HurdAudio Rotation: Heady and Nostalgic

Elliott Sharp: In the Land of the Yahoos. 1987. Zoar/SST Records: 128.

Elliott Sharp: mirage, voice, bass, pantar, guitar, saxophone, drum computer

Chirstoph Anders: voice, mirage

Sussan Deihim: voice

Elizabeth Fischer: voice

David Fulton: electronic drums

Paul Garrin: pat, rewinds

Shelley Hirsch: voice

Shigeto Kamada: drums

Christian Marclay: turntables

Jane Tomkiewicz: bender, clay drum

If there's a part of me that is capable of nostalgia, this is one of the discs it reaches for. I've lived with this music for a long time and it continues to be repulsive in all the right ways. Short, detail-rich studio creations that often include deliciously uncomfortable vocals in a music that targets its commentary on televangelists, consumerism and the shallowest depths of American society with blistering criticism. A theme that would be picked up with even greater effectiveness in two "sequel" albums. But for these ears, the sneering voice of the title track at the onset of this listening experience is where it all begins. One of many under appreciated gems in the prolific and thorny catalog of Elliott Sharp.

Terry Riley: The Harp of New Albion. 1986. Celestial Harmonies: CEL 018/019.

Terry Riley: piano in 5-limit Just Intonation in C#

This one is another nod toward nostalgia and a substantial piano composition that has supplied a soundtrack for much of my life. Harmony plays a starring role in this music as the startling diversity of intervals within a justly tuned diatonicism reveals a depth of tonality that isn't nearly as audible in equal temperament. Then there is the composition and generous helpings of Terry Riley's under-credited ability for improvisation. Terry Riley plays the role of story teller and shaman as he unfolds an elaborate narrative through abstraction. All of which comes together into a long-form solo work with incredible beauty for those who pause long enough to drink it in.

Mary Halvorson Quintet: Saturn Sings. 2010. Firehouse 12 Records: FH12-04-01-013.

Jonathan Finlayson: trumpet

Jon Irabagon: alto saxophone

Mary Halvorson: guitar

John Hebert: bass

Ches Smith: drums

Saturn Sings is an ideal collision of so many worlds. Thorny, unpredictable compositions rendered audible by the aggressively creative spirits of these five musicians. Realizing a music that plumbs the extremes of order and chaos by filling up the sonic texture with a density that leaves plenty of room for individual navigation. Mary Halvorson has cut her teeth under the tutelage of Anthony Braxton and absorbed many of his best approaches toward improvisation and composition along the way. But this music also taps into a completely different energy that is entirely hers. There's a fiercely independent quality to this sound that allows one to hear deep into the heads of these players while also admiring the tight structure of these charts. All of this adds up to one impressive recording that stubbornly grabs at one's consciousness and dares it to follow the twists and turns of this logical and free music. Ches Smith is a real presence on the drum kit on this one as well. Highly recommended. Savor this.

HurdAudio Rotation: Studies in Intensity

Elliott Sharp/Soldier String Quartet: Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup. 1989. SST Records: SST CD 232.

Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup (take 1)
Tessalation Row
Digital
Diurnal
Ringtoss
Re/Iterations
Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup (take 4)

Elliott Sharp: guitar, composer
Ratso B. Harris: bass (on Re/Iterations)

Soldier String Quartet
Laura Seaton: violin
David Soldier: violin
Ron Lawrence: viola
Mary Wooten: cello

This one has been in my ears off and on since 1987. I can practically reconstruct every detail and nuance of this particular performance of Tessalation Row from memory. That piece changed so much about how I hear things and it is often lurking in my own textural creations. Beyond featuring the outstanding Fibonacci driven Tessalation Row this collection of string quartet compositions offer an earful of Sharp's organic growth from New York's lower east side hard-core music scene to chamber music composer. This music retains an aggressive edge that finds noise within the harmonic frequencies of open strings that mirror the saturation of multiple amplified guitars. The rhythmic precision and unison attacks in the suite extending of Digital, Diurnal and Ringtoss is remarkable. This is some of my favorite music of all time in one concentrated dose.

Cecil Taylor: The Great Paris Concert. 1966 (re-issued in 1994). Black Lion Records: BLCD 60201.

Cecil Taylor: piano
Jimmy Lyons: alto saxophone
Alan Silva: bass
Andrew Cyrille: drums

A documentation of a late November 1966 concert that lives every bit to its "great" connotation. The 20-minute Andrew Cyrille feature "Amplitude" alone is a jaw dropping excursion through this incredible era of the free jazz movement. Cecil Taylor just seems to pour gasoline onto a sound that is already burning up with this great quartet. An important reminder that cerebral can also be fierce. This one is a significant reference point in the free jazz tradition.

Mary Halvorson and Weasel Walter: Opulence. 2008. ugEXPLODE: UG 26.

Live at The Stone, NYC
February 15, 2007
Mary Halvorson: guitar
Weasel Walter: drums, clarinet mouthpiece

This one hits my expectation for these two improvising talents while still delivering more than a few surprises along the way. Mary Halvorson has internalized a lot of different music, distilled it and she brings out a sound that reflects well upon her wide ranging influences. Weasel Walter is a spark plug with a lot of energy as he blends the kinetic forces of punk and free jazz (and "brutal prog"). Both players have a hand in noise and aren't afraid to go there. What is surprising in this particular set is how controlled and conversant this rough material can be when filtered through ears that are squarely in the moment. Weasel Walter bends toward many of Halvorson's stylistic quirks while she in turn has little difficulty turning the intensity level up to eleven. Though many of the best moments on this disc come when they both dial it all the way back in near sympathetic unison.

HurdAudio Rotation: One Duo, Two Trios

Nels Cline/Elliott Sharp: Duo Milano. 2007. Long Song Records: LSRCD103/2007.

Nels Cline: guitars
Elliott Sharp: guitars

It's a pleasure to hear such compatible performers blend their common instrument together like this. The shared sense of terrain that each brings makes it impossible (and unnecessary) to separate who is doing what in any given sounding texture. Divided into two halves - an all acoustic set and an all electric set. It's remarkable to hear how similar the musical language and aesthetic identity is as these master improvisers traverse between these distinct timbral divides. The addition of sustained tones, amplification and processing is a subtle addition to the consistency of ideas that flows through the life blood of this organic sound.

Matthew Shipp Trio: Circular Temple. 1994. Infinite Zero: 14506-2.

Matthew Shipp: piano
William Parker: bass
Whit Dickey: drums

Music like this makes me love my speakers. The clarity of sound between these three separate forces is a remarkably well-recorded and produced aural image of independence and unity. These three players work with the raw material of free improvisation - big confident slabs of free jazz sounds that cover the canvas with controlled splashes and dribbles. Erupting from time to time with a vicious ferocity that stands out all the more because of the moments of contrasting quiet that pool around the edges. This is a solidly percussive side of Shipp's piano playing and it rolls easily against Parker's bowed utterances as Dickey meets volume with volume in this set. All played with an unwavering alertness of the poetic angles of each given moment.

Mary Halvorson/Reuben Radding/Nate Wooley: Crackleknob. 2009. Hat Hut Records: hatOLOGY 662.

Mary Halvorson: guitar
Reuben Radding: double bass
Nate Wooley: trumpet

The individuals found on this collaboration inspire an enthusiasm for this music long before the first sounds of Crackleknob strike the ear. Individually, each is a fresh voice on their respective instruments and part of a dynamic improvisation scene in Brooklyn. Listening to this music exceeded my already high expectations. Musical ideas are tossed effortlessly between players in a manner that is beyond conversant or even reactive. Many of these ideas extend beyond the immediate rhythms or phrases of the moment as the intuitive sense of form and structure within these "free" environments is striking. This is collective dialogue with sound materials that dances between players in a remarkably even, trio-centric manner. With no sense of urgency (or ego) to fill each moment with more (or less) than what is called for. Recommended.