Playlist, Week of 2026-06-28

XTC's Live Boots: energy over fidelity... Myra Melford's For the Love of Fire and Water still holds up as one of the strongest jazz releases of the last few years... Always great to dip back into early Ellington... talk about holding up... The jam session of Jimi Hendrix with Robert Wyatt on drums is disappointing, as only Hendrix jam sessions can be... The Fire! Orchestra's recordings are uniformly transcendent and inspiring, not least because of the vocals of Mariam Wallentin and Sofia Jernberg... The Art Ensemble of Chicago is truly one of the greatest improvisational groups... their 1978 Public Theatre run is outstanding... 

Playlist 2026-06-29:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1978-03-10 NYC (CDR) (disc 2)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1978-03-11 NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Ayumi Ishito: Ayumi Ishito and the Spacemen, Vol. 1
*Beach Boys: We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 (selections)
*John Coltrane: First Meditations (For Quartet)
*Cream: Wheels of Fire (Super Deluxe Ed.) (disc 3)
*Kris Davis/Lutosławski Quartet: The Solastalgia Suite
*Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (disc 5) "Honky Tonk"
*Miles Davis: The Columbia Years 1955-1985 (disc 4)
*Duke Ellington: The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973) (disc 1)
*Duke Ellington: Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band, 1940-1942 (disc 2)
*Fire! Orchestra: Enter
*Fire! Orchestra: Ritual
*Funkadelic: Hardcore Jollies
*Grateful Dead: 1978-04-24 Normal IL (CDR) (disc 1)
*Grateful Dead: 1991-09-24 Boston (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Grateful Dead: 1991-09-26 Boston (CDR) "Dark Star"
*Jimi Hendrix w/Robert Wyatt: 1968-10 Hollywood (CDR)
*Neil Jendon/Mark Nagy: Cardew/Treatise, Vol. 5: Pages 101-130
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Lazro/Léandre/Lovens: For Baritone Sax, Double Bass & Drumset
*Paul McCartney: The Boys of Dungeon Lane
*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: For the Love of Fire and Water
*Mendoza Hoff Revels: Echolocation
*Merzbow/Balázs Pándi/Mats Gustafsson/Thurston Moore: Cuts Up Cuts Out
*Harry Miller: BBC Sessions, 1976-1977 (CDR)
*Muffins: Baker's Dozen (disc 11)
*Naked City: Heretic: Jeux des Dames Cruelles
*New Ting: 2026-05-11 "Battering Wham" (wav)
*Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes
*Pauline Oliveros: Reverberations: Tape & Electronic Music 1961-1970 (discs 1, 2, 3)
*Playfield: Stepping Out, Vol. 1
*Sonny Rollins: East Broadway Run Down (side 2)
*Sonny Sharrock: Ask the Ages
*Sparks: MAD! (sides 1, 2)
*Sparks: MADDER! (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 2 "Cosmic Chaos"
*Sun Ra: East Two +5 (sides 1, 2)
*Sun Ra and His Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra: 1980-12-30 Detroit (CDR) (disc 3)
*Cecil Taylor: 3 Phasis (side 2)
*Test: Ecstatic Peace
*Pat Thomas & XT: Strata, Act (Joy Contemporary)* (disc  1)
*Weather Report: Black Market (side 1)
*XTC: Live Boots: Emerald City, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 17th April 1981 (sides 3, 4)

Playlist, Week of 2024-07-28

I have really been enjoying the two Myra Melford Fire and Water Quintet records... For the Love of Fire and Water is a suite which deftly emphasizes and affirms the individual personalities and strengths of the players... Hear the Light Singing is a follow-up with several pieces intended as modular "inserts" which are designed to fit in the suite different ways on different performances... I got to hear this in action with the Quintet's Big Ears performance... 

Playlist 2024-07-29:

*Muhal Richard Abrams: Afrisong
*AMM: Place Sub. V.
*AMM: Until the Next Time
*Borderlands Trio: Rewilder (disc 2)
*Anthony Braxton: 19 [Solo] Compositions, 1988
*Anthony Braxton/Ensemble Braxtonia: 2 Compositions (Järvenpää) 1988
*Anthony Braxton: Eight Improvisations (Trio) 2014 (disc 2)
*John Carter Octet: Dauwhe
*Chicago/London Underground: A Night Walking Through Mirrors
*John Coltrane: The Classic Quartet: The Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings (disc 5)
*Brian Eno: Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks
*Grateful Dead: 1972-09-27 Jersey City, NJ (Dick's Picks 11) (disc 2)
*Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles
*Alexander Hawkins Ensemble: No Now Is So
*Joe Henderson: Black Is the Color
*Keith Jarrett: Paris Concert
*Jens Joneleit featuring Roscoe Mitchell: Illuviation
*Brian Jones Quintet: Spell Canon
*Ned Lagin: Seastones (disc 2)
*Ingrid Laubrock: Monochromes
*Andrew Lisle/Alex Ward: Doors
*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
*Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet: 2024-03-23 Knoxville TN (CDR)
*Roscoe Mitchell & the Note Factory: Song for My Sister
*Roscoe Mitchell: Sustain and Run
*György Szabados/Roscoe Mitchell: Revelation (Jelenés)
*Soft Machine: Høvikodden 1971 (discs 2, 3)
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Super-Sonic Jazz
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Bad and Beautiful
*Sun Ra: Cosmo Mystery Concert 1978
*Sun Ra: 1978-11-03 Washington DC (CDR) (disc 4)
*Cecil Taylor and the Sound Vision Orchestra: 2002-06-21 Knitting Factory NYC (CDR) (disc 1)
*Various artists: Rimshots & Reverbs: The Best in Instrumental Rock and Pop (disc 1)
*Various artists: The Rough Guide to Boogaloo 3
*Yardbirds: The Ultimate Live at the BBC (discs 2, 3)

Playlist, Week of 2024-06-23

Been getting inspired by Living Space, Michael Veal's excellent book on late Coltrane and Miles Davis' Lost Quintet... so, lots of Coltrane and Miles showing up... Still absorbing the Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet recordings... Tomeka Reid adds magic to whatever setting she plays in... Duke Ellington's "Tough Truckin'" struck me recently on the Magic Jukebox... controlled small-group swing with a  beautifully simple piano set-up... and a killer Harry Carney solo...

Playlist 2024-06-24:

*André 3000: New Blue Sun (disc 1)

*Jason Bivins/Ian Davis/Jimmy Ghaphery: 2003-11-15 Richmond VA (CDR)

*Beatles: Meet the Beatles (mono) 

*Borderlands Trio: Rewilder (disc 1)

*Anthony Braxton: Orchestra (Pisa) 1980 "Comp. 46"

*Rodger Coleman: Guitar Experiments

*John Coltrane: Coltrane (Ozone 21) (side 1)

*John Coltrane: The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. I: Feelin' Good (side 2)

*John Coltrane: 1965-07-27 Antibes (CDR) "Blue Valse (Ascension)"

*John Coltrane: The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording

*Marilyn Crispell/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: Nothing Ever Was, Anyway (discs 1, 2)

*D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah (side 3)

*Miles Davis: The Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection, Vol. 2 (LP 3: sides 1, 2)

*Miles Davis: 1969-03 Rochester NY (CDR)

*Duke Ellington: Blue Light (side 2)

*Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet: As Things G o

*Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh

*Gilgamesh: Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into

*Benny Goodman: Fletcher Henderson Arrangements (CDR compilation) (disc 2)

*Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks 4 (1970-02-13 Fillmore East) "Dark Star"

*Herbie Hancock: Crossings

*Joe Henderson Quintet: At the Lighthouse

*Joseph Jarman: As If It Were the Seasons "As If It Were the Seasons/Song to Make the Sun Come Up"

*Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert

*Ingrid Laubrock: The Last Quiet Place

*Joëlle Léandre/Craig Taborn/Mat Maneri: hEARoes

*Steve Lehman/Orchestre National de Jazz: Ex Machina

*Jackie McLean: Let Freedom Ring

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

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

*Paul Motian Trio: Sound of Love

*Ivo Perelman Quartet: Water Music

*Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1 (side 2)

*Sun Ra: Space Is the Place (Blue Thumb) (side 2)

*Sun Ra: Excelsior Mill

*Sun Ra: Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC

*Henry Threadgill: Too Much Sugar for a Dime

*Henry Threadgill's Zooid: This Brings Us To, Volumes I & II (side 3)

*Tower of Power: 1972-09-30 Berkeley CA (CDR)

*Tower of Power: Jump Out Your Trick Bag: Live San Francisco '75 Broadcast (CDR)

*McCoy Tyner: The Real McCoy (side 2)

*Umlaut Chamber Orchestra: Zodiac Suite

*Various artists: Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos (discs 5, 6, 7)

*Nate Wooley: Mutual Aid Music (disc 2)

*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 13: Speed-Irabagon Quartet

*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 14: Peter Evans

*John Zorn: Bagatelles Vol. 15: Ben Goldberg 4