tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85109442024-03-14T00:46:25.302-04:00HurdAudioIndependent composer and multi-media audio professional.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.comBlogger2208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-10607367516042775992013-10-01T19:50:00.000-04:002013-10-01T19:50:00.391-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: Midnight Sunrise<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBuILubPjdu8zmCYyh0H2D9im0n6b3O7-zQqozy5oXvp6K0rGQW-YNhY36gCRubyDD0IFbp4cLmdvF8yVy1BpDMbIfTJ3cjxLw1s0SgIR9rnNX3VVKEvrrAUwY7KMbvAVXJaFtQ/s1600/FaceOfTokyo.jpg" /></span><a href="http://www.stensandell.com/" target="_blank">Sten Sandell</a> Trio: <i><a href="http://www.freewebstore.org/LOOOP/Sten_Sandell_Trio_Face_Of_Tokyo_CD/p1000162_7889292.aspx" target="_blank">Face of Tokyo</a></i>. 2008. <a href="http://www.paalnilssen-love.com/band_stensandelltrio.html" target="_blank">PNL</a>.<br />
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Sten Sandell is a pianist who knows how to touch upon the extremes of free improvisation. The extremes of density, the extremes of register and the extremity of duration with a disc that features two long pieces. The fact that his cohorts of Paal Nilssen-Love on drums and Johan Berthling on bass understand this sensibility adds to an improvised set that skillfully uses extremes to paint contrasts. The severity of the sparse opening allows one to hear enormous detail in the smallest gestures. And more importantly, hear these details through the ears of these performers as they respond to these same textures. The volcanic eruption that builds out of this opening makes for a study in what makes free improvisation so compelling in the hands and ears of such masters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfr5Cmygkq1G2Db99SiF4Yba9cL-JTeieUgeXFeXa8SBwZIYS1K5Qqa4_95KrF_LMrGBJAqH5WI4yXf-84mz_k1BC54vreX_Et-9mH4kx7CZ3tEtae2-mHTQm_LMo6GBJzC4ktQ/s1600/Enactments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfr5Cmygkq1G2Db99SiF4Yba9cL-JTeieUgeXFeXa8SBwZIYS1K5Qqa4_95KrF_LMrGBJAqH5WI4yXf-84mz_k1BC54vreX_Et-9mH4kx7CZ3tEtae2-mHTQm_LMo6GBJzC4ktQ/s1600/Enactments.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Wolpe" target="_blank">Stefan Wolpe</a>: <i><a href="http://www.jazzloft.com/p-38939-enactments-for-piano.aspx" target="_blank">Enactments: Works for Piano</a></i>. 2005. <a href="http://www.hathut.com/" target="_blank">Hat Hut</a>.<br />
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"March and Variations for Two Pianos" (1933)<br />
"The Good Spirit of a Right Cause" (1942)<br />
"Enactments for Three Pianos" (1950-1953)<br />
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The chronological sequencing of these three works is hardly a coincidence as this set makes the progression of Stefan Wolpe's piano writing into a kind of focal point. The "March and Variations" being a relatively tame, but astonishingly detailed piece for two pianos that establishes Wolpe's approach toward thematic development. This carries forward into the "Enactments for Three Pianos" where he is applying a decidedly different method for ordering notes. This is a Hat Hut recording, so the performance is crisp and the production values are top notch. Perhaps the best possible introduction to the Wolpe piano sound and a clear statement that even his most dense textures are never opaque when given a disciplined performance like this one.<br />
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvG72KQjVKyXsAaPTlFt7H4o3rPLPVaoNZqzB4EWFJTb1XBGkxZqCx_A8cPC2WcPkglkPzpGf6aIhX3-F9TO025r1V1wJsd202Plc_YSantAsbCN7bSmstwEpz3_0bEDhs1MB9w/s1600/DancingInYourHead.jpg" /></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornette_Coleman" target="_blank">Ornette Coleman</a>: <i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/dancing-in-your-head/id134711" target="_blank">Dancing in Your Head</a>. </i>1975. Horizon Records.<br />
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This is how free jazz does the extended 7-inch single. Two long takes on the insanely hooky "Theme from a Symphony" followed by two radio-friendly duration takes on "Midnight Sunrise" giving just a taste of Ornette's work with the Master Musicians of Jajouka. This disc marked the first recorded outing of Prime Time, even if it isn't exactly credited as such. The blend of harmolodics, funk and poly-tonal abandon makes for something worth coming back for time and again. This is Ornette along a very interesting part of his artistic evolution along with a dose of fun. For all his fierce, philosophy-driven improvisation Ornette is a blues man at heart who knows a thing or two about fashioning a riff. And "Midnight Sunrise" gives evidence of how Ornette's sound fit within a global milieu.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.38318429999998243.285985999999994 -80.028631299999986 44.020466 -78.737737299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-20439427295124332782013-09-16T19:16:00.000-04:002013-09-16T19:16:00.397-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: Rhinoceros is My Profession<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfMlYAu8Gxen2jLsft_W4FVEc8h_SFaoWB7UfGZN0koi5-ApuGBD1ul-mCbilb9cJsIc5ezyXYQUxv7gbs9v8t2hbYuXDQtQW3Dx92h9u6SviQz0KvDgbYxyBDE7EMHxScnnmzw/s1600/FarCry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfMlYAu8Gxen2jLsft_W4FVEc8h_SFaoWB7UfGZN0koi5-ApuGBD1ul-mCbilb9cJsIc5ezyXYQUxv7gbs9v8t2hbYuXDQtQW3Dx92h9u6SviQz0KvDgbYxyBDE7EMHxScnnmzw/s1600/FarCry.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Dolphy" target="_blank">Eric Dolphy</a> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_Little" target="_blank">Booker Little</a>: <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C3768DDB36F7023" target="_blank">Far Cry</a>. </i>1961. New Jazz.<br />
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This record takes on a particular luminescence with presence of its two tragic headliners. Booker Little developed his sound and left us documentation like this even as he never lived to see his 24th birthday and Eric Dolphy was gone far too soon just four years after this recording date, leaving us at age 36. And yet the creative spark they left behind on <i>Far Cry</i> continues to burn, leaving an important statement about jazz tradition and how there is always room for the individual to plumb its revolutionary angles. Opening with "Mrs. Parker of K.C." and its interplay of bass clarinet and trumpet and segueing into "Ode to Charlie Parker" with the interaction between flute and trumpet this 1960 set is no historical curiosity. It is a vibrant thing that remains fresh more than half a century later. From there we get the classic Dolphy originals of "Far Cry" and "Miss Ann" as the hard bop/free jazz gauntlet is thrown. The rhythm section backing up these flights accounts for much of the burn and scorch found here with this being the recording debut of the great Ron Carter on bass with Roy Haynes on drums and Jaki Byard on piano. The deep impression left behind by this record is not diminished by its brevity. There is much to stimulate the ears in less than three quarters of an hour, a set duration that reflects the frustratingly short period of time these players had to set the jazz world on fire. Admiring what they did do while aching for what might have been, this record occupies the same hallowed ground as John Coltrane's <i>A Love Supreme</i> or Miles Davis' <i>Kind of Blue</i> as one of the stand out recordings of a jazz language that is far richer because of the contributions found here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl_CKKqOOX1pjj-aNMrRln6EilMZyh0eDgLQNAtzg568ibK2ksbxajeRBcs43XNWQu4sdLBF6oZIIcu_DaHbLj_rb0Wrp10uxDGw66xexLnQd1bhLyL8r76AEU8YK3PnWk84sbw/s1600/NewMonastery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl_CKKqOOX1pjj-aNMrRln6EilMZyh0eDgLQNAtzg568ibK2ksbxajeRBcs43XNWQu4sdLBF6oZIIcu_DaHbLj_rb0Wrp10uxDGw66xexLnQd1bhLyL8r76AEU8YK3PnWk84sbw/s1600/NewMonastery.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nels_Cline" target="_blank">Nels Cline</a>: <i><a href="http://www.emusic.com/album/nels-cline/new-monastery-a-view-into-the-music-of-andrew-hill/10950471/" target="_blank">New Monastery</a></i>. 2006. Cryptogramophone.<br />
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The most striking thing about this particular "view into the music of Andrew Hill" is that you can cleanly plot the lines between the source of inspiration and the music found on this set. The extreme magnification that forms the cover art for <i>New Monastery</i> is an apt representation of the compositional and improvised energy that makes up this recording. Sharp details of Andrew Hill's sound are expanded upon as a sonic universe is explored within pockets of the larger landscape of Hill's music. The degree of inspiration is entirely understandable. Making this a recording well worth revisiting. Hearing this ensemble's take on "Dedication" is a particular thrill as the notes of the familiar opening take shape leading into the deliciously introspective improvisation that Nels Cline adds to this durable piece.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWFYgpkoWhzFhBDJ4tHz87Ys_9XqchvobAC4_rEf5VRDcH5mGOEk39xsMdAdoIk8qYfjyDGDMBtl13ap60kLrdoTvGbWfecryvUmi0eNsRWXKAzB9utV_yKTv_jZklYuuKp2ldQ/s1600/SuspiciousActivity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWFYgpkoWhzFhBDJ4tHz87Ys_9XqchvobAC4_rEf5VRDcH5mGOEk39xsMdAdoIk8qYfjyDGDMBtl13ap60kLrdoTvGbWfecryvUmi0eNsRWXKAzB9utV_yKTv_jZklYuuKp2ldQ/s1600/SuspiciousActivity.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bad_Plus" target="_blank">The Bad Plus</a>: <i><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/The+Bad+Plus/Suspicious+Activity%3F" target="_blank">Suspicious Activity?</a></i> 2005. Columbia Records.<br />
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A jazz trio record brought to you by a generation that has internalized the best qualities of concept albums. The sequencing of these polished gems is every bit as thrilling as the individual moments of groove heavy bliss that pour out from this recording. Much has been written about the way The Bad Plus plays covers. So I'll just say that this one includes the theme from <i>Chariots of Fire</i> and it is every bit as creative and polished as the originals found here. Speaking of those originals, "Anthem for the Earnest" remains my fondest introduction to The Bad Plus. Having "Prehensile Dream" leading right into it makes for a record that immediately makes the ears take notice. This is a piano trio in the best sense. Ethan Iverson brings a brilliant intensity to the piano. But focus the ears on the drumming of Dave King and one finds just as much intensity and intricate detail at work. Then there is the brilliant bass work of Reid Anderson. There is very little here that can be called "supporting" or side-men. This is an old friend to these ears in the rotation.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.38318429999998243.285985999999994 -80.028631299999986 44.020466 -78.737737299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-10092318386089340882013-09-03T18:57:00.000-04:002013-09-03T18:57:00.195-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: With Enthusiasm and a Little Violence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmQOMeTk6bywUXRXDwk2SmuAtICKOEFlt5RooeGowgPnLzyddYuC2sdNGhRe6LiAkM7NGmk41LlfYQqnp69s-2hdlFPQmZ1DkAlw3jeSYKB0dffCmTFouS1MumMfnVaSEfuULdA/s1600/LightningSlingersAndDeadRingers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmQOMeTk6bywUXRXDwk2SmuAtICKOEFlt5RooeGowgPnLzyddYuC2sdNGhRe6LiAkM7NGmk41LlfYQqnp69s-2hdlFPQmZ1DkAlw3jeSYKB0dffCmTFouS1MumMfnVaSEfuULdA/s1600/LightningSlingersAndDeadRingers.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Gosfield" target="_blank">Annie Gosfield</a>: <i><a href="http://cantaloupemusic.com/album.php?catno=061" target="_blank">Lightning Slingers and Dead Ringers</a></i>. 2011. <a href="http://cantaloupemusic.com/index.php" target="_blank">Cantaloupe Music</a>.<br />
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<i>Lightning Slingers and Dead Ringers</i> for piano and sampler<br />
<i>Brooklyn, October 5, 1941</i> for solo piano<br />
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Performed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Moore_(musician)" target="_blank">Lisa Moore</a><br />
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Annie Gosfield has developed a singular language that focuses on the transitory properties of sampled sound with live acoustic instruments. And in the case of <i>Brooklyn, October 5, 1941</i> strips away the electronic components to leave the acoustic exposed. A language that favors abrupt transitions between musical ideas and a healthy dose of rhythmic groove derived from the mechanical qualities of recorded machinery. The result is something dynamic, captivating and thoroughly non-derivative. <br />
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I heard Lisa Moore perform <i>Lightning Slingers and Dead Ringers</i> at a Bang on a Can marathon some time ago and was enthralled by the textures and the acrobatic feats of saddling a single virtuoso with playing the piano part and triggering samples. This recording allows me to wrap my head around the piece as a whole and understand its structural logic. I am happy to report that Lisa Moore still delivers a dynamic, thrilling performance for this recording and it is a work that stands up well to repeated listening as it reveals new details each time one encounters it. It is a genuinely outstanding composition.<br />
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The addition of <i>Brooklyn, October 5, 1941</i> adds a perfect coda to this set. A short piano work that resonates like a ghost of an unheard recording of factory machinery. Instead realized as the maniacal rhythms played upon both the exterior and interior of the piano. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NLnBcBfjik0bL-ukDc0NylvmmNkMGBAX1_FnpCAt5I9-bkM6XCeRcj3fCA9DE8nyvfkojOgw1Pkh1OgYYwcUG-V9NEqfwNpKuCJdWtld6jfdm_T8hYGoe5S-xCk8loBx15nkmg/s1600/InaStorMental.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NLnBcBfjik0bL-ukDc0NylvmmNkMGBAX1_FnpCAt5I9-bkM6XCeRcj3fCA9DE8nyvfkojOgw1Pkh1OgYYwcUG-V9NEqfwNpKuCJdWtld6jfdm_T8hYGoe5S-xCk8loBx15nkmg/s1600/InaStorMental.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.iheart.com/artist/FOWL-191193/albums/InaStorMental-3647947/" target="_blank">Fowl</a>: <i><a href="http://inastormental/" target="_blank">InaStorMental</a></i>. 2008. Independent.<br />
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<i>InaStorMental</i> exists at a different extreme from Annie Gosfield. The sonic language is anything but singular, often consisting of dense layers of multi-tracked material that pay homage to a set of influences that remind these ears of Frank Zappa and John Zorn. While the end result is often uneven on this disc, it does manage to soar when it is good. There is a great record lurking within this set, but it is often buried, obscured or in need of some editing. While much of the forward momentum of this music is compelling, it often trips over itself and loses its way in tangles of texture and atmosphere. There is much to like about this record, but there is also much that holds it back. Leaving the ears hungry for a quality that doesn't require qualification.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP3HY5gTb7cwgd7ARhed2r3smxS8740SPguo38g4KR95ekHQHtRBVW3jejGMtilpDUCm6VtTEiW0CfqubyNC-IZFm_dOeeFCD77Po6Pr3mbHua30UF5vpHga7l4Fd-9viEWml3g/s1600/WeAreAllFromSomewhereElse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP3HY5gTb7cwgd7ARhed2r3smxS8740SPguo38g4KR95ekHQHtRBVW3jejGMtilpDUCm6VtTEiW0CfqubyNC-IZFm_dOeeFCD77Po6Pr3mbHua30UF5vpHga7l4Fd-9viEWml3g/s320/WeAreAllFromSomewhereElse.jpg" width="315" /></a><a href="http://www.thrilljockey.com/thrill/Exploding-Star-Orchestra/#.UiYLbtIiV8E" target="_blank">Exploding Star Orchestra</a>: <i><a href="http://www.jazzchicago.net/reviews/robmaz.html" target="_blank">We Are All From Somewhere Else</a>.</i> 2007. <a href="http://www.thrilljockey.com/splash.html" target="_blank">Thrill Jockey</a>.<br />
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True to its name, the Exploding Star Orchestra presents music with a sense of cosmic scale. The centerpiece of this particular set is easily the <i>Sting Ray and the Beginning of Time</i> suite that invokes the wrath of the big bang along with the graceful agility of a swimming sting ray. Offering searing textures that draw upon the density of a large ensemble (with two drum kits kicking out grooves) to moments of exquisite intimacy of brittle electronics or solo piano. Rob Mazurek harnesses the creative energy of extremes and comes up with an expressive and rewarding whole for the listener willing to commit to these large, suite forms. Imagine the creative forces of Sun Ra and Philip K. Dick unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. Music that draws upon the creative energy of the Chicago scene and shapes it into something larger than the sum of its considerable parts. This is an extraordinary record.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com1Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.38318429999998243.285985999999994 -80.028631299999986 44.020466 -78.737737299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-68784819071198954352013-08-27T19:10:00.000-04:002013-08-27T19:10:00.842-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: Sleepless Ghosts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5KHzaaYCmBmdcd6OJ07hB14QNpObe-hnPqJA9WhP9tIXmkw7eYk-l7P29O37DXAbM89-4JCW82nWWCebe5D5C3hm4kNyJySYPzblM6wGW5egSmhCD9ZQfIwVdBzPTZcYY2eczQ/s1600/Insomnia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5KHzaaYCmBmdcd6OJ07hB14QNpObe-hnPqJA9WhP9tIXmkw7eYk-l7P29O37DXAbM89-4JCW82nWWCebe5D5C3hm4kNyJySYPzblM6wGW5egSmhCD9ZQfIwVdBzPTZcYY2eczQ/s1600/Insomnia.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Chapin" target="_blank">Thomas Chapin</a>: <i><a href="http://playscape-recordings.com/index.php?catalog&aid=52" target="_blank">Alive </a>[disc 3]: <a href="http://thomaschapin.com/shop/110/insomnia" target="_blank">Insomnia</a></i>. 1992. Knitting Factory Records.<br />
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If it has been a while since you gave this one a spin, do yourself a favor and go put it on right now. This is a feast of texture that soars with the killer combination of Thomas Chapin's excellent trio of the early 1990s, Chapin's compositions and some jaw dropping horn arrangements added to the mix. This set opens with one of Marcus Rojas' tuba solos and if that doesn't get you excited then we can't be friends anymore. There is also the unmistakable presence of Curtis Fowlkes on trombone in yet another example of why his recorded output inspires so much awe and reverence for the music he has been involved with. There is also Frank London on trumpet. So this is a host of New York's heaviest hitters augmenting the chemistry of the classic Thomas Chapin, Mario Pavone and Michael Sarin trio. The title track is just one of the Chapin originals that continue to live in my own DNA. The brass arrangements using a mix of instruments and mouthpieces in cross-rhythmic bliss at the end of "Pantheon," the choral arrangement of tubas and flute in "Equatoria" or the rhythmic propulsion of "Coup D'Etat" are just a few of the shining moments on a varied journey through the <i>Insomnia </i>experience. Fifteen years after the world lost this astonishing talent, Thomas Chapin remains very much "alive" through stellar recordings such as this one. And this is one that reward repeated listening in a big way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNJR_s72SoGTYl6eVajSu59g4qgxVIE2e0p3acd5NcAbfHx9Aprwac2JOWfOTZBB3k-8ERhjozT6cnbr_rPQpTYQYk18Hsy16b51dMC4lPq-_yigiL9c08jafwdahPWgwH5_Vjg/s1600/PianoQuartetYoshis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNJR_s72SoGTYl6eVajSu59g4qgxVIE2e0p3acd5NcAbfHx9Aprwac2JOWfOTZBB3k-8ERhjozT6cnbr_rPQpTYQYk18Hsy16b51dMC4lPq-_yigiL9c08jafwdahPWgwH5_Vjg/s320/PianoQuartetYoshis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Braxton" target="_blank">Anthony Braxton</a>: <i><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/piano-quartet-yoshis-1994-mw0000186961" target="_blank">Piano Quartet (Yoshi's) 1994</a> [disc 2]</i>. 1994. Music & Arts.<br />
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I have a difficult relationship with this recording. It starts with the fact that it is Anthony Braxton, who is a major figure in my musical world. I regard him as a genius who has possibly ushered in more ideas, music and raw enthusiasm than any other individual in the history of music. It's not exactly a shock that someone as prolific as Braxton would have more than a few recordings that don't exactly support how substantial he is. This is one of those recordings. And yet there are moments of brilliance buried within an otherwise plodding album. Adding complexity to this impression is the outstanding contributions made by the supporting cast in this quartet. Marty Ehrlich is fantastic throughout. Joe Fonda and Arthur Fuller are an outstanding rhythm section. The persistent, nagging issue here is Braxton's pianism. There are moments where the interaction between piano and the other performers is exquisite. But these are trace gems within a bombastic approach to the ivories couched within the language of jazz standards. Without Braxton's accomplishments as a horn player and extraordinary composer this particular collection would not draw attention from these ears for long. There's a fascination with hearing a genius missing the mark completely here.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3slwzbAFnP0TjsE8jJ5hhkmO51ccfsq8wBfcj73kiK8e9AoWLeHJnbt10h4uujJXgCrll4Z4ZNn5Ls9XuA9fIlre8cxOAsv6_ut6_eU7P4RUWLgGPN4Pac8z9f_ysAjZJqu2IQ/s1600/9Compositions-Iridium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3slwzbAFnP0TjsE8jJ5hhkmO51ccfsq8wBfcj73kiK8e9AoWLeHJnbt10h4uujJXgCrll4Z4ZNn5Ls9XuA9fIlre8cxOAsv6_ut6_eU7P4RUWLgGPN4Pac8z9f_ysAjZJqu2IQ/s1600/9Compositions-Iridium.jpg" /></a><a href="http://tricentricfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Anthony Braxton</a>: <i><a href="http://firehouse12records.com/album/9-compositions-iridium-2006" target="_blank">9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006</a> [disc 1]</i>. 2007. <a href="http://firehouse12.com/" target="_blank">Firehouse 12</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Composition No. 350</i><br />
<br />
On the other side of the Anthony Braxton coin, my relationship with this recording is far from difficult. He is again surrounded by outstanding musicians (a good dozen plus one), many of them former students of the master. And here we have a realization of one his own Ghost Trance compositions. This one weaves a material of pulse structures over a 70-minute span, a duration that encourages and trance-like state for the attentive listener and for the improvising musician to work within. The generous expanse leaving room for an unpredictable group sound being shaped in real time by Anthony Braxton at the helm. The result is exquisite. Listening to it is like taking a spectrogram of this relentlessly abstract work and wrapping one's ears in its pulsating shapes. This entire box set is highly recommended as a clear example of Braxton's genius for group improvisation meshed with compositional structure.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com1Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.38318429999998243.285985999999994 -80.028631299999986 44.020466 -78.737737299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-15278885318836010472013-08-16T19:17:00.000-04:002013-08-17T10:22:15.976-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: American Icons<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw35REHMOPGnY4xDuZCLJuV_b3-LXweWw0lGmQ5JlzgkkG1BvcF0t2Hf5SXMNSJXbPkKEchIRIMJWs1ryUKAPhWQKZ2LUY1MjHBODKmMwQ2DlZ9cLsBCX1F9ZvDrgN4WrM7X_4Bg/s1600/TheSymphonies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw35REHMOPGnY4xDuZCLJuV_b3-LXweWw0lGmQ5JlzgkkG1BvcF0t2Hf5SXMNSJXbPkKEchIRIMJWs1ryUKAPhWQKZ2LUY1MjHBODKmMwQ2DlZ9cLsBCX1F9ZvDrgN4WrM7X_4Bg/s1600/TheSymphonies.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ives" target="_blank">Charles Ives</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Symphonies-Orchestral-Sets-1-2/dp/B00004TTIK" target="_blank">The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2</a></i>. 2001. Decca: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">B00004TTIK</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra<br />
The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus<br />
Cleveland Orchestra<br />
Academy of St. Martins in the Fields<br />
<br />
<i>Symphony No. 1</i><br />
<i>Symphony No. 4</i><br />
<i>Second Orchestral Set</i><br />
<i>Symphony No. 2</i><br />
<i>Symphony No. 3</i><br />
<i>Three Places in New England</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
My ears were quick to tell me "it's been too long" as they drank in a concentrated helping of Ives' symphonic writing. This truly is a cornerstone of orchestral aesthetic. Ives had an ear for texture, for tightly weaving in a rich tapestry of Americana and the <i>Symphony No. 4</i> adds an astonishing use of quarter tones smeared across multiple ensembles. The similarities between the final movement of <i>Symphony No. 2 </i> and the "Putnam's Camp" movement of <i>Three Places in New England</i> struck a nerve on this time through. These pieces have a sense of place even as they reach toward an impossible ideal. The distance between the student work of <i>Symphony No. 1</i> and the self-confidence of the <i>Symphony No. 2</i> is astonishing. Each one of these begs for repeated listening.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosYy2FgXvmKAVMy_r39Ewbn32NujjXw_o_H08yWm_S-eUKP8v6RvxzZZ_u2VWclaoE7hPL0LOBQyp8LZccnueFzMA4OfjmulMtNZ25nuWkmKZBwdHly-CtDnEWy_1By_FQ7p8DA/s1600/TheCompleteOnTheCornerSessions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosYy2FgXvmKAVMy_r39Ewbn32NujjXw_o_H08yWm_S-eUKP8v6RvxzZZ_u2VWclaoE7hPL0LOBQyp8LZccnueFzMA4OfjmulMtNZ25nuWkmKZBwdHly-CtDnEWy_1By_FQ7p8DA/s1600/TheCompleteOnTheCornerSessions.jpg" /></a>Miles Davis: <i>The Complete On the Corner Sessions [disc 5]</i>. 1974-1975. Columbia Records.<br />
<br />
These complete sessions are essentially a series of large jam sessions organized by Miles Davis. The funk comes in large slabs of drums, congas and electric bass punctuated by Dave Liebman's soprano saxophone, Pete Cosey's electric guitar and smatterings of Miles Davis himself on trumpet. The form can get fairly free and sprawling while the ears get lost in the groove. And yet there is enormous beauty lurking in this generous expanse of material. The start/stop textures of "What They Do" providing a nice contrast between density and individual parts for the ears this afternoon. And the relatively short "Minnie" closing out this particular disc with a reminder of how tight Miles could make things when he wanted to.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtQVHUDMb5gU2TSHqgwo00LdlnS5yiv6I1t29TQzadeiBWA_IAkf_HqHdws8Ww6hENQ-33mL2JBGZSUkbhvPHfSsf_vSe1RU-vxoT9pypYL4oaJGGGISrmGI29dMRoOjzcBInjQ/s1600/BeautyIsARareThing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtQVHUDMb5gU2TSHqgwo00LdlnS5yiv6I1t29TQzadeiBWA_IAkf_HqHdws8Ww6hENQ-33mL2JBGZSUkbhvPHfSsf_vSe1RU-vxoT9pypYL4oaJGGGISrmGI29dMRoOjzcBInjQ/s1600/BeautyIsARareThing.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornette_Coleman" target="_blank">Ornette Coleman</a>: <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_Is_a_Rare_Thing" target="_blank">Beauty is a Rare Thing</a> [disc 4]. </i>1959-1961. Rhino/Atlantic.<br />
<br />
Free improvisation allows me to hear a musicians ears. Hearing the same environment and stimulus that is feeding their own playing in the moment. Their reactions often being a fluid balance between the internal and external sounds of a given occasion. <i>Free Jazz</i> is the main attraction included on this fourth disc. After a few tracks that sustain the raw energy of the quartet format from the first three discs of this collection we have a <i>First Take</i> with the <i>Free Jazz</i> double quartet followed by a 38-minute take on the record that helped propel an important discipline of full improvised freedom. The collection of ears on this session is solid. Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Scott LaFaro and Billy Higgins forming the quartet on the left channel while Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell hold down the right. These are some impressive ears and a forceful statement that freedom can soar and freedom can swing. Like with so much free improvisation, focused and attentive listening is enormously rewarding even if the music never explicitly demands that one pay attention. Leaving the pleasure of hearing <i>Free Jazz</i> exclusively to those who make the effort to listen. And <i>Free Jazz</i> is arguably more rewarding than most.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.38318429999998243.285985999999994 -80.028631299999986 44.020466 -78.737737299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-71954159589203613112013-08-15T18:55:00.000-04:002013-08-15T20:47:21.813-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: Variations on Alone Together<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PCsXpuJYpoFDCYg4a1Q8qwRoLv7fw1f6lE0G7nFl_OMEbl7Em9ZU4FOOmnOawwMRrsK99XKQ5ZgMhyJCnipulVBDLrX4IkkCMcUVrvLK9yIu8oM6FWvz9ipdywbhPvePBj9X4A/s1600/OrchestralWorksVol4(Xenakis).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PCsXpuJYpoFDCYg4a1Q8qwRoLv7fw1f6lE0G7nFl_OMEbl7Em9ZU4FOOmnOawwMRrsK99XKQ5ZgMhyJCnipulVBDLrX4IkkCMcUVrvLK9yIu8oM6FWvz9ipdywbhPvePBj9X4A/s1600/OrchestralWorksVol4(Xenakis).jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iannis_Xenakis" target="_blank">Iannis Xenakis</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Xenakis-Orchestral-Works-Volume-4/dp/B000A2GQEM" target="_blank">Orchestral Works - Volume IV</a></i>. 2004/2007. <a href="http://www.timpani-records.com/" target="_blank">Timpani</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Xenakis-Orchestral-Works-Volume-4/dp/B000A2GQEM" target="_blank">1C1136</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.opl.lu/fr/" target="_blank">Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg</a><br />
<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/arturo-tamayo-mn0000315164" target="_blank">Arturo Tamayo</a>: conductor<br />
Hiroaki Ooi: piano<br />
<br />
<i>Erikhton</i> (1974)<br />
<i>Ata</i> (1987)<br />
<i>Akrata</i> (1965)<br />
<i>Kirnoidi</i> (1991)<br />
<br />
The first three volumes of this cycle leave the impression that Xenakis could wield a large orchestra like a massively dissonant, loud enterprise as he brings architecture to bear upon the musicianship of a mass of players. On this set we find <i>Akrata</i>. An early work for a relatively small chamber ensemble composed mostly of winds. And that same forceful dissonance is there without the overwhelming means of producing it. It is a completely riveting work, allowing the ears to hear deeper into Xenakis's language as it was still forming. The remaining pieces are suitably large and beautifully bombastic. A reminder of the force lurking within sound for a medium that is more often effete. Also, the piano introduction of <i>Erikhton</i> is a fantastic explosion of activity that gives way to an ocean of glissando from the orchestra. This is an important contribution toward documenting what Xenakis wrought for orchestra.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sf-UNxfmmAmdl-nsntR0J7IwncCmgvQsyhE-xcbqqQlCq6myc1Pucc55jdwnK2zcQQjeoiuySF8FKCMVRTHBN2DVjn1pgBdzkx_p2KLi1UwFZ7ocwt8NW9tinrx27fovPy4hUQ/s1600/DoingTheDont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sf-UNxfmmAmdl-nsntR0J7IwncCmgvQsyhE-xcbqqQlCq6myc1Pucc55jdwnK2zcQQjeoiuySF8FKCMVRTHBN2DVjn1pgBdzkx_p2KLi1UwFZ7ocwt8NW9tinrx27fovPy4hUQ/s1600/DoingTheDont.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.elliottsharp.com/" target="_blank">Elliott Sharp</a>: <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1367037/" target="_blank">Doing the Don't</a></i>. (film) 2007. <a href="http://pheasantseye.com/?portfolio=elliott-sharp-doing-the-dont-2" target="_blank">Pheasant's Eye</a>. Directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3286118/" target="_blank">Bert Shapiro</a>.<br />
<br />
This collection of three short documentaries about the music and persona of Elliott Sharp is a perfect example of New Yorkers taking it upon themselves to document their own cultural enterprise. Few people have been as consistently given short shift by the music press as Elliott Sharp. Interviews are often distorted by disinterested "journalists" and reviewers are often dismissing the sonic output of this wildly eclectic figure as being overly cerebral. Almost clownishly downplaying the significance of the music that has poured out of Elliott Sharp over the years and decades. While some of the verbal descriptions from Sharp himself in these documentaries reveal much of the reason behind the confusion and dismissal that the mainstream has afforded him, what comes out in spades is the level of respect his music deserves. I had forgotten how many allies his music has built up on the New York scene and loved hearing the late Butch Morris speak so enthusiastically about this body of music. The stubborn momentum that Sharp brings to his own projects was equally inspiring. The inclusion of performances of <i>Syndakit</i>, <i>Quarks Swim Free</i> and the archival footage of Orchestra Carbon's 1987 performance of <i>Larynx</i> at BAM make this particular collection a treasured glimpse into a major figure in the HurdAudio constellation.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31_e2IzMLu1_Rzmu_nk-v6RSVYlh0Go3xQyQGdD3cDNslwmsu6AZfWc0Qfj2bOHJXtv4IltHc0U5tYBdWyDHLyw6OTn1MZusAF17MwtFTwGVr03Qu6WZHdRY5bjghPJmrEFBsjg/s1600/LeeKonitzDuets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31_e2IzMLu1_Rzmu_nk-v6RSVYlh0Go3xQyQGdD3cDNslwmsu6AZfWc0Qfj2bOHJXtv4IltHc0U5tYBdWyDHLyw6OTn1MZusAF17MwtFTwGVr03Qu6WZHdRY5bjghPJmrEFBsjg/s1600/LeeKonitzDuets.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Konitz" target="_blank">Lee Konitz</a>: <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lee_Konitz_Duets" target="_blank">The Lee Konitz Duets</a>. </i>1967. Milestone: MS 9013.<br />
<br />
Lee Konitz: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Henderson" target="_blank">Joe Henderson</a>: tenor saxophone<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richie_Kamuca" target="_blank">Richie Kamuca</a>: tenor saxophone<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Brown" target="_blank">Marshall Brown</a>: trombone<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Katz" target="_blank">Dick Katz</a>: piano<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Berger" target="_blank">Karl Berger</a>: vibes<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hall_(musician)" target="_blank">Jim Hall</a>: guitar<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gomez" target="_blank">Eddie Gomez</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvin_Jones" target="_blank">Elvin Jones</a>: drums<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Nance" target="_blank">Ray Nance</a>: violin<br />
<br />
The duet format for improvising musicians has become a more common expression since the appearance of this recorded. So the timidity found here along with the retreat to the relative safety of a rhythm section by the end of this set is understandable. But even with the longing to hear more excursion beyond the relative safety of improvising over phantom rhythm changes and standards this remains a collection of improvisations by outstanding musicians. Lee Konitz's mind and ear for melodic development remains nearly unequaled (Joe Henderson is clearly a peer working along side Konitz in this regard). "ERB," the duet with Jim Hall is the most rewarding listen on this set. The one track that plays to the strengths of the stripped down instrumentation that gives way to sonic exploration of the keypads on the saxophone and the sound of skin along strings of the guitar. This was an important record both for what has followed in its wake as well as the expression of masters from its era.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.38318429999998243.285985999999994 -80.028631299999986 44.020466 -78.737737299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-4495282170725856172013-02-10T00:16:00.002-05:002013-02-10T00:18:45.844-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: Festliches Praludium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfyrY1TIzgw_LlDdoucSPRcmSCju8xX1OxymfHap0U1wSeEwzveEp6kKIU2_ReuTWDCUeZDNj_ppoDP7dB3rBwi6ajTYOTfHsbstYqoLnII07bqBxMA5iniZNGhzV3xKOcTnGqQ/s1600/TorturingNurseVertonen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfyrY1TIzgw_LlDdoucSPRcmSCju8xX1OxymfHap0U1wSeEwzveEp6kKIU2_ReuTWDCUeZDNj_ppoDP7dB3rBwi6ajTYOTfHsbstYqoLnII07bqBxMA5iniZNGhzV3xKOcTnGqQ/s320/TorturingNurseVertonen.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
<a href="http://ca.myspace.com/torturingnurseforever" target="_blank">Torturing Nurse</a> & <a href="http://ca.myspace.com/vertonencip" target="_blank">Vertonen</a>: <i><a href="http://www.discogs.com/Torturing-Nurse-Vertonen-Split/release/2972789" target="_blank">Torturing Nurse/Vertonen</a></i>. 2012. <a href="http://www.rococorecords.com/#/home/" target="_blank">Rococo</a>: <a href="http://www.rococorecords.com/#/catalog/" target="_blank">6784937576-8</a>.<br />
<br />
Torturing Nurse: "txnxtxnxt"<br />
<a href="http://ca.myspace.com/torturingnurse" target="_blank">Junky Cao</a>: voice, noise<br />
Youki: turntable, guitar<br />
<br />
Vertonen: "Allegiance Variance"<br />
<a href="http://www.blastitude.com/18/VERTONEN.htm" target="_blank">Blake Edwards</a>: devices<br />
<br />
Even with an aesthetic bent toward sonic extremes and a willingness to plunge into saturated textures, noise music is actually about restraint and a deliberate sense of how one manages sonic density over time. With this split release from Shanghai's Torturing Nurse and Chicago's Vertonen the ears are presented with two different takes on restraint versus saturation as a means of shaping form.<br />
<br />
"txnxtxnxt" is a crafted sonic canvas that systematically adds new sonic sources and ideas with a deliberate effort to avoid thick layering of materials. Leaving an interaction between two performers that is startling in its ability to allow new materials to bubble up into the foreground. The constant sense that the textures of "txnxtxnxt" could come unhinged at any moment and give into the waves of harsh noise constantly hinted at around the edges adds a delicious tension to the piece as a whole.<br />
<br />
"Allegiance Variance" takes more of an installation object approach to noise. Short movements strung together, each offering up a sound logic that is set in motion and allowed to run itself out. It becomes a measured study of noise materials and the nature of drones and mechanical devices artfully mixed and realized. This is mechanics with a pulse and a sense of shading and perspective.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi5Cj2YLYsQ0xW5zVDm_P6TRdxjB-gbI6ZjRv49F_J4A-C1uk92FTnmnHRofAv_akEkA387nbeyU-WtLpnSPy4N8eAdwQeVpxd8j3Wz5fmPMgj3FrwRaERXYXssEHzqod7PkmRg/s1600/Nuevo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi5Cj2YLYsQ0xW5zVDm_P6TRdxjB-gbI6ZjRv49F_J4A-C1uk92FTnmnHRofAv_akEkA387nbeyU-WtLpnSPy4N8eAdwQeVpxd8j3Wz5fmPMgj3FrwRaERXYXssEHzqod7PkmRg/s320/Nuevo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.kronosquartet.org/" target="_blank">Kronos Quartet</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Nuevo-Kronos-Quartet/dp/B000063NCZ" target="_blank">Nuevo</a></i>. 2002. <a href="http://www.nonesuch.com/" target="_blank">Nonesuch</a>: <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/3052569/a/Nuevo.htm" target="_blank">79649-2</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.learningmusician.com/features/0107/DavidHarrington/" target="_blank">David Harrington</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://www.instantencore.com/contributor/contributor.aspx?CId=5072415" target="_blank">John Sherba</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://www.allthingsstrings.com/layout/set/print/News/Interviews-Profiles/Kronos-Violist-Hank-Dutt-Is-Cultivating-the-Music-of-India" target="_blank">Hank Dutt</a>: viola<br />
<a href="http://www.sfcm.edu/faculty/culp.aspx" target="_blank">Jennifer Culp</a>: cello<br />
<br />
with:<br />
Luanne Warner: marimba<br />
Alejandro Flores: vocals<br />
Efren Vargas: vocals<br />
Carlos Garcia: musical leaf<br />
Tambuco Percussion Ensemble - Ricardo Gallardo, Alfredo Bringas, Claudia Oliveira, Raul Tudon<br />
Rominko Patixtan Patixtan: harp<br />
Pegro Lunes Tak'il Bek'et: guitar<br />
Carmen Gomez Oso: vocals<br />
Xun Perez Hol Cotom: vocals<br />
Rominko Mendez Xik: vocals<br />
Luis Conte: percussion<br />
Anonymous: organillo<br />
Gustavo Santaolalla: toys, percussion<br />
Ariel Guzik: plasmaht<br />
Cafe Tacuba -<br />
Ritacantalgua: electric guitar<br />
Emmanuel: programming, keyboards, jarana<br />
Quiqui: jarana, concha, programming<br />
Joselo: electric guitar<br />
Alejandro Flores: violin, requinto<br />
<br />
<i>El Sinaloense</i> by <a href="http://www.micancionero.com/autores/briseno-severiano.jsp" target="_blank">Severiano Briseno</a> (arr. Osvaldo Golijov)<br />
<i>Se Me Hizo Facil</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agust%C3%ADn_Lara" target="_blank">Agustin Lara</a> (arr. Osvaldo Golijov)<br />
<i>Mini Skirt</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Garc%C3%ADa_Esquivel" target="_blank">Juan Garcia Esquivel</a> (arr. Osvaldo Golijov)<br />
<i>El Llorar</i> - traditional arranged by Osvaldo Golijov<br />
<i>Perfidia</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Dom%C3%ADnguez" target="_blank">Alberto Dominguez</a> (arr. by Stephen Prutsman)<br />
<i>Sensemaya</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvestre_Revueltas" target="_blank">Silvestre Revueltas</a> (arr. by Stephen Prutsman)<br />
<i>K'in Sventa Ch'ul Me'tik Kwadulupe</i> by <a href="http://www.osvaldogolijov.com/" target="_blank">Osvaldo Golijov</a><br />
<i>Tabu</i> by <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Margarita+Lecuona" target="_blank">Margarita Lecuona</a> (arr. by Osvaldo Golijov)<br />
<i>Cuatro Milpas</i> by <a href="http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/c/Garcia+de+Jesus" target="_blank">Belisario Garcia de Jesus</a> and <a href="http://www.joseelizondo.com/" target="_blank">Jose Elizondo</a> (arr. by Stephen Prutsman)<br />
<i>Chavosuite</i> by <a href="http://www.tambuco.org/jrgoeng.html" target="_blank">Ricardo Gallardo</a><br />
<i>Plasmaht</i> by <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ariel+Guzik" target="_blank">Ariel Guzik</a> (arr. by Kronos Quartet)<br />
<i>Nacho Verduzco</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalino_S%C3%A1nchez" target="_blank">Chalino Sanchez</a> (arr. by Osvaldo Golijov)<br />
<i>12/12</i> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_Tacuba" target="_blank">Cafe Tacuba</a> (Ruben Albarran, Emmanuel del Real, Enrique Rangel, Jose Alfredo Rangel) (arr. by Osvaldo Golijov)<br />
<i>El Sinaloense (Dance Mix) </i>by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plankton_Man" target="_blank">Plankton Man</a><br />
<br />
At some point, Kronos Quartet releases became concept albums. Which follows a certain logic as the string quartet that pioneered its identity as a chamber ensemble dedicated to contemporary works it soon broke that particular "niche" wide open. And at some point Kronos Quartet releases broke loose from the confines of "string quartet" music in the formal sense and exploded into an expressive playlist that happens to involve the members of the quartet. Here the sonic journey is unified by an exploration of the cultural vibrations of Mexico. At times augmented by percussionists, voice and pre-rendered electronics, this is a rich sampling of the musical contours of Mexican culture. And much to Kronos' credit, it is a vibrant mix of traditions both established and in flux. But more than a sampler, this is a journey and a concept album that follows its own arc. The vocals on <i>El Llorar</i> are astounding. And the true gem of this collection is the riveting Silvestre Revueltas <i>Sensemaya</i> in the middle of the set. The Cafe Tacuba collaboration loses me to a certain extent as a sequence of ideas of variable quality that don't always hang together for my ears. The exuberant Plankton Man mix at the end ties everything back together to conclude the experience. The focus on arrangements of music from various portions of Mexico's high and low-brow cultures almost leaves me wishing for string quartet compositions by Mexican composers. But the sonic integrity of this experience snuffs out that fleeting criticism. If anything, it's the brevity of these fleeting experiences that leave the ears breathless from so much breadth of experience without the satisfaction of depth. Many of these pieces could stand to go longer at the risk of puncturing the pacing of the overall concept album. But that is perhaps the takeaway of <i>Nuevo</i>. As it serves as kindling for the curious to dig deeper into this realm.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWyUV5u6KFuzmbydskQMubh3fLxKzYoHvq2MzxsPfui29FYkOAicu4GxGLxiNyw1izNx8Ggmk_IxBL0bs57z2d42rBbdXoybFwGTaAeA8ZSVFAdErA4u2KIfADd53vmHxY6-eRA/s1600/TonePoems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWyUV5u6KFuzmbydskQMubh3fLxKzYoHvq2MzxsPfui29FYkOAicu4GxGLxiNyw1izNx8Ggmk_IxBL0bs57z2d42rBbdXoybFwGTaAeA8ZSVFAdErA4u2KIfADd53vmHxY6-eRA/s1600/TonePoems.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Strauss" target="_blank">Richard Strauss</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strauss-Tone-Poems-Richard-1/dp/B00002DF9N/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1360450988&sr=1-1&keywords=strauss+tone+poems+bohm" target="_blank">Tone Poems</a></i>. 1957. <a href="http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/" target="_blank">Deutsche Grammophon</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strauss-Tone-Poems-Richard-1/dp/B00002DF9N/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1360450988&sr=1-1&keywords=strauss+tone+poems+bohm" target="_blank">463-190-2</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.staatskapelle-dresden.de/en/" target="_blank">Staatskapelle Dresden</a><br />
<a href="http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/" target="_blank">Berliner Philharmoniker</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_B%C3%B6hm" target="_blank">Karl Bohm</a>: conductor<br />
<br />
<i>Eine Alpensinfonie</i>, op. 64<br />
<i>Don Juan</i>, op. 20<br />
<i>Der Rosenkavalier: </i>Waltzes from Act III<br />
<i>Also sprach Zarathustra</i>, op. 30<br />
<i>Festival Prelude</i>, op. 61<br />
<i>Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche</i>, op. 28<br />
<i>Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils</i><br />
<i>Ein Heldenleben</i>, op. 40<br />
<i>Tod und Verklarung</i>, op. 24<br />
<br />
The music of the Romantic Era - particularly the late Romantic Era - leaves these ears cold with its excesses. Music that emotes (and emotes, and emotes) through long-winded chromaticism and a tonal language that sounds dated feels about as remote as music can get. Richard Strauss is often the exception, with traces of modernism creeping into his sound and helping to usher in the much more agreeable modern era. Yet his tone poems possess very little that can be regarded as anything other than squarely Romantic. And yet it simply blows this listener away. This is not a sentimental attachment to this music (it was never part of my formative experience). This is an appreciation of raw orchestration. And an admiration of Strauss's ability to write music that was <b>about</b> something. There's no abstraction here. <i>Eine Alpensinfonie</i> is about the majestic Alps complete with stormy weather and breath taking altitude. The <i>Festliches Praludium </i>strikes an irresistible majesty with its combination of pipe organ and orchestra. <i>Also sprach Zarathustra</i> is a genuinely great orchestral work. These Karl Bohm versions are a true indulgence and a reminder that not all Late Romantic works were over-indulgent. Some hit the high marks that they aimed for.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com3Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.38318429999998243.2859865 -80.028631299999986 44.020465499999993 -78.737737299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-65602480728003564722012-12-08T12:34:00.001-05:002012-12-08T12:35:36.256-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: 500 Echoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJynQRrQtfH_1GQsqPIM7MlLg88bZjDEFgvA8X2yKgoS9wSi0vr9hS30-bdo_d63fJ2fAHVLa9j5f5F5bVwZlWu-rtkYt7D3x-8jGzQy5z4CoAnugHzA0XBQNEkYupRoreMREgA/s1600/BookOfAbbeyozzud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJynQRrQtfH_1GQsqPIM7MlLg88bZjDEFgvA8X2yKgoS9wSi0vr9hS30-bdo_d63fJ2fAHVLa9j5f5F5bVwZlWu-rtkYt7D3x-8jGzQy5z4CoAnugHzA0XBQNEkYupRoreMREgA/s320/BookOfAbbeyozzud.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Riley" target="_blank">Terry Riley</a>: <i><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Terry+Riley/The+book+Of+Abbeyozzud?utm_expid=64146835-2&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ca%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D5%26ved%3D0CEYQFjAE%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.last.fm%252Fmusic%252FTerry%252BRiley%252FThe%252Bbook%252BOf%252BAbbeyozzud%26ei%3D9uiqUK_VBeTR2QWfiIGYBA%26usg%3DAFQjCNHvC3YIGgN3XhqwaEvpnLIq140_JA%26sig2%3D9wGK0FoeuTRVunXWI4FTQg" target="_blank">The Book of Abbeyozzud</a></i>. 1999. <a href="http://newalbion.com/" target="_blank">New Albion Records</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-book-Abbeyozzud-Terry-Riley/dp/B00001W099" target="_blank">NA 106 CD</a>.<br />
<br />
Terry Riley: composer<br />
<a href="http://www.davidtanenbaum.com/" target="_blank">David Tanenbaum</a>: guitar<br />
<a href="http://williamwinant.com/" target="_blank">William Winant</a>: percussion<br />
<a href="http://www.tracysilverman.com/" target="_blank">Tracy Silverman</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://gyanriley.com/" target="_blank">Gyan Riley</a>: guitar<br />
<br />
The amazing thing isn't that each Terry Riley record is its own, unique oddity as much as the unpredictable way each one has its own quirks. Here we have the music of Terry Riley in the hands of extremely capable classical guitarists who play from deep inside this music. Not to mention a resonating reason to mourn the passing of the New Albion label and its track record for documenting such incredible corridors of American composed music. It's arrangements such as these that make the argument for re-evaluating Terry Riley's music for generations to come. It endures. And this disc is aging rather agreeably.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qdq2p6jvZNlVZw2hvHQ93A8EEto_D4xEOtCBG1EvA0wdySJyr2uU3rp7aX5cmUO1OrlzHWPXeupxTkxPOJzm54UAxTKMgBQSLteaotG7-7NGRcj52-u41NynpRihL7qOWMjpnw/s1600/ShadowStories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qdq2p6jvZNlVZw2hvHQ93A8EEto_D4xEOtCBG1EvA0wdySJyr2uU3rp7aX5cmUO1OrlzHWPXeupxTkxPOJzm54UAxTKMgBQSLteaotG7-7NGRcj52-u41NynpRihL7qOWMjpnw/s320/ShadowStories.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.avamendozamusic.com/" target="_blank">Ava Mendoza</a>: <i><a href="http://workandworry.com/?p=1568" target="_blank">Shadow Stories</a></i>. 2010. <a href="http://resipiscent.com/" target="_blank">Resipiscent</a>: <a href="http://resipiscent.com/artist/view/40" target="_blank">RSPT037</a>.<br />
<br />
Ava Mendoza: guitar<br />
<br />
A couple of things jump out when listening to Ava Mendoza's excellent <i>Shadow Stories. </i>First there is this wonderfully elastic sense of time that stretches melodic materials across ever-shifting sonic surfaces (often with the help of some creative processing) that knows when to shatter a groove or when to snap into an unerring sense of swing. The second is the remarkably fresh set of ears being brought to bear on this wonderful re-invention of the blues. The intimacy of the performer and her sound is ever present even as she carves out expansive territories of raw sonic material. The range of flights through relatively contained, composed materials and free improvisation gives this music its lungs and breath. This is clearly an opening salvo from a significant talent.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.actuellecd.com/en/bio/chan_ch/" target="_blank">Charity Chan</a>: <i><a href="http://www.squidco.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=11634" target="_blank">Somewhere the Sea and Salt</a></i>. 2009. <a href="http://www.actuellecd.com/en/" target="_blank">Actuelle</a>: <a href="http://www.actuellecd.com/en/cat/am_188/" target="_blank">AM 188</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix630Mi4BKsAaMJtM2vpLpCKEtKHAENMcBAyvu-qXlMUSXTzDJaf68O40XM_7mG7NOj8NrUcDfyHwigpdR_z9xK_H0kqHZbACvtDqWMb6XJ7zjM2-TN66uPyuOodL09WWhrLvHOA/s1600/SomewhereTheSeaAndSalt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix630Mi4BKsAaMJtM2vpLpCKEtKHAENMcBAyvu-qXlMUSXTzDJaf68O40XM_7mG7NOj8NrUcDfyHwigpdR_z9xK_H0kqHZbACvtDqWMb6XJ7zjM2-TN66uPyuOodL09WWhrLvHOA/s1600/SomewhereTheSeaAndSalt.jpg" /></a></div>
Charity Chan: extended piano, objects<br />
<br />
Though transformed, the timbre of piano is never obscured in these explorations of the physical qualities of coiled strings, felt hammers and keyboard. The acoustic presence of the instrument's body takes on a luminous role as the timbre field expands to reveal the sonic expanse of its interior explorations. The "objects" skillfully draw out further resonant qualities of the instrument they are applied to. Also contributing to the longer expression contained within <i>Somewhere the sea and salt</i> is the balance of improvisation informed by the history of innovation in solo, composed piano music. The strummed strings of "J'ai manque son depart" reminding these ears of Henry Cowell's "Aeolian Harp" as a whisper of inspiration. Yet this is music that breathes. The vibrations of strings through striking and frictions is never far from the pulse and heartbeat of this music's energetic performer and composer. Each gesture is carved out and carefully exposed without a hint of indulgence. Indulgence is left to the listener.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.383184343.469412 -79.69904129999999 43.837039999999995 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-47002880327198767922012-11-18T17:10:00.000-05:002012-11-18T17:11:37.002-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: Lean, Loud and Lovely<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzsekwLcQpsK8yxl0pL6slSgpwG1V8dOvrvriStJKwvhUAaMIUY4de1zevoMIVCGqdz1kcD9yDHZyof-3YJcUj5TQQH-SDdNRg70IsLYxbAz8BisL2kPoN9UUM16XT0_uFzzdjA/s1600/EinsteinsDreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzsekwLcQpsK8yxl0pL6slSgpwG1V8dOvrvriStJKwvhUAaMIUY4de1zevoMIVCGqdz1kcD9yDHZyof-3YJcUj5TQQH-SDdNRg70IsLYxbAz8BisL2kPoN9UUM16XT0_uFzzdjA/s1600/EinsteinsDreams.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.urselschlicht.com/" target="_blank">Ursel Schlicht</a> / <a href="http://www.reubenradding.com/" target="_blank">Reuben Radding</a>: <i><a href="http://www.discogs.com/Ursel-Schlicht-Reuben-Radding-Einsteins-Dreams/release/2719745" target="_blank">Einstein's Dreams</a></i>. 2005. <a href="http://www.konnex-records.de/shop/" target="_blank">Konnex</a>: <a href="http://www.urselschlicht.com/content/cds/einsteinsdreamscd.html" target="_blank">KCD 5165</a>.<br />
<br />
Ursel Schlicht: piano<br />
Reuben Radding: double bass<br />
<br />
<i>Einstein's Dreams</i> manages to paint a blurring line that dissolves the supposed divide between non-idiomatic free improvisation and jazz. Providing an artful argument for the common roles that listening plays in improvised music of all persuasions. Here it is the intimate dialog between piano and double bass shared between improvisers who instinctively know how to develop the tension and overlapping timbres of their respective instruments. The sonic worlds explored within the piano pulling the sound of piano strings closer to the territory of extended techniques that Reuben Radding employs on the bass. This duo then also takes flights that allow their independent sounds to flourish, feeding upon the energy of their conversant musicality. The reverberations of jazz and European music that informs this dialog is readily felt as an animating force behind this music as Ursel Schlicht provides glimpses of harmonic changes that Reuben Radding seamlessly adapts to. Giving this music a strong sense of hearing the spontaneity through these particular sets of ears.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqm81HoOyOzLS2JzWDgP4xwcIaOgzkWfRfRcN8ue1_N_CxN0MseBEjZPZUqEPCk_I5grr-041wPO989ZUHW87UwQ13cLr0dpRw8m0quQMPbTUekq9GpDpCRemdAv5f1nwdHQPpPQ/s1600/DescendingToEnd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqm81HoOyOzLS2JzWDgP4xwcIaOgzkWfRfRcN8ue1_N_CxN0MseBEjZPZUqEPCk_I5grr-041wPO989ZUHW87UwQ13cLr0dpRw8m0quQMPbTUekq9GpDpCRemdAv5f1nwdHQPpPQ/s1600/DescendingToEnd.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.briggankrauss.com/BK/Home.html" target="_blank">Briggan Krauss</a>: <i><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/briggankrauss3" target="_blank">Descending to End</a></i>. 1999. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knitting_Factory_Records" target="_blank">Knitting Factory Records</a>: <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1079716/a/Descending+to+End.htm" target="_blank">KFW-251</a>.<br />
<br />
Briggan Krauss: reeds, guitar, electronics<br />
<br />
<i>Descending to End</i> plunges into a corner of temporal reality completely its own. A place that balances the desolate with the wonder of having so many elements in constant flux. The humanity of this sound stemming from the creative restlessness of Briggan Krauss's sensibilities. This is a relentlessly challenging and musical experience that brings a much needed improviser's take on musique concrete. The poetry of the pieces title offering an unusually descriptive insight into the forces at play in the sonic soup; "Last Gasp Extraction Of The World," "Lean Loud & Lovely," "Encumbrance Essence" and so on. The timbral essence of saxophones and guitars blurred and processed into a blurred version of its sonic content. These are stark landscapes done in sound and there aren't nearly enough of them on this collection.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-PfuqHrihb4-R2ov8KtZQxf_nf4-UPKa91-QwSn8u6MZG0_-CnM-DQprkuLMoqfR2e__EeZ76rGy5Rnp9cCfqfaijLzVytEd0k0RiYKBqAq4ANQwL9jDuafFxty9HyaCX-RGxg/s1600/CryptidFragments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-PfuqHrihb4-R2ov8KtZQxf_nf4-UPKa91-QwSn8u6MZG0_-CnM-DQprkuLMoqfR2e__EeZ76rGy5Rnp9cCfqfaijLzVytEd0k0RiYKBqAq4ANQwL9jDuafFxty9HyaCX-RGxg/s1600/CryptidFragments.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Sharp" target="_blank">Elliott Sharp</a> & <a href="http://davesoldier.com/quartet.html" target="_blank">The Soldier String Quartet</a>: <i><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/cryptid-fragments-mw0000102095" target="_blank">Cryptid Fragments</a></i>. 1993. Extreme: <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Elliott-Sharp--Soldier-String-Quartet-Cryptid-Fragments/release/341650" target="_blank">XCD: 020.</a><br />
<br />
Elliott Sharp: computer processing, Thunder, sampler<br />
<a href="http://www.mojavetrio.com/maggie.html" target="_blank">Margaret Parkins</a>: cello<br />
<a href="http://www.eclipsequartet.com/About/about_sara.htm" target="_blank">Sara Parkins</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://minnewiki.publicradio.org/index.php/Michelle_Kinney" target="_blank">Michelle Kinney</a>: cello<br />
The Soldier String Quartet -<br />
<a href="http://www.kaibab.org/kaibab.org/gccmf/gc_gccma.htm" target="_blank">Laura Seaton</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Soldier" target="_blank">David Soldier</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://www.siriusquartet.com/bio/ron-lawrence/" target="_blank">Ron Lawrence</a>: viola<br />
<a href="http://www.wyln.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=33" target="_blank">Mary Wooten</a>: cello<br />
<br />
<i>Cryptid Fragments</i> is a long-standing staple of HurdAudio aural consumption. So many of the contours of this recording have entered into a rare familiarity as the initial shock of the jagged timbral edges have aged to reveal a solid collection of string-based chamber works featuring electronic manipulation or electronic accompaniment. The four movement "Cryptid Fragments" is a study of digitally processed violin and cello samples. The finite set of polished gestures providing a sense of unified structure that provides a compositional framework for the sequence of moments that pass by. Following the delicately abrasive textures of this computer manipulated experience are three works for string quartet plus electronics: "Shapeshifters," "Twistmap" and "Umbra." Each fashioned within the ir/rational aesthetic developed by Elliott Sharp. A sound that is identifiable through its consistency and a sound that has become a point of fixation for a long time with these ears. The contrast of relatively "unstable" textures set against a clearly structured form gives this music something worth coming back for.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com1Toronto, ON43.653226 -79.383184343.469412 -79.69904129999999 43.837039999999995 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-58709483687365794352012-11-03T22:28:00.000-04:002012-11-04T16:00:36.445-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: Even Birds Have Homes (To Return To)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ces8B6pyy17ZDUl37UFh2tZ1SwQQV7_USpmvD_RFb496ju4TDGMbviR_kDTcL2uRBSSgaqIyxvRFEVG6OLJTRII7yXQWf3TJ5s-Y_dhff-v5Sg6e6vLaIaocIFFJWrauB98auQ/s1600/LiveAtBimhuis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ces8B6pyy17ZDUl37UFh2tZ1SwQQV7_USpmvD_RFb496ju4TDGMbviR_kDTcL2uRBSSgaqIyxvRFEVG6OLJTRII7yXQWf3TJ5s-Y_dhff-v5Sg6e6vLaIaocIFFJWrauB98auQ/s1600/LiveAtBimhuis.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.greenleafmusic.com/" target="_blank">Dave Douglas</a> Quintet: <i><a href="http://www.discogs.com/Dave-Douglas-Quintet-Live-At-The-Bimhuis/release/1230742" target="_blank">Live at the Bimhuis: October 24, 2002</a></i>. 2003. <a href="http://www.greenleafmusic.com/" target="_blank">Greenleaf Music</a>: GRE-<a href="http://www.discogs.com/Dave-Douglas-Quintet-Live-At-The-Bimhuis/release/1230742" target="_blank">P-011/012</a><br />
<br />
Dave Douglas: trumpet<br />
<a href="http://moutin.com/rickm.html" target="_blank">Rick Margitza</a>: tenor saxophone<br />
<a href="http://www.uricaine.com/" target="_blank">Uri Caine</a>: fender rhodes<br />
<a href="http://www.jamesgenus.com/" target="_blank">James Genus</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://clarencepenn.com/" target="_blank">Clarence Penn</a>: drums<br />
<br />
It is just a few days past the ten year anniversary of this live recording and it still sounds like lightning captured in a bottle. This particular vintage of the Dave Douglas Quintet (which has evolved into other amazing things since) is a body of music that inspires enormous enthusiasm with each listening. And these "paperback series" collections offer incredible insight into the live manifestation of this fusing together of absurdly intelligent musicians. Only on these live sets can one hear the sprawling, 20+ minute versions of "Penelope" and "Deluge." It also gives the ears a chance to hear the brilliant segues between "Unison" by Bjork, "Ramshackle" by Beck and "Deluge." The slide into each piece, often with elements of the previous and next overlapping, is fantastic. The quotations of other great jazz tunes and sudden appearance of other forms within forms makes for rewarding listening for the alert ears. I especially enjoyed the emergence of "Giant Steps" for a brief moment in the middle of "Deluge." And the quick, thoughtfully realized interpretation of Douglas' thorny "Caterwaul" was a particularly engaging moment. This is one of the great quintets operating at the top of their game and these Dave Douglas compositions are pieces to be savored and reckoned with.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuK6qo3ffptzEbNtuursK2zzSxYvtZqTQGWlxq-ryg5aUZsX4bVIhD_7fh8WcYyQFZh-BrqUifU34eteJViDbRENpWol9Wwf8kCP1NPvnuofB3s5MTHL9lAUI1FLCD0BUiiuB6Xw/s1600/TheGuestHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuK6qo3ffptzEbNtuursK2zzSxYvtZqTQGWlxq-ryg5aUZsX4bVIhD_7fh8WcYyQFZh-BrqUifU34eteJViDbRENpWol9Wwf8kCP1NPvnuofB3s5MTHL9lAUI1FLCD0BUiiuB6Xw/s320/TheGuestHouse.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://ca.myspace.com/triom" target="_blank">Trio M</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Guest-House-Trio-M/dp/B005TK1QXG" target="_blank">The Guest House</a>.</i> 2011. <a href="http://www.enjarecords.com/" target="_blank">Enja</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Guest-House-Trio-M/dp/B005TK1QXG" target="_blank">yeb-7721-2</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.myramelford.com/" target="_blank">Myra Melford</a>: piano<br />
<a href="http://www.mark-dresser.com/" target="_blank">Mark Dresser</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://matt%20wilson/" target="_blank">Matt Wilson</a>: drums<br />
<br />
One of the unique things about Trio M is the role and stature of collaboration in realizing this music. Each individual in this trio brings such a strong personality and presence that the sense of "shared leadership" takes on a tangible quality rarely found in piano trio projects. One could easily regard this as a piano/bass/drums trio given the pedigree behind the collaborators involved. Which is not to say that this music takes on a static quality. Leaders emerge as the individual composers behind each piece and part of the fun of listening to <i>The Guest House</i> is hearing the clear personality that emerges as the composer for a given piece. Even so, these players climb deep inside the music regardless of the penmanship behind the sounds.<br />
<br />
In the linear notes, Myra Melford describes the composition of this music as a collaboration with chef Paul Canales. Alluding to the creative impulse that is shared between concocting music and food. Which is a fair analogy given the spice and flavor that wafts through so much of this set. The biggest treat of all turns out to be the dessert course of Mark Dresser's "Ekoneni" realized by this ensemble. With plenty of clarity in the unique amplification of Dresser's bass and the spirited performance that explodes as the full ensemble joins together into an infectious groove.<br />
<br />
<i>The Guest House</i> is a solid jazz album first and foremost and the presence of such distinct players in rare form is hardly subtle. Each brings a deep, mature voice and a strong sense of their own musical identity into this mix and the combination that forms is astonishing. The mix of serious thematic materials and levity makes for a recording of rare scope that combines immediacy with lasting appeal. Highly recommended.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf1Gb7iRrpDXaPptqF_NuFADRyyAw4YMPtzcuVkcc1ltrrjSyiaCWuE8rdLyZZO-m8fVZauAp0eLO5-gcJvbuqyCJJvsD_ZMP2aGK2gOpkI1KOtgSP_g3ICzEOP0haA3bmXBnHA/s1600/ForAdolpheSax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf1Gb7iRrpDXaPptqF_NuFADRyyAw4YMPtzcuVkcc1ltrrjSyiaCWuE8rdLyZZO-m8fVZauAp0eLO5-gcJvbuqyCJJvsD_ZMP2aGK2gOpkI1KOtgSP_g3ICzEOP0haA3bmXBnHA/s320/ForAdolpheSax.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://www.peterbroetzmann.com/" target="_blank">Peter Br<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">ö</span>tzmann</a> Trio: <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Adolphe_Sax" target="_blank">For Adolphe Sax</a></i>. 1967. FMP: UMS/ALP230CD.<br />
<br />
Peter Br<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">ö</span>tzmann: tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone<br />
<a href="http://www.kowald.de/" target="_blank">Peter Kowald</a>: drums<br />
<a href="http://www.sven-akejohansson.com/de/" target="_blank">Sven-ake Johansson</a>: drums<br />
plus:<br />
<a href="http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/mvanhove.html" target="_blank">Fred van Hove</a>: piano<br />
<br />
When confronted with the music of Peter Br<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">ö</span>tzmann for the first time (and "confrontation" is certainly a word that travels well with his sound) I was immediately in the thrall of its visceral, uncompromising quality and needed to know where this sound came from. <i>For Adolphe Sax</i> is Br<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">ö</span>tzmann's first record. And it appears that this sound arrived fully formed. This is a trio of improvisers leaving angry splashes of color along a grand canvas. And it's the spontaneity of their brash strokes of color that allows for unexpected details to emerge between the layers of dense materials. Br<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">ö</span>tzmann's music comes with a surprising range of contrast and it's often the canyons just between his blistering sheets of sound that are the most attractive moments of his performance. On <i>For Adolphe Sax</i> it's the quiet moments where Peter Kowald's bass comes through that are incredible. Kowald and Johansson were a rhythm section capable of holding their own within this music and bringing plenty of creative energy to match. This one is a forceful argument for why the European improvisation scene became a phenomenon that continues to influence players internationally.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto43.653226 -79.383184343.469435999999995 -79.69904129999999 43.837016 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-42653616393646471942012-10-23T00:41:00.001-04:002012-10-23T00:44:09.197-04:00Hearing Voices<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9hI_6TKExdavmQELOza2tgyba6eV_Sk5onULYPVvhxmSDSa47etTtJDl8VGitiCmAGGUC60Pt3HVXphuh82B0tJiLK-U71UvPCb4sdyG6Dhl7mDxgx78UzMnqTKGBioH2vpecQ/s1600/Voorvelt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9hI_6TKExdavmQELOza2tgyba6eV_Sk5onULYPVvhxmSDSa47etTtJDl8VGitiCmAGGUC60Pt3HVXphuh82B0tJiLK-U71UvPCb4sdyG6Dhl7mDxgx78UzMnqTKGBioH2vpecQ/s1600/Voorvelt.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.continuummusic.org/" target="_blank">Continuum</a>: Finding Voice<br />
October 12, 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.musicgallery.org/" target="_blank">The Music Gallery</a><br />
Toronto, Ontario<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.continuummusic.org/about/bios/christopher-butterfield" target="_blank">Christopher Butterfield</a>: <i>Music for Klein and Beuys</i> (1987)<br />
Anne Thompson: bass recorder<br />
Carol Lynn Fujino: violin<br />
Paul Rogers: bass<br />
Laurent Philippe: melodica<br />
Rob MacDonald: banjitar<br />
Sanya Eng: harp<br />
Ryan Scott: percussion<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Korndorf" target="_blank">Nikolai Korndorf</a>: <i>Cazone Triste</i> (1999)<br />
Sanya Eng: harp<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.catlinsmith.com/" target="_blank">Linda C. Smith</a>: <i>Brush Line</i> (2004)<br />
Anne Thompson: flute<br />
Max Christie: clarinet<br />
Carol Lynn Fujino: violin<br />
Paul Widner: cello<br />
Laurent Philippe: piano<br />
Ryan Scott: percussion<br />
Marion Newman: mezzo-soprano<br />
Brian Current: conductor<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.martijnvoorvelt.com/" target="_blank">Martijn Voorvelt</a>: <i>Frederick's Doctor</i> (2012)<br />
Christopher Mayell: tenor<br />
Anne Thompson: flute<br />
Max Christie: clarinet<br />
Carol Lynn Fujino: violin<br />
Paul Widner: cello<br />
Rob MacDonald: guitar<br />
Sanya Eng: synthesizer<br />
<br />
Martijn Voorvelt: <i>Petit Air II / Fredrich's Tagebuch</i> (1998)<br />
Marion Newman: mezzo-soprano<br />
Anne Thompson: flute<br />
Rob MacDonald: guitar<br />
Adrian Gross: mandolin<br />
Sanya Eng: harp<br />
<br />
The Continuum Contemporary Music ensemble started off their 2012 season with a strong voice. Or at least a collection of strong voices that balanced out a program of music carving out a wide path of expressive territory. Each piece was exquisitely well rehearsed and presented in a manner that allowed the ears to hear all the way inside the music. Even as the subject material would switch from haunting beauty to complete madness. <br />
<br />
The second half of the concert consisted of the Martijn Voorvelt pieces, presented as a continuous work of musical theater. Continuum had spent the last week working directly with the composer to realize the drama <i>Frederick's Doctor</i> and their dedication to the macabre absurdity made for a flawless production of material that was often challenging and brittle. The setting of Doctor Morell Mackenzie's often graphic accounts of the botched diagnosis and surgery upon German emperor Frederick III's laryngeal cancer were occasionally a bit hard to take. Especially given Christopher Mayell's incredible dead-pan delivery. The sense of madness in his text could nearly be tasted in the back of my throat. As this gave way to Marion Newman's performance of a voice robbed of its ability to communicate, the balance of humor and despair was simply delicious. Having the flute player and mezzo-soprano delivering text in rhythmic unison was a particularly striking sonic effect. Especially as the performance transitioned to the vocalist lip-syncing to Anne Thompson whispering through her instrument. It was a brilliant set of pieces that won over my normal aversion to theatrics.<br />
<br />
To my ears, the most stunning work on the program was Linda C. Smith's <i>Brush Line</i>. An achingly beautiful work built out of luminous, horizontal strokes of warm sounds along a cold landscape of silence. The constant reference to colors in the text added to the sense of sound painting with their vibrato-less delivery.<br />
<br />
<i>Cazone Triste</i> is a virtuosic solo harp piece that gently gives way to song. Sanya Eng's voice eventually shifting into the foreground as she plays to reveal a beautiful sound. The simplicity of her voice balanced well against the confidence of her playing.<br />
<br />
The opening work, <i>Music for Klein and Beuys</i> by Christopher Butterfield, set the whimsical-yet-serious tone that anticipated the Martijn Voorvelt experience of the second half. The combination of bass recorder, melodica and banjitar with a percussion part the often consisted of tearing and wadding up newsprint never took on a sense of gimmick as the musical textures proved to be substantive. Written as a memorial to Yves Klein and Josef Beuys, it is a wonderfully unpretentious and warm piece of art music. <br />
<br />
Overall, there aren't enough superlatives to lavish upon an evening such as this. An inspired sequence of great pieces of music performed well. Continuum has set high expectations for the season that follows this concert.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto43.653226 -79.383184343.469412 -79.69904129999999 43.837039999999995 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-72550537220769386002012-10-22T00:47:00.002-04:002012-10-22T00:49:39.897-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: The Long View<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY_lmuzTe9NECCLqFjQEXY0WJDgY0HcgGmcm5hfKN84oXOSpogZ5rnFKI4krPfY-8J2SP0uYbeWEMCSSzt5xhc4yVD0KW638G0-fEjpf6AZ4dHZ9P7T2RJsvjGEFEpPtr_XOzvA/s1600/FlyingSparksAndHeavyMachinery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY_lmuzTe9NECCLqFjQEXY0WJDgY0HcgGmcm5hfKN84oXOSpogZ5rnFKI4krPfY-8J2SP0uYbeWEMCSSzt5xhc4yVD0KW638G0-fEjpf6AZ4dHZ9P7T2RJsvjGEFEpPtr_XOzvA/s1600/FlyingSparksAndHeavyMachinery.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.anniegosfield.com/" target="_blank">Annie Gosfield</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Sparks-Heavy-MacHinery-Gosfield/dp/B00005NZLO" target="_blank">Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery</a></i>. 2001. <a href="http://www.tzadik.com/" target="_blank">Tzadik</a>: <a href="http://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=7069" target="_blank">TZ 7069</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>EWA7</i> (1999)<br />
<br />
Annie Gosfield: sampling keyboard<br />
<a href="http://www.rogerkleier.com/" target="_blank">Roger Kleier</a>: electric guitar<br />
<a href="http://www.ikuemori.com/" target="_blank">Ikue Mori:</a> electronics<br />
<a href="http://www.jimpugliese.org/" target="_blank">Jim Pugliese</a>: drums, percussion<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim_Cain" target="_blank">Sim Cain</a>: drums, percussion<br />
<a href="http://www.hgbrodmann.de/" target="_blank">Hans-Gunter Brodmann</a>: metal factory percussion<br />
<a href="http://www.buddy-and-the-huddle.com/htm/kue_matth.htm" target="_blank">Matthias Rosenbauer</a>: metal factory percussion<br />
<br />
<i>Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery</i> (2000)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fluxquartet.com/" target="_blank">Flux Quartet</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fluxquartet.com/bio.html" target="_blank">Tom Chiu</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://www.fluxquartet.com/bio.html" target="_blank">Cornelius Dufallo</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://www.fluxquartet.com/bio.html" target="_blank">Kenji Bunch</a>: viola<br />
<a href="http://www.fluxquartet.com/bio.html" target="_blank">Darrett: Adkins</a>: cello<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.talujon.com/" target="_blank">Talujon Percussion Quartet</a><br />
<a href="http://www.talujon.com/aboutus.html" target="_blank">Michael Lipsey</a>: percussion<br />
<a href="http://www.talujon.com/aboutus.html" target="_blank">Dominic Donato</a>: percussion<br />
<a href="http://www.talujon.com/aboutus.html" target="_blank">Tom Kolor</a>: percussion<br />
<a href="http://www.talujon.com/aboutus.html" target="_blank">Jim Pugliese</a>: percussion<br />
<br />
Annie Gosfield has a stylistic sensibility that cannot be described without sounding like less than the stunning results she achieves through her music. As a composer who collects samples to build a big part of her sonic pallet (performing many of these samples herself as part of the ensemble) she is hardly treading into revolutionary territory. Yet the musicality of her pieces is astonishing and way ahead of so many who have worked with similar materials. Her craft is the kind of music that these ears have craved. Realizing the potential rarely found by so many armed with samplers and an idea for integrating real world sounds into music. Her pieces are music first, never outstripped by their concept, execution and intention.<br />
<br />
Both of the pieces on this disc focus on the sonic matter of factory sounds. Steering clear of the theme of "dehumanization" of factory work and machinery, it instead brings a wide open ear to the beauty inherent in the sonic materials of industrial scale mechanics. Sounds that reveal a deeper humanity within sonic materials revealed by percussionists and recordists alike. <i>EWA 7</i> builds upon a shifting symbiotic relationship between sampled materials and live players with an all-encompassing sense of groove and texture. All of which makes excellent use of the materials and the players at hand in its realization. <i>Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery</i> then takes this same textural and inspirational content and applies it to composed music. Peeling away a layer of abstraction just below the sampled textures found in <i>EWA 7. </i>Taken together, these two pieces form two halves a singular sonic vision and a startling sense of what is possible when wide open ears and blistering intelligence are brought to bear upon the tools of sampling technology and compositional prowess. Highly recommended.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVPs9_bK9UtPS2brjCS265BT8YN7sEjwCXIt84lRAP-FaHY7MspFDhQSn535tf3qm4VxzUyMHO8M2tLZBETP3yAMTxsVGCPBGtoD1PLnaFbRQdh8WUCM3db1cDvoxqha880-gqw/s1600/LookAround.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVPs9_bK9UtPS2brjCS265BT8YN7sEjwCXIt84lRAP-FaHY7MspFDhQSn535tf3qm4VxzUyMHO8M2tLZBETP3yAMTxsVGCPBGtoD1PLnaFbRQdh8WUCM3db1cDvoxqha880-gqw/s1600/LookAround.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.fantasticmerlins.com/" target="_blank">Fantastic Merlins</a>: <i><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/fantasticmerlins2" target="_blank">Look Around</a></i>. 2007. <a href="https://www.innova.mu/" target="_blank">Innova</a>: <a href="https://www.innova.mu/albums/fantastic-merlins/look-around" target="_blank">670</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nathanhanson.com/" target="_blank">Nathan Hanson</a>: tenor saxophone, electronics<br />
<a href="http://innig.net/music/artists/9" target="_blank">Jacqueline Ferrier-Ultan</a>: cello, electronics<br />
<a href="http://www.brianroessler.com/" target="_blank">Brian Roessler</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://www.federicoughi.com/" target="_blank">Federico Ughi</a>: drums<br />
<br />
The music of the Fantastic Merlins is informed by many influences and sources. My ears can hear the gentle tug of fellow Minnesota resident George Cartwright's angular compositions and early Curlew sounds. Much of this is reinforced by the cello and saxophone arrangements. But there are also passing references to a full body of jazz history and grounded feeling for a world of musics. The slower tempo tracks finding expressive force through long phrases that exhale through harmonic terrain. Faster tempos touching briefly upon ostinato patterns and groove before dissolving into a sophisticated sense of texture. One can even hear the bitter cold winters of Minneapolis and the undercurrents found in the music of The Bad Plus. Not every shifting passage leaves a lasting impression, but it does leave an itch to hear <i>Look Around</i> again.<i> </i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiNGMm0QTiuN4ipgcz3NyJDL1XCWmHq3kgJhmqi4XShMsemOB2kul3a_r3un1o9iFRFJ1-ytUofFBL_1PbvmXwo5K0EzbiBADrUdKb7hhpBHUF-PcWaG00_ISKM5YmKHWEWaFtQ/s1600/TheLongView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiNGMm0QTiuN4ipgcz3NyJDL1XCWmHq3kgJhmqi4XShMsemOB2kul3a_r3un1o9iFRFJ1-ytUofFBL_1PbvmXwo5K0EzbiBADrUdKb7hhpBHUF-PcWaG00_ISKM5YmKHWEWaFtQ/s1600/TheLongView.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.martyehrlich.com/" target="_blank">Marty Ehrlich</a>: <i><a href="http://www.jazzloft.com/p-45466-the-long-view.aspx" target="_blank">The Long View</a></i>. 2002. <a href="http://www.enjarecords.com/" target="_blank">Enja</a>: <a href="http://www.enjarecords.com/cd.php?nr=ENJ-9452" target="_blank">9452-2</a>.<br />
<br />
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, bass clarinet<br />
<a href="http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpost2.php3?edit=1079371397" target="_blank">Sam Furnace</a>: alto saxophone, flute<br />
<a href="http://www.nedrothenberg.com/" target="_blank">Ned Rothenberg</a>: alto saxophone, bass clarinet<br />
<a href="http://www.cadencejazzrecords.com/artists/?artist=Robert+DeBellis" target="_blank">Robert Debellis</a>: tenor saxophone, clarinet<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Parran" target="_blank">JD Parran</a>: tenor saxophone, contrabass clarinet<br />
<a href="http://andylaster.com/" target="_blank">Andy Laster</a>: baritone saxophone, clarinet<br />
<a href="http://www.eddieallen.net/" target="_blank">Eddie Allen</a>: trumpet<br />
<a href="http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=14859#.UITJAW818s0" target="_blank">James Zollar</a>: trumpet<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Clark_(musician)" target="_blank">John Clark</a>: french horn<br />
<a href="http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/clarkgayton" target="_blank">Clark Gayton</a>: trombone<br />
<a href="http://www.marcusrojas.com/Home.html" target="_blank">Marcus Rojas</a>: tuba<br />
<a href="http://www.mark-dresser.com/" target="_blank">Mark Dresser</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://www.michaelsarin.com/" target="_blank">Michael Sarin</a>: drums<br />
<a href="http://www.markhelias.com/" target="_blank">Mark Helias</a>: conductor, bass<br />
<a href="http://www.markfeldmanviolin.com/enter.htm" target="_blank">Mark Feldman</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Farris" target="_blank">Ralph Farris</a>: viola<br />
<a href="http://www.erikfriedlander.com/" target="_blank">Erik Friedlander</a>: cello<br />
<a href="http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/artist/content.artist/eddie_bobe_2776/en_US" target="_blank">Eddie Bobe</a>: bongos, cowbell<br />
<a href="http://bobbyprevite.com/" target="_blank">Bobby Previte</a>: drums, bass drum, tambourine<br />
<a href="http://www.waynehorvitz.net/" target="_blank">Wayne Horvitz</a>: piano<br />
<a href="http://www.rayanderson.org/" target="_blank">Ray Anderson</a>: trombone<br />
<a href="http://www.pheeroanaklaff.com/fr_home.cfm" target="_blank">Pheeroan AkLaff</a>: drums<br />
<br />
This disc was a "must have" just on the strength of the personnel included in these sessions. The fact that this is a multi-movement work for shifting ensembles composed by Marty Ehrlich and realized by this all-star ensemble makes this one a long-running favorite in the rotation. The fourth movement in particular is pure bliss with its Wayne Horvitz introduction leading into a brilliant quartet performance from Ehrlich, Horvitz, Dresser and Previte. The rockin' Marcus Rojas tuba introduction for the fifth movement is another highlight. As is the Eddie Allen trumpet solo in the first and the soprano saxophone plus strings, drums and percussion second movement. It's a "must hear." Long form jazz compositions rarely get such aggressively solid realizations as this and the musical material gives these players plenty to dig into.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com1Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.383184343.469412 -79.69904129999999 43.837039999999995 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-59843392152305248852012-10-14T13:11:00.000-04:002012-10-14T13:13:11.953-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: To Say Your Name<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI7ftf2CtkjIdEQ7mCmZgLy4KJuJoXhkoq2IQjnhyM7eHpX87KvTzIN0rgTK4j72IvFpFRK_hYunjzjrxklRuC0mMEY4dKj1uX5Nw-ZlukyFveI36I4sFygMUdLLB4O4sqUoG3g/s1600/BeautyIsARareThing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI7ftf2CtkjIdEQ7mCmZgLy4KJuJoXhkoq2IQjnhyM7eHpX87KvTzIN0rgTK4j72IvFpFRK_hYunjzjrxklRuC0mMEY4dKj1uX5Nw-ZlukyFveI36I4sFygMUdLLB4O4sqUoG3g/s1600/BeautyIsARareThing.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.ornettecoleman.com/" target="_blank">Ornette Coleman</a>: <i><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/beauty-is-a-rare-thing-the-complete-atlantic-recordings-mw0000104584" target="_blank">Beauty is a Rare Thing</a> [disc 2]</i>. 1993. <a href="http://atlanticrecords.com/" target="_blank">Atlantic Recording Corp</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Is-Rare-Thing-Recordings/dp/B00000332J" target="_blank">1-56826-275-2</a>.<br />
<br />
Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Cherry_(musician)" target="_blank">Don Cherry</a>: pocket trumpet<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Haden" target="_blank">Charlie Haden</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Higgins" target="_blank">Billy Higgins</a>: drums<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Blackwell" target="_blank">Ed Blackwell</a>: drums<br />
<br />
One of the main things this box set gets right is the music. The electricity between these players still leaps out from the speakers through the decades providing more than enough substance to inspire the free improviser. Beyond the obvious chemistry is the incredible balance between individuals of remarkably equal force. Disc 2 opens with "The Face of the Bass" with its intoxicating exposure of Charlie Haden's brilliant bass work. Followed up by moments of awe for Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman. Billy Higgins remains a harmolodic obsession, hearing how he carves through the same loose grooves traveled by his musical conspirators. <br />
<br />
As an additional dimension to this music (that continues to be "The Shape of Jazz to Come") are these Ornette Coleman heads. Compositions that have grown into familiar entities that have inspired other versions performed by various players in my personal collection. "Ramblin'" has taken on a life of its own and the reason for that is abundantly clear on this take. "I Heard It Over The Radio," a track previously unreleased before this complete Atlantic Recordings collection, has been given an inspired interpretation by Paul Plimley. And so many other tunes that have become companions in my head (I often hear "Kaleidoscope" or "The Tribes of New York" in my head while commuting to the day job). Beauty is no rare thing on any disc from this set, and today's disc is a jolt from a deeply creative period from one of Jazz's greats.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdVG5k2MRbo8APzN1K-EjA_zH6w5XfsetXwrfX7GHobkpjrZdJFPl0eUzR8eYnDL33XAAsMEFJA1P6m5DDCVNSwVmDhU5DP763cWXrvMSFuHpagXxGYjpLPa7Qp0KQTkr_L5bNQ/s1600/ThirdForce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdVG5k2MRbo8APzN1K-EjA_zH6w5XfsetXwrfX7GHobkpjrZdJFPl0eUzR8eYnDL33XAAsMEFJA1P6m5DDCVNSwVmDhU5DP763cWXrvMSFuHpagXxGYjpLPa7Qp0KQTkr_L5bNQ/s1600/ThirdForce.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Chapin" target="_blank">Thomas Chapin</a>: <i><a href="http://www.jazzloft.com/p-49096-alive-8-cd-boxed-set.aspx" target="_blank">Alive </a>[disc 1] - <a href="http://thomaschapin.com/shop/112/third-force" target="_blank">Third Force</a></i>. 1999. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knitting_Factory_Records" target="_blank">Knitting Factory Records</a>: <a href="http://thomaschapin.com/articles-cd-reviews/80/alive" target="_blank">35828 02482 2</a>.<br />
<br />
Thomas Chapin: saxophones<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Pavone" target="_blank">Mario Pavone</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://www.stevejohnsjazz.com/" target="_blank">Steve Johns</a>: drums<br />
<br />
The spark that catches and sets a sound aflame through Thomas Chapin's preferred medium of the trio is clearly audible on this set. The kinetic energy realized by a saxophonist with a deep grasp of jazz roots applying his trade to a deft balance of groove, jam and melodic inventiveness. The explosive quality of these live takes of pieces that would come to define the fleeting Knitting Factory scene of the 1990s. And not lost on these ears is the forceful quality of his flute playing. This cat could jam hard, rock out and still navigate his way through linear, melodic development. Being a multi-instrumentalist with this much talent is almost showing off.<br />
<br />
Sadly, Chapin falls on the unfortunate list of jazzmen lost far too soon, leaving behind the agonizing questions about how much the course of improvised music would have been altered had his career followed along the trajectory left behind on recording such as these. There is also the real celebration of the vibrations captured for posterity. This is a music that retains so much of its edge and pieces like "Ahab's Leg" or "Iddly" are hard to forget when they've been experienced like this. <i>Alive</i> is a significant documentation of something significant that the ears seek to hold on to.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVD0isk_INw3HWWiDyVOCDThyphenhyphentzYdstlpGeuZhVlmuHHySWkhlwrBrukJYsD2aJLxF5EkCoY6PDptzzMwafEm6g4ZC56SxhcSRjIgKtfZIury7m7pxIR08YQAuwmhCDGH88VczA/s1600/OneDanceAlone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVD0isk_INw3HWWiDyVOCDThyphenhyphentzYdstlpGeuZhVlmuHHySWkhlwrBrukJYsD2aJLxF5EkCoY6PDptzzMwafEm6g4ZC56SxhcSRjIgKtfZIury7m7pxIR08YQAuwmhCDGH88VczA/s320/OneDanceAlone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.waynehorvitz.net/" target="_blank">Wayne Horvitz</a> <a href="http://waynehorvitz.net/projects/gravitas.html" target="_blank">Gravitas Quartet</a>: <i><a href="http://jazztimes.com/articles/20817-one-dance-alone-wayne-horvitz-gravitas-quartet" target="_blank">One Dance Alone</a></i>. 2008. <a href="http://www.songlines.com/" target="_blank">Songlines</a>: <a href="http://www.songlines.com/onedancealonecontent.html" target="_blank">SA1571-2</a>.<br />
<br />
Wayne Horvitz: piano<br />
<a href="http://www.standingwave.ca/peggy-lee-cello/" target="_blank">Peggy Lee</a>: cello<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Miles" target="_blank">Ron Miles</a>: cornet<br />
<a href="http://downtownmusic.net/sara-schoenbeck/anthony-braxton-falling-river-music-10-05-2011#image4" target="_blank">Sara Schoenbeck</a>: bassoon<br />
<br />
This one is the second of two releases featuring the understated, detail-rich chamber jazz compositions of Wayne Horvitz. The brush strokes of these restrained gems colored both by the instrumentation and the improvisation-friendly personalities brought into this project. Making Gravitas Quartet one of the rare blends of jazz and classical traditions that soars without giving short shift to either side of the equation. <i>One Dance Alone</i> is held together by interspersing the three movements of "July" (in reverse order) between contrasting compositions. "July" being a deliciously abstract study in sparse textures that reveal the layer of Horvtiz pathos that exists at the core of his compositional output. The remaining tracks feature a waltz, a focus on melodic material and brilliant textures (particularly for Ron Miles to play over) that make a strong case for Wayne Horvitz's ability to realize compact, song-like forms by getting all the individual elements of his ideas polished to a pristine shine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, Canada43.653226 -79.383184343.4694425 -79.69904129999999 43.837009499999994 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-83103672122595202462012-09-23T18:40:00.000-04:002012-09-23T18:41:47.215-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: Jam Session for the End of Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBOsI0lyMNU0cmGXN6C76Jv5iHA44TSmgwuraewXm-oFVGOhvxKNjTvGqagSnVTvMhaGV6EESpEY43Z3KUBuBhf-fYNpUIywgQ_EKVpXnaLsO6y-vkAVNuGRsJE0Kz3NhMuacjQ/s1600/WayOutEast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBOsI0lyMNU0cmGXN6C76Jv5iHA44TSmgwuraewXm-oFVGOhvxKNjTvGqagSnVTvMhaGV6EESpEY43Z3KUBuBhf-fYNpUIywgQ_EKVpXnaLsO6y-vkAVNuGRsJE0Kz3NhMuacjQ/s1600/WayOutEast.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.waynehorvitz.net/index.html" target="_blank">Wayne Horvitz</a> <a href="http://waynehorvitz.net/projects/gravitas.html" target="_blank">Gravitas Quartet</a>: <i><a href="http://www.jazzloft.com/p-42000-way-out-east.aspx" target="_blank">Way Out East</a></i>. 2006. <a href="http://www.songlines.com/" target="_blank">Songlines Recordings</a>: <a href="http://www.songlines.com/wayoutcontent.html" target="_blank">SA 1558-2</a>.<br />
<br />
Wayne Horvitz: piano, electronics<br />
<a href="http://www.standingwave.ca/peggy-lee-cello/" target="_blank">Peggy Lee</a>: cello<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Miles" target="_blank">Ron Miles</a>: trumpet<br />
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/saraschoenbeck" target="_blank">Sara Schoenbeck</a>: bassoon<br />
<br />
This recording is quietly successful on many different levels. Offering up a collection of jazz chamber works that balance the taut, textural beauty of Wayne Horvitz's compositions against the restrained improvisational prowess of four strong musical personalities. The first impression left by this music is the inspired instrumentation of piano, cello, trumpet and bassoon. This soon gives way to the voices lurking behind each of those instruments. Ron Miles bringing sour notes into a placid texture that miraculously work their way into an essential part of the sound. Peggy Lee lending her lyrical prowess at multiple points along the cello's register. And Sara Schoenbeck deftly weaving the bassoon between the worlds of chamber music and improvised jazz while making a strong case for the timbral addition of the double reed instrument. But at the heart of this music is Wayne Horvitz's compositions and his deft arrangements for this ensemble. This is what gives this disc lasting power. The calm, and often delicately dissonant-to-consonant textures find form and take deep root with this collection. This one is well worth multiple listens.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddi0yAzxRMijijeczibzpQvelE-ecOk0FfmL8Nc5DR7wo4FnGwzV1Sxhv5NWd4NWGJw9nSJvscBjcWEj0GPuOZuKfAYtexHy8oe26PbEhKN0gUEJwLdxu5fOrMWUPw1IUJMuA1A/s1600/MessiaenEdition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddi0yAzxRMijijeczibzpQvelE-ecOk0FfmL8Nc5DR7wo4FnGwzV1Sxhv5NWd4NWGJw9nSJvscBjcWEj0GPuOZuKfAYtexHy8oe26PbEhKN0gUEJwLdxu5fOrMWUPw1IUJMuA1A/s320/MessiaenEdition.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Messiaen" target="_blank">Olivier Messiaen</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Messiaen-Edition-Box-Set-Olivier/dp/B000A2ACWO" target="_blank">Messiaen Edition</a> [disc 4]</i>. 1963, 1956, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1996, 2000. <a href="http://www.warnerclassics.com/" target="_blank">Teldec Classics/Warner Classics</a>: <a href="http://www.warnerclassics.com/release,MessiaenEdition_4559.htm" target="_blank">2564 62162-2</a>.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatuor_pour_la_fin_du_temps" target="_blank">Quatuor pour la fin du Temps</a></i> (1940-41)<br />
Huguette Fernandez: violin<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Deplus" target="_blank">Guy Deplus</a>: clarinet<br />
Jacques Nielz: cello<br />
Marie-Madeleine Petit: piano<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinq_rechants" target="_blank">Cinq Rechants</a> </i>(1948)<br />
pour 12 parties vocales reelles<br />
<br />
Solistes des choeurs de l'ORTF<br />
<a href="http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Couraud-Marcel.htm" target="_blank">Marcel Couraud</a>: conductor<br />
<br />
Listening to this disc is an interesting exercise in hearing both the familiar and the unfamiliar. <i>The Quartet for the End of Time</i> is a deeply familiar work to these ears and yet this particular performance is new to me. While the <i>Cinq Rechants</i> is something unfamiliar altogether (and composed for a capella performers, also unfamiliar terrain relative to instrumental chamber music).<br />
<br />
<i>The Quartet for the End of Time</i> is an enormously significant work emanating from the darkness of the Second World War and literally composed from within the depths of despair within a Nazi prisoner of war camp. Having heard multiple performances, it should not be surprising that the substance of this piece manifests itself in so many different ways. And yet it is. This particular take gives a much harder edge to the transitions within these movements than I'm used to hearing. And while this isn't the most transcendent performance of this piece I've heard, the fifth ("Louange A l'Eternite De Jesus") and eighth ("Louange A L'immortalite De Jesus") movements come close to being the best interpretations I've yet come across. The temptation to speed up the slow tempos on the cello and violin feature movements is resisted nicely, allowing the material to soar to the staggering heights that makes this piece so enduring.<br />
<br />
The <i>Cinq Rechants</i> is a different beast altogether. My non-French ears hear everything as sound and texture even as my mind understands that the language is an expression of faith. The unapologetic use of twentieth century techniques and rapid changes through virtuosic passages makes for an expression of faith I can appreciate. The depth of Messiaen's expressive and technical prowess makes for a towering presence along with a body of music that must be heard.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw460qlHJalx689ccsG0YYaL38BJ14EP2T1L3tY9lkvWbGyad-8MaSHjbn02Vt61X6jznSugEyGx-SyYLWsL1vQkT50JNV6SB-RA5HV8XgCdYGcpEhRIsx3p2z_TVbXEugWQ7iQ/s1600/TheCompleteOnTheCornerSessions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIw460qlHJalx689ccsG0YYaL38BJ14EP2T1L3tY9lkvWbGyad-8MaSHjbn02Vt61X6jznSugEyGx-SyYLWsL1vQkT50JNV6SB-RA5HV8XgCdYGcpEhRIsx3p2z_TVbXEugWQ7iQ/s1600/TheCompleteOnTheCornerSessions.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis" target="_blank">Miles Davis</a>: <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_On_the_Corner_Sessions" target="_blank">The Complete On The Corner Sessions</a> [disc 3]. </i>2007. <a href="http://www.sonymusic.com/" target="_blank">Sony BMG Music Entertainment</a>: <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-complete-on-the-corner-sessions-mw0000485176" target="_blank">88697 06239 2</a>.<br />
<br />
Miles Davis: trumpet, organ<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Garnett" target="_blank">Carlos Garnett</a>: soprano saxophone<br />
Cedric Lawson: organ<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Lucas" target="_blank">Reggie Lucas</a>: guitar<br />
Khalil Balakrishna: electric sitar<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Henderson" target="_blank">Michael Henderson</a>: electric bass<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Foster" target="_blank">Al Foster</a>: drums<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badal_Roy" target="_blank">Badal Roy</a>: tablas<br />
<a href="http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Mtume.html" target="_blank">Mtume</a>: congas<br />
<a href="http://www.daveliebman.com/home.php" target="_blank">Dave Liebman</a>: soprano saxophone, flute<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Cosey" target="_blank">Pete Cosey</a>: guitar<br />
<br />
There is a free flowing density to much of these sets and outtakes that makes for a big, sloppy, funky mess. But it happens to make for a delicious, sloppy mess. And with this third disc we come upon the session tapes for "Peace" and "Mr. Foster" where Miles Davis has carved out some introspective moments that open up the density and allow one to hear into the way individual performers explore this groove-heavy terrain. In many ways, this box set is a glimpse into a jam session populated by serious musicians. Long forms give way to an endless expanse. When one steps back to take in the whole of this massive sound an attractive mood and texture takes shape as it seemingly expands toward an infinite expanse. Individual solo lines take on an equal urgency with the pulse of this music. The long trumpet solo on "Mir. Foster" drives home the fact that Miles Davis was still in full command of his improvisational abilities at this stage of his recording career even as he churned out reams of music that remain to be understood on levels not yet realized.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.383184343.469412 -79.69904129999999 43.837039999999995 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-56748240906466416312012-09-16T17:54:00.000-04:002012-09-16T17:56:56.060-04:00HurdAudio Rotation: Greater than Human Scale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lxRTG032spsujoesbJOaQuzNnnzIErrcv6hrNa_7kQsZO6Z8rlDH7zoHhUycf3FB1yt9Mfd2RenzIAfkkcbbaDZHVHkocDFt7ppo5EgH3pf-YlKolYW2seHa8If2mtjbh62YGA/s1600/BitteOrca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lxRTG032spsujoesbJOaQuzNnnzIErrcv6hrNa_7kQsZO6Z8rlDH7zoHhUycf3FB1yt9Mfd2RenzIAfkkcbbaDZHVHkocDFt7ppo5EgH3pf-YlKolYW2seHa8If2mtjbh62YGA/s320/BitteOrca.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Dirty Projectors: <i>Bitte Orca</i>. 2009. Domino Recordings: DN0217CD.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Projectors" target="_blank">David Longstreth</a>: vocals, guitar, musical direction<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Coffman" target="_blank">Amber Coffman</a>: vocals, guitar<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Deradoorian" target="_blank">Angel Deradoorian</a>: vocals, guitar<br />
<a href="http://soundcloud.com/brian-mcomber" target="_blank">Brian Mcomber</a>: drums<br />
<a href="http://westernvinyl.com/artists/natbaldwin.html" target="_blank">Nat Baldwin</a>: bass<br />
Jordan Dykstra: viola<br />
Caleb Russell: violin<br />
Andrew Todd: violin<br />
Anna Fritz: cello<br />
<br />
Since this disc last appeared in the HurdAudio Rotation this band has blown up big. And deservedly so. Also, I realize that they're now promoting a more recent recording that deserves inclusion in the rotation as well. But the HurdAudio Rotation has never been about focusing on the latest, hippest thing and only occasionally finds itself ahead of the curve on that front. This is a listening journal that attempts to forget nothing that vibrates these ear drums even with a ravenous appetite for new sounds.<br />
<br />
That said, <i>Bitte Orca</i> is a stunning work of art rock that continues to leave a deep impression and give the ears plenty to discover over several listenings. The sequence of songs is inspired. The songs themselves offer up such unforced, fresh forms that reaffirm the potential of song in the twenty-first century. And buried in the middle of this set is the exquisite "Two Doves" that will one day take on a life of its own once people realize the potential for reinterpreting its melodic angles. The poetry of the words stands along side the inventive vocal parts that prove that voice has more timbral potential than merely being the focal point. It's the fluid movement of instrumental parts and voice that carries the ears along the journey that <i>Bitte Orca</i> presents. David Longstreth proves that smart can give music long shelf life.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NgIHMWvdTgCiV_qRrMLtOmS9-EJfwbpWnG7BIazON-WdHQSYQklf4bpE3-xE414e6wn4hbwK8tO7j1Puk9wJ4wIex8DQttd9VJuQi6iqZcHr43qHbfW9SsWBIqioF3v1xEerCw/s1600/GrownBackwards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NgIHMWvdTgCiV_qRrMLtOmS9-EJfwbpWnG7BIazON-WdHQSYQklf4bpE3-xE414e6wn4hbwK8tO7j1Puk9wJ4wIex8DQttd9VJuQi6iqZcHr43qHbfW9SsWBIqioF3v1xEerCw/s320/GrownBackwards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Byrne" target="_blank">David Byrne</a>: <i><a href="http://www.davidbyrne.com/music/cds/grown_backwards/index.php" target="_blank">Grown Backwards</a>. </i>2004. <a href="http://www.nonesuch.com/" target="_blank">Nonesuch</a>: <a href="http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/grown-backwards" target="_blank">79826-2</a>.<br />
<br />
David Byrne: vocals, nylon-string guitar, electric guitar, dobro, rhodes<br />
Mauro Refosco: marimba, percussion<br />
Jane Scarpantoni: cello<br />
David Hilliard: high hat<br />
Paul Frazier: bass<br />
The Tosca Strings:<br />
Leigh Mahoney: violin<br />
Tracy Seeger: violin<br />
Jamie Desautels: violin<br />
Ames Asbell: viola<br />
Sara Nelson: cello<br />
Douglas Harvey: cello<br />
John Mills: clarinet, bass clarinet, flute<br />
Freddie Mendoza: trombone, euphonium<br />
Mike Maddox: accordion<br />
Elaine Barber: harp<br />
Rufus Wainwright: vocals<br />
Pamelia Kurstin: theremin<br />
Stephen Barber: prepared piano<br />
Tom Burritt: marimba, tympani<br />
Karen Mantler: organ<br />
Steve Swallow: bass<br />
Vincent Herring: alto saxophone<br />
Alex Foster: tenor saxophone<br />
Gary Smulyan: baritone saxophone<br />
Earl Gardner: trumpet<br />
Lew Soloff: trumpet<br />
Ray Anderson: trombone<br />
Keith O'Quinn: trombone<br />
Bob Routch: french horn<br />
Bob Stewart: tuba<br />
Barry Burns: spacey guitar, rhodes<br />
Lisa Aferiat: violin<br />
Greg Lawson: violin<br />
Fiona Stephen: violin<br />
Donald Gillan: viola<br />
Robert Irvine: viola<br />
Una McGlone: bass<br />
Johnny Quinn: drums<br />
Andy Waterworth: bass<br />
Ross Godfrey: keyboards<br />
Paul Godfrey: sequencing<br />
Jon Blondell: trombone<br />
John Mills: baritone saxophone<br />
Steve Williams: drums<br />
Kenny Wollesen: drums<br />
John Linnell: accordion<br />
Jon Vercesi: rhodes<br />
Sandra Park: violin<br />
Sharon Yamada: violin<br />
Soo Hyun Kwon: violin<br />
Katherine Fong: violin<br />
Dawn Hannay: viola<br />
David Creswell: viola<br />
Alan Stpansky: cello<br />
Jeremy Turner: cello<br />
Shelley Woodworth: oboe, english horn<br />
Mark Nuccio: clarinet<br />
Philip Myers: french horn<br />
John Patitucci: bass<br />
Patrick Dillett: background vocals<br />
Steve Williams: drum triggers<br />
<br />
David Byrne's career has careened through any number of unpredictable avenues that have managed to drag one foot through accessibility and the other along an artistic fringe that have earned him a body of music that deserves respect, and more than a certain degree of love if one listens to it with the same degree of honesty that went into its realization. Byrne has been a constant presence for these ears that have aged along the span of his creative output. So it's a little unusual to arrive so late to <i>Grown Backwards</i>, taking it in a number of years after its release. Such is the nature of musical abundance that delay is inevitable even when catching up with the musicians one has grown up listening to.<br />
<br />
The most striking thing about <i>Grown Backwards</i> is that it is a relatively traditional oriented set of songs bearing the unmistakable impression of Byrne's well developed language. It is more acoustic than the thickly (and well) produced sets found on <i>Feelings</i> or <i>Look Into the Eyeball</i>. But it is acoustic arrangements presented with the same ear for production details found on those releases. The quality of the Carla Bley arrangement is hardly lost on these ears. Hearing Byrne's poetry and vocals within a bed of acoustic instruments isn't new ground for anyone who remembers <i>Rei Momo</i> or his brass arrangements on <i>Knee Plays</i>. But this is a set of songs that darts in radically different directions. The inclusion of opera music by Bizet and Verdi is startling. More so for the seamlessness of its inclusion than as novelty. The opera selections are most startling for the lack of "quirkiness" that has essentially been the hallmark of so much of Byrne's career. It is now the sound of a proven artist with his heart well invested in his craft. Like the rest of David Byrne's solo oeuvre, it manages to exceed already high expectations with a sound that invites a healthy range of the serious and the fun.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJYD-tr6GoyKYlch-QiiiNYGoah5dl-IU4x40H1ND7xrkUhTsYMTs0jlfneRr4BjAbTchnjyzU66OgpHnu6ebT5RjMe63SKxh08gD94a883LHZV814bwO70Piny9dEDU_rIVrrw/s1600/OrchestralWorksVol2(Xenakis).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJYD-tr6GoyKYlch-QiiiNYGoah5dl-IU4x40H1ND7xrkUhTsYMTs0jlfneRr4BjAbTchnjyzU66OgpHnu6ebT5RjMe63SKxh08gD94a883LHZV814bwO70Piny9dEDU_rIVrrw/s1600/OrchestralWorksVol2(Xenakis).jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iannis_Xenakis" target="_blank">Iannis Xenakis</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Xenakis-Orchestral-Works-Vol-II/dp/B00005RTSE" target="_blank">Orchestral Works - Vol II</a></i>. 2001. <a href="http://www.timpani-records.com/" target="_blank">Timpani</a>: <a href="http://www.timpani-records.com/1c1062.php" target="_blank">1C1062</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.opl.lu/fr/" target="_blank">Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg</a><br />
<a href="http://www.arturotamayo.com/" target="_blank">Arturo Tamayo</a>: conductor<br />
<br />
<i>Jonchaies </i>(1977)<br />
<i>Shaar </i>(1983)<br />
<i>Lichens </i>(1983)<br />
<i>Antikhthon </i>(1971)<br />
<br />
These are pieces for large orchestras. <i>Jonchaies</i> is scored for 109 musicians, <i>Shaar</i> for "large string orchestra," <i>Lichens</i> for 96 players and <i>Antikhthon</i> calls for 86 or 60. This massing of humanity is called into the service of realizing an aesthetic that calls to mind massive forces that act upon an inner logic with indifference to human scale. The liner notes reference the shaping of continents along geological time and the formulation of ancient languages from individual phonemes. At times I hear the individual sounds as electrons interacting at a microscopic scale beyond the grasp of human observation forming an electrified whole. An orchestral medium being treated as a means for realizing acoustic musique concrete. The sweeping result is awe inspiring and one that inspires while leaving the single listener feeling small within these enormous textures.<br />
<br />
Having a recording of this music, produced at a high quality and performed brilliantly by such a large mass of humanity is a gift that is nothing short of a miracle. It serves as a forceful reminder of the range of expression composed for orchestra is far larger than the average season schedule would lead one to believe. That unabashed adherence to algorithmic means and blistering dissonance has produced exhilarating gems such as these. This is music that should inspire uncompromising composers to push toward expansive horizons in all media. And push audiences to consider that music can be more than programmatic when taking on expressions of elemental magnificence. This is music that <i>is</i> the mountains, rather than just <i>about</i> the mountains. Masses of sound that speak to the austere beauty of an expanding universe from within the limited frequency range of human hearing. Four pieces that display the kind of lasting mark Iannis Xenakis achieved in the 20th century.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0Toronto, ON, Canada43.653226 -79.383184343.469412 -79.69904129999999 43.837039999999995 -79.0673273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-16962151154528930142012-09-15T09:58:00.000-04:002012-09-15T09:58:25.320-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGF5aHIHFCOELhZ8NJT8yN5Uxw8d-hYFufpdBWe7FQJ5Hzb5wXUQgH8rMYNXmru8UB7Ebf-C4ylD8dnQzksF5AgyYp4G38YqywjwUF6EpFzPtYMJa_j1MO6EftFafFyY1-yC-8vw/s1600/Toronto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGF5aHIHFCOELhZ8NJT8yN5Uxw8d-hYFufpdBWe7FQJ5Hzb5wXUQgH8rMYNXmru8UB7Ebf-C4ylD8dnQzksF5AgyYp4G38YqywjwUF6EpFzPtYMJa_j1MO6EftFafFyY1-yC-8vw/s320/Toronto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Those who have followed this blog from the beginning have seen it track my movements from Seattle to Los Angeles to Baltimore to San Francisco to Chicago...<br />
<br />
Well, I've moved again. And it's taken a lot longer to ramp up to full blogging power with all the complexities of stacking on an additional move, immigration, new job and other life events. But the speakers are finally plugged in and the concentrated listening/composing space is finally reassembled. This longer-than-expected hiatus is about to end.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-18215359584308936932012-03-09T01:01:00.000-05:002012-03-09T01:01:00.757-05:00International Ornette Coleman Day 2012<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMRZwZlN2X-Ve0chsQZu219lnYBMknHZ0MBLS0x4o0YIxm8dMuORh1KxU6hiAqYt9t3hh7Ijj5nIijr4g-VVMFEBh1HJO4ts4DJ3wNz3LhVwKnwSoaLPD_YQVYeOoWf_Q0vRJ5Q/s1600/OrnetteCouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMRZwZlN2X-Ve0chsQZu219lnYBMknHZ0MBLS0x4o0YIxm8dMuORh1KxU6hiAqYt9t3hh7Ijj5nIijr4g-VVMFEBh1HJO4ts4DJ3wNz3LhVwKnwSoaLPD_YQVYeOoWf_Q0vRJ5Q/s320/OrnetteCouch.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What I find inspiring about Ornette is his
genuine creative impulse. He arrived on the scene with a fully formed concept
that was innovative and completely honest, playing the way he did because that
was just how he heard music. The integrity of that approach, let alone the
nature of the content of his art, is something I think all creative people
aspire towards in some way. I'm influenced by Ornette as a saxophone player and
an improviser coming from the jazz tradition, but I'm not really interested in
sounding just like him or recreating what he's already done. The truth
Ornette's sound and concept represents to me has helped me to identify what's
true within myself. If my music bears some resemblance to Ornette's for some
people, I think it can be attributed to my working through these external
truths that have validated and unlocked some internal ones that are distinctly
mine. As time goes on, I hear myself developing my own style, and the process
of working on music like this is a lifelong pursuit.</span></blockquote>
- Nick Mazzarella<br />
<br />
Ornette Coleman turns 82 today. His music continues to shape the sound of jazz yet to come. A substantial creative and spiritual force that reverberates as strong now as when he burst onto the scene in 1959 with that amazing quartet with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. I hear harmony different today because of Ornette Coleman. I hear rhythm different today because of Ornette Coleman. I understand improvisation different today because of Ornette Coleman. And beyond the sum of all of those parts one finds the incredible melodic sensibility of Ornette Coleman. Those melodies are striking. A near perfect balance of lyrical and emotive as notes bleed into cries of joy and anguish. The free jazz movement that ignited from his spark continues to burn today and is particularly strong in Chicago, where it was my privilege to hear the next generation of musicians inspired by his harmolodics this past year and a half. <br />
<br />
A figure worthy of his own holiday. Happy International Ornette Coleman Day.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-85162898496876129452012-02-28T10:03:00.001-05:002012-02-28T10:03:36.278-05:00Reverberant Celebration of Sofia Gubaidulina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaz2OZ4eFrtB-ANrYqmCYk4i-NbS6SKBI3KDw71TBioLDkUqIdekEVzV3W-p1WMDeQmzbq_GAEKon6Qnt68uRn154mLN2fgEuByU_XUVDFg4tEhMCVFYC2OuP8butw75B46CSyFw/s1600/Contempo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaz2OZ4eFrtB-ANrYqmCYk4i-NbS6SKBI3KDw71TBioLDkUqIdekEVzV3W-p1WMDeQmzbq_GAEKon6Qnt68uRn154mLN2fgEuByU_XUVDFg4tEhMCVFYC2OuP8butw75B46CSyFw/s320/Contempo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My review of Contempo Chicago's Sofia Gubaidulina celebration is posted <a href="http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/reverberant-celebration-of-sofia-gubaidulina/" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-82946031757115097442012-02-16T11:59:00.003-05:002012-02-16T11:59:31.944-05:00Seldoms in Space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd-m3UUr5NCaXj7l4iphsPp9s0GVzaEIj54OZXVp2CUtQBSIc0utVhoXaebsTOzbqTOVsuQAtBGm_sgUOQU7vRoftwjmOEwd_qCFm3UPbpbwaltG4djeq0_Ig-5ER7w0Vxm-xLA/s1600/IMG_1042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd-m3UUr5NCaXj7l4iphsPp9s0GVzaEIj54OZXVp2CUtQBSIc0utVhoXaebsTOzbqTOVsuQAtBGm_sgUOQU7vRoftwjmOEwd_qCFm3UPbpbwaltG4djeq0_Ig-5ER7w0Vxm-xLA/s320/IMG_1042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
My review is posted <a href="http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/seldoms-in-space/" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-30783911810334850062012-02-12T17:26:00.000-05:002012-02-12T17:26:56.738-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: Dedication to Poets and Brums<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L0PGyS9LRCIFh5Lk-jQ548mt5DaB3TpobEsyv072ArqXjOgc3sahDrWrAILaha2WNwbGQ21qoP91wZ_MKoWHPSSjSYHbjft27oi1QPao2p-a9X5k6pCfRrF6M8-OJZ_TXagzqQ/s1600/DedicationToPoetsAndWriters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L0PGyS9LRCIFh5Lk-jQ548mt5DaB3TpobEsyv072ArqXjOgc3sahDrWrAILaha2WNwbGQ21qoP91wZ_MKoWHPSSjSYHbjft27oi1QPao2p-a9X5k6pCfRrF6M8-OJZ_TXagzqQ/s1600/DedicationToPoetsAndWriters.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornette_Coleman" target="_blank">Ornette Coleman</a>: <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_Hall,_1962" target="_blank">Dedication to Poets and Writers</a></i>. 1962.<br />
Magic Music: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QQVE7G/ref=dm_sp_alb" target="_blank">30010-CD</a>.<br />
<br />
Ornette Coleman: saxophones<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Izenzon" target="_blank">David Izenzohn</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Moffett" target="_blank">Charles Moffett</a>: percussion<br />
Selwart Clark: violin<br />
Nathan Goldstein: violin<br />
Julian Barber: viola<br />
Kermit Moore: cello<br />
<br />
This particular set has been of particular interest for me. Poised at an early transition point between Ornette Coleman's legendary quartet (the one that propelled him with full force onto the jazz scene) and the body of music that would follow. This was a concert organized and funded by Ornette Coleman that barely broke even as bad weather kept attendance low. Which also set the stage for the criminally low acceptance (and encouragement) of Ornette Coleman's forays into composed chamber works. Hearing his intervallic logic worked out in a string quartet is incredibly fascinating and I wish that more ears perked up when he began exploring this direction. Coleman's trio work is also presented here as a road he managed to travel more frequently. We are left with this documentation that manages to hint at both what was to come and what could have been.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1vA03682jX_bilgtcWMJr82e073OEO38Zn82ooQlVrbBGJbiyNp8M55G2EWb4AW7Tth-AIexl2xiZLKf1sFomfjJLRf58gSKBvC37rHFTQbWH7N5C-2ddfp0wWslgf66CGsyNg/s1600/CongsForBrums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1vA03682jX_bilgtcWMJr82e073OEO38Zn82ooQlVrbBGJbiyNp8M55G2EWb4AW7Tth-AIexl2xiZLKf1sFomfjJLRf58gSKBvC37rHFTQbWH7N5C-2ddfp0wWslgf66CGsyNg/s1600/CongsForBrums.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ches_Smith" target="_blank">Ches Smith</a>: <i><a href="http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=23393" target="_blank">Congs for Brums</a></i>. 2006. <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/label/Free+Porcupine+Society/a/Free+Porcupine+Society" target="_blank">Free Porcupine Society</a>: <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7048336" target="_blank">015</a>.<br />
<br />
Ches Smith: drums, vibraphone<br />
<br />
Ches Smith sustains a 45-minute solo through a careful excursion through distinct territories. <i>Ches for Brums</i> opens with a handful of notes on the vibraphone that border on being a network call sign. This is then developed outward as a vibraphone solo that introduces bowed tones and moves toward metal bowls, bells and other percussion instruments along a path that leads toward the trap set. Later pieces in this set move between the vibraphone and drums, exploring textural and stylistic variants that touch upon experimental percussion music, cool jazz and heavy metal. <i>Congs for Brums</i> works as a showcase for Ches Smith's personal stylistic sensibilities. His sense of formal development and his unique attack and tone. It's less of a showcase of his formal technique. His concern being weighted toward ideas and less toward flash. This is is his own musical language and he speaks it fluently. After a few spins of this disc I've come to appreciate his sense of dynamic variation and restraint. He comes tantalizingly close to spinning out a sonic world that the listener can fully inhabit with transitions that cut things short before they get too comfortable. Which is a sure fire way of leaving the listener hungry for more.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmH2iHJpx1-OeEHRJFz3KogH0LSpHwTPa_UEZouYHEfrpdSYJh4WbZsT0-a4KYuX_2BDph9hg13JQDy1YoXxNabKC6lnHck7a06IhWQ0Rs9khRc_4bcXEa5ib_QMDql2Rf8AE9w/s1600/TechnicolorHell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmH2iHJpx1-OeEHRJFz3KogH0LSpHwTPa_UEZouYHEfrpdSYJh4WbZsT0-a4KYuX_2BDph9hg13JQDy1YoXxNabKC6lnHck7a06IhWQ0Rs9khRc_4bcXEa5ib_QMDql2Rf8AE9w/s1600/TechnicolorHell.jpg" /></a>Various Artists: <i><a href="http://www.discogs.com/Various-Technicolor-Hell/release/1536385" target="_blank">Technicolor Hell</a>. 2007. </i><a href="http://malleablerecs.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">Malleable</a>: <a href="http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2007/06/21/technicolor-hell" target="_blank">01</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mincemeatortenspeed.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Mincemeat or Tenspeed</a><br />
<a href="http://davesmolen.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Dave Smolen</a><br />
<a href="http://breathmint.net/" target="_blank">Newton</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sharkswithwings.com/" target="_blank">Sharks with Wings</a><br />
<a href="http://breathmint.net/archives/tag/dave-smolen" target="_blank">Sweet Nothing</a><br />
<a href="http://www.promulgator.com/" target="_blank">Charles Cohen</a><br />
<a href="http://soundcloud.com/joe-lentini" target="_blank">Joe Lentini</a><br />
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/carswillburn" target="_blank">Cars Will Burn</a><br />
Tweeter<br />
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/timalbro" target="_blank">Tim Albro</a><br />
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/drumslikemachineguns" target="_blank">Drums Like Machine Guns</a><br />
<br />
A compilation of the Philadelphia harsh noise scene that reveals multiple shades of aggressive signal flow. The stand out for me is the relatively placid "I'll Let the Committee Name It" by Charles Cohen with his electronic textures of drips and liquid bubbling giving way to drumming textures. It's a piece with a great sense of its own extremes and a sense of form that mines those extremes. Newton's "Ode To My Bloody Philadelphia Heart" delivers the sharp bursts of static-laden noise that is a therapeutic staple of noise music. Another track that lulls the ears in with its slow trickle of feedback before turning on the full fire hose of harsh is "Four Color Heck" by Tweeter. A piece that deftly plumbs the high frequency drones most likely to leave the ears ringing afterward. As a compilation, there is an inevitable uneven quality to these selections. Though none of the tracks on <i>Technicolor Hell</i> are sub standard. There are a few that slave a little too hard to an industrial beat for my taste. But each does stand up as an aggressive (and necessary) expression. This is collection is strictly for those willing to expand their awareness of sonic extremities.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-63665300965977041882012-02-07T16:38:00.000-05:002012-02-07T16:38:27.534-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: Groove and Drone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbYBGmVOUIjsIIZkUjws8iCTPZ6DidhCYHPGl_9O5-LtFf9WPkmcDv_q7jGN2ZtJa-RtLJCd3pYLaIgZ558YhdSo1qBEFb8VPYEP-GXQDWBH75_Mu81IW_v8igCCWmPiC7jp4rA/s1600/Give.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbYBGmVOUIjsIIZkUjws8iCTPZ6DidhCYHPGl_9O5-LtFf9WPkmcDv_q7jGN2ZtJa-RtLJCd3pYLaIgZ558YhdSo1qBEFb8VPYEP-GXQDWBH75_Mu81IW_v8igCCWmPiC7jp4rA/s320/Give.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bad_Plus" target="_blank">The Bad Plus</a>: <i><a href="http://www.slumdance.com/blogs/brian_flemming/archives/000671.html" target="_blank">Give</a></i>. 2004. <a href="http://www.sonymusic.com/" target="_blank">Sony Music Entertainment</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Give-Bad-Plus/dp/B0001AP0PY" target="_blank">CK 90771</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_Anderson" target="_blank">Reid Anderson</a>: bass<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Iverson" target="_blank">Ethan Iverson</a>: piano<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_King_(musician)" target="_blank">David King</a>: drums<br />
<br />
The Bad Plus brings a healthy dose of prog rock to the jazz piano trio. They do it without spectacle or glamour or back up vocalists. They do it with a sound that is grounded in both jazz performance history and ears wise to the multitude of genres of the past several decades. A lot of focus has been given to their approach to covering popular tunes (co-opting is more like it). <i>Give </i>does close out with a particularly inspired shade of Deep Purple's "Iron Man." But the focus on the way they twist the familiar gives short shift to the inventive turns that each member of this trio brings to this set as composers. Particularly the balance of serious versus whimsy that David King strikes with such gems as "1979 Semi-Finalist" and "Layin' A Strip For the Higher-Self State Line." Rhythmically, this is an incredibly tight group. Though they do display an ability to loosen things up a bit when taking on Ornette Coleman's "Street Woman" in harmolodic style. They manage to turn in performances that are enormously polished without being anesthetized.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9eflW_w3jwPett20jUnw4ekfLvDdrmYum17hvseMlzDOUve8Sfq3eJmwmvbsquEuQyc7cjkjKvZuoQmWuqHt_otfE49gOOuGWlfPZbke90RkkMy8tUFlbQGCBpfDGlTVwDCVpg/s1600/ForRobPowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9eflW_w3jwPett20jUnw4ekfLvDdrmYum17hvseMlzDOUve8Sfq3eJmwmvbsquEuQyc7cjkjKvZuoQmWuqHt_otfE49gOOuGWlfPZbke90RkkMy8tUFlbQGCBpfDGlTVwDCVpg/s320/ForRobPowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://jonathanzorn.net/" target="_blank">Jonathan Zorn</a>: <i><a href="http://set-projects.com/forrobpowers.html" target="_blank">For Rob Powers: Suite no. 2 - Additive Feedback</a></i>. 2004. <a href="http://set-projects.com/" target="_blank">Set-Projects</a>: <a href="http://set-projects.com/forrobpowers.html" target="_blank">03</a>.<br />
<br />
Jonathan Zorn: electronics<br />
<br />
The first twenty minutes or so of this suite exists at the very periphery of human perception. A single drone that changes dramatically as the listener moves their head relative to the speakers. Not all speakers can produce this frequency. When this psycho acoustically rich drone does change musically it comes as a jolt. A barely perceptible, barely audible pure tone that suddenly changes frequency, amplitude and slowly becomes less of a single sine tone. The remainder of this suite unfolds through a series of short movements that retain the singularity of this sound. A near monophonic study that introduces more variation and improvised bursts of sound driven by the way electrons interact as a signal. The texture and the form of this work presents a stark austerity of sonic materials. Opening the ears to the expansive qualities of minimal source.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmtJx2LC8WgHTwrPsz-iDHlwb6rOF-L3Uk5ZRJ0p5nXcy4ycm1b2jjJLl-1Z4U9bYASXS4sdewhO2D0J7wYQEPxfaOiEtnt6tvbPlIHgD0RQC-6sJ6Rnl7-HdnRQWUEr1zv0rag/s1600/Errata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmtJx2LC8WgHTwrPsz-iDHlwb6rOF-L3Uk5ZRJ0p5nXcy4ycm1b2jjJLl-1Z4U9bYASXS4sdewhO2D0J7wYQEPxfaOiEtnt6tvbPlIHgD0RQC-6sJ6Rnl7-HdnRQWUEr1zv0rag/s1600/Errata.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Sharp" target="_blank">Elliott Sharp</a>/Tectonics: <i><a href="http://www.discogs.com/Elliott-Sharp-Tectonics-Errata/release/1628478" target="_blank">Errata</a></i>. 1999. <a href="http://www.allrecordlabels.com/db/9/1189.html" target="_blank">Knitting Factory Records</a>: <a href="http://www.jazzloft.com/p-46525-tectonics-errata.aspx" target="_blank">KFR-255</a>.<br />
<br />
Composed, performed and produced by Elliott Sharp.<br />
<br />
Tectonics was Elliott Sharp's foray into the realm of electronica. Studio creations that work with groove centered materials with Sharp's own sonic sensibilities attacking the form and content. Part of what makes Elliott Sharp's music so appealing to my ears is his cerebral instinct that prevents him from mindlessly jamming out over drum loops. He respects the physicality of the musical pulse. This keeps him from wandering into the pulse-less, anti-body territory favored by other cerebral composers and instead mines a relentless assault upon texture as grooves are assembled and dissolved through creative processing and jump cuts. The end result is a music that would never survive within night club dance culture (his Tectonics releases were frequently criticized as "failures" for not crossing over). But the flip side is that this is music that ages incredibly well. And I'll admit to being stuck on this disc for a few days as I discover nuances I had missed on an old favorite of mine. But the real payoff in listening to this set as a whole is the final three tracks: "Goomy," "Kargyrea" and "Errataka." Everything that comes before them feels like it builds up to where those three pieces go. "Goomy" artfully develops a bass line and beat that skirt dangerously close to ear worm territory. "Kargyrea" then seamlessly picks up on the timbral qualities of "Goomy" and develops it further. Then "Errataka" comes in and bulldozes the entire sound with an aggressive, drone-heavy assault.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-70667263474475025372012-02-02T17:49:00.000-05:002012-02-02T17:49:33.026-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: Mangled Pianos and Lake of Roaches<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNcZcHpzO1RAXTqwJRusMwcG5hqeC1IPx1uI5_tZrgQZpVOOKMfHnbIxMGB5zZBy69so3fyRXJrHRrNuM7WjGOeEHNnZPCTJeSHvbzk5iqeTnVlc_W-uVk7DXnMSayVXIDYGQ6Q/s1600/BurntIvoryAndLooseWires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNcZcHpzO1RAXTqwJRusMwcG5hqeC1IPx1uI5_tZrgQZpVOOKMfHnbIxMGB5zZBy69so3fyRXJrHRrNuM7WjGOeEHNnZPCTJeSHvbzk5iqeTnVlc_W-uVk7DXnMSayVXIDYGQ6Q/s1600/BurntIvoryAndLooseWires.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Gosfield" target="_blank">Annie Gosfield</a>: <i><a href="http://www.anniegosfield.com/ivory.html" target="_blank">Burnt Ivory and Loose Wires</a></i>. 1998. <a href="http://www.tzadik.com/" target="_blank">Tzadik</a>: <a href="http://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=7040" target="_blank">TZ 7040</a>.<br />
<br />
Annie Gosfield: composer, sampling keyboards<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Kleier" target="_blank">Roger Kleier</a>: electric guitar<br />
<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/christine-bard-p54186" target="_blank">Christine Bard</a>: drums, percussion<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Pugliese" target="_blank">Jim Pugliese</a>: percussion<br />
<a href="http://mindeartheart.org/tmook/" target="_blank">Ted Mook</a>: cello<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rova_Saxophone_Quartet" target="_blank">Rova Saxophone Quartet</a> -<br />
<a href="http://www.rova.org/about-us/bruce-ackley.html" target="_blank">Bruce Ackley</a>: soprano saxophone<br />
<a href="http://www.rova.org/about-us/steve-adams.html" target="_blank">Steve Adams</a>: alto saxophone<br />
<a href="http://www.rova.org/about-us/larry-ochs.html" target="_blank">Larry Ochs</a>: tenor saxophone<br />
<a href="http://www.rova.org/about-us/jon-raskin.html" target="_blank">Jon Raskin</a>: baritone saxophone<br />
<br />
<i>Nickolaievski Soldat </i>(1994)<br />
<i>Freud</i> (1996)<br />
<i>The Manufacture of Tangled Ivory</i> (1995)<br />
<i>Four Roses</i> (1997)<br />
<i>Blue Serge</i> (1996)<br />
<i>Brawl</i> (1998)<br />
<br />
There's a lot that hits home with these ears on this set of compositions. Detuned piano samples and bursts of groove centered, pulsating gestalts hit right where I live. <i>The Manufacture of Tangled Ivory</i> is an interesting piece structured along two, roughly 5-minute movements. The first is a sampler solo that explores a texture of mangled piano samples (deliciously detuned, of course). The second movement kicks into a large ensemble propelled by a driving pulse. The ensemble feels like an organic outgrowth of the solo material even as the focus shifts squarely toward a more fully composed sound. The sense of improvisation present in the first movement simply gives way to the militancy of the second. This is strangely satisfying. For my ears, <i>Nickolaievski Soldat</i> is the most satisfying of the set as a quartet of sampler, electric guitar and two percussionists. <i>Four Roses</i> is a great study in tension between sampler and cello. And <i>Brawl</i> offers a glimpse into the compositional terrain of Annie Gosfield when realized by a saxophone quartet (the only work on this set without a sampler). Gosfield works with a style that embraces the physicality of rhythm in compelling ways. Often this serves as a hook that draws the ears through a number of cerebral structures.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzelY5xeN_uGdbNfPV3Fuqg6xwiNUbRIWXqct61NLkANFzO0eAA786FFWto-PLvm0S-oE5jVy2fYuKq7BE3Qu0KG8D4HYirc-vx5oiSo1yt9H0f_Al7kjLeQwrAvLDz4KoS4YHGg/s1600/WhatExit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzelY5xeN_uGdbNfPV3Fuqg6xwiNUbRIWXqct61NLkANFzO0eAA786FFWto-PLvm0S-oE5jVy2fYuKq7BE3Qu0KG8D4HYirc-vx5oiSo1yt9H0f_Al7kjLeQwrAvLDz4KoS4YHGg/s1600/WhatExit.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Feldman" target="_blank">Mark Feldman</a>: <i><a href="http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=23078" target="_blank">What Exit</a></i>. 2006. <a href="http://www.ecmrecords.com/Startseite/startseite.php" target="_blank">ECM</a>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Exit-Mark-Feldman/dp/B000H7JDTU" target="_blank">1928 B0007361-02</a>.<br />
<br />
Mark Feldman: violin<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_(jazz)" target="_blank">John Taylor</a>: piano<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Jormin" target="_blank">Anders Jormin</a>: double-bass<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Rainey" target="_blank">Tom Rainey</a>: drums<br />
<br />
The first sound to seep into the air as this music spins up is Tom Rainey's sticks on the high hat ushering in the long form "Arcade" as it cycles through multiple configurations of this quartet as it realizes a reserved, sparse texture stretched out for over twenty minutes. The "Tom Rainey effect" comes into play early and often throughout this disc. Following "Arcade" is a series of more densely "composed" tunes that still leave plenty of breathing space for these stellar improvisers. My ears always perk up at this quartet realization of "Elegy," a piece I know well from Mark Feldman's solo recording for Tzadik. This recording is bathed in the spacious, Manfred Eicher production values that give this music a strong sense of chamber jazz. It's a sound that all four of these musicians thrive within as they turn in a nearly flawless jazz record. Highly, highly recommended.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIha4mCtyHR6OrlBEPfcIL092b2MB2k7mAqQDkvtkgchH12eL1D-rRDGBBQ4gvC3NzTr1BYbUYml0T5iBEgjiJGhuhfcAqv5-nekNaSU2LwtAvsjGQ1OfbThB5CquPKx7pft8iGQ/s1600/HumanAnimal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIha4mCtyHR6OrlBEPfcIL092b2MB2k7mAqQDkvtkgchH12eL1D-rRDGBBQ4gvC3NzTr1BYbUYml0T5iBEgjiJGhuhfcAqv5-nekNaSU2LwtAvsjGQ1OfbThB5CquPKx7pft8iGQ/s320/HumanAnimal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Eyes" target="_blank">Wolf Eyes</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Human-Animal-Dig-Wolf-Eyes/dp/B000GYHY68" target="_blank">Human Animal</a></i>. 2006. <a href="http://www.subpop.com/" target="_blank">Sub Pop</a>: <a href="http://www.subpop.com/releases/wolf_eyes/full_lengths/human_animal" target="_blank">SPCD 688</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wolfeyes.net/html/nate_art/main.html" target="_blank">Nathan Young</a>: electronics, metal, harmonica, voice<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeandear/1846774756/" target="_blank">Mike Connelly</a>: electronics, metal, guitar, voice<br />
<a href="http://www.identitytheory.com/audio/truths_wolfeyes.php" target="_blank">John Olson</a>: electronics, metal, saxophones, gong<br />
<br />
The title of the last track states Wolf Eyes' position succinctly; "Noise Not Music." Answering the question of what music can be when it attempts to embrace noise to the exclusion of music. Within my personal aesthetic one must travel quite some distance to escape music as I embrace noise and all sound as being perceived as music. My ears still regard this as noise <b>and </b>music. Though <i>Human Animal</i> does have a unique relationship with pain as I don't realize how much pain my ears have been in until this music stops and relieves a sensory system that has been overwhelmed by high frequency content. This is accompanied by a stinging sensation just as the eardrums reach a more relaxed state. <i>Human Animal</i> does manage to build up to this state, hiding the aural fatigue through textural variation and crescendo. Wolf Eyes opens this set with a slow simmer punctuated by percussive bursts before going into a full boil at the title track. The brutality of this bleak, dark soundscape is appealing in much the same way as spicy cuisine (which is another pain I gladly indulge). Like a well spiced dish, <i>Human Animal</i> does not disguise its form through a monotonous barrage of sonic aggression. This is a set that holds together for the duration of its 30+ minutes with a healthy density of surface details to keep the ears engaged as they bleed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-72525939451584164172012-01-31T16:47:00.000-05:002012-01-31T16:50:16.708-05:00HurdAudio Rotation: Of Funk and Hymn Tunes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfahWFQnTETVqC52GMAJezEGpIKXx17Tm_wRmjcyQzHn1rWXOtWGDtoyQhrFTP_CiOL4Alwt4bv-tW32ahLV-uJzqYvDoQpPdXPKUwrcPK6uIo9Wae4gEf7o686t5w56eFuqYZA/s1600/TheCompleteOnTheCornerSessions.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695282864544284466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfahWFQnTETVqC52GMAJezEGpIKXx17Tm_wRmjcyQzHn1rWXOtWGDtoyQhrFTP_CiOL4Alwt4bv-tW32ahLV-uJzqYvDoQpPdXPKUwrcPK6uIo9Wae4gEf7o686t5w56eFuqYZA/s400/TheCompleteOnTheCornerSessions.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 178px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 185px;" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis" target="_blank">Miles Davis</a>: <i><a href="http://www.miles-beyond.com/otcbox.htm" target="_blank">The Complete On The Corner Sessions</a> [disc 1]</i>. 2007. <a href="http://www.sonymusic.com/" target="_blank">Sony/BMG Music Entertainment</a>. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Corner-Sessions-Miles-Davis/dp/B000TLMWMO" target="_blank">88697062392</a>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Miles Davis: trumpet</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Liebman" target="_blank">Dave Liebman</a>: soprano saxophone</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_Corea" target="_blank">Chick Corea</a>: synthesizer</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbie_Hancock" target="_blank">Herbie Hancock</a>: electric piano</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Ivory_Williams" target="_blank">Harold Ivory Williams</a>: organ</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McLaughlin_(musician)" target="_blank">John McLaughlin</a>: guitar</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collin_Walcott" target="_blank">Collin Walcott</a>: electric sitar</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Henderson" target="_blank">Michael Henderson</a>: electric bass</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_DeJohnette" target="_blank">Jack DeJohnette</a>: drums</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Alias" target="_blank">Don Alias</a>: congas</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badal_Roy" target="_blank">Badal Roy</a>: tablas</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Hart" target="_blank">Billy Hart</a>: wood block, cowbell, percussion</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Garnett" target="_blank">Carlos Garnett</a>: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennie_Maupin" target="_blank">Bennie Maupin</a>: bass clarinet</div>
<div>
Dave Creamer: guitar</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Liston_Smith" target="_blank">Lonnie Liston Smith</a>: electric piano</div>
<div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Foster" target="_blank">Al Foster</a>: drums<br />
<br />
When I was a student it was clearly fashionable within the academic set to revere the music of Miles Davis while exempting everything he recorded after the 1960s. The dictates of this fashion required that people run a sharp scalpel along anything that was "plugged in" and "funky" as if it were an unfortunate aberration. This opinion was still expressed at the time accolades and tributes were piled on at the passing of Miles Davis. But there was this one DJ in Toronto who bucked this sentiment ever so slightly by stating that his aversion to the funk and fusion era Miles Davis was entirely his loss and not formed by a sense of that music being "inferior." As my ears have steadily absorbed the decades of musical output from the staggering genius of Miles Davis I have concluded that no such separation is called for. A willful "deaf spot" to any era of his music is a dishonest denial of the complete artistic arc that we are left with. While these <i>On the Corner</i> sessions are a sprawling soup, they are a delicious sprawling soup. The energy and texture of this music is enormously attractive in ways that are completely different from the bop, and <i>Kind of Blue</i> eras. Yet there is that distinctive sense of musicianship that unifies this music with the greatness of those earlier sounds. This is the sound that gave rise to so much that followed in its wake. Some of the movements and styles that followed have aged well and some have not. But <i>On the Corner</i> retains a timeless beauty that transcends its warts. This box set has become something I look forward to each time it comes up in the rotation.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuq_Z-jbX-vUlKAzwteGDV5yCLlbuOVlPl6C-kAlREQxHOPiXWctr51-BUlogKcQscVO52FGdnT6lAZoV4-DudwqoVuFwvw6H0cEnSbzI9MNdBoztFjzFc_OzrfNmyhCXC4Ft4Q/s1600/TheSonatasForViolinAndPiano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuq_Z-jbX-vUlKAzwteGDV5yCLlbuOVlPl6C-kAlREQxHOPiXWctr51-BUlogKcQscVO52FGdnT6lAZoV4-DudwqoVuFwvw6H0cEnSbzI9MNdBoztFjzFc_OzrfNmyhCXC4Ft4Q/s1600/TheSonatasForViolinAndPiano.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ives" target="_blank">Charles Ives</a>: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Ives-Sonatas-Violin-Piano/dp/B000003GII" target="_blank">The Sonatas for Violin and Piano</a>. </i>1991. <a href="http://www.bridgerecords.com/" target="_blank">Bridge Records</a>: <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1132887/a/Charles+Ives%3A+The+Sonatas+For+Violin+And+Piano.htm" target="_blank">BCD 9024A, B</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/faculty/faculty-detail.dot?id=20769" target="_blank">Gregory Fulkerson</a>: violin<br />
<a href="http://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/departments/piano/faculty_detail.dot?id=21183" target="_blank">Robert Shannon</a>: piano<br />
<br />
<i>Sonata No. 1 </i><br />
<i>Sonata No. 2</i><br />
<i>Sonata No. 3</i><br />
<i>Sonata No. 4</i><br />
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An artful and dedicated set of interpretations of these incredibly significant works for violin and piano. The often dense threads of hymns woven into a fabric that frequently threatens to unravel within these re-imaginings. "I Need Thee Every Hour" nearly always catches me off guard as it sneaks into the final movement of <i>Sonata No. 3</i> with chilling effect. A hymn that also haunts my own memories more than a few generations removed from Ives' New England. The fact that these pieces will only become more celebrated and more ingrained as a high achievement within the repertoire becomes increasingly obvious each time one take the time to listen. Gregory Fulkerson and Robert Shannon have set a high standard for bringing clarity to these complex montages of Ivesian memories.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1ZrOMz1i0oDjg3QJBu6yc7dnBi6buYeGYR5NdCwXYa80IMrLF5ZrQ9Mg6SqvkW53Pg4Uwvdfx0GL34GQcEMERTadgULysi8if-YlCKXbLkV2xe3WSowhhp0Q-RUFJHgw5yd6KA/s1600/YouthOriented.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1ZrOMz1i0oDjg3QJBu6yc7dnBi6buYeGYR5NdCwXYa80IMrLF5ZrQ9Mg6SqvkW53Pg4Uwvdfx0GL34GQcEMERTadgULysi8if-YlCKXbLkV2xe3WSowhhp0Q-RUFJHgw5yd6KA/s1600/YouthOriented.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Apple" target="_blank">Happy Apple</a>: <i><a href="http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=11414" target="_blank">Youth Oriented</a></i>. 2002. Sunnyside Communications/Nato Bear Series: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Youth-Oriented-Happy-Apple/dp/B00007JGQL" target="_blank">SSC 3006</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://jazz.about.com/od/resources/ig/Undead-Jazz-Fest-Photos/erik-fratzke-bass-undead.htm" target="_blank">Erik Fratzke</a>: bass guitar, guitar<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lewis_(musician)" target="_blank">Michael Lewis</a>: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, double bass<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_King_(musician)" target="_blank">David King</a>: drums, toys, waterphone, megaphone, mellotron<br />
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This is one example of music that has taken root and thrived from the soil of <i>On the Corner</i>. One of its tastier fruits as this is a funk-heavy jazz record with substantial staying power. David King's drumming is a particularly strong draw here as this trio brings the same level of polish of his more famous trio; The Bad Plus. But then the ears are pulled into the considerable gravity of Michael Lewis on saxophone and his ability to carve out spaces within this texture that alternate between foreground and background with equal shimmer. Within that texture is Erik Fratzke's electric bass anchoring this sound with all the sophistication of a Michael Henderson (from <i>On the Corner</i>) with an updated sense of production. <i>Youth Oriented</i> is a forceful example of a groove-oriented sound that never falls into an open-ended jam. Each piece explores its own textural terrain with a healthy sense of variation. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-37496478092059864432012-01-26T11:55:00.001-05:002012-01-26T11:55:27.551-05:00James Falzone - Music Through Other LensesMy profile piece on James Falzone is posted over at New Music Box over <a href="http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/james-falzone-music-through-other-lenses/" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8510944.post-10189452223857651652012-01-26T11:54:00.001-05:002012-01-26T11:54:17.151-05:00Narrative Before Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPtRwJdJmfQTJrkCMQ7VqD-c46MXau8RuhCwGBoUEry8Vgat4nTeAXLnRfWsdBek93i7hyphenhyphen40R1GGBs_dzVhdcv9ef5Is8QYC-D7_j8iZeca5iKoGNAbq_Qj1KZTLkJH0yHnNxmg/s1600/5thHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPtRwJdJmfQTJrkCMQ7VqD-c46MXau8RuhCwGBoUEry8Vgat4nTeAXLnRfWsdBek93i7hyphenhyphen40R1GGBs_dzVhdcv9ef5Is8QYC-D7_j8iZeca5iKoGNAbq_Qj1KZTLkJH0yHnNxmg/s320/5thHouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My New Music Box column about a recent 5th House Ensemble performance is <a href="http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/narrative-before-music/" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13718580945177110637noreply@blogger.com0