Wednesday, June 29, 2016

New Ting Ting Loft Sediment Show Photos

Here are some photos from our gig last Sunday at Sediment Arts here in town. It was great to be able to stretch out with the full septet, and it was also really nice to share the bill with three such exciting and energizing acts: Lucas Brode, RAIC, and Taciturnal. A wonderful night, overall! I believe these pics were taken by Claire Zitzow, Sediment's Director.

Also, here's another advance blurb I missed until the show was over, from RVA Must-See Shows:
The New Loft, on the other hand, is just gonna get wild as hell. I had the pleasure of playing a show with this ensemble not too long ago, and while everyone from young metalheads to middle-aged jazz fans were represented in the crowd, everyone agreed that this group was an incredible sight to see. Fronted by two saxophone players, this group also features keyboards, guitar, and squelching electronic noise–and all of it is wielded in the free-est and most playful way possible. If you’re down with Sun Ra, the Fugs, Borbetomagus, and Captain Beefheart, you’re going to find something to love in the work of the New Loft. And even if you have no idea what I’m talking about right now, trust me, these guys will keep you entertained throughout their set.
I hope we did!

The full crew. L to R: Tommy Birchett, Tim Harding, Ben Scott, Fred McGann, Sam Byrd, Alex Ricart, Jimmy Ghaphery.








Monday, June 27, 2016

Playlist, Week of 2016-06-26



Playlist 2016-06-27:

*Anthony Braxton: 3 Compositions (EEMHM) 2011 (discs 1, 2, 3)
*John Coltrane: Live in Japan (discs 1, 2)
*Kris Davis Trio: Waiting for You to Grow
*Kris Davis: Capricorn Climber
*Decoy: Vol 1: Spirit
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 5 (disc 2)
*Alexander Hawkins: Song Singular
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Buoyancy
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-06-06 “Every Blessed Block” (wav)
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-06-13 “Honorary Ironing Board” (wav)
*New Ting Ting Loft: 2016-06-20 “Membrainiac” (wav)
*Tom Rainey Trio: Hotel Grief
*Sun Ra: College Tour Vol. 1: The Complete Nothing Is…
*Sun Ra: Spaceways
*Sun Ra and His Arkestra: Pictures of Infinity
*Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra: The Night of the Purple Moon
*Sun Ra and His Astro-Solar Infinity Arkestra: My Brother the Wind Volume I
*Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra: My Brother the Wind Volume II
*Cecil Taylor: 2016-04-23 Whitney Museum, NYC (CDR)
*Rick Biddulph: Rick’s Medley for U.S. Tour (cassette>CDR)
*Leon Bridges: Coming Home
*Jeff Byrd: 1980? cassette recordings (cassette>CDR)
*Jefferson Pilot: Soundtrack to Welcome Stranger
*Deerhoof: Fever 121614 (selections)
*National Health: Missing Pieces
*Prince: The Versace Experience 2016 (streaming)

Reading List, Week of 2016-06-26


The chambers were poorly lit, and upon the walls hung the oldest of the tapestries, many dating from the founding age of Kharkanas. Time had faded the scenes to add mystery to their obscurity, and though Emral Lanear more than once leaned close in an effort to make out what she was seeing on her way to Lord Anomander's quarters, the High Priestess was left with a strange disquiet, as if the past was selfish with its secrets, and would make of the unknown something malign and threatening. (Steven Erikson, Forge of Darkness, 2012, p. 629)
One of the great things about the Malazan series is its evocation of a land burdened by countless eons of significant, dreadful, and influential events of the past, and of how that past is actually alive and well...and may be coming to bite you.

Reading List 2016-06-27:

*Erikson, Steven. Fall of Light (started)
*Erikson, Steven. Forge of Darkness (reread/finished)
*Hornby, Nick. Ten Years in the Tub (selections) (started/finished)
*Hornby, Nick. Shakespeare Wrote for Money (finished)
*Hinds, Andrew. Acting Shakespeare’s Language (in progress)

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Upcoming Gig for New Ting Ting Loft



New Ting Ting Loft will be playing at Sediment Arts in RVA this Sunday. We'll be doing a 35-45 minute set, which will be a nice change-up from our typically shorter live sets (well, except for the hour-long Musicircus set, heh heh).  Details about the evening are here, including this wonderful blurb from promoter Samuel Goff:
The New Loft 
Okay I admit I am a total fanboy of this ensemble. My first reaction upon viewing them 2 years ago was the sort of fainting hysteria that surely gripped teenage girls upon seeing the Beatles in the early 60's. The best jazz / avant improvisers the city of Richmond has to offer. One of the biggest highlights at this past year's Noise Fest, every time I see this ensemble perform it is even more amazing, weird and glorious than the time before. One of the few ensembles I have seen that I totally get immersed in the sheer abrasivesness, playfulness, atonality and musicianship and my brain shuts off and just floats away. For real. Must be seen and heard to be believed. 
Nice, huh? Come check it out; it should be a fun show.

Playlist, Week of 2016-06-19


Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Buoyancy
Playlist 2016-06-20:

*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1982-10-11 Salzburg, Austria (CDR)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1987-07-26 San Sebastian, Spain (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: 1982-04-24 Detroit (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton: 3 Compositions (EEMHM) 2011 (disc 1)
*John Coltrane Quintet: 1966-07-02 Newport Jazz Festival (CDR)
*Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 5 (disc 1)
*Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House:  2014-09-26 Darmstadt, Germany (CDR)
*Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey: Buoyancy
*Tony Oxley: 4 Compositions for Sextet
*Wayne Shorter: Adam’s Apple
*Sun Ra: Standards
*Sun Ra: When Sun Comes Out
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun
*Sun Ra: Continuation (Saturn/Corbett vs. Dempsey 2CD)
*Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Other Planes of There
*Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1
*Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 2
*Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 3: The Lost Tapes
*Leon Bridges: Coming Home
*Deerhoof: Fever 121614
*Alan Gowen/Phil Miller/Richard Sinclair/Trevor Tomkins: Before A Word Is Said
*Heldon: Interface
*High Llamas: 2016-05-24 London (CDR)
*Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: Give the People What They Want
*Fela Ransome Kuti and His Koola Lobitos: Highlife-Jazz And Afro-Soul (disc 3)
*National Health: 1979-11-28 Washington DC (CDR)
*OOIOO: 2001-03-26 San Francisco (CDR)
*OOIOO: 2015-12-06 San Francisco (CDR)
*Dolly Parton/Linda Rondstadt/Emmylou Harris: Trio
*Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Reading List, Week of 2016-06-19



Reading List 2016-06-20:

*Hornby, Nick. Shakespeare Wrote for Money (started)
*Hornby, Nick. Housekeeping vs. the Dirt (started/finished)
*Barthelme, Donald. The Teachings of Don B. (finished)
*Erikson, Steven. Forge of Darkness (reread/in progress)
*Hinds, Andrew. Acting Shakespeare’s Language (in progress)

Friday, June 17, 2016

Green


Matisse, questioned about green flesh: I am not painting a woman. I am painting a picture. (David Markson, Reader's Block, 1996)