Rolling Jazz Thread 2023

"Just because you're not a drummer, doesn't mean you don't have to keep time." — Thelonious Monk

Jason Moran just released a new album, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield, a tribute to and interpretation of the work of James Reese Europe, whose 369th U.S. Infantry "Hell Fighters" Band were precursors to jazz as we know it. Europe managed to make a military marching band swing, which is kind of amazing. I'm interviewing Moran about the project for Stereogum, so that'll be published later this month. In the meantime, check out the record — it includes some medleys that combine Europe pieces (or pieces his band played) with Geri Allen's "Feed the Fire" and Albert Ayler's "Ghosts," so this is not some super-reverent treatment of the past.

https://jasonmoran.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-dancehall-to-the-battlefield

My first BA newsletter of 2023 is out. It's all about jazz as vehicle for living historical memory, and I talk about new albums by Konjur Collective (a kind of free jazz electronic noise-funk band from Baltimore), Nduduzo Makhathini, and the Jason Moran record mentioned above.

Why Does Moran price his downloads so high?

Because he thinks that's what they're worth. I interviewed him for Bandcamp in 2017, when he first launched his page, and asked him about that:

Most artists and labels charge between $7 and $10 for an album, but you charge $20. How did you arrive at that price point, and how is it working out for you?

You know, I think about music as, ‘What do you value it at?’ And that’s basically it. I’ve often been asked this very question, and my immediate response is, look at the back of a slave that’s been whipped, and ask yourself, ‘How do you value your work?’ That’s the end for me. I could charge $50 for this, and if a person wants it, they want it. If they don’t, they don’t. It’s totally fine. But I set it there more as a place to hold it. The way music has been sold, this thing where I should be able to stream the entire thing before I buy it, is unfair, and I think it’s unfair that musicians should fall into the mode where they would do that automatically. I don’t believe in that. So the way we’re running it, my wife and I, for her record as well, is there are one or two songs we want people to hear, but maybe not. And they can change. I can change it—it’s not set in stone. But right now, I’m sitting it there, and seeing how long I feel like I can keep it there.

From the Dancehall to the Soulseek

looking forward to playing that new Nduduzo!

I checked out the Konjur Collective album after reading the BA newsletter. Good lord, what an album. I look forward to listening to it on decent headphones. Great start to the year!

The 2022 Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll has been published:

https://hullworks.net/jazzpoll/22/totals-new.php

Although it technically belongs to 2022, I figured it’s fair game for the 2023 thread since it was just published today. I made a Spotify playlist of the top 40 new albums. I know Spotify sucks, but I'm hoping someone will fall in love with one of these albums and buy it on vinyl, CD, or Bandcamp:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o2Vzc55rVw6D1uIsO8cpl?si=6BAlQS8LSOqIydiy1nS4Wg

It seems to still be populating; I can't see the results yet.

Sorry, the first link appears to have reverted to a previous version of the page, without the final results. It worked on my phone a few minutes ago, but when I clicked the link on my laptop just now, the page went bye-bye. Not sure what happened there. Perhaps it was published erroneously but then taken down right away for some reason? I just happened to stumble upon it.

Oh wow, new Moran and Live at Big Ears (w Milford Graves) now in full on Bandcamp, spotted for the first time since I started checking.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o2Vzc55rVw6D1uIsO8cpl?si=6BAlQS8LSOqIydiy1nS4Wg

― Skrot Montague, Thursday, January 5, 2023 11:02 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

this worked for me. thanks!

It looks like the Jazz Critics Poll results are finally live (for real this time). The link I posted above now works. The results can also be found here:

https://artsfuse.org/267017/the-17th-annual-francis-davis-jazz-poll-a-profusion-of-geniuses/

Thanks! One thing distracts me from results---Terry Gross was gone from Fresh Air a long time, and somewhere in there the sub mentioned family health, so I was heartened to see another poll, bummed to see he didn't feel like putting it together himself---still has his mordant sense of humor (about still looking like shit) and some other characteristic lip action, but right now thinks he may not do a poll next year:
https://artsfuse.org/267051/the-17th-annual-francis-davis-jazz-poll-my-poll-without-me/ ("my first concussion, my first pneumonia": wow.)

Halvorson is the third woman (after Maria Schneider and Kris Davis) to top the poll; also the first guitarist.

I somehow managed to not notice the existence of that other Tyshawn Sorey album, the live one

it’s supposed to be pretty good, just downloaded it today

I’ve been ambivalent about buying it because it’s three CDs worth (Pi doesn’t put new releases on streaming and I don’t want to steal it). I like Osby a lot though.

A lot of critics are big on it but I was only kind of meh on his last standards album.

Apparently the live one is supposed to be much more engaging, unsurprisingly.

I absolutely stole it, if a label doesn’t do streaming they should expect it afaic.

Reminding me I still haven't listened to all of this, but:

Comments and especially excerpts in Kevin Whitehead's Fresh Air coverage of Sorey's Mesmerism indicate more variety and shades of interest than I expected: an "Autumn Leaves" I didn't recognize even when he gave the title after playing it, and a couple I didn't know at all: Horace Silver's "Enchantment," where

they leave open space, but every part fits together drum choir-style. Bass becomes a percussion instrument like piano, drums and cymbals.
Even more intriguing is Muhal Richard Abrams' "Two Over One," and KW mentions, without naming or playing, something by Paul Motian. Indicates that there are some more trad numbers as well, and indicates they're not always more than "polite" or "breezy"---a v. laid back "REM Blues," by Ellington, is one I could do without, judging by the wisp of it here---but will prob stream the whole thing somewhere at some point:
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/28/1114236045/tyshawn-soreys-mesmerism-celebrates-the-everyday-miracle-of-the-jazz-rhythm-trio
― dow, Thursday, July 28, 2022 9:18 PM (five months ago) bookmarkflaglink

i was just coming here to say the same thing, or nearly the same thing, which is that i like how it sounded much more than i was expecting to, and that the MR abrams-penned track piqued my interest

― budo jeru, Friday, July 29, 2022 8:41 AM

I bought it — Pi Recordings had a 25% off sale on their site around Christmastime, so I indulged my support-independent-artists-and-fellow-small-labels side and bought three Sorey discs/sets and three more by Henry Threadgill. The live set is good, mostly because of Aaron Diehl, who's one of my favorite pianists; I'm not as enthused about Osby. I saw him play a really good gig about 22-23 years ago with Jason Moran, Stefon Harris, Lonnie Plaxico and Eric Harland (the band on Moran's debut album, Soundtrack To Human Motion, but it was Osby's gig). But I haven't been that much of a fan since.

Gotta say, Diehl is really killing it on the keys on this Sorey 3-disc, very much in agreement with you there.

His three albums under his own name are great, too; I particularly like The Vagabond, from 2020, which includes pieces by Roland Hanna, Prokofiev, and Philip Glass alongside originals.

http://www.mackavenue.com/store/mac1153

Unperson, I'm curious if you've heard any of the JMI Recordings lps?
https://www.jmirecordings.com/coming-attractions

It's a vinyl-only jazz label from the engineer who's worked on all the Roots/Questlove/D'Angelo related stuff for years. Kind of annoying since I would love to hear these records, even a Bandcamp-only + no preview digital version would be something (like Jason Moran's approach). I guess I respect the commitment though.

Not familiar with them at all but I've just sent them an email about at least staying on their PR list. That David Murray 4LP set sounds like it could really be something.

Yeah I'm very curious about that one (heard them talking about it on Questlove's podcast). Also the Mike Mitchell solo drums album, although this can't possibly be true:

As far as we know, a double LP consisting of solo drums has never been released. In Spring, 2023 we will do just that with Blaque Dynamite, the debut vinyl release from one of the hottest drummers in the world.

Oh I should add that it's not just vinyl-only, the conceit is that it's all analog from beginning to end, just tape and hardware, no computer or plugins. Very Steve Hoffman forums, but I guess turning it into streaming digital and mp3s at the end would defeat the point.

(Pi doesn’t put new releases on streaming and I don’t want to steal it)

― Lord Pickles (Boring, Maryland), 8. januar 2023 23:24 (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

They are on Apple Music, which might be the best argument for choosing that.

xpost - I listened to the Sorey Trio's Mesmerism for the first time last night. I quite enjoyed it. The bass work was the highlight on first listen (Matt Brewer); he's given a lot of room to stretch out. The album is a relatively compact 47 minutes, which is always okay by me.

Is anyone going to the NYC Winter Jazzfest? If so, who are you most looking forward to seeing? I'd been thinking about making a long weekend out of it, but my finances fell through. The Jaimie Branch tribute looks good.

(Pi doesn’t put new releases on streaming and I don’t want to steal it)

― Lord Pickles (Boring, Maryland), 8. januar 2023 23:24 (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

They are on Apple Music, which might be the best argument for choosing that.

i'm doing both days of the winterjazzfest marathon.
General plan of attack is Manhattan: immanuel Wilkens, joel ross, jason lindner, lakecia benjamin, mo betta brown
Brooklyn is: Black Lives, Julius Rodriguez, Brandee younger, Makaya mcCraven, Dawn Richard, Sun Ra Arkestra, maybe ghostfunk orchestra?

She's not exactly jazz in the traditional sense, but Susana Santos Silva is one of the most brilliant trumpeters around, and I interviewed her for Bandcamp:

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/susana-santos-silva-discography-feature

Thanks! Speaking of distinctive brass with jazz appeal, though not bound by genre usuals, New Year's Eve introduced me to what Toast of the Nation host Christian McBride referred to as "the quarter-tone trumpet" of composer-arranger-leader Ibrihim Malouf, whose playing seemingly reflects his French-Lebanese background and brings a concentrated contemplation through his 601 (counting him)-person-generated arena jazz. It's never bombastic, never lulling for long: the arena seems like a natural formation, where you sit yourself down and dig other natural wonders--but def. not def facto New Age, like that Floating Points thing always put me right the fuck to sleep, quite literally.
The closest thing I've heard to it, not all that close, but IM's 100-voice children's choir helps, are certain moments in Morricone Spaghetti Western soundtracks.
Also it's kind of like if Kamasi Washington had brought all his troops from The Epic to the wide open spaces of his follow-up EP---amd McBryde says that a "more intimate" encounter with Malouf can be found on Jazz Night In America---maybe "even more intimate" is the way I'll find it, but right now I'm still fascinated with this---scroll down past other good sets:
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/28/1143391829/celebrate-new-years-with-toast-of-the-nation

Sorry, that spelling should be: Ibrahim Maalouf.

The other Toast of the Nation set (linked from xpost same page) that really drew me in consistently: Jose James, whose vocals sometimes go into scatting, vocalese, and elements of hip-hop, with flexed, sometimes staggered (sung) phrases and even a singer's adaptation of scratching---also, he's evidently confident enough to give his musos plenty of room, though they don't overindulge---was especially struck by how James and the rhythm section and omg pianist BIGYUKI (sic) build from what they find in the songs of Bill Withers, rather than just putting up a snazzy stage set of chops over the changes: yet another side of BW, damn.

New album out Jan. 20, with similar line-up, some tracks already streaming:

José James - vocals, bells, singing bowl, Bali metal tongue drum
Ebban Dorsey - alto saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5)
Diana Dzhabbar - flute, alto saxophone (tracks 1, 3, 7)
BIGYUKI - piano, fender rhodes, wurlitzer, hammond B-3, synthesizers
Ben Williams - bass
Jharis Yokley - drums

James is a great singer, Moodyman did an excellent remix for a track of his back in 08

Great interview with SSS. Her duo set with Kaja Draksler at Tectonics Glasgow was one of the best things I saw/heard last year: state of the art spontaneous composition, so open and generous with each other. Their duo album from 2022 is excellent too. She was superb with Braxton in London in November too - I think that quartet (also with Carl Testa and Maria Portugal) will be touring this year.

I love Jose James but feel like he hasn't made his ultimate album yet. 'No Beginning No End' comes the closest, all originals and a great band (Pino Palladino produced, Chris Dave is on a few tracks). Flying Lotus produced his early albums, haven't really listened to those.

This new one's a Badu tribute? Idk, it's hard to get excited about that, it just makes me want to listen to Badu.

That was my take when I saw him live doing it: it was nice? I saw badu last year so I may be spoiled.

Starting jazzfest off with Immanuel wilkins. Crowded room, maybe 2% masking.

Wilkins and Odean Pope tore it up at Big Ears last March.

Described as “an artist with so much fire in his sound,” by renowned jazz journalist Nate Chinen, James Brandon Lewis is sharing “Send Seraphic Beings” today, the final pre-release track from his upcoming album ‘Eye of I,’ to be released February 2. Filmed live in studio, listen to the moving track and watch Lewis perform the song – also featuring electric cello and drums - below.

“Send Seraphic Beings” (Live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdjvDUt17t8

More advance tracks: https://jamesbrandonlewis.bandcamp.com/album/eye-of-i

Lewis’ melodic identity encompasses ancient and future, inside and outside, density and openness, church and street. He’s a master of the short infectious motif, and like Sonny Rollins, devotes long expanses of his improvisation to the stretching and refracting and mutating of short phrases.

Lewis writes at the piano, not the tenor, and says that on this project, he found himself thinking cinematically after a conversation he had with saxophonist and composer Henry Threadgill. “He got me thinking about foreground, middle ground and background, like in a scene from a movie,” Lewis says. He adds that to make his themes stand out even further, he didn’t include conventional chord symbols or any harmonic guidance on his charts. “I don’t write any chords on my music. There are more colors available when things are open. I think that’s why my music has a certain lift to it, because I’m encouraging the other musicians to explore and bring out the harmonies that resonate for them.”
One result of that: ‘Eye of I’ travels through a staggering range of musical styles and moods, from Donny Hathaway to Cecil Taylor to the plaintive gospel cry “Even The Sparrow” to the anthemic closing throwdown “Fear Not,” a collaboration with the postpunk group The Messthetics, an instrumental trio featuring guitarist Anthony Pirog, who is joined by former Fugazi members Joe Lally (bass) and Brendan Canty (drums). This February, Lewis and The Messthetics will embark on a co-headlining tour that will traverse both the East and West coast. All upcoming dates are listed below.

TOUR DATES
2/22 - San Diego, CA – Casbah#
2/23 - Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon#
2/24 - San Francisco, CA – SFJazz
2/25 - Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub#
2/26 - Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios#
2/27 - Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s#
3/12 - Kingston, NY – Tubby's#
3/13 - Toronto, ON – Drake Hotel#
3/14 - Erie, PA – JazzErie @ The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie#
3/15 - Chicago, IL – Constellation#
3/17 - Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café#
3/18 - Washington D.C. - Black Cat#
3/19 - Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s#
3/20 - New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge#
3/30 - Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival 2023

# with The Messthetics

dang that nduduzo album is fun

so the winter jazzfest marathons were a really good time, though riddled with a constant sense of FOMO. I was talking to a friend who commented that the experience forced you to decide if you wanted to hear new artists or just artists that you knew you already liked. I opted for the latter this go round.

Saturday night in Manhattan underlined how spreading out venues complicates the experience. Most of the early evening was centered downtown by Les Poisson Rouge, Bitter End and Zinc Bar, which means there was a barricade of bodies blocking the smaller clubs and making it nearly impossible to see smaller sets with Doug Wamble and Endea Owens.
The bigger ticket events at LPR were pretty satisfying tho: Immanuel Wilkins set focused almost entirely on his first album.
Donny McCaslin with Jason Lindner, Tim Lefebvre and Mark Guiliana brought a fuckton of chaotic energy and skronk.
The Joel Ross set with the Parables ensemble (featuring Wilkins, Marquis Hill, Kalia Vandever and the superlative flutist Gabrielle Garo among others) was a lovely opportunity for individual exploration and some pretty melodies ("prayer" in particular is very memorable) but, much as when i saw this same set at BRIC jazzfest, i couldn't help but wish for more playing from Ross.
I regretfully called it an early night and missed the Lakecia Benjamin / Mobetta Brown doubleheader at City Winery in favor of pacing myself for the next few nights.

Sunday in Brooklyn was a bit more jampacked, starting out and centering primarily at the Williamsburg Opera House, a venue I've never been in. Capacious, well lit, very comfy, maybe a little too hot on the sound but a nice place to catch a show. I began with the last half of Black Lives from Generation to Generation, a melting pot supergroup of Andy Milne and Stephanie McCay and David Gilmore and EJ Strickland and like ten other people. Suitably raucous and spirited.
Next up was Julius Rodriguez, who put out one of my fave jazz albums from last year. His set was high speed and playful and multivalent, weirdly evoking Prince's Under the Cherry Moon for me. Very young, very excited crowd; I think this kid is going to be very big.
Brandee Younger played with a trio and tested out some new material that sounded downright transcendent.
I regretfully bailed from there early to try to catch a bit of Makaya McCraven's set at Supreme Ingredients, a 20 minute walk away that I recognized as located at the now departed Output once I got there. Absolutely overpacked. I ended up watching four really great songs from the stairwell.
Stumbled back to the Opera house with a stop by National Sawdust where Surya Botofasina was hosting a memoriam for Meghan Stabile and I stepped up to the balcony just as Ravi Coltrane took a five minute solo. Nice timing.
Got back to the Opera House in time for the latter 2/3 of Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn's Pigments. I was wondering how they'd pull this off live given that the (beautiful) album has long gaps of instrumental only work and Dawn is a bit of an attention draw. That led to some cognitive dissonance with Dawn in an inverted black tutu and a rhinestone balaclava shuffling at center during reflective synth sequences. She is, nonetheless, a star and sounded gorgeous. Probably could've used a multimedia projection to fill in some of the gaps though.
it's likely churlish and the apex of point missing to accuse the Sun Ra Arkestra of being disjointed but they seemed a bit out of it. 11.30 pm start time for a lot of that crew seems like elder abuse. Somehow Allen is still up there squealing, Knoel Scott is somersaulting on the stage, Tyler Mitchell is gamely plucking away at the bass solos. It was all slighly wonkier than usual and a bit logy but you get the moments with legends when you're available not when they're necessarily at their best.

for reference: https://www.winterjazzfest.com/marathon-map#/2023-01-13

Who else went?

I just simplify my FOMO by not going at all.

Donny McCaslin with Jason Lindner, Tim Lefebvre and Mark Guiliana
This would have been my go-to in the familiar names department.

They were raucous and banged around a lot. McCaslin commented how it had been a long time since the four of them had played together publicly and that he liked the "danger" of the combo.

I know i just missed this, but anything interesting happening in NY this friday or saturday? i’ll be in town, would be nice to check a set

Just looking now. David Murray at the Vanguard, maybe? Haven’t seen him in ages myself.

Or maybe The Houston Person Quintet at The Birdland Theater.

Or even Al Foster Quartet 80th Birthday Celebration at Smoke.

Those three in roughly increasing order of preference for me.

forksclovetofu - great report, thank you. You mentioned a few intriguing performers that I haven’t heard before. I’m gonna check out Julius Rodriguez first. Then probably Brandee Younger.

That new David Murray band - Marta Sanchez on piano, Luke Stewart on bass, Kassa Overall on drums - promises to be pretty great. Murray's usual thing is to take a band to the stage before bringing them into the studio, so I hope there'll be an album down the road.

I can’t see going uptown— Murray might be it, Saturday late show. Need to do a bit of coordinating before I commit tho—! I’ll be in Chinatown area from around 330-onward. Thanks for the advice!

tbh yr preferences are mine, too, but I like Murray and have never seen him live.

Cool, sounds like a plan!

Meaning, enjoy yourself! I doubt that I myself will be there.

Excerpts of this new Kenny Barron album are so damn good that I haven't yet caught many of Kevin Whitehead's words, though I gather that he likes it too:
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/16/1149021094/nea-jazz-master-kenny-barron-shines-playing-solo-on-the-sourc

Friday - Fucking astonishing lineup: https://roulette.org/event/improv-nights-a-tribute-to-derek-bailey-2/
Saturday - Shara Lunon (vocals, electronics) Jennifer Choi (violin) Nate Wooley (trumpet) James Brandon Lewis (tenor sax) Oscar Noriega (clarinets) Shahzad Ismaily (bass and electronics) Ches Smith (drums, vibraphone, electronics) at The Stone

For Julius Rodriguez, try
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bsH3DjCjaA

For Brandee, try
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCNqhzkSk58

That Roulette set lineup btw is:
John Zorn sax
Bill Frisell guitar
Jim Staley trombone
Dave Taylor bass trombone
Laurie Anderson voice, violin, electronics
Mary Halvorson guitar
Ikue Mori electronics
Craig Taborn piano
Joel Ross vibes
Brian Marsella piano, synth
Brandon Lopez bass
Kate Gentile drums

$25 ticket!

hooooly shit

Wow

it's like going to Big Ears but in pill form

my bad, that's the Thursday line up. Here's friday and saturday. I'm likely going saturday.

JANUARY 20
John Zorn sax
Bill Frisell guitar
Matana Roberts sax
Caroline Davis sax
Mary Halvorson guitar
Wendy Eisenberg guitar
Craig Taborn piano
Brian Marsella piano, synth
Patricia Brennan vibes
Henry Fraser bass
Brandon Lopez bass
Kate Gentile drums

JANUARY 21
John Zorn sax
Bill Frisell guitar
Caroline Davis sax
Immanuel Wilkins sax
Jim Staley trombone
Amir Elsaffar trumpet
Wendy Eisenberg guitar
Arturo O’Farrill piano
Patricia Brennan vibes
Henry Fraser bass
Jorge Roeder bass
Francisco Mela drums

I like that Saturday line-up. Haven’t seen Jorge in ages, outside of the occasional Julian Lage video. I guess he still lives in Brooklyn though.

Nate Chinen's take on jazzfest, looks like his journeys were similar to mine
https://www.wrti.org/arts-desk/2023-01-17/past-is-prologue-thrillingly-as-the-winter-jazzfest-marks-its-return

shoulda woulda coulda done this nublu set but ya gotta pace yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepvgiUj9Bo

Shouldn't admit this but I've yet to make it to Nublu.

it's a nice space, good a/v, lots of room to move around and see the set from various viewpoints, artists clearly like being there, vibe has always been positive

I've always heard good things about it but ... I don't go to Brooklyn.

...or the LES, anymore.

lol, it's in manhattan!
http://nublu.net/

what's wrong with the lower east side exactly other than everything that still shouldn't stop you?
you don't do anthology any more fer instance?

But I probably will again, this year, I hope. Fellas, it's a new day!

Last time I went to Anthology Susan Sontag was still alive for me to see her there.

And Michael Musto was standing across the street. Hope I didn't end up in any blind listicle.

Which ILX0r etc etc etc?

What kept me away? Parenthood then pandemic. When I used to run into Morbius I would sheepishly sort of apologize that I couldn't keep up wiith his rate of filmgoing (anymore). He would smile and say "I can imagine, I can imagine."

Actually I went to the not-so-lower East Side a few months ago to use that week's MUBI GO ticket.

I was confusing it with National Sawdust, which I also have yet to visit.

NS can put on a great show
let's get you out this year

Something to look forward to. I'm in!

Probably should follow some of these places on social media.

I did sometimes get out to Barbès and especially to Shapeshifter, both of which I should also follow, I guess. And to my friend's Tuesday night jam session that is now at...Bar Bayeux...but used to be...somewhere else.

Halyards

And before that, Fifth Estate.

Part of me wants to say that the last time I was there was exactly seven years ago, so I could ask Ben Monder about Bowie and Tony V, but I probably went a few times after that.

Okay I'm done.

We now return this thread to its regularly scheduled content.

I went to Nublu once or twice; saw the Hedvig Mollestad Trio there about seven or eight years ago, probably.

they've remodeled

I admit that I find the name “NuBlu” so off putting that I would have a hard time walking into the place. Why that stupid name!

OTM. Sounds like a bespoke vodka brand.

it's a stupid name but it's a cool spot as i remember!

Anybody check out David Murray's new quartet at the Village Vanguard this past week? I was going to go this weekend, but the shows sold out before I could commit to a time. On paper it looks really interesting: Marta Sanchez – Piano, Luke Stewart – Bass, Kassa Overall – Drums

I almost never go to vanguard? Convince me I am wrong.

The aforementioned Saturday roulette set was a fairly epic free jazz hootenanny. My poor partner was expecting something slightly more melodic and was shell shocked by the whole experience. It was apparently her first time hearing Zorn. When we heard sirens on the way home she exclaimed “he’s following us!”

Is there a reason to avoid it? FWIW, I've seen a few Zorn shows at the Vanguard as well.

over the weekend i was able to catch alain gomis's "rewind & play", which is made up of concert and interview footage of thelonious monk on french TV in '69. what makes it particularly interesting is the outtakes footage. highly recommended!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0lvlXQQIG0

It's so good. If his 'Félicité' is still on MUBI then it's highly recommended as well. It's about a woman who sings with Kasai All Stars, and also includes a Congolese orchester playing Arvo Pärt as a sort of greek chorus (which might seem like the biggest cliché, but it's honestly really fun to have an amateur orchestra playing Pärt live on the soundtrack, instead of hearing the polished ECM versions for the thousandth time). Gomis really cares about music and the way it interacts with society.

thanks, i'll have to check it out

heard this on the radio yesterday and loved it. it sounds so fresh and yet so classic. from '04. between this and his new record of beatles covers, i think i'm having a brad mehldau phase, a mehl-down as i've decided to call it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaF3znfkZuw

"The biggest difference is how they accent stuff. Pheeroan accents in a way where you feel that edge of propulsion moving forward. DeJohnette ... his accents are much more distant from each other and have a very sharp intellectual curve that is so brilliant. Milford Graves, what he does is he tumbles rhythms, like a juggler. Yeah. He does that with rhythms, and he keeps all of them afloat. Shannon Jackson, he pushed the units of horizontal form forward with what I call multi-polyphonic drumming.”

I really appreciate Martyn's NTS show as a selection of whatever jazz vinyl he's dug up (including private press stuff).

https://www.nts.live/shows/martyn/episodes/martyn-21st-november-2022

Collecting and listening to vinyl doesn't really fit into my life at the moment, but it seems like a nice way to live and I appreciate reaping the listening benefits.

private press jazz! Intriguing, thamks.

Hi friends - excited as always to bring you the first Q1 release of 2023 for International Anthem - the return of Rob Mazurek's unpredictable, wild Exploding Star Orchestra. The new album is full of classic RM curveballs - an entire live recording of the band laid over the studio sound, Damon Locks vocal incantations on the Jeff Parker produced opening track "Future Shaman" - fearless and fiery as always. Hope you dig it!

Future Shaman is out today along with the announcement of Lightning Dreamers.

Quote from Rob on the lead single:

Future Shaman is a beat and lyrical sojourn into the clouds and then the eye of the storm and finally an ascension to the stars. A snaking counterpoint summoning the spirit world. An attempt at communication, renewal/rebirth through sound and movement.

more from International Anthem's Bandcamp page for this alb:

...The album’s opener “Future Shaman” was co-produced by Parker and features added percussion by Mazurek’s longtime São Paulo Underground collaborator Mauricio Takara, as well as synth bass from
Cathlene Pineda. The track finds Mazurek and ESO where they left off with Dimensional Stardust – deep in a chromatic funk fantasy of outer-space grooves and Bartok-ian riffs. Vocalist/MC Locks brings the Orson Welles via Deltron 3030 energy while Taborn and Sanchez face-off from behind Wurlitzer pianos and Moog synthesizers. On “Dream Sleeper” Locks’s poetry is swirled in drifting storm clouds of fractured atmospherics, both improvised and composed. “Shape Shifter” finds Mazurek recalling a past life of Isotope 217 – not just for the swinging grooves anchored by Moog basslines, but also in that he returns to the trumpet after years of playing cornet. Once the soaring melodic theme is established the ensemble shifts into On The Corner mode, creating a mangled rhythmic base for Taborn’s Wurlitzer runs and clean guitar soloing from Parker, before shapeshifting yet again under Mazurek’s rising polytonal electronics as Locks’s scattered vocal embellishments take us to the promised land...

releases March 31, 2023

All music composed by Rob Mazurek (OLHO, ASCAP). Words by Damon Locks.

Recorded at Sonic Ranch, Tornillo, TX, September 23rd & 24th, 2021.

Rob Mazurek - director, composer, trumpets, voice, launeddas, electronic treatments
Jeff Parker - guitar
Craig Taborn - wurlitzer, moog matriarch
Angelica Sanchez - wurlitzer, piano, moog sub 37
Damon Locks - voice, electronics, samplers, text
Gerald Cleaver - drums
Mauricio Takara - electronic percussion, percussion
Nicole Mitchell - flute, voice

Future Shaman" co-produced by Jeff Parker, with additional synth bass played by Cathlene Pineda.

“Black River” includes samples of Exploding Star Orchestra recorded live at Sons d’hiver in Paris, France, on February 3rd, 2022, featuring: Rob Mazurek, jaimie branch, Tomeka Reid, Thomas Roher, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Julien Desprez, Pasquale Mirra, Angelica Sanchez, Damon Locks, Mikel Patrick Avery, Chad Taylor, and Mauricio Takara.

Is there a reason to avoid it? FWIW, I've seen a few Zorn shows at the Vanguard as well.

Reminds me of those Thirsty Ear Blue Series records of the early '00s in terms of the sound and some of the players, but harder and less soup-y.

xp

from 2022 but just caught documentary Music for Black Pigeons which if you like Jakob Bro is wonderful but also has great scenes with Lee Konitz, Thomas Morgan, Midori Takada and many others, some incredible live recordings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI07dp_pFsU

Listening to this John Hollenback/Dan Cavanagh/James Miley album from last year "Another Life". It starts with a cheeky mash-up of Everything In Its Right Place and All the Things You Are (ok jazz nerds), but is really good, also sounds absolutely incredible.

Two pianos and drums! I had to look up who mixed it, and it's bassist Todd Sickafoose.

Cool.

Finally getting around to listening to Champion Fulton since the Smalls Livestream just alerted me a little while ago. Her trio (drummerless tonight, since it's Mezzrow, although sometimes they do have drummers) is sounding really good.

I'd been avoiding listening to Samara Joy, but I suppose I have to now.

She can sing but do we need more traditional versions of Misty and Someone to Watch Over Me as she offers on her album. She’s only 23 and I did like her enthusiasm and passion when getting the award, so hopefully she can at some point do something more original

Maybe her first album is more interesting (just guitar/bass/drums, no piano):

http://samarajoy-whirlwind.bandcamp.com/album/samara-joy

i missed a showcase gig this past summer, don't think i'll be seeing her in a small room anytime soon now!
the current album is a bit unexciting though her voice is solid as oak. would like to hear her live.

https://eastaxis.bandcamp.com/album/cool-with-that

love the latest Shipp "East Axis", he seems to be on a bit of a roll recently

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and organist Shirley Scott had one of the great jazz partnerships in the late 1950s. A new anthology focuses on their "Cookbook" series of albums recorded over a six-month period. Here's Kevin's review.

(SOUNDBITE OF EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS AND SHIRLEY SCOTT'S "HEAT 'N SERVE")

KEVIN WHITEHEAD, BYLINE: "Heat 'N Serve" from a new roundup of tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis' 1958 "Cookbook" sessions with organist Shirley Scott. The set "Cookin' With Jaws And The Queen" celebrates the inexhaustible power of the blues. They play a bunch of fast, medium and slow blues in seven keys that leave you hungry for still more. This collection also celebrates a musical partnership then two years old. Lockjaw was the horn man with a sizzling tone and swagger. Scott would swoop in behind him with dramatic gestures and perfect timing.

(SOUNDBITE OF EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS AND SHIRLEY SCOTT'S "HIGH FRY")

I saw Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble last night and just want to say that if you get the chance to see them you should definitely take it

say more?

I like El'Zabar generally and have every reason to believe any of his groups would be great live, but the Don Cherry tribute album he's got coming out in April (it was supposed to be out next month, so I've already filed a review for The Wire) kinda sucks.

oh man, you need to say more please

ah ok, I wasn't really expecting that kind of response — I'll give it a shot, though I don't see nearly as much live jazz as y'all, so ymmv

Primarily what I meant was that he is ~70 years old, so if you're into him, it's wise to see him sooner rather than later! The friend I went with had seen him in 2019 and said on that date they'd played for something like 2.5 hours, while the other night was more like <1.5 (fine by me for a Thursday tbh).

But it was also just a really great spiritual jazz show. The two "opening acts" were poets, which I might normally have been bothered by but it fit the mood, and fuck it I'm more open to some vintage countercultural energy these days. One factor might be that I've mostly seen jazz shows in Montreal via the Jazz Fest, which is a fantastic event that I love but is def a little on the formal, bourgeois, tourist-y side, whereas this was at La Salla Rossa and felt much more community-oriented. Apparently he's been playing annually in Montreal for decades, so the whole thing felt homey.

Probably the most impressive aspect was how deftly they ranged from fiery to hypnotic. I've tried some of his albums, and they've never quite blown me away (possibly I tried the wrong ones), so it was a pleasant surprise. In particular I didn't much care for his vocals on the records I tried, but live they make much more sense. I was impressed that sometimes it sounded like solfeggio (is that the right word? that humming thing Monk and Powell do), and sometimes he sounded more like a soul singer, reminiscent of Sly or GSH. He's a good drummer, afaict, though I almost liked it more when he played mbira or, especially, this box-drum thing I don't know what to call. I was also really into his baritone sax player, Alex Harding, who did this amazingly funky, in multiple senses of the word, intro to "Caravan". The trumpeter was Corey Wilkes, also good though maybe more solid than spectacular, but they were a great uh ensemble with a ton of positive energy

They didn't play any Cherry songs — which I would have loved, I've been listening to him a lot lately and making my way through the Organic Music Societies book — but in addition to Caravan, they played Lonely Woman and Resolution (from A Love Supreme) as well as some originals.

oh, sorry, i didn't intend to put the guy down or dampen your enthusiasm. i'd love to see him live. but as a certified cherryhead, i had a keen interest in hearing details about a "failed" DC homage, which strikes me as morbidly fascinating is all

DEXTER GORDON CENTENNIAL BROADCAST
dexter
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2023 - 12:00AM TO 11:59PM
WKCR presents a day long tribute to the life and work of Saxophonists Dexter Gordon. Join us from midnight to midnight on February 27th as we celebrate the "Sophisticated Giant's" 100th birthday.

89.9FM wkcr.org

Full schedule TBA

Well, I missed Kahlil El'Zabar yet again last night.

I have occasionally referred to Ethan Iverson as a "small-c conservative", meaning I figured he was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of Albert Murray, politically. Well, today I found out via the Twitter algorithm that he follows Libs of TikTok. That puts him in "fuck this guy" territory for me.

Hard to imagine that a guy who knows and understands the history of jazz music as well as Iverson does could be interested in that sort of thing, political affiliation notwithstanding. Maybe it's one of those follows-are-not-endorsements things?

In other news, Eremite just announced a new Natural Information Society album

Being reported that Wayne Shorter has passed away.

Ugh

Today being Bandcamp Friday, I've bought seven albums by drummer Willie Jones III from his label WJ3 Records. Lots of good mainstream players represented: Eddie Henderson, George Cables, Buster Williams, Eric Reed, up-and-coming pianist Isaiah Thompson, saxophonist Stacy Dillard, etc.

Nice

TIL that trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has a sister...Danielle Spencer, who played mouthy younger sister Dee on What's Happening! (She left acting behind decades ago and is a veterinarian.)

We were listening to the new James Brandon Lewis record “Eye of I” in the car and my husband said, “I like this but it is very fucking weird of you to be into” lmfao

Anyway, I like it— more jazz/drone/stoner sludge and adjacent music, please.

I think half of it is fantastic. Not entirely sold yet on the doom cello bits

I’ve been kinda on the fence too about the new one. I loved Jesup Wagon, but Eye of I hasn’t clicked for me yet. It’s not the doom cellos - I dig that element. The album just maybe feels a little directionless.

no idea who this is, but qobuz recommended Emil Brandqvist Trio - "Layers of Life" to me and I'm really digging it...I'm so bad at talking about jazz but maybe some Brad Mehldau meets prog influences thing?

count me as a non-jazz guy (sorry) who digs the JBL album. i like that it's kinda noisy and weird, but also with what i think are pretty melodies played well.

maybe i should write for Jazz Times

Was reminded on Twitter of the existence of Stephen Scott, a pianist who got the big push in the early '90s (four albums for Verve, was in Sonny Rollins' band for a bit, worked with Roy Hargrove as well) but faded out at the turn of the millennium. He's still alive, living and teaching down in Florida. He was one of the first jazz artists I interviewed, around the time of his final Verve album, The Beautiful Thing. It's a good record: Dwayne Burno on bass, Victor Lewis on drums on most tracks, Russell Malone on guitar on about half of it, guest appearances from Kenny Garrett and Branford Marsalis, versions of Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" and "La Mesha," Wayne Shorter's "Oriental Folk Song," and Ornette Coleman's Lonely Woman." Worth pulling up on streaming. I saw him play with Rollins at Tramps around that time, too.

Unperson, thanks for your recent Stereogum column. I was on the fence about that London Brew record, for precisely the reason you mentioned, but your review pushed me into pre-ordering it.

Something I learned while researching my book: Cecil Taylor's Silent Tongues, a solo performance from the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival, was part of a whole evening of solo piano performances. The other three were by Earl "Fatha" Hines, Jay McShann, and Sir Roland Hanna, and they were all recorded and released, too:

Hines: West Side Story
McShann: Vine Street Boogie
Hanna: Perugia

Listening to them all in sequence is pretty amazing. Taylor sounds 100% "in the tradition" when coming after these three guys, who do, respectively, very nice somewhat Bud Powell/Art Tatum-esque versions of pop tunes; straight-ahead blues 'n' boogie (with some vocals); and florid, sort of Jaki Byard-esque post-stride. (I can hear a direct link between Byard and Hanna and Jason Moran and Aaron Diehl.)

I love some Jaki Byard, it's awfully sad the way his life ended.

Pi Recordings is selling 100 (well, 99 now) autographed copies of Henry Threadgill's upcoming autobiography Easily Slip Into Another World via Bandcamp. $45 plus $5 for shipping in the US.

ARTEMIS returns with the May 5 release of In
Real Time, a marvelous follow-up to their 2020 debut that highlights the improvisational strength of its members as well as their respective gifts as composers. The album showcases a new lineup with founding members—pianist Renee Rosnes, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, bassist Noriko Ueda & drummer Allison Miller—joined by newcomers Nicole Glover on tenor saxophone & Alexa Tarantino on alto saxophone, soprano saxophone & flute. Pre-order & hear the single “Lights Away From Home.”

You may have seen this on her thread, but just in case:

Multi-instrumentalist, singer & songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello makes her Blue Note debut with the June 16 release of The Omnichord Real Book, a visionary & deeply jazz-influenced album that taps into a broad spectrum of her musical roots. The Omnichord Real Book features a wide range of guest artists including Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Joel Ross, Jeff Parker, Brandee Younger, Julius Rodriguez, Mark Guiliana, Cory Henry, Joan As Police Woman, Thandiswa, and others. Pre-order & hear the expansive lead single “Virgo.”

Heard this on the radio today. This kills. I need more Booker Ervin in my life. Dude named Gildo Mahones on piano? Sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILhyDtvL4g8

only other Ervin I've heard is THE QUEST with Dolphy and Mal Waldron, but that's pretty killer too

he did loads of good stuff with Jacki Byard as well

indeed -- was just checking out THE TRANCE w/ jaki on keys

https://ingrid-laubrock.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-quiet-place

love the new Laubrock, apparently the concept running through the album is "we are all too online" lol. Don't really care about that, she's consistently good.

Oh man, the Booker Ervin 'book' records with Alan Dawson on drums are fantastic, enjoy.

The Laubrock record really is beautiful — so are her recent Contemporary Chaos Practices and Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt. I just interviewed her for DownBeat; it'll probably be in the next issue.

the Booker Ervin 'book' records

oh, it's a series! thanks for the tip

xp

yeah Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt was brilliant as well, it was like an improvised soundtrack for a Hitchcock movie or something. Well that was the impression it made on me at the time, will have to have another listen.

New album by the Dave King Trucking Company on Bandcamp:
https://daveking.bandcamp.com/album/old-tv

Dave on piano as well as drums, Chris Speed in the mix

A pen pal got me onto this:

Legendary trumpeter/composer Wadada Leo Smith debuts his all-star ensemble Orange Wave Electric with the exhilarating Fire Illuminations. This scintillating album features Nels Cline, Brandon Ross, Lamar Smith, Bill Laswell, Melvin Gibbs, Hardedge, Pheeroan akLaff and Mauro Refosco.

My reply:

Just now auditioned it on Bandcamp, thanks for the tip! Big Fun yas, though no surprises within Milesian perimeters, though of course MD and these guys have set the bar very high, but attentive, thoughtful w/o ever getting introverted, esp. struck right off by guitars erupting from big earthy groove whenever it seems almost more comfortable than combustible, on epic"Ntozake Shange," also Smith's trumper is particularly full-bodied and sparkling on "Tony Williams," also dig effects of short vs. long tracks. Smith was excellent guest w Ross and Gibbs' jazz power trio Harriet Tubman, on my gateway to HT. thee bodacious Araminta

Thanks again! Will get back to your linked Arcana, which I can already tell will be more surprising, when I have more time.

Ross's Breath of Air, with Charles Burnham and Warren Benbow, made my 2022 Top Ten via s/t Burning Ambulance arrival: https://breathofair.bandcamp.com/album/breath-of-air

Also good to hear Nels Cline unchained! (While still on Wilco's payroll, I hope.)

Hey unperson, while hoping not to pick at a sore subject, are you doing jazz releases of the month anywhere? I miss your insights!

from the controversial opinions thread:

On paper it should be extremely my thing and I like him fine in other contexts but I have never enjoyed a single album Wadada Leo Smith has made as a leader. This post inspired by two different jazz friends haranguing me this week to listen to the recent thing with Nels Cline, which on admittedly distracted first listen just sounds to me like very capable electric Miles cosplay. I'm open to recommendations and not giving up yet, but I've probably listened to a dozen of his records and none of them ever stick

― Paul Ponzi, Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:24 AM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

xpost

Yeah, I'm still doing my Stereogum column. This one ran earlier than usual in March, because I was moving across the country. I'm writing April's column now, and it'll probably go up next week.

Thanks unperson! Don't know why I didn't notice it when it went up.

Hope the move has gone okay.

re: PP's challop about WLS...

I really love the record with Naqvi and Cyrille from last year, in terms of his recent output.

I think that certain records of his feel a lot more essential to me than others— I discovered him through the bevy of Tzadik releases in my college radio station's freeform section, and I admit that I still think the 90s era Tzadik records are my faves of his.

Did the station get promo service from Tzadik? I thought Zorn didn't do that, but maybe he did in the early years.

xp WLS's first album (creative music -1) is one of the coolest solo recordings I know, he uses space and silence and instrumental textures so beautifully and effectively here. as a big fan of don cherry's mu series I really love his later ed blackwell duo as well

xxxpost Well yeah,

on admittedly distracted first listen just sounds to me like very capable electric Miles cosplay

From ilxor.com/Rolling Jazz 2021 (re Wadada Leo Smith, to start with):

Welp, somebody just sent me Sacred Ceremonies, and I've so far given up, after the first six tracks: Graves is of course the ideal collaborator, constantly (but never obtrusively) spinning fresh ideas around and behind the trumpet, but a lot of times I wish he'd challenge or just bust through these repetitive, frequently draggy-ass lines---at first it works as contemplation, but then what the heck, not nearly fuck, zzzz. Maybe I'll try some more of it.

Listening to more Wadada on bandcamp (think I may have already mentioned his cogent contributions to my beloved https://harriettubman.bandcamp.com/album/araminta):

from The Year of The Elephant, by Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet, here is the robustly Milesian work-out,

1.Al-Madinah 10:01

Malachi Favors Maghostut - bass

Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet & flugelhorn

Jack DeJohnette - drums & synthesizer

Anthony Davis - piano & synthesizer

https://wadadaleosmith.bandcamp.com/album/the-year-of-the-elephant

And a couple of lively, warm, distinctive, sometimes exploratory, always emblematic free jazz trips w Braxton:

from Organic Resonance:

1.Tawaf (Cycles 1-7) 11:48

https://wadadaleosmith.bandcamp.com/album/organic-resonance

Now you might think 11:48 that feels more like 4 would be enough, not pushing your luck--but personally, I find that the variety (incl. some lyricism and dog-keening) certainly benefits from added time, and vice-versa, of course---goes into second plane of my attention sometimes, but pulls itself back into the foreground, often enough:

from Saturn, Conjunct the Grand Canyon in a Sweet Embrace:

1. Composition No. 316 28:4

Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet, flugelhorn

Anthony Braxton - saxophones

https://wadadaleosmith.bandcamp.com/album/saturn-conjunct-the-grand-canyon-in-a-sweet-embrace

― dow, Tuesday, May 11, 2021 2:41 PM (nine months ago) bookmarkflaglink

Almost as long as that last one, but tensile and interactive with no claustrophobia---think the strings are my faves here, but he's always responsive, and I'm always ready for those drums to jump in and out---really good live sound too:

Taif: Prayer in the Garden of Hijaz 27:57

Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith - Trumpet

Anthony Brown - Percussion

Del Sol String Quartet

https://othermindsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/om-live-taif-prayer-in-the-garden-of-hijaz

― dow, Tuesday, May 11, 2021 4:29 PM (nine months ago) bookmarkflaglink

I've been listening to some of his and Henry Kaiser's Yo Miles! tribute-based band albums, reissues and first releases, both on Cunieform's bandcamp pages: they're fun, not trying to beat Miles at his own game, but appropriately employing some of his and crew's more conversational approaches--shrewd-to-incisive comments from the guitars, bass, and keys for inst, w 0 bravura asshole Fusion solos, from them or anybody else---in fact, it's not really about solos, for the most part, although Greg Osby's alto and John Tchicai's soprano and tenor do provide tasty rations of such, and Smith flexes reflections of translucent punctuation.

This is a (non-Cuneiform?) collection of band originals from (then) OOP albums---current fave is the wah-wah shuffle, "Who's Targeted?", which also takes evasive action, and Smith also gets bluesy as hell on his hovering intro to "Miles Star."

https://henrykaiser.bandcamp.com/album/yo-miles-shinjuku

participants on this and/or other Yo Miles! bandcamp albums also include:

Kaiser, Mike Keneally and Chris Muir on electric guitars; Michael Manring on bass; Steve Smith on drums; Karl Perazzo on percussion; Tom Coster on keyboards,and sometimes Zakir Hussain on tabla, Dave Creamer on guitar, and the ROVA Sax Quartet .

Will have to check the one w Naqvi and Cyrille and those cited by Left, thx for mentions.

because I was moving across the country

wait, excuse me???

wait, excuse me???

Yep; I live in rural Montana now. If you subscribed to my newsletter, you'd know that already!

Re Wadada: He puts out way too much material to come to grips with all of it. Some of my own favorites include Divine Love (ECM, late 70s); Sun Beans of Shimmering Light, a 2021 collaboration with saxophonist Douglas R. Ewart and drummer Mike Reed; Fire Illuminations, which if nothing else allows you to hear Melvin Gibbs and Bill Laswell playing together, something I never thought would happen; and Lebroba, a trio disc with Bill Frisell on guitar and Andrew Cyrille on drums. I got to see that band live at Lincoln Center; they only played for about 15 minutes but it was incredible.

Thanks unperson, slowly going through some really cool records from that round-up (Daniel Ake, Lukas Traxel, and the Kendrick Scott)

Drummer-led saxophone trios are always better than saxophonist-led sax trios for some reason.

It's a fantastic sounding record too (the Kendrick Scott)

From the studio video, love to see that they're all in the same room without baffles or anything, that's the way

Oh I guess that's not actually the same version of the first track that's on the record, so it might not have actually been how it was recorded, but oh well. They both sound great.

The Kendrick Scott record — with Walter Smith III on sax — came out in March, and now this month Smith has a record out with Scott on drums (and a generally killer band: Taylor Eigsti on keyboards, Matt Stevens on guitar, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet on two tracks). It's also excellent.

Thanks for the heads-up.

The Lukas Traxel album might sound even more incredible, with the same instrumentation. Very intimate.

Yeah this is sick

Matt Stevens? Cool.

I was in New Orleans with the fam and did Preservation Hall. Shannon Powell was the guest, which made it more than worth seeing. Not my typical style of jazz but a very fun live show, and one of the few places in NOLA where you can bring kids to see jazz in a venue.

Nice, you never know who you're going to get at Pres Hall but Shannon is who you want. :) I hope he said "wowwwwwww" a lot in reaction to his own playing.

My latest Stereogum column is up. I interviewed the members of GoGo Penguin, who aren't really sure they're a jazz group, and reviewed a bunch of great new records including the latest from Wadada Leo Smith, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Brandee Younger, Walter Smith III, Fire! Orchestra...

That Walter Smith III record is great. I prefer the Kendrick Scott one if we're comparing, but the big standout on first listen was "Amelia Earhart Ghosted Me", it reminded me of my fave Mega Man 2 deep cut, fr:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iKZXyXX_Ys

my friend recorded this album that just came out, he did an amazing job on the engineering, it's interesting, sometimes really trad sometimes more adventerous. jake b.'s day job is being one of the four freshman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNGECiFkOWM

Cool, it feels like every Madison/Milwaukee/Minneapolis jazz musician I know has released an album on that label. :) They're like the Criss Cross of the upper midwest.

Yeah, Shifting Paradigm is doing good work.

So there’s a new issue of Jazz Times out, and boy, it is cuckoo nuts. Contents include:

—A self interview by the new publisher CEO, including one page where he lists all the jazz musicians he has allegedly worked with or just hung out with
— Four pages of screenshots of tweets criticizing the Wayne Shorter obituary with “Good Bye!” superimposed
—two “doctors” on the masthead including a “jazz psychiatrist”. They also get long essays introducing themselves .
—no jazz news
—no reviews
— oh, and a “rebuttal” article by Steve Coleman

Ugh. A year or two ago I met a guy who had just recently reduced his role there, Lee Mergner. I talked to him a little bit, can’t remember much about it except him mentioning his tussle with Stanley Crouch.

Oh and the story is the content is now advertorials placed by artist management. No reviews are a permanent policy.

lol wtf

Mergner was a very good editor and publisher. The two guys who succeeded him were ok, one better than the other, but they burned out quickly. I had a long conversation about this whole fiasco with a label head I know who had a very good relationship with Mergner and a decent one with the successors. Apparently the new owner isn't just determined to turn JT into his personal fiefdom and a hatchet with which to attack anyone who's ever pissed him off in jazz world; he's also gutted the other titles he bought into the bargain, several of which had small but devoted audiences and were way more profitable than JT. This is an Elon Musk-level suicide plunge.

Almost want to pick up a copy as a cultural artifact

Interviewed William Parker for my Cecil Taylor book this morning. He's got some stories. A few things will have to remain off the record, but others will be very intriguing to readers, particularly the backstory behind the "quartet" shows in 2007 (the Feel Trio — Taylor, Parker, and Tony Oxley — plus Anthony Braxton).

One cool thing that we talked about before the interview proper began was that he just recorded an album with Jon Batiste, the New Orleans pianist who was Stephen Colbert's bandleader for several years. Apparently, Parker has known Batiste — and Christian Scott, and several other New Orleans musicians of the current generation — since they were kids, because he used to go down there once a year, probably at Kidd Jordan's behest, and teach for a week or so. He told me he recently saw Christian Scott and was greeted as "Mr. Parker," and when he asked Scott how they knew each other, he told him, "I was in your class when I was 11 years old."

RIP Kidd Jordan btw

Tbh I was never very familiar with his work (KJ), but everyone knew the song 'Kidd Jordan Second Line', and I used to have a band called Kid Jordan Second Line (because it was co-led by me and my friend 'Kid', and we played New Orleans jazz). But I know he was very involved with Parker, Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, etc.

I'm curious about whatever the Batiste + Parker album turns out to be.

Burying the lede a bit in that post, unperson! I'm really happy to hear there will finally be a biography dedicated to Cecil Taylor. Long overdue and very exciting. Please keep us updated on that.

Posting it here because the very idea of it makes me laugh: in 2007, Motörhead — yes, Motörhead — played the Montreux Jazz Festival, and now there's a live album coming out. I'm not sure if this was what they were playing most nights on tour that year, or if they switched things around, but I'm actually looking forward to hearing it. Here's the set list:

1. Snaggletooth
2. Stay Clean
3. Be My Baby
4. Killers
5. Metropolis
6. Over The Top
7. One Night Stand
8. I Got Mine
9. In The Name Of Tragedy
10. Sword Of Glory
11. Rosalie [Thin Lizzy cover]
12. Sacrifice
13. Just ‘Cos You Got The Power
14. Going To Brazil
15. Killed By Death
16. Iron Fist
17. Whorehouse Blues
18. Ace Of Spades
19. Overkill

Lol

Montreux has always had rock acts, so doesn't seem so odd. Jazz is maybe a 1/4 of the programme. Its jazz programming in the 70s was incredible, but now it's pretty mainstream. Very commercial festival with a lot of corporate sponsorship, but there are certainly some great artists to be seen and in a very nice hall with good sound. Had a couple of press trips there a few years back. Saw Stevie Wonder and Mavis Staples, both brilliant, Van Morrison, not so much. Also spotted Quincy Jones stepping out of his limo when I went for a wander around the side of the arena. Another trip was for their programme launch on February. We were taken up to Claude Nobbs' chalet complex in the mountains, snow over a foot deep. All kinds of rock 'n roll nick nacks up there: multiple vintage jukeboxes and pinball machines, Freddie Mercury's kimono, terrible paintings of Rod Stewart and John Lydon by Ronnie Wood... The only time I've been in a millionaire's playground, very odd experience, but not unpleasant. Best bit was when we were taken into the archive and got a look at all the old tapes of Aretha, Sun Ra, Miles etc etc...

Listening back to Christian McBride's Live at the Village Vanguard record (the one from 2015 w/Christian Sands & Ulysses Owens, not the later one with the same name -- c'mon, couldn't that at least have been called vol. 2 or 'Live at the Village Vanguard Again'?). Piano trio doesn't get much better than this.

Oh yeah, saw this recently, from the Kennedy Center: mainly remember the piano-bass duets---

Music icons Jason Moran and Christian McBride collaborate for an electrifying performance at the Kennedy Center. They share stories about their legendary teachers and introduce us to their remarkable protégés.

Aired: 04/21/23

Expires: 05/19/23

Rating: TV-PG

New NIS is good:
https://eremiterecords.bandcamp.com/album/since-time-is-gravity

I’m also really enjoying this Aaron Leaney ft Guy Thouin record on Astral Spirits
https://aaronleaneyguythouin.bandcamp.com/album/lockdown

Also should be thanking unperson for writing up this Dan Rosenboom record, it really is kind of incredible how there are moments that are pretty FREAKED OUT and others that sound like a more tame bop group. Really dope.

https://danrosenboom.bandcamp.com/album/polarity

Mentioned it on the Sorey thread, but will be seeing him with Iyer and Steve Lehman in June. They're playing at what is fast becoming the only bar I regularly go to in Philadelphia, Solar Myth, a free jazz-themed bar, coffeeshop, and venue. It's vanishingly small, and so I have a feeling tickets are going to go very quickly.

There's another new Mark Giuliana album and so far this is my favorite yet, the most relaxed, just great playing & interaction:

https://markguiliana.bandcamp.com/album/mischief

Solar Myth, a free jazz-themed bar

this brings a tear to me eye

my eye*

sounds awesome!

it’s an excellent bar— beer, wine, and amaro. they also sell coffee, tomato pie, and have a small book and record section.

wow, I will have to remember that next time I'm there!

same

Kenny Garrett Tiny Desk, always a pleasure...the commitment to the groove is immense, Ronald Bruner is destroying (while also being restrained compared to what he could be doing, I'm sure).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IcrlAYyA_o

Hey where's the best place to find jazz listings in NYC these days? Asking for a friend.

New York City Jazz Record?
http://nycjazzrecord.com/

Mind-boggling but true: Ron Carter's website, roncarteruniverse.com, allows you to search every session he's ever played on, year by year or by searching for particular players. It's fucking amazing.

jazz listings in NYC these days

it's a subscription newsletter and it isn't strictly jazz, but dada strain's weekly "bklyn sounds" newsletter is an indispensable, fantastically curated guide to nyc (not just bklyn) live gigs, with jazz and dance music front and center. "Rhythm & Improvisation & Community" is his motto. very highly recommended.

https://dadastrain.substack.com/

thanks for that!

i'm also interested to hear about venues for jazz and experimental music in NYC. are there any free jazz bars like there are in philly? :)

I used to know a few but…

My latest Stereogum column is up. I interviewed the members of GoGo Penguin, who aren't really sure they're a jazz group

― but also fuck you (unperson), Monday, April 17, 2023 12:15 PM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

Just wanted to say I really enjoyed this - thanks

RIP Bill Lee, bassist, composer, and writer of "Mo' Betta Blues" (one of the last standards to really catch on?)

https://pitchfork.com/news/bill-lee-jazz-musician-and-father-of-spike-lee-dies-at-94/

Oh yeah---recently on Rolling Reissues:

The Descendants Of Mike And Phoebe
A Spirit Speaks
PURE PLEASURE
Pure Pleasure reissue of this classic spiritual jazz LP originally released on Strata East in 1974. Bill Lee’s family band is a must have album for all spiritual jazz fans, and includes killer tunes such as ‘Coltrane’ & ‘Attica’. A quality repress on 180g vinyl.

extremely lame response itt re: NYC jazz clubs

I sent them to see Nicholas Payton w/Bill Stewart on drums at Smoke, which I personally would love to see.

all the places I have seen the music broadly defined as "jazz" have been either in unprepossessing bars like Lowlands in Brooklyn or multipurpose venues like Roulette or Pioneer Works in...Brooklyn.

In my one weekend in Brooklyn this year lol

lowlands in brooklyn is precisely the kind of recommendation i'm looking for! thanks.

Tim Berne has a weekly residency there in Thursday nights, one of my main guys.

Henry Threadgill and Alexander Hawkins both have exceptionally good new albums out, making the world a slightly better place.

Fuck yes — 80 minutes of previously unreleased Coltrane with Eric Dolphy, recorded at the Village Gate in 1961, coming out in July.

Incredible news!

With Tyner/Workman/Jones, hell yeah. Preview 'Impressions' sounds great, just in terms of audio quality and vibe.

Also glad to see Reggie Workman is still with us

woah

Wow

Sounds great!

Also, that photo of the banner for summer '61: Coltrane Quartet, Art Blakey Quintet & the Horace Silver Quintet. Damn, what a time to be alive.

The Alexander Hawkins album is surprisingly electronic, but I like it.

I see Carlos Ninos got the coveted Andre 3000 flute cameo - https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/im-just-chillin-on-fire

Kick Out

New York City experimental/jazz metal quartet TITAN TO TACHYONS was recently awarded a grant from the Queens Art Fund, and a free show to tie into the award.

TITAN TO TACHYONS is led by New Zealand/New York composer and guitarist Sally Gates (ex-Orbweaver), joined by drummer Kenny Grohowski (Secret Chiefs 3, Imperial Triumphant, John Zorn), and dueling bassists Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk) and Matt Hollenberg (Cleric, John Zorn). The quartet instrumentally depicts the realms of surrealism and science-fiction through eclectic and improvisational passages, juxtaposed by fluid grooves and metallic flurries.

Following their second album, Vonals, which saw release through John Zorn’s eclectic Tzadik Records last Summer, TITAN TO TACHYONS now presents a new work, The Abolition Of Linear Time, which will be unveiled as part of a free concert for the public at TV Eye, Ridgewood on July 11th, joined by Editrix.

Gates reveals, “The piece explores the hallucinatory nature of perceived reality and time, inspired by a recurring phrase I kept coming across in various scientific, Surrealist, and philosophical works: “The abolition of linear time.’

“An inventive use of rhythm and form elicits that time is not linear, but cyclical, subjective, and elastic. Musical motifs portray a subjective, shifting reality, with themes warping and disintegrating, often stretching into psychedelic territory through sections of improvisation, experimental techniques, and effects pedals.

“On a visceral level, it incorporates a personal reflection of my experience returning to New Zealand after four years in New York, cut off and isolated from home by the pandemic. The relief and emotion of returning adds a contrast of exuberance and reflection to the music, combining the inspiration I have found through absorbing the world of jazz in NY with my roots of progressive metal and the ubiquitous sound of Pacifica music in New Zealand.”

Written for an instrumental quartet consisting of two bass players, guitar, and drums, the piece features sections of directed and free improvisation, allowing the expansion and variation of composed passages, and fostering presence and intuitive communication between the musicians.

This event is made possible with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

The day after the event, TITAN TO TACHYONS will play a show in Baltimore as well. See the confirmed live details below and watch for much more from the band to post shortly.
TITAN TO TACHYONS Live:
7/11/2023 The Abolition Of Linear Time Queens Art Fund show @ TV Eye – Queens, NY w/ Editrix
7/12/2023 The Crown – Baltimore, MD w/ Holy Fingers, Inc Inc Inc, and Overcalc [info]

Kenny Grohowski. Interesting. Been a year or two since I’ve seen him. Friend of mine played at TV EYE recently (don’t think he knew the origin of the name). Looks like it’s technically in Queens but might as well be In Brooklyn.

it's a place i'd like to check out. Sun Ra Arkestra played there back in may i think

I wrote about Peter Brötzmann's collaborations with Gnawa musicians, which are some of my favorite of his records.

New Matana Roberts Coin-Coin chapter coming out in the fall

https://matana-roberts.bandcamp.com/album/coin-coin-chapter-five-in-the-garden

Forgot to mention that the Fieldwork show I saw on Saturday was really wonderful— the whole set was really on point but lord, the second to last track was just an incredible 15 minute rager, all three in top form and just creating an incredible rollicking sonic experience. Solar Myth doesn’t have a green room so they were just hanging out after, got to say hi to Sorey and chat with Iyer for a bit.

or Immediate Release: June 13th, 2023

Over the course of his three-and-a-half decade career, Matthew Shipp has evolved from a radical outsider on the fringes of the NYC avant-garde to a position as, in the words of DownBeat magazine, “an elder statesman on the free-jazz scene.” He’s achieved such accolades without ever deviating from a single-minded exploration of his own inimitable sonic vocabulary, maintaining his own eccentric orbit around the jazz realm while steadfastly resisting its gravitational pull.

Two new releases bookending his storied career showcase both Shipp’s unflagging vision and the progressive maturation of his inimitable pianism. With his remarkable new solo album The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp, due out September 15th via Mahakala Music, the acclaimed pianist offers his most stunningly distilled statement to date, a compelling, intensely focused set of breathtaking improvisations that fastidiously refine Shipp’s prismatic language; meanwhile, ESP-Disk kicks off a new series of reissues also on September 15 with the 1990 trio outing Circular Temple, Shipp’s first album solely under his own name.

While these two albums provide a glimpse of the impressive consistency of Shipp’s voice across the span of his estimable career, the differences in the two albums spotlight the ways in which he has matured and defined his language over the decades.

“A personal style happens when it happens,” Shipp shrugs. “I believe everybody is capable of it, but the conditions that allow it to happen have to be in place. There is a pure generating principle within anybody, but that doesn't mean that there's not input from the outside world in my music. It does mean that everything is thoroughly digested into my system and then thrown back out as my central nervous system interacts with other parts of the universal hologram, which could be a lick from Monk or a Bud Powell solo. Just like water becomes steam becomes ice, there's a central principle to the whole thing that's pure Matt Shipp.”

Shipp made his recording debut in 1988 with Sonic Explorations, sharing top billing with his duo partner, alto saxophonist Rob Brown. Circular Temple offered fans of jazz’s outer limits the first true glimpse of Shipp’s idiosyncratic concept, however, leading a trio with lifelong collaborators William Parker (bass) and Whit Dickey (drums), with whom he famously worked in the legendary David S. Ware Quartet. The album was initially self-released on Shipp’s own Quinton imprint, then reissued in 1994 on Henry Rollins’ Infinite Zero label; both have since gone out of print.

Through ESP, Circular Temple will not only return to circulation on CD and digital formats but make its long-awaited vinyl debut. Over the next year, the label will follow that with a reissue of Zo, a 1994 duo with William Parker, on all three formats; and a vinyl-only issue of Shipp’s 2018 solo album Zero. All three will be available on vinyl for the first time ever.

“At the time that Circular Temple was released, I don't think people really knew what to make of me,” Shipp says. “By the time it was released on Infinite Zero, which was just a few years after its first incarnation, it was the lead review in Rolling Stone. Listening to it now, I hear that I had a very distinct voice even in the early 90s, when the neoconservative movement in jazz was at its peak. My language is transcendental and doesn't fit into any easy niche or category, so it's interesting looking back to see an album like that arrive in an environment that would not have been able to make sense of it.”

In the intervening years Shipp’s work has achieved its fair share of study and acclaim while still existing far outside the jazz mainstream. His solo recordings have charted a sweeping arc through his prolific discography since 1995, when he recorded both live (Before the World) and in the studio (Symbol Systems). In 2002 he returned with a rare standards date on the disruptive Songs. The further clarification of his voice can be traced from 20015’s One through 2018’s Zero, his mathematical precision revealed in his most recent offerings, The Piano Equation and Codebreaker.

If those latter titles hint at an investigatory process, then The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp suggests a profound discovery, one that turns the pianist’s expansive, often cosmic vision inwards to find an equally expansive universe in his own essential being. The album’s ten stark, exacting inventions seem to have shorn away any superfluous gestures to reveal Shipp’s unadulterated inner life.

“I believe a pianist's intrinsic nature comes out in the solo idiom,” the pianist asserts. If that is the case, then the solo work of an artist as singular and visionary as Shipp must be viewed as creation in its purest form.

“When you're playing solo, it's a pure prayer to the instrument and to the vibratory field that the music comes from,” Shipp explains. “You're laid out naked in your full glory, for everybody to see. So the deeper I get into my career, I'm drilling further down to the bare essence of the facilitator that generates this music.”
For all media inquiries contact jake at rampglobalpr.com

My wife designed the cover for Zero, and a couple of other recent Shipp albums:

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0082742188_10.jpg

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0938933033_10.jpg

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1396954279_10.jpg

wide range ov excellence!

Those are awesome covers!

This isn't a 2023 release, but I just got into Nduduzo Makhathini's album from last year, In the Spirit of Ntu. It's great, South African spiritual jazz. Need to listen to some of his previous releases.

I’ve really grown to appreciate Shipp these last several years and while I don’t collect every album I always try to see him live when I can (saw a great solo set at the French Embassy here in DC about 10 years ago).

That new David Murray quartet mentioned upthread in January, is going to be at Blues Alley in Washington DC shortly on June 29 and 30th

Marta Sanchez on the piano, Luke Stewart on the bass and Kassa Overall on the drums

What a pleasure to watch the master (Chris Dave) at work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPIL8wsIuBk

And this show with Pino and Sharkey has been making arounds, I know someone who went to NYC just to catch it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un7LPvH38xA

I did catch Kassa Overall btw, it was a lot of fun. Drums, percussion, keyboards, and bass with everyone triggering samples etc. Lakecia Benjamin sat in on sax for a couple impromptu jams.

New Yorkers should go see James Francis, Immanuel Wilkins, and Tyshawn Sorey at NuBlu tomorrow.

My latest Stereogum column is out. Talked about 70s Mingus, the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and some other stuff.

Borderline here but singer-songwriter / avant-vocalist Natalie Rose Lebrecht (if anyone remembers her excellent 2003 Warraw suite) has a new album out called Holy Prana Open Game which are long pieces of piano/strings/woodwinds. Her vocals retain the personality that made her first album so endearing. The music is on the ambient / spiritual side with any icy-warm quality. It's maybe not quite Promises but I enjoyed it.

Eric Lewis Fuck Yeah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gmdt4yCzrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO8oKt2kvdg

There are moments in there that nearly reach seeing him with Elvin Jones, where I really felt like I was levitating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IfjLUe3SjU

Experimental Multi-Instrumentalist & Composer Vinny Golia To Release Massive 110 Track Second Movement of Even to This Day - Music For Orchestra and Soloists
--
Guest Soloist Appearances By Nels Cline, Susan Alcorn, Chas Smith, & More
--RIYL: Anthony Braxton, ICP Orchestra, Olivier Messiaen, Sam Rivers, Iannis Xenakis, Ken Vandermark

He brings a painterly discernment to the colours and textures inherent ineach of his insturments - The Wire
"an anchor and catalyst of the experimental scene in Los Angeles for some 40 years" - WBGO
longtime left-field hero - JazzTimes
Vinny Golia looms fairly large in the ranks of Los Angeles’ jazz scene, even from his perch outside the mainstream - LA Times
a MASSIVE musical contribution - Free Jazz Blog, on Movement One

Hi all - this is a wild one. I've been a fan of Vinny Golia's work for a long time, and as soon as I heard from him about this project I felt compelled to be involved. I love ambitious music, and Even to This Day is a truly enormous work in every sense. It was initially conceived as part of a 75th birthday celebration performance featuring 75 musicians, before COVID interfered, and it has only expanded in the face of that setback.

Volume two was recorded almost entirely by Golia and his collaborator/engineer Wayne Peet, with the help of some excellent guest soloists, and beyond the shocking length, the music itself is thrilling: constantly inventive, full of twists and turns and restless energy. Golia began his art career as a painter, and his use of texture in these pieces is so remarkable - "Follow the Tracks," for instance, is composed of overtone-laden breathy winds, scratchy percussive sounds, and something that could be bowed cymbals, multiphonic winds, twitching electronics, or a combination of all three.

Initially intended to be a short interlude between the equally large volumes one and three, volume two began with the suite for guitarist Alkis Nicolaides that you'll find scattered throughout. However, when Golia felt there was much more to explore in those ideas, it organically grew into the 110 track piece you now have before you.

Golia has been a fixture of LA's experimental music scene for decades, and he's the type of artist I admire greatly, resolutely pushing forward with the work that he believes in regardless of trends. But, notable for someone who has had to blaze their own path so extensively, he retains his faith in the positive power of music, and this work is his tribute "to our sanity, endurance, and patience." You can read more in his note below. It's no coincidence that his large ensemble work has always had a collectivist spirit, intended to unite the disparate music scenes of LA.

Please note that due to the length of the project it is stretched over two PJB "albums" - tracks 1-55 here, and 56-110 attached as "part two". That separation is not a part of the piece itself, and just reflects a technological limitation, the full second movement is all 110 tracks.

You can also see Golia perform some of the music from the first movement at Roulette with his large ensemble HERE

Hit me up with any requests/queries by replying to this email or writing to gabe at clandestinepr dot com
I know this is a lot to take in, but I really believe it's worth it. Incredible creative spirit here.

new matthew halsall very promising (if you like mellow nature spiritual hat jazz)
https://matthewhalsall.bandcamp.com/album/an-ever-changing-view

Listening to a bunch of Kurt Rosenwinkel after listening to an interview with him on Pablo Held's podcast. Really enjoying this year's Undercover: Live at the Village Vanguard record so far (great rhythm section of Greg Hutchinson, Aaron Parks, and Eric Revis).

His piano album from last year is real nice too.

And his solo baritone guitar release from last year (Berlin Baritone) is just gorgeous. It's nice to hear him play with a clean tone.

he was like the coolest new jazz artist around when I was in high school lol

glad to hear hes still at it

I'm reviewing Undercover and another album he's featured on, the latest from Brian Blade's Fellowship band, for Stereogum this month. I'm hot and cold on Rosenwinkel: he can really play, but he chooses some of the most obnoxious effects ever. When he doesn't sound like an electrified slide whistle, he's great.

I know what you mean, but way to bury the lede...*siren* new Brian Blade Fellowship record *siren*!

It's been out for a month, how did I miss this

Oh, because it's self-released. Apparently Blade also released a double album tribute to Bobby Hutcherson that has Jon Cowherd and Myron Waldon on it, and a live Fellowship bootleg from 2000. I've got some juicy catching up to do!

https://brianblade.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-archives

https://brianblade.bandcamp.com/album/volumes-l-ll-now-and-forevermore-honoring-bobby-hutcherson

Yeah, I bought two of those (the Fellowship and the Hutcherson, not the live thing).

My latest Stereogum column is up; I interviewed bassist Jason Ajemian about jaimie branch (they were friends and collaborators for more than 15 years), whose final album comes out this week.

Nice one, enjoyed the Brian Blade write-up.

I've been listening to that Pablo Held podcast and checking out some albums that get mentioned. There was a John Patitucci live trio album with Blade and Chris Potter that's nice, a bunch of Scott Colley records with Blade (and one with Nate Smith on drums), but what I'm really enjoying is this improvised piano & drums duo album from Kevin Hays & Bill Stewart, 'American Ballad' (from last year). Really really cool stuff.

genuinely not trying to speak ill of the deceased, but i simply don’t get what i’ve heard of branch. the energy and vision everyone talks about seems ham-fisted and the music is really dull, to my ears— is it one of those “you have to see it live” type of things that i will now, sadly, never experience?

Same, I try to hold my tongue because why trash something people are enjoying (especially now), but I've never gotten it or liked her playing. I figure it must be about the energy and maybe it's better to think about it as a theatrical performance/punk rock thing with jazz instruments and players, just not my thing.

Yeah, Branch was a had to see her live thing. The live album was also the key for me.

Yeah after I got over my "Jazz has to have long solos" prejudice I just enjoyed it for what it is. I have a feeling many people who are marketed as Jazz today are making "jazz-influenced, but not strictly jazz" and I have to recalibrate my expectations of like, George Coleman or something.

Yeah, the livealbum made me a fan of jamie branch too.

i had never heard of jaimie/fly or die but they opened for yo la tengo at one of the hanukkah shows and it was truly transfixing. i bought the live record vinyl and was sitting at the balcony bar holding it on my lap and she passed by and punched me in the shoulder and gave a smile & thumbs up and it was such a sweet moment. i wish i was able to see her/them many more times but sadly that was it. rip.

yeah, i kind of figured— wish i could have seen her and a group perform live!!!

in other news, in a poor financial but excellent happiness decision, i bought two tickets to see Natural Information Society in about a month here in Philly. exceptionally stoked.

yeah, i kind of figured— wish i could have seen her and a group perform live!!!

in other news, in a poor financial but excellent happiness decision, i bought two tickets to see Natural Information Society in about a month here in Philly. exceptionally stoked.

Today's listening is Jorge Rossy on various instruments after listening to his Pablo Held interview. I really didn't know that after leaving the Brad Mehldau Trio he switched to piano, and then has been making records on vibes as a leader ever since (while still acting as a sideman on drums). Sounds like he's much more interested in composing and playing piano & vibes and doesn't practice on drums anymore, but can't argue with people if they keep calling him to play drums, lol.

He's such a unique and sensitive accompanist though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lG7B0lRclU

Sounds like he's much more interested in composing and playing piano & vibes and doesn't practice on drums anymore, but can't argue with people if they keep calling him to play drums, lol.

Tyshawn Sorey is in a somewhat similar position — he wants to focus on composition but people keep wanting him to play drums for them.

Photographer & chef Frank Stewart has had 2 exhibits in DC this summer-- one at a gallery (exhibit has now closed but photos are on the link) and a larger one at the Phillips Collection museum (exhibit is open till Sept. 3). Plenty of jazz photos, plus New Orleans ones and more

Stewart was exposed to gospel, blues and jazz music through his mother Dorothy Jean Lewis Stewart as well as his stepfather, jazz pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr. However, it was not until the 1970s that Stewart began photographing jazz when he traveled with Ahmad Jamal. Later in the 80s and early 90s, he traveled with the Wynton Marsalis Septet and co-created the book, Sweet Swing Blues on the Road with Marsalis. During this time Stewart worked in jazz clubs in New York and Chicago and ultimately became the senior photographer of Jazz for the Lincoln Center in 1993.

http://www.galleryneptunebrown.com/20236-frank-stewart-exhibition-page

https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2023-06-10-frank-stewarts-nexus

Don't really get this have to see live thing - fly or die were an electrifying live band, but the studio albums are very well crafted. The new one is a superb example of this: recorded mostly live, but with some edits, overdubs and creative mixing. I don't think anyone else in her generation has come quite as close to bringing avant-garde ideas - explorations of timbre, extended techniques and electronic processing, graphic notation etc - into such an accessible, uplifting and politically charged format. Of course it has broader influences, but it's absolutely jazz. She was a brilliant trumpet player. Even when playing short phrases or melodies her tone is so strong, and when she does take a longer solo it's fantastic. I'd recommend checking out her album with Ig Henneman and Anne Leberge to see how good she is in a free improvised context.

Don't really get this have to see live thing - fly or die were an electrifying live band, but the studio albums are very well crafted. The new one is a superb example of this: recorded mostly live, but with some edits, overdubs and creative mixing. I don't think anyone else in her generation has come quite as close to bringing avant-garde ideas - explorations of timbre, extended techniques and electronic processing, graphic notation etc - into such an accessible, uplifting and politically charged format. Of course it has broader influences, but it's absolutely jazz. She was a brilliant trumpet player. Even when playing short phrases or melodies her tone is so strong, and when she does take a longer solo it's fantastic. I'd recommend checking out her album with Ig Henneman and Anne Leberge to see how good she is in a free improvised context.

like honestly, i’ve never been more disappointed in a record that i bought because of the hype around it, only to find it’s not even something i want taking up space on my phone

Saw Jaimie live a couple years back and it still stands out as one of the best shows I’ve seen in the last decade. I didn’t listen to the previous studio albums much, but I’m not really feeling the new one…vocals are weak, lyrics are a little clunky, music almost feels corny at times. I’ll still give it a few more listens and it’s certainly possible I’ll change my mind, as I’ve only given it one listen so far. The trumpet playing is uniformly excellent even when I’m not really into the tunes.

Thanks for the xxxxpost pix, curm!

My label, Burning Ambulance Music, is putting out a CD in October that I think some folks here would like. It's by saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley and it's called Polarity 2, a sequel to a set of duos I released in 2021. Here's a sample track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwFeIJtPK04

It's out October 13, but pre-orders will launch on Friday, including a specially priced bundle so you can get both Polarity discs at once.

RIP Charles Gayle

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/08/1198248630/charles-gayle-saxophonist-obit

counterpoint:

fuck Charles Gayle

i'm certainly not trying to tell you how to feel

xp I will check out Ivo & Nate, thanks for the reminder!

Before I'd heard about Gayle, last night a friend sent me this:
Charles Gayle Trio live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6mk-j8vsJM

& here they are with Joe McPhee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPptathTLz0

gayle never did much for me even his supposed masterpiece “Touchin on Trane”. It’s just that I didn’t think there was really much that distinguished him from much superior exponents of free music.

gayle never did much for me even his supposed masterpiece “Touchin on Trane”. It’s just that I didn’t think there was really much that distinguished him from much superior exponents of free music.

I used to think that too. But I saw him live three times, twice playing sax and once playing piano, and when I dug into his catalog I found a whole lot of material that was much more thoughtful and carefully structured than the screaming-in-your-face stuff that people fixated on. In fact, he was an unbelievably technically skilled horn player, up there with Pharoah Sanders and Sonny Rollins in terms of absolute mastery of the instrument. His albums with two bassists — Translations, Raining Fire, Blue Shadows, and More Live at the Knitting Factory — are really beautiful.

Now Arthur Doyle — him I don't get.

Jordan posted great stuff about his teacher Richard Davis over on Roll Call: Jazz Heroes of the Upright Bass

You don't get Arthur Doyle? Not even Alabama Feeling or his playing on Babi?

Alabama Feeling still just about the RAWEST saxophone sound that I can think of, reason enough to dig Doyle.

I like Charles Gayle's drumming on The Blue Humans' Live in London 1994.

The one time I saw Gayle was an unforgettable experience: Cafe Oto in 2017 with John Edwards and Mark Sanders. Beautiful sax playing - as Phil says, a lot more to it that screaming and his piano playing was something else. He had the audience breaking out in spontaneous whoops and cheers, even a bit of singing IIRC. There were definitely spirits being channeled that night - the atmosphere was quite unlike anything I've experienced.

https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/shop/charles-gayle-john-edwards-mark-sanders-seasons-ch/

You don't get Arthur Doyle? Not even Alabama Feeling or his playing on Babi?

I like Babi, and Noah Howard's The Black Ark is an amazing record that uses Doyle as a special effect. But that's all he ever was — he was absolutely the one-dimensional shriek machine that people accuse every other free jazz player of being, and a little goes a very long way.

It is telling that on the Roisin Murphy thread everyone is saying that she’s fucked her career and yet a virulent and vocal homophobe and anti-choice dickbag like Gayle is getting treated with kid gloves here.

It’s fine if you want to listen to him, but at least respect why some of us don’t give a fuck about him and are glad he’s fucked off into Hell, where his hateful bullshit has taken him despite his probable belief to the contrary

I mean fwiw, I do acknowledge that everyone’s mileage varies with this kind of thing. I still think the Evan Parker and NIS record from 2021 is sick, tho Evan Parker is a nutso anti-vax fascist.

But as a gay dude, I’m just going to state that in my opinion, it isn’t free jazz unless it’s about liberation in sound and spirit, and while I might admire Gayle’s sound, the lack at his spiritual center sort of drowns out whatever pleasure I’ve derived from his sound.

It is telling that on the Roisin Murphy thread everyone is saying that she’s fucked her career and yet a virulent and vocal homophobe and anti-choice dickbag like Gayle is getting treated with kid gloves here.

I have written a much longer take which will be published on Wednesday in the BA newsletter. I'll link it when it's out.

...Charles Gayle. Gayle is notorious for his homophobic views, which he likes to express in the course of his performance

Table otm - what a stain this guy was

Can't blame anyone for rejecting Gayle based on his views and it certainly does test the limits of separating art and life. Matana Roberts had some interesting reflections on their Twitter about this.

As for Evan Parker, he's obviously deeply misguided with his anti-vax nonsense, but he's not a fascist. Like many an older lefty, he's probably been spending too much time on dodgy websites and the relative isolation and financial precarity brought about by Covid won't have helped. It's not like he's obsessively going on about it and I think a dose of reality (no gigs outside the UK for a couple of years, other musicians presumably having a word, and, ironically enough, a bout of Covid) may have pulled him back from the brink. Those close to him will have a better idea of what's going on. I guess time will tell.

it's good to see you posting, stew

table, i did not know those things about CG and it was not my intention to overlook or dismiss homophobia.

Not only did he have gross opinions, he'd apparently interrupt his performances to rant about abortion, et al.

I've never listened to Gayle, and also had no idea he was such a piece of shit, damn.

More importantly - do I go see the Chris Speed Trio with Dave King this week, or Amendola vs Blades w/Cyro Baptista next week? Leaning towards the latter since I've seen CST before (although it's always delightful to see such great musicians), and I'm betting Cyro Baptista will be a real fun time live.

Yeah I've never heard him either and had no idea, wow.

Would love to hear Cyro Baptista live. His album with Derek Bailey is a favourite of mine.

Huh, didn't know about CG's antichoice views/onstage rants until now; the one time I heard him live (in '95, with Rashied Ali and William Parker), he didn't say a word until show's end

cancelling the legacy of a jazz artist who i'd never heard of until he died just now

modernity is wild

I was a huge Charles Gayle fan from the moment I heard in him 1993, my first real brush free jazz as current vital force, not historical artifact, and it was through him I would discover, Ware, Parker, Shipp, et al and basically a whole universe music I'm still fascinated by to this day.

I never got to see him live, his one trip to Mpls I was aware of it but still underage, I tried to get into the show, couldn't.

I think I first heard his rants on "Testaments" (I think it's that one) so 1995 and it ruined his music for me, for at least twenty years I couldn't separate the art from the artist and even now I still can't really, but I can listen to those early records (and some more recent ones that record with Edwards/Sanders mentioned upthread is incredible) and hear the greatness of his playing and I have to admit he is still fascinating artist to me in spite of everything, though obv the line is different for everyone and even if he didn't have completely repellant homophobic and misogynistic views his music is really not for everyone, nor was he the kind of artist to compromise for any reason...I mean the whole "Streets" thing...

Matana Roberts's thoughts & livestream where very interesting and I mean, even in this thread there are youtube clips of Gayle playing with artists who would be the target of his rants, so I'm not sure how to square any of this...

This essay from 2018 gets at some things I agree with (again, I'll have a long piece going out on Wednesday).

Most scandalously, he began preaching his version of Christian salvation from the bandstand. And thus for Gayle—a modest, unassuming if eccentric working musician verging on retirement age—the shit hit the fan. The most contentious aspects of Gayle’s sermonizing were his insistence that abortion was nothing but “a slick word for killing babies,” and his decrying of “men lusting after men and women lusting after women” as an “abomination” and a “sin” on par with “lying, cheating, and stealing.” Audiences, club owners, and festival directors alike were bemused and put off. Work became harder to come by.

Now it probably goes without saying that, like most people my age in this country, I am cool with anybody lusting after anybody, and doing what they will with that lust, so long as all parties are consenting. Additionally, I will always be an advocate for a woman’s right to make her own decisions about reproduction and her own body. Gayle’s attitudes on these issues are not ones that I am in sympathy with. And I am not about to defend his right to profess those attitudes, since I know that, when expressed, they do real people real harm, especially when their expression is buttressed by institutional support.

But I also feel that it’s important to acknowledge that Gayle’s Christianity is, and has always been, firmly in the mainstream of American evangelical thought. When Gayle made these statements about abortion and homosexuality—just two years after Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and years before Will & Grace and Brokeback Mountain and Queer Eye, when “gay panic” defenses for murder still held some water in the American justice system—most Americans probably would have agreed with him. A jazz blog is a fine place for a reminder that the past, even the recent past, is often a bleaker place than we like to remember it.

Gayle’s fundamentalism is a reflection of a pervasive American situation. The fact that he — a penniless African-American musician with a negligible audience* that, by his own admission, probably disagrees with him — has been singled out for institutional censure thus makes me a little bit queasy. He’s an easy target. We can’t bring down Pat Robertson or James Dobson, but we can sure as hell can bring down Charles Gayle.

Gayle’s Christianity is actually a bit more nuanced than the spine-chilling pronouncements to which it is often reduced. A 1994 concert performance in Santa Barbara affords Gayle his longest and most poetic stay at the pulpit. Fired by Michael Wimberley’s drums, Gayle does indeed decry abortion and homosexuality. Outrageously, he implies that being “a homosexual” is equivalent to being “a murderer” in a long list of spiritual transgressions—as are smoking, and drinking, and being “a very arrogant person.” But, for all that, he gives no impression of moralistic hauteur. “You all got a slick word for killin’ babies,” he begins to say, and “a slick way of committing abomination” – but he suddenly corrects himself: “when I say you, I mean me.” In Gayle’s interpretation of scripture — and he does know his scripture — one Bible sin is as good as any other as a reflection of a person’s spiritual character. (Telling us that smoking is no different than lying or “fornicating,” he admonishes us — and himself — not to “try to get uppity-jumpity about what sin you’ve committed.”) He is aware that the New Testament says that no-one is without sin, not least the preacher himself. The nature of the sin is immaterial; even being a “good” person as opposed to a “bad” one is immaterial. What is material to Gayle is that sin itself is forgiven, as long as the sinner comes believingly to Christ. And that, he says, is the message of John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and Eric Dolphy. Any other interpretation of the music of these African-American icons is, he decrees, an appropriation: if you haven’t “surrendered” to Christ, “don’t talk about Coltrane, don’t talk about Albert, don’t talk about Black music, because you’re talkin’ a lie.”

I saw Charles Gayle in 2001 or 2002. It was great. He played a lot of piano, which surprised me a little, but I really enjoyed. I sat at a table next to Roscoe Mitchell.

Eh, I think that take is bullshit, but considering the pushback I’ve gotten here and elsewhere about it, I’m just not going to say anymore about it in the hopes that we might talk about some newer jazz that actually matters instead of some deceased crackpot.

The new Irreversible Entanglements is…nice? very mellow compared to the live concert on YouTube from 2018 I played next. I know Moor Mother couldn’t keep up this level of outrage forever (nor should she).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diLI9m5PFXs

Can't say too much, but I interviewed all five of them yesterday for a major upcoming feature.

cancelling the legacy of a jazz artist who i'd never heard of until he died just now

― xheugy eddy (D-40), Monday, September 11, 2023 2:14 PM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

new board description

Obviously people can choose to disengage with an artist if they have an issue with their personal beliefs. But i do find it a bit odd when people are surprised that the weirdo outsider artist is in fact a weirdo outsider.

Many times, weirdo outsiders understand what it is like to be a weirdo outsider.

Despite the implication of your post, being a virulent homophobic, anti-woman crackpot like Gayle is an example of an “outsider “ aligning himself with hegemony, not an outsider being weird and outsidery.

Gay people are outsiders, and given the way this country is run, so are women.

Really pitiful that so many value a third-rate head’s playing over the humanity of others, and justifying it badly in the doing so.

given that some of views probably aligned with maga republicans, it would be an insult to genuine weirdo outsiders to put this dead arsehole in the club!

For free sax players who also play piano ( and other instruments) Sam Rivers gives me everything I’m craving (if he had gross beliefs he kept them to himself).

Speaking of Rivers, are there any new archive releases on the horizon from No Business label? I think there are seven so far.

You're not going to change Charles Gayle after he's dead. It's a good thing to speak up about the views he had, it's a good thing to speak up about the hegemony. And you can do these things while still valuing his playing and place in jazz history, without conflating everything. Nobody is "justifying" anything here or choosing "his musicianship over the humanity of others" whatever that means.

If anything, everyone has reacted to say that his views were appalling and a disappointment. What more do you want ?

You and I are reading different threads— what I see here, largely, is a lot of people saying, “yeah but” or choosing to elide his views completely.

What I want is for people to strongly denounce his views and say that it absolutely and justifiably tarnishes his music.

Instead, we get anodyne statements like “yeah i saw him it was great, i was seated next to roscoe mitchell :-)”

I read a book by Ajay Heble, then-director of the Guelph Jazz Festival, which has a long discussion of his dilemma around booking a show by Charles Gayle. As I recall, his final decision is against - specifically because Gayle often expressed his views onstage, rather than privately or even just in interviews. Needless to say, such "delicate" distinctions would probably not be applied in the social media era.

Feel really bad for speaking against the new Fly or Die upthread, it’s a great album but I wasn’t in the headspace first it at first. I usually wait to give judgement in such cases but for some reason above I felt compelled to just blurt out my first thoughts without giving it a fair shot.

Ok fine, I'll give it another listen :)

yeah same! i think my feelings toward the previous record sort of badly colored my opinion of the newer one, so i will try again soon

The Irreversible Entanglements is appeased and almost playful at times, and trying new things. Stand out track Root <=> Branch moves abruptly from a contemplative first half to a second mocking half. Slow ballad Sunshine features demented vocals and electronics. Really feeling the bass that surging on the closer Degrees of Freedom with its slow swing, as the strings and horns agonize around it, beautiful track, Nina Simone is somewhere smiling proudly. I was less convinced by the first half, which was closer to Matana Roberts. Soundness made me think of Algiers Can we let the subbass speak though, that's cool. Good record.

Final thoughts on Charles Gayle.

was less convinced by the first half, which was closer to Matana Roberts. Soundness made me think of Algiers

Damn, Nasheet Waits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkWdU-WeGFw

Damn, that smokes. Might have missed it, but didn't see much discussion about the New Jawn album from earlier this year, Prime, which is terrific.

Yeah, I love both that group's records. Didn't know McBride had that kind of energy in him!

I love the new Irreversible Entanglements. They're such a good band. I like them in both groove and freak-out modes.

And yeah I think that Jaimie Branch album is great, she was such a force. I like all the Fly or Die albums, but apart from the live album I think this one is my favorite.

Spoke to Jason Ajemian about the making of the album and jaimie's legacy.

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/jaimie-branch-interview

I just purchased tix to see Daniel Villarreal in Brooklyn in Oct. Very excited.

My latest Stereogum column is up. I interviewed pianist Aaron Diehl, who's just released a recording of Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite with the chamber orchestra the Knights (using Williams' own arrangements); I also reviewed new albums by Matana Roberts, James Brandon Lewis, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra, Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids, and others.

Saw NIS tonight— truly a fantastic show. My husband was terrified of the harmonium player, and frankly, I understand a little. Small room, great sound :)

Third Fly or Die is quite the statement. What a broad range of influences this album contains. How those guys respond to each other flawlessly and joyfully. While each element is calibrated and nothing weighs more than it needs to. Borealis Dancing and Baba Louie could easily find their place as year end tracks.

Just got tix to Makaya in two weeks. I saw him once here with a trio in a small club, missed the last show at a larger rock club that I heard was great, and this one is in a concert theater. Wonder who will be in the band this time?

this Darius Jones fLuxKit album is best thing I've heard in ages

Speaking of xxxpost Aaron Diehl, and thinking of tight combustible piano trios in general, heard this recently on radio---Bill Charlap with Peter Washington and Kenny Washington---"Cool," from The Songs of Leonard Berstein, sounding not that much like West Side Story, which is cool with me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85ei57oi7xk

I have to say, this Emergency Group release from February absolutely knocked me flat in a good way, especially Pt. 1

https://emergencygroup.bandcamp.com/album/inspection-of-cruelty

One of the few fusion things I've heard in recent years that really does pull it off. They've got another album due out soon.

Oh, that's Dave Mandl's band. He used to (does?) write for Wire. Good stuff. They played in London recently but couldn't make it up.

Ha, I didn't even register that connection with Wire.

I just played that first track again today and liked it even more. Not that I'm arguing they are near equals in the quality department, but for all the times I've read hype about groups that channel the spirit of '70s Miles, this is one of the few that actually makes a convincing case that they could even be in the same ballpark. Some major Jack Johnson vibes.

Nice; definitely gonna buy their stuff. Thanks!

Glad you like it! I made it about five minutes into that track and bought the full download and pre-ordered the new CD.

I saw Makaya McCraven's In These Times show last night, 11 piece band incl. a string quartet, Brandee Younger on harp, three horns (Marquis Hill, Greg Ward, and De'Sean Jones, who also conducted the strings), Junius Paul, and Matt Gold. It was pretty incredible. Def more about the ensemble and the tunes rather than blowing, but everyone got a moment and MM was ridiculous throughout.

This is truly my year of guitar ballads, so I'm psyched about this record by pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley with Jeff Parker and Jay Bellerose.

https://daveeasley.bandcamp.com/album/ballads

There was supposed to be a new Ohad Talmor album coming out today called Back to the Land on Intakt. It's a two-CD set recorded with a trio (Chris Tordini on bass, Eric McPherson on drums) plus a ton of guests: Joel Ross, David Virelles, Leo Genovese, Shane Endsley, Russ Johnson, Grégoire Maret, Adam O'Farrill. A lot of the tunes are based on transcriptions from a rehearsal recording Talmor found of Ornette, Lee Konitz, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins; that group played a one-off concert at the Umbria Jazz Festival in 1998 and none of that music was ever heard again.

Anyway, it's not coming out because Denardo Coleman has objected, possibly because Ornette's name appears in big letters on the front cover. So the release has been pulled from the schedule and who knows, maybe it'll come out later or maybe it'll have to be destroyed or something. I don't know, but I have a physical copy already cause Intakt still sends me physical promos even though I have asked them several times to stop.

I thought for a second it was going to be another nonsensical casualty of the Israel/Hamas thing, but it's just Coleman fils being overprotective again.

I saw the Daniel Villarreal show in Brooklyn this week. Loved Panama 77 but was having trouble with the mellower new album. New songs sounded way bigger and more dynamic live. Great show.

This is truly my year of guitar ballads, so I'm psyched about this record by pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley with Jeff Parker and Jay Bellerose.

https://daveeasley.bandcamp.com/album/ballads

this is right up my alley

Sylvie Courvoisier's latest ensemble and 2CD on Intakt Records includes Nate Wooley, Wadada Leo Smith & Christian Fennesz (+ others).

I've bought it hadn't gotten around to listening it yet.

This is truly my year of guitar ballads, so I'm psyched about this record by pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley with Jeff Parker and Jay Bellerose.

https://daveeasley.bandcamp.com/album/ballads

Absolutely stunning. Lots of Frisell / Jim Hall / Ry Cooder vibes. Beautiful melodies, great sounds.

Exploring other beautiful guitar vibes on this thread btw -
Thread of Jakob Bro (Danish jazz guitarist, maker of floating minimal ballads)

I know I mentioned Emergency Group upthread already, recently, but I finally got to their new record and, it's absolutely all I hoped it would be.

https://emergencygroup.bandcamp.com/album/venal-twin

Yeah, I was impressed enough to write about it for the BA newsletter. Thanks for recommending them!

No problem. For all the great new music you've introduced me to, it's nice to return the favor.

Listening to it now and loving it. Wish it was issued on vinyl.

Reading unperson's newsletter, I can definitely hear pre-70 Grateful Dead in there.

People have made comparisons to On the Corner-era Miles, but I don’t hear that at all.

insanity, and this from the guy who literally wrote the book!

Really liking Chimaera, never been much into Courvoisier but the addition of Wooley, Smith, and Fennesz kicks everything up a notch.

Started an ILM thread on Patrick Shiroishi if people want to talk about his work.

S/D: Patrick Shiroishi

Today I listened to Susan Alcorn Septeto del Sur. More folk than jazz at times, but the free improv moments resemble Derek Bailey. The guitar solo in the last track is very Marc Ribot-esque.

Next up was Crossing Four by Ned Rothenberg. Great ensemble, especially the combination of Mary Halvorson and Sylvie Courvoisier.

Really enjoying the new Mike Reed record, The Separatist Party, out on Astral Spirits / We Jazz. Features Rob Frye, Cooper Crain, Ben LaMar Gay, Dan Quinivin and spoken word by Marvin Tate.

Not the biggest fan of the spoken word bits, tbh, but the rest of it smokes, really like Crain's contributions.

https://wejazzrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-separatist-party

Would also really recommend this Rob Frye album on Astral Spirits from two and a half years ago (sorry for the slight derail since this isn't a new jazz release!) if anyone is into the sound of that new Mike Reed album, since the main players are p much Bitchin Bajas + Ben Lamar Gay (the track below from it is esp awesomely Isotope 217-ish IMO):

https://astralexoplanet.bandcamp.com/track/xc175020

Missed that one, thanks for the heads up!

heard this Gregory Tardy track (from 2020) on the radio and am now excited to check out more. this tune rules!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gD_JrZr9uI

the Rob Frye stuff on AS is really ace, i honestly just subscribe to their digital albums and it is absolutely worth the $15/month

Angelica Sanchez Nonet - Nighttime Creatures

^^

this is lovely

I can't go (covid) but Ben Lamar Gay is playing down the block with a Norwegian rhythm section (and another Chicago sax player).

The Dave Easley record mentioned above has definitely made my end of year list over the past week— hard to listen to almost anything else.

Another pedal steel record of recent that has been great is the Jordan Martins record on Astral Spirits, 'Fogery Nagles.' https://fogerynagles.bandcamp.com/album/fogery-nagles

(wouldn't really call the latter "jazz," but yknow)

hope they call the follow-up record Fogerty Choogles

lol. it’s worth a listen! but could have easily been on their more “ambient-far out jazz” sub-label

checking it out now

my favorite record on AS remains quin kirchner's "the shadows and the light." i was thinking of QK the other day because a friend was showing me a very kraut-y record from the early 2010s that featured him and also hamid drake. can't for the life of me remember what it was, though

hard to pick my fave AS record, tho i often think of this one, which is a fucking scorcher https://astralahmed.bandcamp.com/album/nights-on-saturn-communication

oh yeah. i forgot that one is on AS. pat thomas >

Grammys nominees for Feb 2024

31. Best Jazz Instrumental Album

For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new instrumental jazz recordings.

The Source
Kenny Barron

Phoenix
Lakecia Benjamin

Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn
Adam Blackstone

The Winds Of Change
Billy Childs

Dream Box
Pat Metheny

32. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new ensemble jazz recordings.

The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute - Ritmo
ADDA Simfònica, Josep Vicent, Emilio Solla

Dynamic Maximum Tension
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

Basie Swings The Blues
The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart

Olympians
Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest

The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions
Mingus Big Band

Of those, I've only heard Lakecia Benjamin (pretty good), Billy Childs (decent but breaking absolutely no new ground), and Darcy James Argue's Secret Society (fantastic).

The Pat Metheny solo record is really nice

The new Matana Roberts is incredibly moving, album of the year.

Xp Quinn Kirchner. I saw him play drums with the comedian John Mulaney once. Just played drums while jokes were told at very large venue. One of the more interesting pairings.

Also, Budo Jeru, Quinn Kirchner plays on the Rob Frye record mentioned up thread

love the Kirchner record that begins with this excellent version of “Flowers for Albert,” also on Astral Spirits

https://quinkirchner.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-pro-musica

will check out both records, thanks

my favorite record on AS remains quin kirchner's "the shadows and the light."

Thanks for the tip on this, I sampled it last night and immediately placed an order.

I like the kirchner album I heard a lot then I saw him live and was like whoa ... this is AMAZING ... not sure why the album didnt sound more like this..

I love watching John Hollenbeck (looked this up after listening to their new studio album):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvyGCgHZPyA

Higher quality video -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_7JUrtTQaA

Although he has much less of a clockwork muppet vibe in that one

My latest Stereogum jazz column is up; I used the André 3000 album as a springboard to talk about Yusef Lateef, Bobbi Humphrey, Hubert Laws, and Nicole Mitchell, and reviewed new albums by Ambrose Akinmusire, JD Allen, Thandi Ntuli (with Carlos Niño), Lafayette Gilchrist, Myra Melford and others.

I either missed or forgot about Chris Potter's Live at the Village Vanguard album from this year (Taborn/Colley/Gilmore), it's fucking sick.

https://chrispotterjazz.bandcamp.com/album/got-the-keys-to-the-kingdom-live-at-the-village-vanguard

Yeah, that's a good one — his third live-at-the-Vanguard disc, and they're all worth hearing.

I got super-confused the other day because there is a music student studying guitar with Pasquale Grasso whose name is also Chris Potter.

Great column unperson, thanks.

(That said, whew the plethora of ads on Stereogum gives my browser a workout)

Yeah, meant to mention that I liked your column as well unperson. Although I guess I missed that Shabaka Hutchings was completely ditching all his other bands for the flute, I guess I thought that was just another additional stream for him, bummer that he'd abandon all of those.

yeah that's kind of a shocker. I like to chill out as much as anyone the rehabilitation of New Age music has IMHO led to more bad than good.

but the rehabilitation

I saw Hitchings just past May subbing on sax for an indisposed Roscoe Mitchell in the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, maybe his last hurrah on sax?

Hutchings.

The Marxist scholar and cultural critic Robin D.G. Kelley wrote a biography of Monk that looks pretty interesting, and the first part of this interview focuses on the bio and the socius that surrounded Monk. Pretty interesting.

https://black-ink.info/2020/01/16/solidarity-is-not-a-market-exchange-an-interview-with-robin-d-g-kelley/

Kelly's Monk bio is indeed amazing and compulsively readable, an absolute must-read

I'm sold, just purchased the e-book.

I need to read that Kelley Monk bio. I recently read Laurent de Wilde's book when I found it in a local used shop, but it was pretty meh.

By comparison, I'm finding Aidan Levy's Sonny Rollins bio a little slow going (got it last Christmas, only getting to it now, lol).

Haha yeah, I've had that on my shelf for a few months now but keep choosing something else, it always seems daunting lol.

I read the Monk bio, it's excellent. It really covers every documented gig he ever played and every record, and it was really a pleasure listening through along with it.

I seem to remember something about that book bugging me but maybe I should just try again.

Definitely took it in chunks with a long break in the middle, every now and then it felt relentless but found it largely compelling.

I started the Monk bio many years ago, put it aside, then picked it up a year or two ago and absolutely blasted through it.

The Rollins bio is indeed exhaustive. My own upcoming book on Cecil Taylor is nowhere near that granular. It covers pretty much every album, but I didn't feel the need to describe every gig, and I didn't do a whole lot of detective work in terms of tracking down former boyfriends and stuff like that.

thread favorite Dave Easley plays on Alex Sadnik's Charlie Parker album Flight and it's a joy, "Bird of Paradise" is a favorite
https://alexsadnik.bandcamp.com/album/flight

^ this is some cool shit although it does make me feel like i'm not quite smart enough to understand what they're doing

ok some of it is actually pretty straight ahead

Always a joy to watch Herlin Riley (only now connecting that Emmet Cohen is the piano in his regular NYC group for awhile now)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZK2blf-wvI

Loving that Alex Sadnik, ty (Jay Bellerose on there too, the sound of LA jazz of a certain stripe)

What’s the deal with Emmet Cohen? Was that his first mention in this borad? I’ve seen his name a lot and he’s on a record or two with some singers that I like but I’ve never actually seen him.

He's got a popular youtube channel now where he puts together different groups to perform in his living room, that's really boosted his visibility as far as I can tell

I think he's really good. Hear him on my local jazz station. Don't really know anything about him.

Oh yeah, did watch him a few times during the lockdown I think.

Spiritual soul-jazz saxophonist Muriel Grossmann has a new album out today, and it's coming out on Third Man in the US, so who knows? She might even get some press coverage. It's a 90-minute double LP and so far (I'm about 2/3 of the way through) it's pretty good — one of her more energetic, uptempo records, not so much meditative space jamming this time. The drummer's going off.

https://murielgrossmann.bandcamp.com/album/devotion-2

she's kind of a kook, isn't she? i've liked some of her music in the past

I listened to the JD Allen record that unperson mentioned in his recent column, it is phenomenal and moody, perfect for my bike ride on this foggy Sunday. big recommendation.

Greg Osby has made his first album in 15 years. There is some discussion, in the linked article, of the #metoo-ish accusations which led him to leave Berklee.

“I had a beef with a school in Boston where I was teaching, and I had to get legal. I had to let the lawyers do the talking.” This is how Osby broaches the subject of his dismissal from the Berklee College of Music, which followed accusations of sexual misconduct.

Osby had joined the faculty at Berklee in 2008, as a full-time professor in the Ensemble Department. At some point he began dating a woman who’d previously been a student, though she was no longer enrolled. After the relationship ended, she brought her complaint to Berklee administrators, claiming that he had pressured her for sex. Osby resigned in 2012, and at the time he decided not to contest the charges.

This is where the situation might have remained, if not for a story in the Boston Globe on Nov. 8, 2017, during the first wave of coverage around the #MeToo movement. The article, by Kay Lazar, a public health and accountability reporter, bore the attention-grabbing headline ‘Berklee let teachers quietly leave after alleged sex abuse, and pushed students for silence.’ Osby, having granted Lazar an hour-long interview, was damningly cited in the piece.

“Only an idiot would sleep with students, and I am not an idiot,” read the most egregious of his quotes. “I would not do that. But after they graduate, it’s open season.” Another quote implied that the former student wasn’t attractive enough to be a credible accuser. Osby was swiftly renounced on social media. At a moment when entire industries were beginning to reckon with systemic problems — most pointedly, the lack of consequences for sexual harassers and abusers — this was a story that resonated in jazz, and in the broader realm of music education.

...

Berklee, through its Office of Media Relations, declined to comment on Osby’s departure. But Osby — who says that during his four years on faculty, “I didn't write one new song, because I was that beat down” — spoke freely about the situation. Regarding his brief relationship with the former student, whose identity has not been disclosed, he says: “For better or for worse, she became obsessed. And I withdrew, which didn't sit well; the idea that I didn't return any phone calls or emails really infuriated her. It got to the point where I was almost a victim of being stalked. And the last time that I saw her, she more than inferred that I would pay for it.”

After the Boston Globe story, Osby sought legal action against his accuser for defamation. The case was settled in his favor. “I kept every email, and I kept every text message,” he says. “So that's how my case was won. Because I had hard evidence. It wasn't my word.” By contrast, he says Lazar had made no recording of their interview — a crucial factor, in light of the incendiary quotes at the heart of the story.

Osby says he issued a complaint to the Globe, which invited him to submit an open letter. He did, but it never ran. He also sent in a statement to the paper’s “Fresh Start” initiative, which allows individuals to appeal older stories that have had an adverse impact on their lives. Again, the effort led nowhere. Absent a defamation lawsuit against the Globe, which Osby deems a financially ruinous prospect, that’s probably where it stands.

There has to be a better way to phrase that.

“He has a great knack for picking amazing younger musicians and grooming them,” Carrington affirms."

Moor Mother has a new album coming out on Anti- next year and the first track has just been released — it's a collaboration with Nicole Mitchell on flute and Nduduzo Makhathini on piano:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1OBIgFHFqQ

I'm in love with this brand new Ambrose Akinmusire album Owl Song, it's a trio with Bill Frisell (!) and Herlin Riley (!!). I've never been into him before, but I've had a big Frisell year and this fits perfectly with all the minimal, ambient Scandinavian jazz I've been listening to. And it's cool to hear Herlin in this mode (all the low end is left to the drums too, since there's no bass or piano).

Yeah, it's a really good record.

Heh glad you like it, I wasn't sure.

Also, I'd been ignoring these Youtube recommendations for a "StickPeople" podcast, but it turns out it's Lenny White + Mike Clark + David Garibaldi + Michael Shrieve + Greg Errico all interviewing another musician, which is really cool.

Also this Paul Motian documentary is on Youtube in full:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9DkKTbyobA