HurdAudio Rotation: Sleepless Ghosts

Thomas Chapin: Alive [disc 3]: Insomnia. 1992. Knitting Factory Records.

If it has been a while since you gave this one a spin, do yourself a favor and go put it on right now.  This is a feast of texture that soars with the killer combination of Thomas Chapin's excellent trio of the early 1990s, Chapin's compositions and some jaw dropping horn arrangements added to the mix.  This set opens with one of Marcus Rojas' tuba solos and if that doesn't get you excited then we can't be friends anymore.  There is also the unmistakable presence of Curtis Fowlkes on trombone in yet another example of why his recorded output inspires so much awe and reverence for the music he has been involved with.  There is also Frank London on trumpet.  So this is a host of New York's heaviest hitters augmenting the chemistry of the classic Thomas Chapin, Mario Pavone and Michael Sarin trio.  The title track is just one of the Chapin originals that continue to live in my own DNA.  The brass arrangements using a mix of instruments and mouthpieces in cross-rhythmic bliss at the end of "Pantheon," the choral arrangement of tubas and flute in "Equatoria" or the rhythmic propulsion of "Coup D'Etat" are just a few of the shining moments on a varied journey through the Insomnia experience.  Fifteen years after the world lost this astonishing talent, Thomas Chapin remains very much "alive" through stellar recordings such as this one.  And this is one that reward repeated listening in a big way.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet (Yoshi's) 1994 [disc 2]. 1994. Music & Arts.

I have a difficult relationship with this recording.  It starts with the fact that it is Anthony Braxton, who is a major figure in my musical world.  I regard him as a genius who has possibly ushered in more ideas, music and raw enthusiasm than any other individual in the history of music.  It's not exactly a shock that someone as prolific as Braxton would have more than a few recordings that don't exactly support how substantial he is.  This is one of those recordings.  And yet there are moments of brilliance buried within an otherwise plodding album.  Adding complexity to this impression is the outstanding contributions made by the supporting cast in this quartet.  Marty Ehrlich is fantastic throughout.  Joe Fonda and Arthur Fuller are an outstanding rhythm section.  The persistent, nagging issue here is Braxton's pianism.  There are moments where the interaction between piano and the other performers is exquisite.  But these are trace gems within a bombastic approach to the ivories couched within the language of jazz standards.  Without Braxton's accomplishments as a horn player and extraordinary composer this particular collection would not draw attention from these ears for long.  There's a fascination with hearing a genius missing the mark completely here.

Anthony Braxton: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 [disc 1]. 2007. Firehouse 12.

Composition No. 350

On the other side of the Anthony Braxton coin, my relationship with this recording is far from difficult.  He is again surrounded by outstanding musicians (a good dozen plus one), many of them former students of the master.  And here we have a realization of one his own Ghost Trance compositions.  This one weaves a material of pulse structures over a 70-minute span, a duration that encourages and trance-like state for the attentive listener and for the improvising musician to work within.  The generous expanse leaving room for an unpredictable group sound being shaped in real time by Anthony Braxton at the helm.  The result is exquisite.  Listening to it is like taking a spectrogram of this relentlessly abstract work and wrapping one's ears in its pulsating shapes.  This entire box set is highly recommended as a clear example of Braxton's genius for group improvisation meshed with compositional structure.

HurdAudio Rotation: To Say Your Name

Ornette Coleman: Beauty is a Rare Thing [disc 2]. 1993. Atlantic Recording Corp: 1-56826-275-2.

Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone
Don Cherry: pocket trumpet
Charlie Haden: bass
Billy Higgins: drums
Ed Blackwell: drums

One of the main things this box set gets right is the music.  The electricity between these players still leaps out from the speakers through the decades providing more than enough substance to inspire the free improviser.  Beyond the obvious chemistry is the incredible balance between individuals of remarkably equal force.  Disc 2 opens with "The Face of the Bass" with its intoxicating exposure of Charlie Haden's brilliant bass work.  Followed up by moments of awe for Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman.  Billy Higgins remains a harmolodic obsession, hearing how he carves through the same loose grooves traveled by his musical conspirators.

As an additional dimension to this music (that continues to be "The Shape of Jazz to Come") are these Ornette Coleman heads.  Compositions that have grown into familiar entities that have inspired other versions performed by various players in my personal collection.  "Ramblin'" has taken on a life of its own and the reason for that is abundantly clear on this take.  "I Heard It Over The Radio," a track previously unreleased before this complete Atlantic Recordings collection, has been given an inspired interpretation by Paul Plimley.  And so many other tunes that have become companions in my head (I often hear "Kaleidoscope" or "The Tribes of New York" in my head while commuting to the day job).  Beauty is no rare thing on any disc from this set, and today's disc is a jolt from a deeply creative period from one of Jazz's greats.

Thomas Chapin: Alive [disc 1] - Third Force. 1999. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482 2.

Thomas Chapin: saxophones
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: drums

The spark that catches and sets a sound aflame through Thomas Chapin's preferred medium of the trio is clearly audible on this set.  The kinetic energy realized by a saxophonist with a deep grasp of jazz roots applying his trade to a deft balance of groove, jam and melodic inventiveness.  The explosive quality of these live takes of pieces that would come to define the fleeting Knitting Factory scene of the 1990s.  And not lost on these ears is the forceful quality of his flute playing.  This cat could jam hard, rock out and still navigate his way through linear, melodic development.  Being a multi-instrumentalist with this much talent is almost showing off.

Sadly, Chapin falls on the unfortunate list of jazzmen lost far too soon, leaving behind the agonizing questions about how much the course of improvised music would have been altered had his career followed along the trajectory left behind on recording such as these.  There is also the real celebration of the vibrations captured for posterity.  This is a music that retains so much of its edge and pieces like "Ahab's Leg" or "Iddly" are hard to forget when they've been experienced like this.  Alive is a significant documentation of something significant that the ears seek to hold on to.

Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet: One Dance Alone. 2008. Songlines: SA1571-2.

Wayne Horvitz: piano
Peggy Lee: cello
Ron Miles: cornet
Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon

This one is the second of two releases featuring the understated, detail-rich chamber jazz compositions of Wayne Horvitz.  The brush strokes of these restrained gems colored both by the instrumentation and the improvisation-friendly personalities brought into this project.  Making Gravitas Quartet one of the rare blends of jazz and classical traditions that soars without giving short shift to either side of the equation.  One Dance Alone is held together by interspersing the three movements of "July" (in reverse order) between contrasting compositions.  "July" being a deliciously abstract study in sparse textures that reveal the layer of Horvtiz pathos that exists at the core of his compositional output.  The remaining tracks feature a waltz, a focus on melodic material and brilliant textures (particularly for Ron Miles to play over) that make a strong case for Wayne Horvitz's ability to realize compact, song-like forms by getting all the individual elements of his ideas polished to a pristine shine.

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.

HurdAudio Rotation: Drunken Monkeys

Beck: Guero. 2005. Interscope Records: B0003481-02.

Produced, recorded and mixed by Beck Hansen and The Dust Brothers

This one is a triumph of songwriting and musical ideas over bland production choices. Beck has an underrated sense of poetry that gets a little buried under the beats in a string of otherwise hook-heavy songs. His words capture a sense of place and attitude that rings of truth blended with surreal perspective. The Dust Brothers prove to be a bit of a misfit for my ears. In spite of them, this disc has enjoyed some healthy spins.

Ornette Coleman: Beauty is A Rare Thing [disc 5]. 1993. Atlantic Recordings/Rhino Records: RI-71410.

Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone
Don Cherry: pocket trumpet
Scott LaFaro: bass
Ed Blackwell: drums

The abundance that pours from this 6-disc box set is particularly evident when you reach disc five. A reminder that Scott LaFaro's tragically short life included this brush with Ornette Coleman at such an explosive period of creative growth. Also a sobering realization that Coleman is now the final surviving member of this timeless lineup. That this significant touchstone of jazz history is receding into an increasingly distant era. This is hard to comprehend given the vitality of the recordings that still leap out and take the ears by the imagination. "Check Up" in particular has taken up residence in my soul as the mind will play this sound back from memory in periods between sleep and wakefulness.

Thomas Chapin Trio: Menagerie Dreams. 1994. (Re-released as disc 4 from the Alive box set in 1999) Knitting Factory Records: 35828-02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute, baritone saxophone, mezzo soprano saxophone
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums, gongs
guests -
John Zorn: alto saxophone
Vernon Frazer: poetry

Thomas Chapin had a unique talent for channeling a spectrum of life and emotion through his playing. With his long standing trio with Mario Pavone and Michael Sarin that ability became electric. Menagerie Dreams captures a slice of Chapin's range. The brief wisp of the title track shows off Chapin's delicate flute work. While an animal madness abounds and tromps through much of the other works in "Bad Birdie," "A Drunken Monkey," "The Night Hog" and the creative setting of Frazer's poetry in "Put Your Quarter In And Watch The Chicken Dance." Chapin could soar, groove hard and even peel back at the drop of a hat (or a quarter). This document preserves the energy of this creative soul who has since soared to unknown realms and reminds the ears of an era when the Knitting Factory fostered an important and burgeoning scene.

HurdAudio Rotation: Three Live Crews

Thomas Chapin Trio: Anima. (re-issued as disc 2 of Thomas Chapin: Alive box set in 1999). 1991. Knitting Factory Records: 35828-02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute, alto flute, voice changer, laff box
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: drums
with Michael Sarin: drums, cowbells, whistles, ray gun (on selected tracks)

A live documentation of why this explosive trio was such a favored vehicle for Thomas Chapin's compositions and improvisational energies. Each member propels this sound further while still circling around back to its funky underpinnings. Mario Pavone has several moments of jaw dropping excellence on this set.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 1]. 1996. Music and Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, sporano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion

I have some of the most Braxton sympathetic ears to be found anywhere and generally regard him to be a genius with an improbable number of recordings that support such high regard. This one really isn't one of those recordings. And yet I can't stop listening to and obsessing over this enormously flawed outing. Aside from the focus on jazz standards - which is an important dimension of Braxton's abilities as a performer and an improviser - there is also the oddity of Braxton as a pianist. He is much better as a reed player. The ten-thumbs approach to the instrument can become troubling at time. Particularly through long, fortissimo solos. But the way the outstanding musicians play through this material, even during the onslaught of heavy handed piano pounding, is fascinating. Anyone as prolific as Anthony Braxton is going to have a few duds out there. But even his duds are worth listening to.

Grex: Live at Home. 2010. SUA: 003.

Karl A. D. Evangelista: guitar, voice, etc.
M. Rei Scampavia: keyboards, winds, voice, etc.

The decision to record the pieces on this disc live preserves the fragility of this music to a startling extent. All the more surprising given the more obvious temptation to realize fully over-dubbed and polished realizations of this material. Karl Evangelista and M. Rei Scampavia deserve credit for recognizing the the qualities that emerge from the rehearsed effort of getting these down in a single take along with the vibrancy of this music as a live experience. Hearing this music live has built up an interest in taking it home and living with it that this recording addresses nicely. It's a body of works that has a life of its own, with a connecting tissue that links it to Erik Satie, the Bloodhound Gang and jazz standards in a way that gently consumes (or is consumed) by the way it veers beyond mere reference at unexpected turns.

HurdAudio Rotation: Haywire and the Brain

Thomas Chapin Trio plus Strings: Haywire. 1996 (Re-released as disc 5 of the Alive box set, 1999). Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, mezzo-soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, miscellaneous instruments
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums
Mark Feldman: violin
Boris Rayskin: cello
Kiyoto Fujiwara: bass

The Thomas Chapin Trio worked with formal development like a fabric. Woven through the smart arrangements and melodic lines are a multitude of moments that allow Chapin's improvisational voice to emerge along a wide range of emotional intensity. Moments that don't come at the expense of formal connectivity to the sequential parts of the music. Moments that also allow generous room for the other members of the ensemble to shine with equal brightness. With the added string trio the ears are treated to the creative sparks that fly between Mark Feldman and Thomas Chapin throughout this disc. The ears are reminded how deceptive a simple ostinato can be as a compositional device. How a repeated pattern can lend toward a building up of texture. And how much a few well placed utterances can add to a flute solo. This music is an affirmation of Thomas Chapin's assertion that "the point is to stay awake and alive to what is going on." There is plenty going on and the rewards come in hearing them.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 4]. 1996. Music & Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion

This set of jazz standards as interpreted by Braxton's quartet has several endearing qualities. Marty Ehrlich's playing being prominent among its better elements. The selection of material is outstanding. But that plodding, heavy handed piano under Braxton's hands makes it clear that it is not his primary instrument. The piano solos are adventurous and full of substance. But not much for nuance or dynamic range. This is one standards project that stumbles with Braxton (many of his standards projects are wickedly good). Yet I keep dipping my ears in it. Finding trace elements that inform. As well as the object lesson of a creative endeavor that falls short.

Anthony Braxton 12+1tet: 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 - disc 3. 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

Composition No. 352 - Dedicated to the composer Sofia Gubardulina

In the body of group improvisation dynamics there are few systems that so accurately sublimate the ensemble into the functional replication of Anthony Braxton's considerable brain. Each neurological impulse firing along the ghost trance logics so meticulously crafted and imparted to these players. Yet this is a sublimation without submission. A group ensemble not falling under the dictatorship of baton and score. The pulse structures - often loosely defined and interpreted - provides the ears with the structural underpinnings that never overwhelm the individual improvisations necessary to fill in the details of this piece.

HurdAudio Rotation: Icons of American Symphonic Works and Free Jazz

Charles Ives: The Symphonies/Orchestral Sets 1 & 2. 1973, 1976, 1994, 1995, 2000. Decca Music Group Limited: 289 466 745-2.

Symphony No. 1
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta: conductor

Symphony No. 4
The Cleveland Orchestra
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor
Jaha Ling: second conductor
The Cleveland Chorus
Gareth Morrell: director

Orchestral Set No. 2
The Cleveland Orchestra
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor

Symphony No. 2
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta: conductor

Symphony No. 3 "The camp meeting"
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Neville Marriner: conductor

Three Places in New England (Orchestral Set No. 1)
The Cleveland Orchestra
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor

Is there any particular reason the Charles Ives Symphony No. 4 isn't the most revered work in the orchestral canon? It has all the substance, formal depth and psychological impact of any of the war horses. The creative and well arranged use of chorus equals - if not surpasses - the "Ode to Joy" of Beethoven's Ninth. The quarter-tone harmonies offer up a harmonic density that matches the rhythmic innovations that require a second conductor. And none of these devices slip into gimmick or superficial effect. I think that some of the resistance to a full embrace of this piece has its roots in the American-ness of its themes and its composer. Audiences of orchestral music - and lets be honest, they're a conservative assemblage by and large - are geared for Germanic heft and much less generous toward domestic accomplishments of equal quality and importance.

But time is on the side of the timeless. Audiences will lose their teeth and fade away. But the substance of these Ives symphonic works will endure and will eventually earn its own abuses of Ives Festivals equal to those afforded Beethoven, Mahler and Mozart. Fortunately, there are recordings such as these to reinforce such convictions for ears hearing well beyond what today's symphony subscription holder is prepared to accept.

Ornette Coleman: Beauty is a Rare Thing. [disc 4] 1993. Rhino Records: R2 71410.

Sessions from August 2, 1960 and December 21, 1960 in New York City
Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone
Don Cherry: pocket trumpet
Charlie Haden: bass
Ed Blackwell: drums
Scott LaFaro: bass
Billy Higgins: drums
Eric Dolphy: bass clarinet
Freddie Hubbard: trumpet

This is the disc that contains "Free Jazz." The ground breaking 1960 session that turned a double quartet loose for an extended period of free improvisation. The musicians and their ability to hear contributing to the outstanding results that have since opened up generations of players to free improvisation and ushering in a body of music that is profoundly inspiring. I notice that this session fell one day after a large ensemble collaboration with Gunther Schuller that produced an adventurous, meticulously arranged and innovative sound. There was something in the air in New York at this time that opened the minds and ears to this incredibly successful experiment. There was a willingness to mine a new sound coupled with a need to break past all rigid structural pre-meditation. So much was made possible by this music. An important touch stone buried within a box set rich with so many vibrant works from this initial period of Ornette Coleman's early sound.

Thomas Chapin Trio plus Brass: Insomnia. 1992 (re-released as disc 3 of the Alive box set in 1999). Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums
with
Al Bryant: trumpet
Frank London: trumpet
Curtis Fowlkes: trombone
Peter McEachern: trombone
Marcus Rojas: tuba
Ray Stewart: tuba

All the reasons Thomas Chapin is remembered fondly documented in sound. The core trio that was Chapin's creative vehicle of soaring material combined with the arranging prowess of an expanded ensemble of brass. And there's not a weak musical link between each individual involved. The groove heavy, cathartic release of Coup D'Etat balancing well against the smooth choral arrangement of Equatoria. The two trio tracks turning inward to the core group that allowed so much improvisational freedom for every member. Music that spans an expanse that embraces whimsy and focused seriousness with the same degree of sweat. The lurching, pulsating grooves giving this sound an infectious physicality that effortlessly buoys the crackling whit and intelligence coursing through every vein of this breathing music. Heart and mind are rarely so cooperative as this.

HurdAudio Rotation: Forces, Sparks and Magic

Thomas Chapin: Third Force. 1991. [re-released as disc 1 of the Alive box set in 1999]. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482.

Thomas Chapin: saxophones, flute
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: drums

The debut recording from the trio format that provided such an important vehicle for this improviser. The rhythm section of Mario Pavone and Steve Johns is outstanding as Thomas Chapin takes multiple flights throughout his compositions. This group gets a good sound and this music is a staple of the '90s Knitting Factory scene. One of the interesting qualities of Thomas Chapin's composing and improvising is the creative range he finds in this music. His aesthetic isn't boxed in by inside/outside or straight/free ideals. He was willing to vamp along with the bass line when it was called for, soar into wickedly outside territory or step back and weave a lyrical passage on flute. Beautiful and profoundly human. And like too many musicians who have come before and after, all too frail with mortality.

Annie Gosfield: Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery. 2001. Tzadik: TZ 7069.

EWA7 (1999)
Annie Gosfield: sampling keyboard
Roger Kleier: electric guitar
Ikue Mori: electronics
Jim Pugliese: drums, percussion
Sim Cain: drums, percussion
Hans-Gunter Brodmann, Matthias Rosenbauer: metal factory percussion on cylinders and combustion chamber

Flying Sparks and Heavy Machinery (2000)
Flux Quartet:
Tom Chiu: violin
Cornelius Dufallo: violin
Kenji Bunch: viola
Darrett Adkins: cello
Talujon Percussion Quartet:
Michael Lipsey, Dominic Donato, Tom Kolor, Jim Pugliese: percussion

Annie Gosfield's aesthetic mines a balance between attraction and repulsion. The mechanical, factory inspired materials of EWA7 - a piece composed to be performed on and within a factory in Nuremberg - weave together the timbral and rhythmic qualities that are both human and de-humanized. The use of sampling along with cyclical patterns giving a sequential feel that is both attractive and repellent at the same time. Full of life while at the same time aiming toward a machine-like accuracy and indifference. At times this music transcends. But it also falls flat.

Fantastic Merlins: Look Around. 2007. Innova: 670.

Nathan Hanson: tenor saxophone, electronics
Jacqueline Ferrier-Ultan: cello, electronics
Brian Roessler: bass
Federico Ughi: drums

The Twin City music scene is filled with so many gems that something as strong as this one might be overlooked or taken for granted. Working a sound that draws upon improvisation and chamber music this material takes tightly mapped, startling turns. At times energetic and introspective. Brilliant arrangements that withstand and even call for repeated listening.

HurdAudio Rotation: Put Your Quarter In and Watch the Chicken Dance

Beck: Guero. 2005. Interscope Records: B0003841-02.

I drank this one in with some reservation in the last two spins in the rotation. But the party is on with this one. Working from the aesthetic school of constantly changing a groove without removing the pulsating consistency of the beat this one churns through moments of inspired high production. Beck's better-than-average lyrics and song writing is the backbone that allows this material to work from multiple angles at once. And when the brain grows weary with puzzling out the pastiche of sounds that make up this recording the party is on.

Thomas Chapin Trio: Menagerie Dreams. 1994. Re-released as disc 4 from the Alive box set in 1999. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482 2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute, baritone saxophone, mezzo soprano saxophone
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums, gongs
guests -
John Zorn: alto saxophone
Vernon Frazer: poetry

There was a time when the Knitting Factory label mattered. Menagerie Dreams is squarely from that time when the New York jazz scene was well represented by a roster of creative improvisers with groups at the top of their game. Menagerie Dreams lurches with the animated qualities of the animals referenced in the titles. The squawking birds emulated on saxophones in "Bad Birdie." The lurching "Night Hog" or the unsteady, unsymmetrical gait of "A Drunken Monkey." The musing of a performer comparing himself - via poetry - to a performing animal in "Put Your Quarter in and Watch the Chicken Dance." Somewhere along the way a satisfying whole emerges from the sum of this listening experience. Imaginative play that withstands the test of time and represents Chapin's all too short legacy as an artist.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 3]. 1996. Music and Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion

The least jagged of the 4-disc set of standards funneled through the ragged and dynamically coarse piano playing of the multi-instrumentalist and genius that is Anthony Braxton. While this collection as a whole does not live up to the lofty expectations set by other Braxton projects, this particular disc produces a hand full of redeeming moments. The quartet's take on Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" in particular offers up Ehrlich's inspired playing along side a lighter touch at the keys from Anthony Braxton. While there are still waves of plodding from the ivories that leave an unsettled wake behind these achingly familiar standards there is much to be said for taking risks - and falling short - as being preferable to playing things safe.

HurdAudio Rotation: Filled with Anima

Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: Streaming. 2005. Pi Recordings: PI22.

Muhal Richard Abrams: piano, bell, bamboo flute, taxi horn, percussion
George Lewis: trombone, laptop
Roscoe Mitchell: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, percussion

Three giants of the creative improvised music community doing their thing in collective collaboration. While I struggle to warm up to George Lewis' Voyager - and his electronic works in general - I find his contributions on laptop on Streaming to be incredible. Even when the electronics are not subtle or interwoven with the other players in this trio. The responsiveness of Abrams and Mitchell to these other-worldly soundscapes is fantastic. Each of these individuals is an inspiration in their own right. Taken together like this is pure indulgence for the friendly experiencer.

Ornette Coleman: Beauty is a Rare Thing: The Complete Atlantic Recordings [disc 3]. 1960 (re-released in 1993). Rhino/Atlantic: R2 71410.

Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone
Don Cherry: pocket trumpet
Charlie Haden: bass
Ed Blackwell: drums

This music was controversial in its day? It sounds so alive. The passage of time may have dulled the reasons to object to the ways of "free jazz," but the vitality of these sessions is still audible. The previously unreleased (prior to this box set) "Revolving Doors" would be a standout composition on most releases. Here it reinforces the sound and character exploding forth from Ornette Coleman at this 1960 session. And Don Cherry. What an innovator on trumpet. This box set documents an incredible chapter in jazz development.

Thomas Chapin Trio: Anima. (Disc 2 from Thomas Chapin: Alive box set). 1991/1999. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 0282 2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute, alto flute, voice changer, laff box
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: dums
with guest -
Michael Sarin: drums

The Thomas Chapin Trio sound runs sharp angles around funky corners, starts and stops, melodic logic and a tight rhythm section to back it all up. Which is a summary of the Knitting Factory sound back when that venue mattered to jazz. Chapin was on the bleeding edge of that sound in its days. A sound that still anchors many of my own sensibilities.

HurdAudio Rotation: Three American Originals

Charles Ives: The Symphonies/Orchestral Sets 1 & 2. 2000. Decca: 289 466 745-2.

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta: conductor

The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus
Christoph Von Dohnanyi: conductor
Jahja Ling: second conductor
Gareth Morrell: chorus conductor

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Neville Marriner: conductor

Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 4
Orchestral Set No. 2
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3 "The camp meeting"
Three Places in New England (Orchestral Set No. 1)

This is simply some of the most impressive orchestral music I am aware of. Much of it is dense with ideas as the sound coalesces into an aural portrait of a New England lost to the mist of time. The quarter-tone smears in the second movement of Symphony No. 4 holds particular interest for me even as the breathtakingly ambitious scope (multiple conductors, multiple tempos, poly-harmonic textures, etc.) of this Symphony makes it one of the most awe inspiring works in the repertoire.

Thomas Chapin Trio plus Brass: Insomnia. 1992. Re-released as disc 3 of the Alive box set. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482 2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute
Mario Pavone: bass
Michael Sarin: drums
with
Al Bryant: trumpet
Frank London: trumpet
Curtis Fowlkes: trombone
Peter McEachern: trombone
Marcus Rojas: tuba
Ray Stewart: tuba

There's a rocking, Dirty Dozen Brass Band quality to this music. Hearing these familiar Chapin pieces expanded into this larger ensemble setting is a real treat and the flute playing is fantastic. Thomas Chapin had an understanding of how to steer the delicate, overtly beautiful sound of the flute toward gritty, earthy improvisations with enormous appeal. The chemistry of that core trio of Chapin, Pavone and Sarin remains the engine that drives this larger ensemble sound.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 2]. 1996. Music & Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion


Anthony Braxton is a brilliant composer, performer and theoretician. However, he is not the person to bring his sonic vocabulary to the piano. I have such high expectations for Braxton's endeavors that I can't leave these piano quartet excursions alone even when confronted by the disbelief at his plodding, harsh technique on the instrument. As a reedsman, Braxton's playing soars - even when interpreting the jazz warhorses of standards. Marty Ehrlich does an excellent job on reeds on this set. The whole quartet is outstanding - except for that sore spot on ivories from the band leader. When one manages to listen between the offsetting solos there is a richness to this recording that makes it worthwhile. This band is at its best when interpreting Thelonius Monk and this second disc does feature "Nica's Dream" and "Pannonica."

HurdAudio Rotation: Rare Beauties

Ornette Coleman: Beauty is a Rare Thing [disc 2]. 1993. Atlantic/Rhino Records: R2 71410.

Ornette Coleman: alto saxophone
Don Cherry: cornet, pocket trumpet
Charlie Haden: bass
Billy Higgins: drums
Ed Blackwell: drums

On Friday, October 9, 1959 the legendary quartet of Coleman, Cherry, Haden and Higgins recorded "Ramblin'" at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. This Ornette composition has since become a staple of Charlie Haden's recording and live performance repertoire. I've heard multiple arrangements with Haden's various projects and hearing this disc reveals the qualities Haden discovered in that incredible recording session. Haden's own bass solo on that track already reveals a deep connection with this piece.

The music from these sessions were originally released on Change of the Century, The Art of the Improvisers, Twins and This is Our Music. And much of this material was not released until this box set revealed untold treasures from the time when these free improvisers coalesced around a sound that would forever alter the fabric of jazz. How is it that these major labels could sit on so much great music? The mind reels at the years pieces like "I Heard It Over The Radio" or "The Tribes of New York" went unheard. The hungry mind and ears find the substance of this music unfaded by the passage of time.

Thomas Chapin Trio: Third Force. 1991. Re-released as disc 1 of Alive (box set). 1999. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482 2.

Thomas Chapin: saxophones
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: drums

"Ahab's Leg" kicks off this set, and if there's any piece coursing through my own veins this one is a strong candidate. The angular, melodic lines are as natural and familiar as any other composition that's rattled around these ears over the years. Third Force is a great trio album, one that gets better with age. Chapin's creative force bubbles up with so much variation in this debut outing for his trio. At turns funky, beautiful, ugly, fun, introverted and briskly expressive there is also the bitter taste of an artist cut down far too soon by leukemia. On recordings there is much to savor and celebrate. Chapin would have turned 50 this year...

Fantastic Merlins: Look Around. 2007. Innova: 670.

Nathan Hanson: tenor saxophone, electronics
Jacqueline Ferrier-Ultan: cello, electronics
Brian Roessler: bass
Federico Ughi: drums

A thick texture of low strings punctuated by percussion with a saxophone woven into the sonic cloud. Fantastic Merlins paint a moving picture of sound composed of long shots that need no resolution. As beautiful and taut as these compositions are, the Fantastic Merlins are at their best in the live tracks on Look Around. The unseen crowd of St. Paul's Clown Lounge adding an immediacy and tension to the soundscape. There's a jazz vibrancy coming out of Minnesota in this new century that rivals the honky tonks of Kansas City and St. Louis of the swing era. Look Around is an invitation to explore this mid-western phenomenon that rewards the ears with a richly rewarding sound.

HurdAudio Rotation: Two Sax Trios and a Piano Quartet

Thomas Chapin Trio: Anima. 1991. Re-released as Disc 2 of Alive. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482-2.

Thomas Chapin: alto saxophone, flute, alto flute, voice changer, laff box
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: drums
with guest:
Michael Sarin: drums

With the tragic loss of Thomas Chapin - gone far too soon - and the loss of the Knitting Factory as the jazz institution it once was this recording hits the ears with the same vibrancy and frozen moments from a golden age of creative excellence one hears from an Art Blakey recording. Mario Pavone has a rich, warm timbre on the bass and the sense of time that sits deep within the pocket. These Thomas Chapin compositions and improvisations peel away the passing seconds with brilliant vitality. At times he finds a looping pattern that reinforce a deeply satisfying groove. At other times he carves longer melodic lines across the surface. The end result is an achingly beautiful legacy.

Anthony Braxton: Piano Quartet, Yoshi's 1994 [disc 1]. 1994. Music & Arts: CD 849.

Anthony Braxton: piano
Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet
Joe Fonda: bass
Arthur Fuller: percussion

As a die-hard Braxton fanatic I've found this particular set hard to embrace with the same enthusiasm that comes naturally with his more aggressively genre defying compositions and free improvisations. But it's hard not to keep coming back to this music given the outstanding musicianship contained within this quartet. And this time through the ears have hooked onto some unexpected pleasures. There is more dynamic range in Braxton's thorny pianism than I'd given credit for - particularly in the quiet moments of "Bluesette"and the unusual accompaniments he plies behind the other soloists. The focal points on these jazz standards is a complete departure from how one would listen to them in more museum-esque presentations, but that's what Braxton brings to the table with his considerable creative energy harnessed toward the service of these jazz war horses. The rough edges of Braxton's piano technique are tough to hear beyond- but there is a different light cast on these familiar pieces that is startling.

Ellery Eskelin: Forms. 1990 - re-released in 2004. Hat Hut Records: hatOLOGY 592.

Ellery Eskelin: composer, tenor saxophone
Drew Gress: bass
Phil Haynes: drums

This early effort puts Eskelin's tenor within a conventional trio instrumentation and showcases his compositional and improvisational brilliance beyond the textural manipulations he has navigated since. The titles of Eskelin's original compositions read like the generic labels of a no-frills shelf: "Blues," "Ballad," "Latin," "Bebop" and so on while the moment to moment unfolding of this sonic fabric is anything but vanilla. The rhythm section of Gress and Haynes provides an outstanding sound for these pieces with a creative impulse that clearly helps drive Eskelin's creative energy on these performances.

HurdAudio Rotation: My Very Empty Ears

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

James Blood Ulmer: vocals, guitar, flute

The blues often conjures up adjectives like "authentic" and "true." But the fact with James Blood Ulmer is that he just gets under my skin. Right from the first chord from his guitar and his gravelly voice I'm swept up into his wise, life-hardened perspective. The relentless forward motion combined with the harmonic framework gives this music a sharp edge while Ulmer's voice sprinkles bitter salt into freshly opened wounds. By the time he breaks into his evil cackles of "Devil's Got To Burn" I realize I've been on a journey through some intensely emotional territory that never flinches in the face of truth and authenticity.

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

Child for chamber ensemble. Performed by Sentieri Selvaggi (Milan). Conducted by Carlo Boccadoro.
i. my very empty mouth
ii. sweet air
iii. short fall
iv. stick figure
v. little eye

One can hear all the can banging influences at work in this music. There's a healthy dose of a Louis Andriessen sensibility at work - even the second movement is dedicated to him. The surface texture of this music ripples with a surprising post-minimalist sheen that embraces dissonance without necessarily becoming dominated by dissonance. Even with generous repeated passages this music doesn't come off as "minimalist," "post-minimalist," or whatever -ist the academic establishments will reject today and embrace tomorrow. Much of this music is a self-contained paradox. It's aggressively tranquil, intricately simple and bitter sweet. It's also a sonic wonder well worth hearing.

Thomas Chapin Trio: Third Force. 1990, 1991. Re-released as disc 1 of Thomas Chapin: Alive box set. Knitting Factory Records: 35828 02482.

Thomas Chapin: saxophones, flute
Mario Pavone: bass
Steve Johns: drums

It always startles me how vibrant the music on this CD is. The musicianship and the energy behind this wonderful din practically leaps out from the speakers with equal parts fun, fury and devastating intelligence. Thomas Chapin recorded some amazing music in his short time, but it was the trio that was a vehicle for some enduring and incredible creative work. And this is some of the earliest recorded evidence of a music that would play such an important role in defining the Knitting Factory sound back when that venue - and record label - was far more relevant than it is today. It's a sound that still infects much of my own sensibility and taste.