Scale of the Day: E Flat Mixolydian augmented 4

Audio sample of the E Flat Mixolydian augmented 4 Scale.

Also:
E Flat Mixolydian augmented 4 Scale notation.
E Flat Mixolydian augmented 4 Scale interval analysis.

HurdAudio Rotation: Bootstrapping, Freaking and Running a Fever

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

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

This one is an old friend to these ears from way back. With Elliott Sharp's guitar sound front and center before a rock trio GI=GO plumbs a sonic territory close to my own sensibilities that is enhanced by the steady rhythm section of Kotik and Kotik. The computerese geeky titles of "Optimize My Hard Disk, Baby," "8-bit Living" and "Command Z" haven't aged as well as the sounds behind the names. Which highlights the pitfalls of attaching titles to instrumental works. But this quality is so consistent across this disc that the heart and mind simply accept it and enjoy the ride.

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

Dave Douglas: trumpet, keyboards, voice
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

Freak In is like a party hosted by Dave Douglas where he's invited all his cool downtown improvising friends to seriously rock the house. The sonic contributions of Craig Taborn and Jamie Saft leave a big impression on this sound. Douglas' final release on a major label is a precursor to the Keystone projects that would follow and after living with this music for a few years it has become a highly regarded disc in the HurdAudio library. My current addiction to seeking out new CDs is fueled by the experience of putting something like Freak In on for the first time.

Matthias Kaul: Fever - Five Songs from a Percussionist. 2002. Nurnichtnur: LC 05245.

Matthias Kaul: percussion, voice

Listen, this is for You (2000)
Amadeu Antonio Kiowa (2000)
Bachmann (1991)
Fever (1999)
Listen, this is for You (II) (2001)

The unusual packaging of Fever is a reflection of the other-worldly sounds contained within. Packaged within its own canvas pocket made from one of a thousand panels cut from an acrylic paint and Chinese ink work called Silence, the limited run of Fever is contained within a unique block that reinforces its own uniqueness. Unbuttoning the pocket to release the music immerses the ears in the focused sonic universe of Matthias Kaul's creations. Whether self-limited to the sounds of a glass harp or employing a vast battery of unusual percussion instruments Kaul displays a sharp ear for sonic design that allows each of these compositions to unfold as fully formed works of austere beauty.

HurdAudio Rotation: Child, Ghost and Atomic Clock

David Lang: Child. 2003. Cantaloupe Music: CA21013.

David Lang: composer
Carlo Boccadoro: conductor, piano, brake drum
Paola Fre: flute, piccolo
Mirco Ghirardini: clarinet, bass clarinet
Andrea Rebaudengo: piano
Thomas Schrott: violin, brake drum
Antonello Leofreddi: viola
Marco Decimo: cello, brake drum
Andrea Dulbecco: vibraphone, percussion
Filippo Del Corno: brake drum

Child has a clear ancestral lineage to the music of Louis Andriessen - the Dutch composer the second movement is dedicated to - with many of the same shimmering, rhythmically propulsive qualities and crystalline arrangements that one associates with the European minimalist. With each movement composed for different ensembles in Paris, Milan, Stockholm and Rome the final continuity of this large-scale composition becomes apparent when assembled sequentially on disc. The tranquil yet restless wonderment of human growth from embryo to infant becomes the narrative form of this music as David Lang applies a light, Satie-esque touch to the layers of sound that make up the whole.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost [box set] - disc 7. 2004. Revenant Records: RVNT 213.

Don Ayler Sextet - January 11, 1969 @ Town Hall, NYC
Don Ayler: trumpet
Albert Ayler: alto saxophone
Sam Rivers: tenor saxophone
Richard Johnson: piano
Richard Davis: bass
Ibrahim Wahen: bass
Muhammad Ali: drums

Albert Ayler Quartet - speculated to be July 28, 1970 @ La Colle sur Loup, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
Albert Ayler: tenor saxophone
Call Cobbs: piano
Steve Tintweiss: bass
Allen Blairman: drums
and probably Mary Parks: tambourine, hand clapping

Disc 7 is the roughest, most challenging material in this box set with audio fidelity and sonic material at its most uneven. The difference between Don Ayler and Albert Ayler as band leader is immediately striking. The ragged edges and fierce energy takes on a tangible cohesion under the direction of Albert while the Don Ayler Sextet shows several flashes of potential it is quickly buried under the rough acoustics and less-than-ideal recording conditions. The Albert Ayler session from France shows rare flashes of the quartet feeding off of the appreciative energy of the audience and reveals musically intense material that is well worth wading through the low quality recording.

Mark Helias' Open Loose: Atomic Clock. 2006. Radio Legs Music: RL 012.

Mark Helias: bass
Tom Rainey: drums, percussion
Tony Malaby: tenor saxophone
with guest Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone on one track

These ears are again transfixed by the drumming of Tom Rainey. I don't think I've ever heard him in any context that was less than outstanding. Here he is one third of a tight trio playing Helias' excellent charts. This music has incredible depth and I look forward to catching more details with repeated listening. There's a wonderful balance of energy and deep jazz roots at play in this sound. Tony Malaby is a revelation to these ears with his sustained creative fire.

Scale of the Day: F Sharp Pythagorean Mixolydian

The intervallic content of the F Sharp Pythagorean Mixolydian Scale. The 3-limit take on the familiar "dominant" tonal sound.

Scale of the Day: A Mixolydian diminished 5

The A Mixolydian diminished 5 Scale as one would find it on any conventionally tuned, equal tempered instrument. The augmented second between the fifth and sixth degrees adds an interesting ripple in this otherwise "dominant" tonal harmonic texture.

Scale of the Day: E Dorian 1% wide

The E Dorian 1% wide Scale. The intervallic symmetry of the Dorian scale stretched out along a wide octave.

HurdAudio Rotation: Of Mountains and Celestial Pathways

Myra Melford/Tanya Kalmanovitch: Heart Mountain. 2007. Perspicacity: PR03.

Myra Melford: piano, harmonium
Tanya Kalmanovitch: viola, violin

These 19 brief tracks flow like movements from a single work. As improvisers, Melford and Kalmanovitch frame a wide range of sonic ideas and responsiveness to each other that keeps things fresh throughout this listening experience. This is incredibly pleasant music and it's a welcome spin in the rotation.

James 'Blood' Ulmer: Birthright. 2005. Hyena Records: TMF 9335.

James 'Blood' Ulmer: vocals, guitars, flute

How does one man channel so much feeling and soul-drenched expression into a solo sound? Not only is James 'Blood' Ulmer on a first-name basis with the devil, with a blood curdling cackle to go along with such familiarity, but Ulmer can also put the dark lord in his place and make credible demands of the angels as well. With a gravelly voice and honest words about vice, deed and intention Birthright is an impressive collection of raw, beautiful blues playing.

Sun Ra: Strange Celestial Road. 1987. Rounder Records: CD 3035.

Sun Ra: keyboards
Michael Ray, Curt Pulliam, Walter Miller: trumpets
Craig Harris, Tony Bethel: trombones
Harry Wilson, Damon Choice: vibes
Richard Williams, Steve Clarke: bass
Vincent Chancy: french horn
John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Elo Omoe, James Jacson, Danny Thompson, Kenny Williams, Hutch Jones, Sylvester Baton, Noel Scott: reeds
Luqman Ali, Reg McDonald: drums
Artaukatune: percussion
Skeeter McFarland, Taylor Richardson: guitar
June Tyson, Rhoda Blount: vocals

A much appreciated slice of Sun Ra. And on this side of the holidays the lengthy, rambling grooves with sprawling segments of "space age" poetry, free improvisation and funk is exactly the tone to bring on a new year. Hearing Vincent Chancey's horn playing within an Arkestra setting is a particular aural treat within a large ensemble stacked with outstanding (and underrated) talent. Of the vast Sun Ra catalogue, this isn't his most striking or most challenging recorded evidence. But it is a piece of the sound and journey of the Saturn soul and each face of his arrangements and large ensemble sensibility is well worth a listen.