HurdAudio Rotation: The House That Hope Built

Gunda Gottschalk/Peter Jacquemyn/Ute Volker: Baggerboot. 2005. Henceforth Records: 102.

Gunda Gottschalk: violin, viola
Peter Jacquemyn: bass
Ute Volker: accordion

Free improvisation with strong parallels to improvised painting. Big, multi-colored paint brushes dripping with thick gobs of paint being flung into the frame of time to produce an aural image that fills every part of the canvas. The three tracks are labeled "Cascade I," Cascade II" and "Cascade III" for a music that cascades with the violence and beauty of a waterfall along a sheer cliff on its way toward a fierce splash and spray at the bottom. The reedy accordion pulled along by strong currents as the string instruments are sawed at mercilessly by Gottschalk and Jacquemyn. A spontaneous creation that loses nothing with repeated listening.

Ron Miles: Heaven. 2002. Sterling Circle Records: SC5151.

Ron Miles: Trumpet
Bill Frisell: guitar

Two forces of creativity and musicianship in its purest form in this outstanding duo recording. The sense of play takes on a particularly even handed quality through its treatment of Ron Miles originals along side Thelonious Monk, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Bob Dylan and a devastating take on Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart." All played as a flowing conversation between trumpet and guitar. The joyful, rootsy folksiness of "Just Married" is a strong initial draw into this listening journey that invites the ears to listen to the varied nuances that unfold between these players.

Future of the Left: Travels with Myself and Another. 2009. 4AD Ltd: CAD2913CD.

Jack Egglestone: drums, percussion
Kelson Mathias: bass, guitar, synths, vocals
Andrew Falkous: guitar, bass, synths, vocals

Punk music walks a fine balance between intelligence and stupidity. Not enough of either tends to make the end result intolerable. Future of the Left walks that line better than most I've heard. An ability to draw from unfiltered rage without being utterly consumed by it. More "polite" aesthetics rarely give ground to angry and stupid. Future of the Left opens up and traps it within conviction that is vaguely political and indignant. Somewhere along the way they hit upon some brilliant song writing. "The Hope That House Built," "You Need Satan More than He Needs You" and "That Damned Fly" hitting that sweet spot that makes this collection so imminently enjoyable.

HurdAudio Rotation: Sometimes I Feel Like a Drummerless Child

Thomas Ulrich/Elliott Sharp/Carlos "Zingaro"/Ken Filiano: T.E.C.K. String 4tet. 2007. Clean Feed: CF089CD.

Thomas Ulrich: cello
Elliott Sharp: acoustic guitar, national tricone
Carlos "Zingaro": violin
Ken Filiano: bass

String timbres have often been at the heart of Elliott Sharp's most attractive works. Be it his string quartets (of the "conventional" instrumentation) or his work with guitars his is a familiar voice to pick out within this quartet of free improvisers. And improvisation has also been a strong facet of Sharp's output. Here the sound bends and undulates with the creative additions of Ulrich, Zingaro and Filiano filling out the soundscape with their own distinctive mark. The music that flows, unpremeditated from this ensemble is quiet and intense. Focused on details while leaving plenty of space for new sonic territory to be initiated from any quarter.

Gunda Gottschalk/Peter Jacquemyn/Ute Volker: Baggerboot. 2003. Henceforth Records: 102.

Gunda Gottschalk: violin, viola
Peter Jacquemyn: bass
Ute Volker: accordion

Three arcing, long-form improvisations with the reedy timbre of Volker's accordion deftly bridging a territory between the high and low strings of Gottschalk and Jacquemyn. Each makes up part of a complete set, like three large canvases hanging next to one another, offering up a study in shading and texture. There's a grounded sense of drone within this sound even as none of these individual players stands still for long, allowing the texture to develop with a sense of unfolding and hearing with ears wide open.

Ron Miles: Heaven. 2002. Sterling Circle: SC5151.

Ron Miles: trumpet
Bill Frisell: guitar

If you've had this disc up on the shelf for a while you might have forgotten how good it is. And if you don't have it on your shelf at all (or on your hard drive, your portable player and all the other ways music worms into it's "non-physical" media) then you're missing one of the most amazing works of understated duo collaboration recorded. Named after the Duke Ellington piece represented in this set, along with Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-gonna Fall," Jelly Roll Morton's "King Porter Stomp" and a take on Hank William's "Your Cheatin' Heart" that virtually weeps, it's the Ron Miles originals that shed the most light on a collaborative sensibility that runs deep between these two players.

HurdAudio Rotation: Jenkins and Monk in Heaven

Ron Miles: Heaven. 2002. Sterling Circle Records: SC5151.

Ron Miles: trumpet
Bill Frisell: guitar

This improvising duo is balanced and tinged by a deep chemistry forged through long friendship and a history of multiple collaborations. It's a quiet, melodious project that is every bit as transcendent as its title would suggest. There's a seamlessness between the originals and covers - even when rendering an unmistakeably "true" take on Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart." The balance of creativity and musicianship runs deep and comes off so effortless as to feel unassuming.

Elliott Sharp: Sharp? Monk? Sharp! Monk! - Elliott Sharp Plays the Music of Thelonius Monk. 2006. Clean Feed: CFG001CD.

Elliott Sharp: acoustic guitar

There are moments when the angular melodies of these Monk tunes take surprising turns as Sharp coats them with unusual timbral variations from his Dell Arte Grande Bouche acoustic guitar. When "Well You Needn't" emerges with a tone similar to plucked, high pitched piano wire it's hard to suppress a smile. There's a wealth of smiles on this disc as Sharp brings a thoughtful and not overly solemn angle to Monk that highlights the joy of Monk's harmonic language and melodic sensibilities.

Leroy Jenkins: Themes and Improvisations on the Blues. 1994. CRI: CD 663.

Themes & Improvisations on the Blues (1986)
The Soldier String Quartet:
Laura Seaton: violin
David Soldier: violin
Ron Lawrence: viola
Mary Wooton: cello

Panorama 1 (1983)
Leroy Jenkins: violin
Henry Threadgill: flute
Don Byron: clarinet
Marty Ehrlich: bass clarinet
Vincent Chancey: french horn

Off Duty Dryad (1990)
Soldier String Quartet plus
Lindsey Horner: bass

Monkey on the Dragon (1989)
Leroy Jenkins: solo violin
Henry Threadgill: flute
Don Byron: clarinet
Marty Ehrlich: bass clarinet
Janet Grice: bassoon
Vincent Chancey: french horn
Frank Gordon: trumpet
Jeff Hoyer: trombone
Thurman Barker: traps
Myra Melford: piano
David Soldier: violin
Jane Henry: violin
Ron Lawrence: viola
Mary Wooton: cello
Lindsey Horner: bass
Tania Leon: conductor

The focus on this recording is Leroy Jenkins as composer for these four, vivid chamber works recorded in 1992. The fact that so many of the performers involved with this presentation have since recorded so many staggering works of their own can be at least partially attributed to their involvement with Leroy Jekins' music. The same qualities that make Jekins the improviser so compelling to listen to carry over into his written scores.

HurdAudio Rotation: Not In Our Name/Baggerboot/Heaven

Charlie Haden/Liberation Music Orchestra: Not In Our Name. 2004. Verve: B0004949-02.

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

Born out of the frustration of the 2004 general election: "We were hoping sanity and justice would prevail. They lost out to greed, cruelty and injustice. The machine won the election again by hook and by crook; the way it was won in 2000." Charlie Haden and Carla Bley reconstitute the Liberation Music Orchestra for a new collection of big band protest music. The need for such protest having only grown since their first release in 1968. An ensemble that has figured prominently on my radar since being smitten by 1991's Dream Keeper - a disc that only grows more beautiful with each listening.

Not In Our Name is an extraordinary recording rising out of the bleakness of the current national political and cultural climate. An act of heart breaking defiance in the face of deafening indifference toward art and jazz. From the passionate bass solo on "Amazing Grace" to the big band arrangement of Samuel Barber's "Adagio" to the new take on Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays/David Bowie's "This Is Not America" to the fantastic orchestration of Bill Frisell's "Throughout," this a music of sadness and passionate honesty. And yet it still carries that same "We Shall Overcome" vibe that marked the Liberation Orchestra's first outing almost 40 years ago.

Gunda Gottschalk/Peter Jacquemyn/Ute Volker: Baggerboot. 2005. Henceforth Records: 102.

Gunda Gottschalk: violin, viola
Peter Jacquemyn: bass
Ute Volker: accordion

The reedy quality of the accordion blends well with the bowed strings in this free improvisation as these big ear collaborators fashion sound masses thick with sonic detail. The occasional focal point or cadenza does emerge from time to time, but for the most part this is a self-less effort as each performer adds to the prevailing sound. And in many ways this sounds like an extension of Gottschalk's beautiful solo improvisations with the addition of new range and timbre to these well-formed explorations.

Ron Miles: Heaven. 2002. Sterling Circle Records: SC5151.

Ron Miles: trumpet
Bill Frisell: guitar

These long time collaborators have a similar (and profound) sense of melody. With sparse lines like a slight drizzle of rain, the barest outline of a familiar song will emerge. This is the case with Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart," as the slow tempo and spare textures coax the tenor of this piece from a mere whisper. This same simpatico also allows these two to lock into a steady groove, which they do with abandon on Jelly Roll Morton's "King Porter Stomp" and the infectious opening track "Just Married" - a Ron Miles composition. Added to this impressive display of melody and rhythm is the generous give and take of their improvisations. Heaven is a welcome spin in the rotation anytime.

HurdAudio Rotation: A Corporeal Slice of Heaven

Paul Plimley Trio: Safe-Crackers. 1999. Les Disques VICTO: cd066
Paul Plimley: piano
Lisle Ellis: bass
Scott Amendola: drums
There is so much going on in Plimley's compositions/improvisations that it's hard to believe how effortless and unencumbered he makes it sound. There's an entire jazz tradition drawing upon Cecil Taylor, George Shearing and Paul Bley (just to name a few) running underneath these pieces and yet the sound is so unsaturated. It's like watching a 10-ton elephant floating on air. The interactions and the amount of space these performers give one another is outstanding. Scott Amendola has some of the softest, most satisfying brush-work I've heard recorded. This is a great disc.

Ron Miles (with Bill Frisell): Heaven. 2002. Sterling Circle Records: SC5151
Ron Miles: trumpet
Bill Frisell: guitar
Ron Miles and Bill Frisell have collaborated on several great projects together. This time around it's just the two of them for a set of duets for trumpet and guitar. These two have a real melodic compatibility and Ron Miles' original compositions catch my ear.

Harry Partch: Delusion of the Fury - A Ritual of Dream and Delusion
Conducted by Danlee Mitchell under the supervision of Harry Partch. 1971. Innova Records: 406.
This is a re-release of the first Partch recording I ever heard. The unbelievable first side from the vinyl of Harry Partch describing and demonstrating his instruments is sadly absent. But the brilliance and impact of this final opus of Harry Partch is well preserved. This work gives a glimpse of what opera could be if it hadn't strayed so far from its Greek origins. The instruments are on stage, incorporated into the overall drama, and the vocals preserve the intonation and rhythms of speech. One can almost sense Partch objecting to hearing a recording - separated from the corporeal whole of the theatrical experience - as the percussion and chanting seep from the speakers in a tale of magic and madness. This work needs to be re-staged.