Elliott Sharp/Orchestra Carbon: Abstract Repressionism: 1990-1999. 1992. Victo: cd019.Orchestra Carbon:
Elliott Sharp: composer, double-neck guitar/bass
Gregor Kitziz: violin
David Soldier: violin
Wendy Ultan: violin
Ron Lawrence: viola
Michelle Kinney: cello
Margaret Parkins: cello
Mary Wooten: cello
Lindsay Horner: acoustic bass
Joseph Trump: drums, percussion
As one of Elliott Sharp's finest large-scale works for a large string ensemble it's hard to keep this one from constant HurdAudio rotation. And nothing complements a lazy Sunday afternoon like "Heads Are Beaten Against Walls, Some Voluntarily." From the opening sonic barrage of "Unlockstep" to the teeming world of pizzicato and timpani that oozes out from behind that opening gesture this disc is an aggressive beauty that demands one's attention and rewards it with every listening.
Marc Ribot: Shoe String Symphonettes. 1997. Tzadik: TZ 7504.Film scores by Marc Ribot:
Death by Unnatural Causes (1991) - directed by Karen Bellone and Lisa Rinzler
Marc Ribot: guitar, sampler
Greg Cohen: bass
Jill Jaffe: violin, viola
Landlord Blues (1987) - directed by Jacob Burkhardt
Marc Ribot: trumpet, banjo, guitar
Brad Jones: bass
Bill Ware: vibes
Curtis Fowlkes: trombone
Jim Nolet: violin
Roy Nathanson: saxophone
EJ Rodriguez: drums, percussion
Gregory Ribot: flute
Aelita Queen of Mars (1928) - directed by Yakov Protazanov
Marc Ribot: guitar
Paul Clarvis: drums, percussion
Dave Meric: keyboards
Phil Boyden: violin
Helen Thomas: cello
Mike Kearsey: trombone
Pieces From An Incomplete Project (1995 - 1996) - directed by Joe Brewster
Dave Douglas: trumpet
Vicki Bodner: oboe
Charlie Giordano: piano, keyboards
Mauro Refosco: percussion
Jill Jaffe: violin, viola
Maxine Neuman: cello
Tony Garnier: bass
Summer Salt (1993) - directed by Charlie Levi
Marc Ribot: guitar, e-flat horn
John Zorn: saxophone
Andy Haas: saxophone
Cyro Baptista: drums
I can only imagine if these films are as good as the scores written to accompany them. In their disembodied form, Shoe String Symphonettes is a wide-ranging, often moody collection of short pieces featuring some exciting players from the late-80s/early-90s New York improvised music scene. The shortness of these works feels constraining given the caliber of some of these players. But at the same time the these tight arrangements open up wide vistas and showcases Ribot's versatility as a composer.
Paul Plimley Trio: Safe-Crackers. 1999. Victo: cd066.Paul Plimley: piano
Lislie Ellis: acoustic bass
Scott Amendola: drums
Making a return spin in the HurdAudio rotation, Safe-Crackers satisfies the Paul Plimley craving with an extremely well-recorded documentation of this outstanding piano trio.
