HurdAudio Rotation: Even Birds Have Homes (To Return To)

Dave Douglas Quintet: Live at the Bimhuis: October 24, 2002. 2003. Greenleaf Music: GRE-P-011/012

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Rick Margitza: tenor saxophone
Uri Caine: fender rhodes
James Genus: bass
Clarence Penn: drums

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.

Trio M: The Guest House. 2011. Enja: yeb-7721-2.

Myra Melford: piano
Mark Dresser: bass
Matt Wilson: drums

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 The Guest House 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.

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.

The Guest House 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.

The Peter Brötzmann Trio: For Adolphe Sax. 1967. FMP: UMS/ALP230CD.

Peter Brötzmann: tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Peter Kowald: drums
Sven-ake Johansson: drums
plus:
Fred van Hove: piano

When confronted with the music of Peter Brötzmann 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.  For Adolphe Sax is Brötzmann'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.  Brötzmann'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 For Adolphe Sax 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.

HurdAudio Rotation: Oldies Station

Shonen Knife: Happy Hour. 1998. Big Deal: BD 9055.

Naoko Yamano: lead vocals, guitar

Atsuko Yamano: drums, bass, vocals

Michie Takatani: bass, vocals, keyboards

A quick blast from the period when Shonen Knife's shtick was starting to wear a little thin. Even as Happy Hour does deliver on much of the light subject materials of food, cloned sheep, parties and dreaming it does fall short from the chaotic, crazy promise of the opening track "Shonen Knife Planet." A place where one must wake up in time not to miss happy hour. After the initial production (and deliberately "bad" sounds) of that initial wake up the rest of the disc settles into the familiar, punk inflected language of Shonen Knife. Not necessarily a bad thing, just a let down after being jolted into the early promise of a concept album. Their cover of the Monkee's "Daydream Believer" does bring a smile even if it isn't exactly a sterling rendition. Happy Hour does manage to cleanse the aural pallet of heavy listening that goes into the rotation.

Elliott Sharp/Bootstrappers: GI=GO. 1992. Atonal: ACD 3014.

Jan Kotik: drums, percussion

Thom Kotik: prepared bass

Elliott Sharp: guitar, bass clarinet, processing

This offering has aged surprisingly well. Much of it built on the early timbral soundscapes that inspired me back in the day. Now it strikes my ears as a chance to hear Elliott Sharp's electric guitar playing over a seriously rocking rhythm section that is locked into Sharp's musical direction. The titles for these pieces have aged less gracefully than the music they're associated with. "Optimize My Hard Disk, Baby," "Command Z" and "Heapfix" strike an ironic, geek humor pose that simply isn't reflected in the music that remains undeservedly neglected.

Dave Douglas: Freak In. 2003. Bluebird/RCA Victor: 09026-64008-2.

Dave Douglas: trumpet, keyboards, voice

Jamie Saft: keyboards, loops, programming

Marc Ribot: electric guitar

Karsh Kale: tabla, additional drums

Joey Baron: drums

Romero Lubambo: acoustic guitar

Brad Jones: ampeg baby bass, acoustic bass

Ikue Mori: electronic percussion

Seamus Blake: saxophone

Chris Speed: saxophone, clarinet

Craig Taborn: fender rhodes

Michael Sarin: drums

This is an enormously important recording in the Dave Douglas catalog. It's his equivalent to Miles Davis' On The Corner and one day it will be revered as such. The electronic layering, the funky grooves, the explosive turns and the high production values bring an immediacy to this recording that nearly blinds one to the fact that the musical basics of melody and humanity are still at the foundation of this beautiful cacophony. "November" is as beautiful and soul filled as any melodic composition. It would slice to the heart if it were played by Dave Douglas playing over a simple jazz rhythm section or the electronic percussion of Ikue Mori as it is here. Freak In is a reliable thrill ride from start to end that continues to reward the listener with its depth and polish every time.

HurdAudio Rotation: The Persistence of Dissonance

Dave Douglas with Jim McNeely & Frankfurt Radio Bigband: A Single Sky. 2009. Greenleaf: Gre-1011.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Frankfurt Radio Bigband
Jim McNeely: conductor
Oliver Leicht: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, alto flute, clarinet
Stefan Pfeifer-Galilea: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet
Rony Lakatos: tenor saxophone, flute
Steffen Weber: tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet
Rainer Heute: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Chad Shoopman: trumpet
Thomas Vogel: trumpet
Martin Auer: trumpet, flugel horn
Axel Schlosser: trumpet
Gunter Bollmann: trombone
Peter Feil: trombone
Christian Jakasjo: trombone
Manfred Honetschlager: bass trombone
Martine Scales: guitar
Peter Reiter: piano
Thomas Heidepriem: bass
Jean Paul Hochstadter: drums

"The Persistence of Memory" is an iconic Dave Douglas tune originally recorded on In Our Lifetime in 1995. The bass line, the languid melodic groove and its great harmonies left me wondering why it isn't covered by jazz players all over the world. The arrangement by Jim McNeely caught me by surprise and immediately transported me to that same awe I felt when I first discovered that tune. The Frankfurt Radio Bigband perform "The Persistence of Memory" with more than enough verve to help vaunt that tune toward a world without sufficient bandwidth to properly celebrate such excellence.

A Single Sky is a Dave Douglas record with a split identity. There is the glimpse of three movements from Douglas' own Delighted States suite. Leaving the ears hungry to experience the complete work along with the insight into Dave Douglas' arranging techniques. Then there are the Jim McNeely arrangements of Dave Douglas tunes that show off this incredible big band. Not to mention McNeely's exquisite arranging instincts. These also hint at something much larger than can be contained on this single disc. I hope there are more collaborations like this. Because this is already one of the great Douglas recordings. Highly recommended.

The Sun Ra All Stars Band: Hiroshima. 2007. Art Yard: LP 2007.

Sun Ra: piano, pipe organ
John Gilmore: tenor saxophone
Marshall Allen: alto saxophone
Archie Shepp: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Don Cherry: pocket trumpet
Lester Bowie: trumpet
Philly Joe Jones: drums
Richard Davis: bass
Don Moye: drums, percussion
Clifford Jarvis: drums

The 'A' side of this LP deserves to be played at a healthy volume as Sun Ra's psychedelic pipe organ solo transmits its stern messages from outer space to all living creatures of Earth. It is a performance that draws upon the devastating shock waves of an atomic device. The fade at the end suggesting that this music could (and probably did) go on for an eternity. The 'B' side offers up some free association improvisation between a collection of giants. Hearing it is like chancing upon a conversation between artists still realizing their collective voice. Raw, unpolished and utterly beautiful.

Dane Rudhyar: Works for Piano. 2004. Hat Hut Records: hat[now]ART 140.

Steffen Schleiermacher: piano

Granites (1929)
Three Paeans (1927)
Tetragrams 1st Serie (1920-27)
Third Pentagram (1926)

Steffen Schleiermacher understands the fortissimo that this music calls for. The bombastic lyricism delivered like a fist to a wall of granite. The draw of Dane Rudhyar's piano works is that so much tenderness and mysticism can lurk within such passages of density and exquisite dissonance. Melodies surviving (and even thriving) within these pounding, modern textures. Recordings such as this allow me to subsist and scratch that Rudhyar itch until the inevitable Dane Rudhyar revival festivals begin. An important and under appreciated voice from the American compositional tapestry.

HurdAudio Rotation: Dance in Thy Soul

Anthony Braxton/Taylor Ho Bynum: Duets (Wesleyan) 2002. 2002. Innova: 576.

Anthony Braxton: sopranino saxophone, soprano saxophone, F alto saxophone, E-flat alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, E-flat clarinet, B-flat clarinet, contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, trumpbone, shell, mutes

Getting lost within an Anthony Braxton improvisation is one of life's great indulgences. His long and astonishingly prolific recording career offers up enormous opportunities to indulge. Getting lost within his compositional constructions offers up yet another dimension for plunging into the maze of Braxtonian logic. With these duets we have the addition of hearing a sonic dialogue between a mentor and one of his clear musical progeny. Taylor Ho Bynum as student has already graduated through the conceptual hurdles with his own voice intact. Leaving this impressive and at times stunning recording in his wake. These duets are well worth revisiting time and again.

Dave Douglas: Charms of the Night Sky. 1998. Winter & Winter: 910 015-2.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Guy Klucevsek: accordion
Mark Feldman: violin
Greg Cohen: bass

From the opening notes of the title track this CD sweeps in like an old friend that sits squarely in the category of discs I can't imagine not having in this life. The most striking thing about this collection of eastern European tinged material is how much Dave Douglas alters his tone with this quartet. His playing is so delicate and fragile while never sounding tentative. Weaving seamlessly between the lines of accordion and violin. Mark Feldman's cadenza at the opening of "Dance in They Soul" is a jaw dropper.

Elliott Sharp/Terraplane: Blues for Next. 2000. Knitting Factory Records: KFW-285.

Elliott Sharp: electric guitars, console steel guitar, National steel guitar, tenor saxophone
Sim Cain: drums, electronic percussion
Sam Furnace: alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
David Hofstra: electric bass, acoustic bass
with:
Dean Bowman: vocals
Eric Mingus: vocals
Hubert Sumlin: electric guitar

This one is another familiar friend in the rotation. The Blues for Next has its roots deep in the blues tradition as it grows outward from it with a disc featuring guest vocals and guitar and a disc focused just on the quartet itself. And through it all on this listening these ears are drawn to the drumming of Sim Cain. What a great force on skins, membranes and cymbals.

HurdAudio Rotation: Supporting and Destroying Tradition

The Flying Luttenbachers: ...The Truth is a Fucking Lie... 1999. UgExplode Records: GR61cd/ug10.

Weasel Walter: drums, trumpets, electronics, mellotron
Kurt Johnson: bass guitar
Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello
Chuck Falzone: electric guitar, abyssic guitar
William Pisarri: bass guitar, shriek, clarinet
Michael Colligan: reeds
Dylan Posa: conductor, casio
Julie Pomerleau: violin

The world may not have been - nor be - ready for The Flying Luttenbachers. But it does need them. Music bound up within a tight knot of contradictions. There is something deeply cleansing about their dirty, gritty sound. Along with an uncompromising honesty to see the "truth" as a lie. Improvising musicians from the Chicago scene late in the twentieth century guided by Weasel Walter's insatiable drive to realize a brutal prog sound. The open embrace of noise and a willingness to play with it with unbridled aggression has produced a record that has aged well.

Ellery Eskelin: Forms. 2004. Hat Hut Records: hatOLOGY 592.

Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone
Drew Gress: double bass
Phil Haynes: drums

Even the most talented free players are not immune to the charges of being somehow unable to play "straight" or inside the tradition. Often leveled by people who don't realize that playing "free" can be far more challenging. With Forms, Ellery Eskelin put together a nice F.U. to that kind of criticism. With tracks titled after the styles Eskelin employs; "Blues," "Ballad," "Latin," "Bebop" and so on, Eskelin shows off not only his ability to play "inside," but his compositional ability as well. Teamed up with a rhythm section of heavy hitters in Gress and Haynes, this music doesn't feel constrained at all by the tradition. Far from it. It turns out to be a good record full of inventive twists from one of the most relentlessly creative figures on the scene.

Dave Douglas: Sanctuary. 1997. Avant: 066.

Dave Doulgas: trumpet
Cuong Vu: trumpet
Yuka Honda: sampler
Anthony Coleman: sampler
Hilliard Green: bass
Mark Dresser: bass
Chris Speed: saxophone
Dougie Bowne: drums

Still a staple in the HurdAudio sonic ideal. The musicians on this recording have such strong personalities and the playing is so free that this becomes a double-disc game of picking out who is adding what to the overall sound at any given moment. This one hits a rare balance between structure and un-structure that soars in the hands and ears of these players. The presence of two samplers adding a constant destabilizing foil to the sound with the appearance and disappearance of sampled grooves combined with Dougie Bowne's excellent drumming. One can hear faint hints of the kind of electronic sound Dave Douglas would later be mining in the decade that followed.

HurdAudio Rotation: When The Spirit Catches You

Relache: Press Play. 2006. Meyer Media: MM06004.

Bob Butryn: clarinets, saxophones
Andrea Clearfield: piano, keyboards
Ruth Frazier: viola
Jon Gaarder: bassoons
Christopher Hanning: percussion
Michele Kelly: flutes
Douglas Mapp: contrabass, electric bass
Lloyd Shorter: oboe, english horn

High Octane by Mark Hagerty
Tangocide by Guy Klucevsek
Still Life With Canon by Guy Klucevsek
Swither by Guy Klucevsek
Wing/Prayer by Guy Klucevsek
When the Spirit Catches You... by Cynthia Folio

The program notes for High Octane describe a creative act interrupted by the events of 9/11. The mood of that work shifting to something much darker than its pulsating and light opening. Wing/Prayer is Guy Klucevsek's creative response to the collective experience of 9/11. The doubts about one's own voice and significance as an artist in the wake of shared tragedy followed by defiance. A sense of defiance is what both Mark Hagerty and Klucevsek converge upon in their response as thinking, feeling humans. Cynthia Folio's When the Spirit Catches You... taps into a similar defiance with a deeply personal work about her daughter's struggle with epileptic seizures. Taken as a whole, Press Play captures an expression of human warmth and movement in the face of debilitating tragedy. A sense and need for dance that prevails above and beyond schedule. The production values are amazing on this disc as well. Chamber music recorded with so much clarity that one almost feels like a member of the ensemble.

Iannis Xenakis: Orchestral Works - Vol. III. 2002. Timpani Records: 1C1068.

Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg
Arturo Tamayo: conductor

Synaphai for piano and orchestra (1969)
Hiroaki Ooi: piano

Horos (1986)

Eridanos (1972)

Kyania (1990)

If the music of Iannis Xenakis did not exist it would have to be invented. There is such an inevitability to the sonic masses that he coaxed from large orchestral forces. Rendering in sound the inevitable forces of enzymes breaking down proteins, tectonic plates displacing mountains or the pock marked lunar surface that speak toward a scale of perception that exists well beyond human lifespans. And often inspiring the same awe in phenomena that exist with complete indifference to our own observation and understanding. Synaphai pits a field of stochastic energy fields against one another with the piano holding its own against the orchestra. Exquisitely dissonant and ugly music that enthralls.

Dave Douglas/Keystone: Moonshine. 2007. Greenleaf: GRE-06.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Marcus Strickland: saxophone
Adam Benjamin: fender rhodes
Brad Jones: ampeg baby bass
Gene Lake: drums
DJ Olive: turntables and laptop

The connection between the music of Keystone and the silent films of Fatty Arbuckle takes on a new clarity with this disc. It's not just the films driving the formal construction of this music (a form that remains unseen in this format) or that these are updated soundtracks for old footage. In reality, I've had trouble reconciling the experience of viewing and hearing these at the same time. It's not that these work - or even need be regarded - as soundtracks. This is Dave Douglas taking a thoroughly modern, electric sound that draws upon the visuals and atmospheres of a particular strain of film making. The humor of Arbuckle finding a voice in this music as it careens wildly without ever becoming completely unhinged. This band is exactly what one would expect given the incredible musicianship assembled for this studio realization of music born from live experimentation. It grooves hard while still dealing out arrangements and melodic forms equal to the timbral ferocity of this material.

HurdAudio Rotation: Steeped in the Jazz Tradition

Dave Douglas/Brass Ecstasy: Spirit Moves. 2008. Greenleaf Music: GRE-1010.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Vincent Chancey: french horn
Luis Bonilla: trombone
Marcus Rojas: tuba
Nasheet Waits: drums

Music spun out of brass and drums that carries with it the infectious joy and introspection of the artists forcing air through brass tubes and dragging sticks over cymbals. Like a New Orleans marching ensemble that takes several detours through the downtown of North American culture. Brass Ecstasy is a brilliant vehicle for Dave Douglas' considerable writing chops (to say nothing of his playing chops) that also manages to convey a deep love for the music and personality of Lester Bowie. Bowie's inspiration is never far from the surface of Spirit Moves and it frequently comes bubbling out into the open with sly turns at whimsy and stylistic mash-ups. It's hard to imagine a cast of players more capable of animating the legacy of Bowie into such a vibrant affair. A great recording - as all Dave Douglas projects tend to be. The accompanying DVD in the "deluxe edition" providing a sense of time and place for this December 2008 recording session.

Charlie Haden/Liberation Music Orchestra: The Ballad of the Fallen. 1983. ECM: 1248.

Charlie Haden: bass
Carla Bley: piano, glockenspiel, arrangements
Don Cherry: pocket trumpet
Sharon Freeman: french horn
Mick Goodrick: guitar
Jack Jeffers: tuba
Michael Mantler: trumpet
Paul Motian: drums, percussion
Jim Pepper: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
Dewey Redman: tenor saxophone
Steve Slagle: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute
Gary Valente: trombone

There are few things as stirring as what the Liberation Orchestra performs. Protest music focused on humanity, dignity and resolve in the face of injustice and indifference. And Ballad of the Fallen delivers an overwhelming display of compositional, arrangement and performance excellence. Particularly the great Haden original "Silence," which received its debut recording with this release. The presence of Latin themes and music drawing its political dimension from the inhumane policies of the Reagan administration toward South and Central America. Speaking out for people over ideologues and violence. Passion in the form of a big band with Carla Bley as its heart and Charlie Haden as its conscience.

Art Blakey/The Jazz Messengers: The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia volumes 1 & 2. 1955 (Rudy Van Gelder Edition, 2001). Blue Note Records: 7243 5 32148 2 1 and 7243 5 32149 2 0.

Art Blakey: drums
Kenny Dorham: trumpet
Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
Horace Silver: piano
Doug Watkins: bass

Mono recording has never sounded so good. The feel running throughout this music is so vibrant, so alive and so clear (a testament to both Rudy Van Gelder's remastering skills as well as his initial engineering at the original 1955 date). One can hear the spark of hard bop as the "new thing" with all the pioneering vitality and improvisational wits applied in the moment. My ears continue to be drawn to the Kenny Dorham arrangements, his original compositions and that trumpet playing of his. Documentation like this is a gift.

HurdAudio Rotation: Albright, Solal, Douglas and Haden

William Albright/PRISM Quartet: Music for Saxophones. 2007. Innova: 687.

PRISM Quartet:
Timothy McAllister: soprano saxophone
Michael Whitcombe: alto saxophone
Matthew Levy: tenor saxophone, alto saxophone
Taimur Sullivan: baritone saxophone, alto saxophone

with:
University of Michigan Symphony Band
H. Robert Reynolds: conductor
Michael Lowenstern: bass clarinet
Marilyn Nonken: piano
Matthew Herskowitz: piano

Fantasy Etudes for saxophone quartet (1993)
Heater: Saga for alto saxophone and band (1977)
Pit Band for alto saxophone, bass clarinet and piano (1993)
Doo-Dah for three alto saxophones (1975)
Sonata for alto saxophone and piano (1984)

William Albright (1944 - 1998) was a longtime fixture at the University of Michigan where he received his doctorate and served as chairman of the music department. The labor of love that this recording represents is difficult to miss. The legacy of students and colleagues he inspired over the years is incalculable. The legacy of compositions may leave an even deeper impression as the scope of his works becomes clear. The Fantasy Etudes for saxophone quartet is the opening salvo of this disc. It is an impressive, deeply thoughtful and artfully worked out piece. Albright's reported skills as an organist is at work as he applied his ideas to saxophone quartet. One can hear the instruments serving as pipes as well as an adept improviser weaving his spontaneity into this music. Ideas flow thick and furious as each meticulous detail is worked out without losing sight of the work as a whole. The pieces that follow solidify the impression left behind by the etudes.

Martial Solal/Dave Douglas: Rue De Seine. 2006. Cam Cine TV Music: Cam 5013.

Martial Solal: piano
Dave Douglas: trumpet

Dave Douglas as a jazz trumpet player. For all the press nonsense about his incorporation of "non-jazz" influences or insinuations that he's too "intellectual" to swing and the imaginary conflict with a Marsalis establishment there must be an almost willful deafness to hear how artfully Dave Douglas plays - and plays homage to the traditions of - jazz. Dave Douglas is a jazz trumpet player and he's one of the best of his generation. Recordings like the duo of Marial Solal and Dave Douglas in Rue De Seine are a gift that drive home just how thoroughly steeped in the tradition both of these innovative players are. Hearing the interpretations of the Dave Douglas Quintet pieces (that are so familiar to these ears) is a particular revelation. Solal's solo take on "For Suzannah" is a devestating interpretation of Douglas's beautiful composition. After a few rounds of interpreting originals this pair turns their attention to the standards of Rogers and Hart and Hammerstein to close out this set. Leaving no trace of doubt. These are jazz musicians and they are in rare form on this recording.

Charlie Haden/Liberation Music Orchestra: Not In Our Name. 2005. Verve: B0004949-02.

Charlie Haden: bass
Carla Bley: piano, arrangements
Michael Rodriguez: trumpet
Seneca Black: trumpet
Curtis Fowlkes: trombone
Ahnee Sharon Freeman: french horn
Joe Daley: tuba
Miguel Zenon: alto saxophone
Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone
Tony Malaby: tenor saxophone
Steve Cardenas: guitar
Matt Wilson: drums

A profoundly patriotic expression built upon dissent and propelled by the disappointments surrounding the 2004 general election. A defiantly beautiful and optimistic body of music borne from the depths of despair and alarm at the forces of greed and cruelty that held onto power. Carla Bley's arrangements are a wonder here (as they are on every Liberation Music Orchestra endeavor). Some of the most deeply soul stirring music I know of.

HurdAudio Rotation: Long Views

Marty Ehrlich: The Long View. 2002. Enja: 9452 2.

Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, muted alto saxophone, bass clarinet
Sam Furnace: alto saxophone, flute
Ned Rothenberg: alto saxophone, bass clarinet
Robert Debellis: tenor saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone
JD Parran: tenor saxophone, contrabass clarinet
Andy Laster: baritone saxophone, clarinet
Eddie Allen: trumpet
James Zollar: trumpet
John Clark: french horn
Clark Gayton: trombone
Marcus Rojas: tuba
Mark Dresser: bass
Michael Sarin: drums
Mark Helias: conductor, bass
Mark Feldman: violin
Ralph Farris: viola
Erik Friedlander: cello
Eddie Bobe: bongos, cowbell
Bobby Previte: drums, bass drum, tambourine
Wayne Horvitz: piano
Ray Anderson: trombone
Pheeroan akLaff: drums

A multi-movement long-form jazz composition that is highly revered at HurdAudio. Marty Ehrlich's musical ideas are filtered through the shifting instrumentation between each movement to great effect. The all-wind (plus bass) ensemble of the third movement setting a shimmering sonic texture leading into the quartet of the fourth movement. And that fourth movement is achingly beautiful as it opens with an understated set of phrases played on the piano by Wayne Horvitz. The writing and arranging is spectacular. The performances are even more so. It's amazing to me that accomplishments such as this aren't more widely on people's radar.

Dave Douglas Quintet: Live at the Bimhuis. 2002. Greenleaf Music: GRE-P-011/GRE-P-012.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Rick Margitza: tenor saxophone
Uri Caine: fender rhodes
James Genus: bass
Clarence Penn: drums

An earlier manifestation of a quintet that has since evolved. And a reminder at how good this group has sounded along the way. Two discs documenting two sets at Amsterdam's Bimhuis drawing upon the early Dave Douglas originals found on the first two studio releases from this group and few covers. The take on Beck's "Ramshackle" feels more like a bass feature and transition out of Bjork's "Unison" than a full on arrangement. There's generous helpings of Uri Caine solos (who sounds absolutely smokin' on the fender rhodes) on "Waverly" and "The Frisell Dream." This quintet has been a great vehicle for Dave Douglas that has been generously documented.

The Peter Brötzmann Trio: For Adolphe Sax. 1967 ("Lovingly remastered" in 2002). FMP: UMS/SLP230CD.

Peter Brötzmann: tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Peter Kowald: bass
Sven-Ake Johansson: drums

plus Fred Van Hove (on one track): piano

The debut recording of Peter Brötzmann and his cathartic release of aggression through the saxophone. His role in the European free jazz scene and his ability to completely unload through his instrument is a particular fascination of mine and this recording represents the necessary origin for tracing that noise arc. The bonus track offers an insight into how Fred Van Hove integrated piano improvisation into this brutal texture. It's not as forceful as Machine Gun, but that legendary session is cleanly foreshadowed here. Peter Brötzmann is a forceful argument for trusting one's intuition with musical rage.

HurdAudio Rotation: Traveler There Is No Road

Elliott Sharp/Bootstrappers: GI = GO. 1992. Atonal Records: ACD 3014.

Elliott Sharp: guitar, bass clarinet, processing
Jan Kotik: drums, percussion
Thom Kotik: prepared bass

Elliott Sharp working his guitar with a powerful, tight rhythm section from the era when I developed a strong identification with his aesthetic. This sound continues to have a pull for these ears as the familiar timbral language pulses and throbs. The jagged, dissonant angles running in lock step with a forceful willingness to keep time within abrasive materials. While the music has aged well, the titles for these tracks have not. "Optimize My Hard Disk, Baby" makes me cringe over the text even as the improvised sound bearing its name resonates deeply.

Dave Douglas: Freak In. 2003. RCA Victor: 09026-64008-2.

Dave Douglas: trumpet, keyboards, voice
with:
Jamie Saft: keyboards, loops, programming
Marc Ribot: electric guitar
Karsh Kale: tabla, drums
Joey Baron: drums
Romero Lubambo: acoustic guitar
Brad Jones: ampeg baby bass, acoustic bass
Ikue Mori: electronic percussion
Seamus Blake: saxophone
Chris Speed: saxophone, clarinet
Craig Taborn: fender rhodes
Michael Sarin: drums

"Put on your headphones and FREAK IN. Call on world leaders to do the same." I freakin' love Freak In! From the coursing, electric opening of the tablas to the sonic montage of groove and melody to the mellow turns of "Maya" flowing into the explosive 4-against-3 rhythms in "Traveler There Is No Road" this is an assemblage and snapshot of who's who of the downtown New York scene under the relentless creative vision of Dave Douglas. And it just sounds better and solidifies as a touch stone of a sound I simply love. "This is also important. Have fun and don't let them stop you."

Rene Lussier/Martin Tetreault: Dur Noyau Dur. 1997. Ambiances Magnetiques: AM 057 CD.

Rene Lussier: acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Martin Tetreault: tourne-disques, pick-up, radio

This recording places the ears at an extreme proximity to the sounding sources. Ear drums placed impossibly close to the struck guitar string or coursing within the same electrical wiring that powers the amplification of signal and noise. A confluence of free improvisation within musique concrete. Or a musique concrete aesthetic operating within a free improvising duo. A sonic microcosm almost completely devoid of anything beyond its sounding machinations. Noise turning upon an indifference that both challenges one to listen and try to turn away. In the end, the ears return to this world. Changed in some way. Defiantly beautiful. Defiantly ugly.

HurdAudio Rotation: Feel Each Day

Anthony Braxton/Taylor Ho Bynum: Duets (Wesleyan) 2002. 2002. Innova: 576.

Anthony Braxton: sopranino saxophone, soprano saxophone, F alto saxophone, Eb alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet, contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, trumpbone, shell, mutes

This is a performance and improvisation between teacher and student. Each leaves an impression through conversation and creative spark that makes this disc well worth hearing. Anthony Braxton has taken his mentoring role at Wesleyan as an opportunity to collaborate - and learn - from creative forces such as Taylor Ho Bynum. Bynum's own compositions carve out clear trajectories from the trunk of Braxton's considerable body of work and ideas to find new spaces that bear his mark. The shift between cornet and trumpbone keeping pace with Braxton's dizzying multi-instrumental acrobatics and extended technique. Braxton's compositions provide plenty of evidence of the depth of his accomplishments and pool of ideas. Between the two lies the improvisation - the conversation - that holds these ears in rapt attentiveness.

Dave Douglas: Charms of the Night Sky. 1998. Winter & Winter: 910 015-2.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Guy Klucevsek: accordion
Mark Feldman: violin
Greg Cohen: bass

Every move - and this CD has accompanied me through some large swaths of geographic shifts - involves an increasing number of boxes of CDs to shuffle from old home to new home. This is one of discs I pause involuntarily over when packing or unpacking. A heart filled with regard for the music contained on its silvery sheen. The weaving of trumpet, accordion, violin and bass with equal nods toward jazz tradition and Eastern European music performed with a mastery that is never flashy in the service of unfolding these excellent compositions. Dave Douglas' tone takes on a sheen that is unlike the sound he employs with his numerous other ensembles. The dedications he attaches to many of these pieces are clear nods toward heroes acknowledged. "Dance in They Soul" - dedicated to Charlie Haden - makes perfect sense as tribute in both the substance of the music and the subject of the sound.

Elliott Sharp/Terraplane: Blues for Next. 2000. Knitting Factory Records: KFW-285.

Terraplane core quartet:
Elliott Sharp: electric guitars, console steel guitar, National steel guitar, tenor saxophone
Sim Cain: drums, electronic percussion
Sam Furnace: alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
David Hofstra: electric bass, acoustic bass

guests:
Dean Bowman: vocals
Eric Mingus: vocals
Hubert Sumlin: electric guitar

Elliott Sharp has a relationship with noise. He brings it on the guitar. He brings it on the saxophone. He brings it in his thorny compositions. With Terraplane, he also puts his relationship with the blues to the front and center. And while the "noise thing" gets turned on with many of his signature textures, licks and blasts from his timbre toolbox he actually brings a relatively light touch to this genre. It doesn't sound like he's holding back. He's simply allowing the dynamic - particularly the group dynamic - to drive this music forward with more than a measure of respect for the history running through the blues. The guest tracks take wonderful turns and offer bits of poetic observance. While the "quartet" disc of this double set drives straight for the groove with plenty of space for noise and solo.

HurdAudio Rotation: Ramboy in the Elephant Sanctuary

Dave Douglas: Sanctuary. 1997. Avant/Disk Union: AVAN 066.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Cuong Vu: trumpet
Yuka Honda: sampler
Anthony Coleman: sampler
Hilliard Greene: bass
Mark Dresser: bass
Chris Speed: saxophone
Dougie Bowne: drums

This one is a much revered recording in the rotation and in the land of HurdAudio. The nod toward Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz comes across in a downtown take on the almost double ensemble. Part of the joy of listening to Sanctuary comes in the moment-to-moment unfolding of this improvised texture as it ranges freely between pulse and open rhythmic ripples. More joy still comes from puzzling which of the two trumpets, which of the two samplers and which of the two bassists are making the individual layers of this sound. The familiarity I have with these players adds a dimension to that part of the listening. One of Dave Douglas' more "avant" projects and one of his best.

Clusone Trio: Trio Clusone. 1991. Ramboy: 01.

Michael Moore: alto saxophone, clarinet, melodica
Ernst Reijseger: cello
Han Bennink: percussion

Given the kinetic force that is Han Bennink combined with the tight-yet-free skittering through a wide spectrum of jazz and creative music styles that marks the Clusone Trio's sound I'm still struck by the pockets of unhurried calm that form within the tapestry of music found on this recording. The trio that could veer off into any direction is equally adept at delivering a solid cover of Hermeto Pascoal's "Bebe" or stretching out long sheets of freely improvised tranquility. But it's the expectation of wild flights that keep the ears reaching for this disc. And it hardly disappoints on that front. It's the tension of that potential energy lurking in the sound - with explosive bursts into kinetic - that makes for a standout listening experience with this one.

Jack DeJohnette - featuring Bill Frisell: The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers. 2006. Golden Beams Productions: GBP-CD-1116.

Jack DeJohnette: drums, percussion, vocal, piano
Bill Frisell: guitar, banjo

Bill Frisell gets to play with all the best drummers. In a list that includes the likes of Joey Baron, Ginger Baker, Kenny Wollesen, Elvin Jones and numerous others, adding Jack DeJohnette to that list is a natural. Recorded live in Seattle at the Earshot Jazz Festival in 2001 and touched up with some light post production work from Ben Surman, this one continues Frisell's track record of outstanding recordings. The range of textures (DeJohnette is a fine pianist - as evidenced by a sensitive rendition of John Coltrane's "After the Rain") and musicianship is staggering. Individually these players inspire awe. As co-conspirators they've turned in a great record for the ages.

HurdAudio Rotation: Keyed In, Played and Shined

Joanne Brackeen: Keyed In. 1979. CBS/Tappan Zee Records/Columbia Records: 36075 (LP).

Joanne Brackeen: piano
Eddie Gomez: bass
Jack DeJohnette: drums

Joanne Brackeen is one of the reasons why I've moved to add vinyl to my listening rotation. This session is as tight as one would expect given the talent involved with this piano trio. Brackeen makes use of cleanly articulated, rapid lines that color her compositions without veering off into flashy technique.

Relache: Press Play. 2006. Meyer Media: MM06004.

Bob Butryn: clarinets, saxophones
Andrea Clearfield: piano, keyboards
Ruth Frazier: viola
Jon Gaarder: bassoons
Christopher Hanning: percussion
Michele Kelly: flutes
Douglas Mapp: contrabass, electric bass
Lloyd Shorter: oboe, english horn

High Octane - composed by Mark Hagerty

Tangocide
Still Life With Canon
Swither
Wing/Prayer - composed by Guy Klucevsek

When the Spirit Catches You... - composed by Cynthia Folio

Other than skillful arranging for this odd ensemble, these three composers represent three completely different directions for new music in the early years of the twenty-first century. Mark Hagerty's High Octane is a shimmering take on interlocking patterns with a post-minimalist (post-classical, perhaps) spin. Guy Klucevsek contributes odd metered dance mixed with introspective reflection on dance and tragedy. His arrangement chops cannot be over stated. Cynthia Folio's When the Spirit Catches You... is a particularly odd and vulnerable work written about her daughter's struggle with epilepsy. The sense of disorientation conveyed in the music "caught" me off guard. After a second and third listen I was struck by how well written and tangibly imbued with compassion this piece is.

Dave Douglas/Keystone: Moonshine. 2007. Greenleaf: GRE-06.

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Marcus Strickland: saxophone
Adam Benjamin: fender rhodes
Brad Jones: ampeg baby bass
Gene Lake: drums
DJ Olive: turntables, laptop

An excellent CD. Though it's hard to imagine putting that lineup of players together and realizing anything less. This "electric" (and often post-processed) side of Dave Douglas continues to bear funky, delicious noise. The hard, edgy core of "Kitten" helps balance out some of the sweet stuff from "Dog Star" and "Married Life" while "Moonshine" and "Tough" put a satisfying groove underneath the sonic picture. The temptation to call this Douglas' On the Corner is ever present, but not quite right. The inspiration drawn from Fatty Arbuckle gives this music a completely different focus. Though I have to admit, as much as I love the sounds coming out of Keystone, the visual juxtaposition with the Arbuckle films feels off target to me. Like this is a music that requires no visuals or concrete reference points.