International Anthem: S/D

wow the hits just keep coming, psyched for this:

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/extra-presence

And the Charles Stepney archival collection is now fully up for preorder

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/step-on-step

new Carlos Nino album "Extra Presence" is fantastic FYI

astonishing list of collaborators including Iasos, Laraaji, Shabazz Palaces, and a bunch of other folks

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/extra-presence

Carlos Niño & Friends

Thanks for the reminder! Like I carried on about way upthread, CN & Friends' More Energy Fields, Current was one of my toppermost picks of '21.

Premiere of a new Angel Bat Dawid composition streaming here tonight (Saturday 8/20):

https://m.twitch.tv/elasticartschicago

Literally can’t believe we will never hear new music or see the exuberant performance of Jaimie Branch again — the realest of the real, will pour one out for her tonight 🥲

I kinda can't believe this. Shocked. What a loss.

just terrible news

what the hell

Well shit. For real one of my favorite new artists of recent years. So lucky I got to see her at Big Ears. Really sad to hear it.

this sucks so much

Oh no that is awful and shocking news

Well shit. For real one of my favorite new artists of recent years. So lucky I got to see her at Big Ears. Really sad to hear it.

Saw her twice — once with a trio (Luke Stewart on bass, Mike Pride on drums) and once as part of an expanded version of Harriet Tubman (HT + the James Brandon Lewis trio + Branch + Darius Jones) performing a re-interpretation of Ornette Coleman's "Free Jazz". Fantastic both times. And all three of the Fly Or Die albums are just stunning.

What the fuck

only 39, fucking hell

RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2WTLKvbhWA

an absolute and gutting loss; she should've had decades of great albums ahead.

xxxpost Pour one out on my behalf as well, LL.
Rough x mellow like no other.
Fly or Die Live audience singing along with
"Thi-i-s, is, a lo-o-ve song, for ass-holes, and clowns..."

No!

Hadn't see this interview before

My first AD interview was with Jaimie Branch. What an artist. https://t.co/FF4If0i3kr

— Jennifer Kelly (@jkellyfinwriter) August 23, 2022

just heard. so sad. so young!

Sweet post by Alabaster dePlume (saw them play together at Big Ears too): https://www.facebook.com/100057753771232/posts/pfbid0E1D2NzQpXReurcDBryXvTSY9Bje7febpxNN9tEdEbtLv2Mn9khbTf2Zdu8tRk2cul/?d=n

https://chicagoreader.com/music/jaimie-branch-has-flown-away-too-soon

Written by someone who knows everyone, worth a read

she fell hard for punk, ska, and hip-hop; she had a feel for abstract styles, and just as firm a grasp on music that communicated directly.

she understood that people who think they’re good guys can be assholes, and that even assholes need love.

She got people, and people got her. They recognized the human complications that were as much a part of her music as her combo’s practiced rapport and exhilarating spontaneity.

"they think they run this shit" is the quote that keeps sticking with me

(from the live album)

https://aquilesnavarro.bandcamp.com/track/el-amor-que-ella-te-dio-para-jaimie-branch

Feels sad to move on from mourning Jaimie Branch itt, but ... this upcoming Tom Skinner album seems v promising. A band with Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings on saxes. (It's funny, when I first looked at the page it listed all the personnel, but now that's gone. I wonder if they're still working out contracts or something.)

https://tom-skinner.bandcamp.com/

personnel (and colored vinyl) are on the International Anthem page for the album ():

Tom Skinner – Drums
Kareem Dayes – Cello
Nubya Garcia – Tenor saxophone and flute
Tom Herbert – Acoustic bass
Shabaka Hutchings – Tenor saxophone and bass clarinet

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/voices-of-bishara?

Ah, I didn't see I'd defaulted back to the main artist page. Well, the preview track is good!

Not what I expected from the description (ie influenced by Tony Williams Lifetime and chopped up like Makaya McCraven), but I'm looking forward to hearing the full record.

Big fun---her other group (didn't get into their previous, but better check it again):

“We’re improvisers first and we’re bringing “moment music” into these other zones of hip hop and electronic music, drum-machine music, sound-system culture… Acoustic musicians sun-kissed by electro-magnetism, flowing out into everything. This is the shit that we want to be playing on big ass systems. Omnivorous, energy space time, mosh pit dance-music. Get it in the subwoofers so you can feel it hit, cuz the music has to begin in the body!” – jaimie branch

Jaimie branch - trumpet, electronics, percussion, vocals
Jason Nazary - drums, synths
Jeff Parker - guitar, bass guitar, percussion, Korg MS-20
Chad Taylor - mbira (track 2)

Also, from unperson's Burning Ambulance newsletter:
Hank Shteamer, a friend and colleague, conducted what is almost certainly Jaimie Branch’s final interview. It’s a tremendous piece, very much worth your time:
https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/hank-shteamer-jaimie-branch?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Also AMEN to all:

LOVING THIS https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/panam-77

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Friday, May 20, 2022 1:52 PM (four months ago) bookmarkflaglink

Panamá 77 – a vibrant and verdant suite of multi-textural, jazz-laced psychedelic instrumental folk-funk – is the debut album by Panamá-born, Chicago-based drummer and DJ Daniel Villarreal.
― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Friday, May 20, 2022 1:53 PM (four months ago) bookmarkflaglink

yeah this is fannnnnntastic

― tylerw, Friday, May 20, 2022 5:13 PM (four months ago) bookmarkflaglink

This album is so freaking good. It reminds me of George Braith's Musart, which is one of my favorite albums of all time.

― PBKR, Friday, May 20, 2022

this is fucking great, label is unstoppable atm

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/an-offering

Been listening to a ton of stuff from this label. The latest one to get me was Irreversible Entanglements - Open the Gates. Are the other IE albums as good?

The only other one I've heard is Who Sent You?, so great.
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/who-sent-you

And---fine-wine summer '22 music by Jaimie Branch's other group, Anteloper:

“We’re improvisers first and we’re bringing “moment music” into these other zones of hip hop and electronic music, drum-machine music, sound-system culture… Acoustic musicians sun-kissed by electro-magnetism, flowing out into everything. This is the shit that we want to be playing on big ass systems. Omnivorous, energy space time, mosh pit dance-music. Get it in the subwoofers so you can feel it hit, cuz the music has to begin in the body!” – jaimie branch

Forgot I already posted that, sorry! But worth it.

Thoroughly enjoying this at the moment: https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/voices-of-bishara....Tom Skinner, Tom Herbert, Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia...

Yeah, really like that Tom Skinner album.

Just catching up on some recent releases, both the Tom Skinner and Dezron Douglas albums are really great. The latter is the most "traditional" sounding thing I've heard from this label in a long time, but it still really works.

Agreed on the Douglas "oh! this is 'normal' jazz" reaction. I'd love to see that group live.

I've listened to the Skinner twice and would say it's very good but it also faded from memory quickly (possibly a result of my listening to too much [old] jazz lately though).

International Anthem musicians: They're Just Like You update:

Spotted M McCraven behind me in line at Target today!

only time i ever saw him in public, I started approaching him to tell him how much i loved his music and he gave me a clear "please don't talk to me" look
i dunno, i probably caught him at a bad moment

I’ve seen him 3x now — twice at the restaurant where I work and this once at Target. I didn’t say anything about being a fan any of those times but did get to make limited small talk when I delivered his drink once.

I met him at the Green Mill once. He wasn't playing, just there for the after-hours jam the night that Anderson Paak was playing at the theater next door and so Kamasi Washington and everyone from the band was in the house. The drummer was late and I was 'joking' that he should play the first tune, but he was off the clock. Super nice though.

Saw him again at a very intimate club with a (guitar) trio, incredible show.

Daniel Villarreal brought the house down last night at the venue attached to my workplace. I caught a tiny bit of it (I was working) and could only wish I was not working so i could see the whole show. People were raving on their way out.

Ooh very jealous!