HurdAudio Rotation: The Lucky Hum

Jenny Scheinman: Shalagaster. 2004. Tzadik: TZ 7709.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Myra Melford: piano, harmonium
Russ Johnson: trumpet
Trevor Dunn: bass
Kenny Wollesen: drums

Aggressive, downtown musicianship applied to a hybrid of folk music and jazz. The result achieves that rare balance of simplicity and sophistication. This is what happens when the effusive, improvisatory energies of some of the best players goes toward a music that keeps a strong melodic focus. An exquisite record with more than a few jaw dropping Myra Melford solos. This is a great ensemble. Highly recommended.

Matana Roberts: Lines for Lacy: Ellington/Staryhorn for Solo Saxophone. 2007. Limited edition CD-R.

Matana Roberts: alto saxophone

With the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn as grounding melodic landscape, Matana Roberts swims from within this music with a fluid sense of improvisational purpose. The dedication of this live solo set to the soprano saxophone great Steve Lacy adds yet another vibrant dimension of passion to this performance. Matana Roberts sustains her unaccompanied presence by drawing upon a deep reservoir of personal love - a love devoid of any crass, commercial sense of the word - to play well within the living, breathing interior of this material. Acting as a flexing, connective tissue between a lineage of jazz that clearly includes this outstanding alto saxophonist.

Kenny Dorham: Trompeta Toccata. 1964 (2006 Rudy Van Gelder remaster). Blue Note Records: 0946-3-62635-2-6.

Kenny Dorham: trumpet
Joe Henderson: tenor saxophone
Tommy Flanagan: piano
Richard Davis: bass
Albert Heath: drums

Jazz has seen more than its fair share of artists deserving more enthusiastic recognition. And it's the divine craftsmen like Kenny Dorham that are especially under-celebrated. Dorham was one of the hard bop era's most consistently great arrangers and soloists with an introspective bent. Even the trumpet showcase title track "Trompeta Toccata" displays a thinking man's approach to showing off one's chops. That such an amazing record could spend so much time under the radar - I mean Joe Henderson was his sideman on this session for crying out loud - is difficult to ponder. But an all to familiar part of so many jazz careers. There is plenty of material here in this short set to fuel new ideas and directions for current jazz artists even a half century after it was recorded. In short, this is one of the classic Blue Notes deserving of many more ears.

HurdAudio Rotation: The Sound of Creative Inevitability

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. 2004 release of the 1967 performance. BMG Classics: 82876-59418-2.

Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Seiji Ozawa: conductor
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

If the Turangalilia Symphony didn't already exist, it would have to be written. Olivier Messiaen took on a massive scale and scope and realized its full advantage. The work is a kaleidoscope of textures made available with a large orchestra augmented by the exquisite modern piano chops of Yvonne Loriod and the technological wonder of the ondes Martenot. A work featuring soloists who were both married to the composer at separate times adds yet another layer to a piece already saturated with passion. Filled with fire and aggression, this one hits like a meteor determined to reset the evolution tables.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: 125.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Ron Miles: cornet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

Faced with an embarrassing abundance of talent with a band stacked with ridiculous musicianship and talent, Jenny Scheinmann does the sensible thing in crafting a CD that balances sophistication and folksy simplicity. Melodically focused without losing sight of twists in the arrangements. The sonic fabric shimmering with the multiple strands of strong improvisers in full restraint mode in the service of realizing tunes. This one is deserving of many ears. A rewarding listen.

Thomas Chapin Trio: Sky Piece [disc 6 of the Alive box set]. 1996/1999. Knitting Factory Works: 35828-02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone, flute, bass flute, pinkullo, bells, whistles, alarm clock
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums, percussion

Sky Piece opens up with the exquisitely sublime, soft interplay between the bass, drums and flute. Setting sail on a delicate note before effortlessly launching into the staggering diversity of the journey ahead over the next hour. Each moment along the way bears a unique relationship to groove, form and active dialogue between three master improvisers. While there are many composers and performers in the HurdAudio Rotation that have moved on from this mortal coil and are sorely missed. There is an extra pang for those who left far too soon. Recorded just two years before Thomas Chapin was lost to cancer. This release bears the spirit of one deeply at peace with himself, his musical muse and this incredible trio of wide expressive range.

A Beat and a Boom

Boom Tic Boom @ An Die Musik, Baltimore, MD

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Allison Miller: drums

Myra Melford: piano

Todd Sickafoose: bass

Jenny Scheinman: violin

With a loud, confident burst from the drum kit Allison Miller launched into a long, wickedly varied set as a live tune-up run before heading into the studio with this quartet of talent.  The material previewed for this future release sounds incredibly promising.  The space afforded to each individual courses along a shifting groove that never falls out of the pocket.  Boom Tic Boom works a healthy and intoxicatingly funky part of the creative improvised spectrum.

There were several moments of remarkable chemistry within parts of the quartet.  

The muted pizzicato of Todd Sickafoose maintaining flawless time against Miller's extreme syncopation during a quiet moment in Mary Lou Williams' "Intermission."  Myra Melford's rhythmic exploration of the natural harmonics of the lowest strings on the grand piano.  Jenny Scheinman's brilliant, vibrato-free tone on the violin.  The beautiful sheen surrounding the group's interpretation of Louis Armstrong's "Rocking Chair."  The twists and turns of Miller's original compositions as the rock solid time never felt rigid or set in stone.  Moments that hang in the air and invite the ears to draw in close.

The easy engagement between collaborating improvisers and between performers and audience led to a natural flow of solos and group dynamic in this remarkable quartet.  Soft details were never lost as the overall dynamic range allowed for high contrast.  The formal contours of these pieces retaining their compositional identity without stifling the creative instincts and interplay involved.  The appreciation expressed on the heels of each solo unfolding naturally, and without sense of obligation or politeness, as the full house took in the sonic ride.  This is definitely a quartet to watch.

HurdAudio Rotation: Folk Musics

Muzsikas: The Bartok Album. 1999. Hannibal/Rykodisc: HNCD 1439.

Peter Eri: viola, guitar, percussion, flute
Daniel Hamar: bass, small cimbalom, gardon, percussion
Laszlo Porteleki: violin
Mihaly Sipos: violin
featuring:
Marta Sebestyen: vocals
Alexander Balanescu: violin
Janos Kovacs: tamboura
Zoltan Juhasz: long flute
Marton Eri: cello
Zoltan Porteleki: cimbalom
Zoltan Farkas: gardon, drum, dance
Ildiko Toth: dance

A tour for the ears of the sounds from the Hungarian countryside that inspired the great Bela Bartok. As a younger student immersed in music - and often immersed in the string quartets of Bartok - it was his sense of modernism that drew me to his music and his use of folk materials that puzzled me. Even as I sensed how this fascination with the music of his native Hungary added substantial depth to his compositions. Now the story of the steady growth of Hungarian folk melodies as an attractor and influence helped draw Bartok outside the confinement of middle class sensibility and into physical journeys to study and preserve the traditions of his home country holds a peculiar resonance in this current age of hopeful, patriotic optimism and uncertain change unfolding down in Washington, DC. As the Muzsikas present these melodies set in traditional arrangements that retains the beauty and raw, lilting turns that understandably drew Bartok out into the countryside. A sonic road map of the sound lovingly preserved. One can't help wondering what other traditions - both past and present - would benefit from a similar dedication.

Chicago Tentet: American Landscapes 2. 2007. Okkadisk: OD12068.

Peter Brötzmann: clarinet, tarogato, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Mats Gustafsson: bariton saxophone, slide saxophone
Ken Vandermark: clarinet, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
Joe McPhee: trumpet, alto saxophone
Hannes Bauer: trombone
Per-Ake Holmlander: tuba
Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello
Kent Kessler: bass
Paal Nilssen-Love: drums
Michael Zerang: drums

A sonic landscape drawn from intuitive improvisation that shares the characteristic brushstrokes of Peter Brötzmann's forceful playing and painting found on the cover art of this release. A landscape pieced together from a range of rugged, densely dissonant terrain and sparse expanses. The explosive quality of these performers often adding more tension in the quiet sections as the next blast of energetic matter threatens to erupt at any moment. A long form expression that builds nicely on the traditions of Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz and Peter Brötzmann's legendary Machine Gun aesthetics.

Jenny Scheinman: Shalagaster. 2004. Tzadik: TZ 7709.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Myra Melford: piano, harmonium
Russ Johnson: trumpet
Trevor Dunn: bass
Kenny Wollesen: drums

Here, the "rotation" makes an unusual full circle move toward folk materials of North America folded into compositions for the improvising heavy weights of this fantastic ensemble. The arrangements are neither "traditional" or adapted for a chamber music setting, but a compelling argument for an evolving sense of tradition. Scheinman's compositions deftly weave around and through genre reference points - attaching a folk-like luminescence and melodicism to a music that claims roots in jazz, gospel, Americana and many other sonic gestures found at rest stops along the journey.

HurdAudio Rotation: Three Uses for a Violin

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. Seiji Ozawa conducting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. 1967 (re-released in 2004). BMG Classics/RCA: 82876-59418-2.

Seiji Ozawa: conductor
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
with
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

A grand aural greeting to the ambitious optimism of a new year. The sprawling, large-scale orchestral plunge through 20th century "modernism's" waters is all the more impressive in this outstanding performance featuring the Loriod sisters (Yvonne being Messiaen's second wife) on piano and ondes Martenot. Not to mention the exquisitely crafted textures of cascading piano, searing ondes Martenot and enormous orchestra. This was a commission where Messiaen decided to stretch as many boundaries imaginable. The result is intoxicatingly expansive and well worth waking up the neighbors with its explosive glory.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: CG125.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Ron Miles: cornet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

The textures are familiar for anyone who has spent time listening to the individual performers in this band. The Bill Frisell tones hang in the air like a welcome acquaintance in the service of these Scheinman compositions. The melding of Ron Miles with the Frisell sound is itself a familiar component. 12 songs of pleasant - and deceptively simple - beauty with a strange bend toward miss-spellings or puns in most of the titles: "The Frog Threw His Head Back and Laughed," "The Buoy Song" or "Satelite." The effortless and playful quality of these charts draw the ears in as a curiosity touching upon an Americana sound.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach Edition [disc 1-1]. 2006. Brilliant Classics: 93102/1.

Brandenberg Concerto 1
Brandenberg Concerto 2
Brandenberg Concerto 3

Performed by:
Musica Amphion
Remy Baudet: leader
featuring:
Frank de Bruine: oboe
Remy Baudet: piccolo violin, violin
Teunis van der Zwart: horn
Erwin Wieringa: horn
William Wroth: trumpet
Pieter-Jan Belder: recorder
Sayuri Yamagata: violin
Irmgard Schaller: violin
Staas Swierstra: viola
Marten Boeken: viola
Mariette Holtrop: viola
Rainer Zipperling: cello
Richte van der Meer: cello
Albert Bruggen: cello

A first immersion into a box set so overwhelming it takes a forklift to pick it up. Which is nearly an understatement of the overwhelming body of work - and the ocean of Western music history that flows from this singular head water. The first three Brandenberg Concertos are as good a point of entry as any with the music of J.S. Bach. A steady, pulsating reminder of a Baroque music at an apex. The performance on this disc is well recorded - offering a sonic clarity to a dense ensemble sound. And offering these ears a sense of gravity lurking within the rippling contours of this music.

HurdAudio Rotation: Bird Songs, 12 Songs and Haunted Iridium Nights

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. Recorded in 1967, re-released in 2004. RCA Records: 82876-59418-2.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Seiji Ozawa: conductor
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

A sprawling, epic orchestral work from a young Olivier Messiaen. One can sense the joy of composing for a massive battery of instruments after having survived his ordeal as a prisoner of war in WWII. The ondes Martenot is an excellent timbral match for Messiaen's bird song material. The textures and sweeping scope of this endearingly messy (and loud) piece are ambitious, over reaching and make for a fantastic listen. This is a favorite orchestral work in the rotation.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: CG125.

Jenny Scheinman: violin
Ron Miles: cornet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

This is a warm sound for a cold night. Opening up this set with "The Frog Threw His Head Back and Laughed" this initially has the feel of a Bill Frisell CD. Hardly a bad quality. But from there it winds through a series of short, quirky pieces that bring out Scheinman's personality and melodic sensibilities. It's hard to imagine a better ensemble to bring these compositions to life. Frisell in particular is his usual, generous self on this session.

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 4]. 2006: Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-03-001.

Recorded live: March 17, 2006 at Iridium Jazz Club, New York City.

The Anthony Braxton 12+1tet
Anthony Braxton: composer, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, clarinet and Eb contalto clarinet
Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn, trumpbone, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, shell
Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone, c-melody saxophone, clarinet
James Fei: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Mary Halvorson: electric guitar
Stephen H. Lehman: alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Nicole Mitchell: flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, voice
Jessica Pavone: viola, violin
Reut Regev: trombone, flugelbone
Jay Rozen: tuba, euphonium
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon, suona
Aaron Siegel: percussion, vibraphone
Carl Testa: acoustic bass, bass clarinet

Disc 4 = Composition 353 - dedicated to the composer Butch Morris

A fitting dedication to a composer that pioneered the art of interactive conduction of group improvisation that marks so much of Braxton's Ghost Trance musics. This performance of Composition 353 has a swinging energy that pops into the sonic foreground from time to time as the pulsing lines make passing allusions toward a rich jazz history. Anthony Braxton adds some amazing solos into the mix in the waning moments of this music. This is a thick, vibrant sound that holds these ears for long spells.

Carving Melodic Lines Along a String Trio

Bill Frisell's Disfarmer Trio @ An Die Musik, Baltimore, MD
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Bill Frisell: guitars, effects, loops
Greg Leisz: lap steel guitar
Jenny Scheinman: violin

Bill Frisell has a way of filling a room with sound (and packed venues). And while he was using far more effects than I'd seen him use in the past he still occupies a focal point with understatement and restraint. Not to mention his usual awe inspiring musicianship. It's takes a rare talent to make ring modulated bluegrass lines sound so introspective and natural.

Frisell's approach toward melody continues to fascinate my ears. At times the melodic line is barely a whisper within the soft haze of loops and improvised phrases that swirl in a tight orbit around the core melody. There are moments of surprising familiarity, such as "When You Wish Upon A Star" begins to float to the surface, detected by the ears just ahead of its clearest articulations. Sometimes the melody feels like the framework for the sound, at other times it is just the opposite. Either way the sound is incredible with enormous pull through its earthy tone and surprising arrangements.

Greg Leisz and Jenny Scheinman make excellent partners for the Americana sound that Frisell has been mining for some time now. The deliberate strokes and intriguing amplified sound from Scheinman carve a rich territory drawing from jazz and bluegrass traditions while Leisz is an impressive force on the lap steel guitar. (I hope Scheinman brings one of her bands back to An Die Musik sometime soon as she's been actively recording and touring with her own music recently.) The first set featured Frisell's looping textures, some blues and hints of Appalachia while the second set lurched into material from Frisell's The Intercontinentals - a recording that all three of these musicians were part of - followed by a pair of encores. The haze of sound from "Your Cheatin' Heart" seemed to linger as the large crowd shuffled from the hall. To be engulfed in this wonderful sound in such a small, comfortable venue is an experience to savor.

HurdAudio Rotation: Symphonies and Songs

Olivier Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony. Performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Recorded in 1967. Re-released in 2004. RCA Red Seal: 82876-59418-2.

Turangalila Symphony.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra with
Yvonne Loriod: piano
Jeanne Loriod: ondes Martenot

The combination of ondes Martenot with strings and piano creates such shimmering colors and shades one wonders why this instrument didn't develop into a regular part of the orchestra going forward from 1948 on (the year this composition was completed). Turangalila Symphony is a massive-scale work - employing an expanded orchestral ensemble (with plenty of percussion and brass) along with the ondes Martenot and piano over a 10-movement, 80-minute work. And yet it's written with an almost chamber music quality and sensibility as clear, discrete lines and the familiar bird-calls of Messiaen's compositions maintain an easy focus in the foreground. The large-scale ensemble opens up a vast range of colors to augment the cyclical ideas and themes that give Turangalila Symphony its form. It's a spectacular piece that deserves a revival.

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. 2005. Cryptogramophone: CG125.

Jenny Scheinman: compositions, violin
Ron Miles: trumpet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums

As a listening experience this CD is flawless. You put it on to hear the great band and the ears stick to the compositions. These short pieces cover a lot of ground with episodes of whimsy and seriousness. And all of it showcasing a real flair for arranging. Did I mention that the band is outstanding as well?

Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete Symphonies. - disc 3. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 1994: The International Music Company: 205298-305.

Symphony No. 4 in B flat major (op.60)
conducted by Barry Wordsworth
Symphony No. 5 in C minor (op.67)
conducted by Claire Gibault

Sandwiched between the "Pastoral" Symphony and the most famous dun-dun-dun-duh in history, Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 seems to receive less obsession and fetish than the rest of the cycle. The famous story is that Beethoven even set aside what would become his famous fifth already in progress and cranked out Symphony No. 4 to fulfill a commission that was more immediate. And it does sound like a throw-back to his earlier compositional style. To my ears, however, it sounds like he was revisiting some familiar territory while going through his transition and the end result is intriguing because of that. The second movement in particular caught my attention with some interesting modulations I hadn't noticed before.

As for the dun-dun-dun-duh... Symphony No. 5 may be one of the biggest warhorses of them all. A status partially earned by the quality of the composition and partially layered upon it by a bizarre fixation on the opening phrase of the first movement. How that phrase became shorthand for "foreboding" is a puzzle. It does set off an exhilarating, and maddeningly irresistible journey with all the unbelievable variation and development that follows.

HurdAudio Rotation: Strings and Ayler

Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs. Recorded December 13 - 14, 2004 - released in 2005. Cryptogramophone: CG125.
Jenny Scheinman: violin
Ron Miles: cornet
Doug Wieselman: clarinets
Bill Frisell: guitar
Rachelle Garniez: accordion, piano, claviola
Tim Luntzel: bass
Dan Rieser: drums
You must be living right if you can get Bill Frisell and Ron Miles to play in your band (and play your compositions). This is one hot ensemble and they breathe plenty of life and animation into these wide ranging pieces. There's some mesmerizing textures in "The Buoy Song" as Scheinman subtly weaves her violin between the light layers of Wieselman's clarinet, Frisell's guitar and Rieser's delicate touch on the cymbals.

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets (volume II). Performed by The Orford String Quartet. Recorded in 1989. Delos International: D/CD 3032.
Orford String Quartet:
Andrew Dawes: violin
Kenneth Perkins: violin
Terence Helmer: viola
Denis Brott: cello
String Quartet in G Major, op. 18 no. 2
String Quartet in B-Flat Major, op. 130
These string quartets have drawn me in more than the Symphonies do. They have the same substance without the overwhelming familiarity that I strain to hear beyond with the symphonic works. And it's the late quartets in particular - like op. 130 - with their irregular number of movements and odd durations that have the strongest appeal at present.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost [box set] disc 1. Released in 2004. Revenant Records. Disc 1 consists of:

Herbert Katz Quintet (1962)
Herbert Katz: guitar
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Teuvo Suojarvi: piano
Heikki Annala: bass
Martti Aijanen: drums
Unbelievably "straight" standards from this group (Sonny Rollins' "Sonnymoon for Two", George and Ira Gershwin's "Summertime" and Bronislau Kaper's "On Green Dolphin Street"). There's little hint of the torrential storm and tone that would make Ayler such an enduring force. This is a nice documentation - but I'm glad Ayler strayed from this territory. These are hardly memorable versions of these workhorses.

Cecil Taylor Quartet (1962)
Cecil Taylor: piano
Jimmy Lyons: alto saxophone
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Sunny Murray: drums
The 21-minutes-plus of this group playing together is the major attraction to hearing this first disc. This material is irresistible, explosive and free. Here Ayler's sensibilities are given room to develop and take flight. This is an inspired combination of players.

Albert Ayler Trio (1964)
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Gary Peacock: bass
Sunny Murray: drums
After the long buildup from the previous two groups we finally get to Ayler's own trio as the full sonic image of his sound and his compositions comes into focus. It's hard to imagine a better rhythm section for this kind of sound.