Amina Claudine Myers: Solace of the Mind
*New Ting: 2025-12-01 "Gettin' with the Modern Boys" (wav)
*New Ting: 2026-02-23 "My Dear What Is That Plant?" (wav)
*Eddie Prévost et al.: The Secret Handshake With Danger, Vol. 2
*Roxy Music: Siren (side 2)
*Ravi Shankar: Live At Monterey 1967 "Raga Todi, Rupak Tal"
*Soft Machine: 1967-10 Paris (CDR)
*Sparks: In Outer Space (sides 1, 2)
*Bruce Springsteen: The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (disc 4)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Supersonic Jazz (21st Century Expanded Ed.) (disc 2)
*Sun Ra: Sound Sun Pleasure
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Other Planes of There "Other Planes of There"
*Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra: When Angels Speak of Love (side 1)
*Sun Ra: Spaceways (1968 film soundtrack)
*Sun Ra: Space Probe
*Sun Ra: Concert for the Comet Kohoutek
*Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Myth Science Arkestra: 1975-01-30 Cleveland (CDR)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Lost Arkestra, Pt. 1
*Sun Ra Arkestra: Reflections in Blue
*Sun Ra: Stray Voltage (disc 2)
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: 1965-07-02 Newport (CDR) "Tales (8 Whisps)"
*Cecil Taylor Workshop Ensemble: Legba Crossing
*Various artists: The Bottle Tapes: Selections from the Empty Bottle Jazz and Improvised Music Series 1996-2005 (discs 4, 5, 6)
*Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 2) 
 

Reading List, Week of 2026-03-01

Reading List 2026-03-02:

*Pynchon, Thomas. Shadow Ticket (reread/started)
*Leonard, Elmore. Last Stand at Saber River (started/finished)
*Tosches, Nick. Trinities (finished)
*Garner, Bryan A. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. (in progress)
*Herriman, George. Krazy and Ignatz: Shed a Soft Mongolian Tear: The Komplete Kat Komics, Vol. 9: 1924 (in progress)
*Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure (Arden 3rd series, ed. A.R. Braunmuller and Robert N. Watson) (reread/in progress)
*Stein, Gertrude. The Making of Americans (in progress)