Playlist, Week of 2024-06-16

There's a Riot Goin' On is still an amazing album that supersedes the neo-soul that came after it and was so influenced by it... Alex Ward's new solo guitar album The Trade is a great showcase for his Derek Bailey-derived explorations... Lots of new Sun Ra out there, at some point will try for a more in-depth review or two... New live Deerhoof album is a gas... I love the way they improvise while retaining the basic structure of their songs... I missed David Murray's Picasso when it first came out, but it's a wonderful suite with outstanding piano from Dave Burrell... 

Playlist 2024-06-17:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Think All Focus One
*Muhal Richard Abrams Experimental Band: 2012-08-25 Saalfelden (CDR)
*Albert Ammons: Blues & Boogie Woogie King
*Art Ensemble: 1967/68 (disc 1) "Quartet No. 2"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Paris Session "The Ninth Room"
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City: Live at Iridium (disc 1) "On the Mountain
*Daniel Barbiero/Sam Byrd/Jimmy Ghaphery: 2017-03-21 Rhizome, DC (CDR)
*Beatles: The Beatles (side 4)
*Bix Beiderbecke: Bix Restored: The Complete Recordings and Alternates, Vol. 4 (June 1928-Sept. 1930) (discs 2, 3)
*Anthony Braxton: Solo (NYC) 2002
*Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (disc 10) (streaming)
*John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album (Deluxe Edition) (disc 2)
*John Coltrane: The John Coltrane Quartet Plays
*John Coltrane: Coltrane (Ozone 21) (side 2)
*John Coltrane: Transition
*John Coltrane Quartet: 1965-04-02 Half Note (Jack Gold Remix) (disc 3)
*D'Angelo: Voodoo
*Deerhoof: The Free Triple Live Album
*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 12 (1974-06-28) (disc 2)
*Grateful Dead: 1979-11-01 Long Island NY "Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain"
*Grant Green: The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Grant Green with Sonny Clark (disc 4)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Stir Crazy (CDR compilation) (discs 8, 9)
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Brandon Lopez/Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: No es la Playa
*Roscoe Mitchell Sound Ensemble: Live in Detroit (CDR) (side 2)
*David Murray Octet: Picasso
*Ravi Shankar: Three Ragas "Raga Jog"
*Matthew Shipp Quartet: Points
*Sly and the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On
*Sun Ra: Pathways to Unknown Worlds
*Sun Ra: Aurora Borealis
*Sun Ra: Excelsior Mill
*Sun Ra: Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC
*Horace Tapscott: The Dark Tree 1 & 2 (disc 1)
*Television: Marquee Moon
*McCoy Tyner: Song of the New World
*Various artists: Anari (OST)
*Various artists: Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos (discs 3, 4)
*Various artists: Jellyfinger (CDR compilation)
*Alex Ward: The Trade (streaming)

Playlist, Week of 2023-11-26

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

Playlist 2023-11-27:

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

Playlist, Week of 2023-08-06

I am quite taken with Alex Ward's playing... he is equally adept at guitar and clarinet, and has fascinating improvisatory skills on both... Still on my Sun Ra-Cecil Taylor-Charles Mingus-Grateful Dead-Duke Ellington-Anthony Braxton kick! Enough there for a few lifetimes... well, I only have one, so better get back to listening...

Playlist 2023-08-07:

*Anthony Braxton: Alumni Orchestra (Wesleyan) 2005
*Anthony Braxton: 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Comp. 409)
*Peter Brötzmann/Milford Graves/William Parker: Historic Music Past Tense Future
*Cold Blood: 1971-06-30 Fillmore West, SF (CDR)
*Rodger Coleman and Sam Byrd: 2023-07-17 Nashville (wav)
*John Coltrane: Evenings at the Village Gate
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Duke and His Men (side 1)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Festival Session (side 2)
*Farmers By Nature: Love and Ghosts "Seven Years In"
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 22 (1971-12-06 Felt Forum, NYC) (disc 3)
*Grateful Dead: Dave's Picks Vol. 14 (1972-03-26 Academy of Music, NYC) (disc 1)
*Buddy Holly: The New Complete Buddy Holly v2.0 (disc 5)
*Andrew Lisle/Alex Ward: Doors
*Charles Mingus: Jazz Composers Workshop
*Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert (discs 1, 2)
*New Ting: 2023-07-11 "Pigskin Opportunity" (wav)
*Tony Oxley/Derek Bailey Quartet: 1993-09 Crawley, England (CDR)
*Matthew Shipp Trio: Root of Things
*Wayne Shorter: Adam's Apple
*Wadada Leo Smith: String Quartets Nos. 1-12 (disc 7)
*Sparks: Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (side 2)
*Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Super-Sonic Jazz
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (sides 3, 4)
*Sun Ra: Pathways to Unknown Worlds
*Sun Ra: Disco 3000 (Complete Milan Concert 1978) (discs 1, 2)
*Cecil Taylor Quintet: 1965-07-02 Newport (CDR)
*Cecil Taylor: Double Holy House
*Henry Threadgill Ensemble: The Other One
*Charles Tolliver: Mosaic Select (disc 1)
*Lennie Tristano: Personal Recordings 1946-1970 (discs 5, 6)
*U Totem: U Totem (selections)
*Dionne Warwick: The Complete 1960s Singles Plus (discs 1, 2)
*John Zorn: Tractatus Musico-Philosophicus