"Music doesn't go seasonable to me." Rolling Jazz Dm7♭5 Thread 2017

Wow, will have to check that. So---what are the best albums issued this year? Incl. reissues, but I'm really wanting to turn over a new leaf, and find some new new never-before issues---I feel so guilty for neglecting those--- though so far am avidly digging Fly or Die by Jaimie Branch, thanks to this thread.

My picks:

Matthew Shipp Trio, Piano Song
Camilla George Quartet, Isang
Christopher Zuar Orchestra, Musings
Craig Taborn, Daylight Ghosts
Harriet Tubman, Araminta
Ken Fowser, Now Hear This!
Christian Scott, Ruler Rebel and Diaspora
Matthew Stevens, Preverbal
Hermon Mehari, Bleu
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, So It Is
Dayna Stephens, Gratitude
Jaimie Branch, Fly Or Die
Nick Mazzarella/Tomeka Reid, Signaling
Yazz Ahmed, La Saboteuse
Ambrose Akinmusire, A Rift in Decorum
JD Allen, Radio Flyer
Jeremy Pelt, Make Noise!
Nicole Johanntgen, Henry
Binker & Moses, Journey to the Mountain of Forever
Zem Audu, Spirits
OK:KO, Land E
Chris Potter, The Dreamer is the Dream

thanks for that

Sweet, thanks! Great to know there's a new Harriet Tubman---they were my fave at Very Very Threadgill. Will also check Ambrose, Jeremy Pelt, and all the rest, I hope (ditto that album of Bird-inspired vocalese),

Pay special attention to the Camilla George and Zem Audu albums - African immigrants (to London and NYC, respectively) making the music their own. The Yazz Ahmed is amazing, too.

always nice to have some more food for thought, unperson.

I have been belatedly honouring the Trane 50th deathiversary with mainly A Love Supreme, Ascension and his Duke Ellington album today B-)

Two Ornette Coleman albums that have never been on CD before, not even in Japan, are being released in September. Crisis and Ornette At 12 are coming out as a 2-for-1 from Real Gone Music. Fully remastered, new liner notes, artwork nicely reproduced, etc., etc.

Pre-order link.

Haven't heard Ornette At 12 but Crisis was the first OC that I can remember for grabbing and holding me all the way through on first listen---maybe because it was live, in that moment, in that weird year, and via the acoustics of that venue---NYU? Uh, OK! With Dad's grinding yet unfettered violin, Denardo's drums clattering like a music stand falling over, but in the right place): But if it’s a puzzle that Ornette at 12 has not been previously reissued, it’s a downright mystery why 1972’s Crisis also hasn’t come out; recorded live in 1969 at N.Y.U. with a killer band of Redman, Haden, Denardo, and Don Cherry on flute and trumpet, it takes its place with Broken Shadows and Science Fiction as one of Ornette’s great small group recordings of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The version of Haden’s “Song for Che” is one of the best on record, the rendition of “Broken Shadows” here is simply beautiful...and the addition of Don Cherry—fresh from his own experiments in Indian and African music—spices up what is already a pretty heady brew. True--it went well with Lebanese Blonde hash.

Thanks for that list. I'll try to keep up!

My latest Stereogum column is up.

Night Lights radio schools me again: personifying the swing-to-bop persuasion and keeping it young and lean into the late 20th Century, guitarist Mary Osborne was mentored by Charlie Christian, def assimilated him and Django, but developed her own spare, lyrical intensity---the unaccompanied "Sophisticated Lady" here makes me think of Art Pepper--NL catches her situations with Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry, Tyree Glenn, Mary Lou Williams, but her basic thing is more like the King Cole Trio turned around, when there's a piano at all (bass is electric on last track here), but she doesn't need much--here's the posted show and set list:
http://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/mary-osborne-queen-jazz-guitar/

Postwar Jazz: An Arbitrary Roadmap---motorvated by Gary Giddens' '02 two-part article of the same title (still on villagevoice.com), somebody compiled a listening companion, which now seems most readily available as a series of videos (though a few have been removed)---quite a range of highs and deeps, no lows that I've found so far:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIyXZgKyp_k9tyxjEevBD9TiE04D9jAGP

I saw the Stretch Orchestra on the weekend. From what I knew of Brubeck and Stewart, and from the fact that this was part of a chamber music festival, I was expecting some out improv on acoustic instruments, but it was a really fun set of energetic rocking fusion, with Brubeck playing electric cello with a bunch of pedals, and Breit on electric guitar and mandolin with a tonne of effects as well. (It still definitely went out harmonically and timbrally but there was always a groove and a hook.) I bought the 2012 CD, which seems to have won a Juno for best instrumental recording. It's pretty enjoyable; even gets a bit folky at times.

https://www.thenation.com/article/mal-waldrons-ecstatic-minimalism/

There is a beautiful and evocative Adam Shatz essay on Mal Waldron in The Nation, here.

I just thought it was worth pointing out that although he mentions Waldron's Satie influences, he neglects to add that his Plays Satie album from '83 is sublime.

That's a great article. That live recording of Seagulls is really quite something.

I don't suppose anyone has the Travellin in Soul Time record? The CD is currently going for eye-watering amounts.

Xpost thanks, reminds me of this excellent excursion: http://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/soul-eyes-early-mal-waldron-songbook/

I cannot stop listening to this:

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

I have been on a bit of a Mingus tip recently, Mingus At Antibes (also w/ Dolphy + Bud Powell on board!) is the one I've been blasting.

That clip is great!

I interviewed Jason Moran for Bandcamp.

The newish Joshua Abrams/Natural Information Society album (Simultonality)is very pretty, probably their best yet imo.

Yeah, that's a good record. And in related news, Abrams' label, Eremite, has started putting its awesome back catalog up on Bandcamp.

http://eremiterecords.bandcamp.com

Jemeel Moondoc's New World Pygmies and Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys are must-own, IMO. Noah Howard's Patterns/Message to South Africa is also great, and that Peter Brötzmann double disc, Never Too Late But Always Too Early, is a blast.

Love the group Town & Country that Abrams played in, especially their second alb It All Has to Do With It

oh wow! Just been listening to Denys Baptiste's The Late Trane for the 2nd time. Wasn't really feeling it the other day, but fuck! definitely am feeling it today!

That Mal Waldron article got me listening to the excellent album <i>Meditations</i> on Youtube. Is there any way to get a digital version of this? Or even something cheaper than the expensive import? It's not even on Spotify.

Slsk or t0rrentz probably your next best bet, as far as I know. His legacy doesn't seem to have been too well served so far.

Somehow I typed "Spotify" instead of "Soulseek". I couldn't find it on Soulseek.

it might be worth trying again, it is definitely on there.

Oh, I should update about seeing Ambrose Akinmusire: fantastic! It was all stuff from the live album. The only weakness really is the piano player, which also struck me with the live album. He certainly fits well at times, but his soloing and accompaniment often didn't seem to gel or just seemed a little like he's fresh out of music school. Everyone else was great. Akinmusire is a really sensitive player, for lack of a better description.

Posted this in the Afro-jazz thread by mistake:

Drummer Eric Harland is leading a really hot band for two nights at the Jazz Standard next week - Walter Smith III on tenor sax, Taylor Eigsti on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass. (Both Smith and Raghavan also play in Ambrose Akinmusire's band.) I'm hoping to catch one of their sets.

I love the short but joyous dub reggae segment at the end of Dusk Dawn on the Denys Baptiste' Trane album. And it isn't even near the best track. It's a reet fucking album!

This is not from 2017 but worth mentioning (I didn't see it come up in a search): the 2014 album Spiral Mercury of the Chicago/São Paulo Underground (one of Rob Mazurek's groups) featuring Pharoah Sanders is pretty good! Basically sort of what you'd expect if you're familiar with the Chicago Underground, Pharoah's playing, and mixing that with a Brazilian influence. I haven't heard the other album they did called Primative Jupiter.

Yeah, I've heard the one that's available on CD, but not the one that's vinyl-only.

Looks like the vinyl-only one is not available digitally at all. But it also seems that half of it might be on the CD album, since 2/4 tracks share song titles with the CD.

oh man, spiral mercury is great

say, has anyone seen the current Sun Ra Arkestra? They're playing this weekend in SF... am I an idiot if I don't go or is it just a bit of fun?

well I went to see the Arkestra and they were a blast. Just 2 solid hours of great music and a warm, generous vibe. Singer was very good - her rapport with Allen was a great anchor for the show. I feel like Ra would be happy and proud to see his band continue some 25 years since his passing.

2nd jazz/dub reggae track in a week I've heard is Roots Music's cover of Threadgill's Bermuda Blues. it is ok, but you simply can't fuck with the original!

Right now digging the current Steve Coleman: https://stevecoleman.bandcamp.com/album/morphogenesis
Before that, Harriet Tubman x Wadada Leo Smith (just ordered the CD):
http://sunnysidezone.com/album/araminta
Might order Miles Okazaki's Trickster
https://milesokazaki.bandcamp.com/releases
Though the live versions and studio excerpts are grabbing me more than those full-length studio tracks
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJq-zBbCa8jNjbCisRZbYYlMXSzwX6Av3

Thanks to Phil's Stereogum column for these last two (and he prob. mentioned Coleman as well)

The headline of this article is so bad but it's actually a really good article, lots to delve into here:

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/forget-old-europe-15-european-jazz-musicians-you-need-to-know-about-reinier-baas-by-enrico-bettinello.php

I didn't write about Coleman for Stereogum (I'm not much of a fan) but I did review it for The Wire. Among other things, I said:

Coleman invites it, but comparing the music on Morphogenesis to boxing does him no favors. There’s plenty of dazzling footwork on display, but very few punches being thrown. He’s a razor-sharp player and composer who can be heard thinking about every note, and this is very beautiful music, but it lacks the unhinged, reckless, swinging side that boxing and the best jazz share. Which only proves that inspiration is just a starting point: it’s what you do with it that matters.

Oh huh, I went to college with the percussionist on that Steve Coleman record.

New Stereogum column up. I talk about Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Burnt Sugar, Cyrus Chestnut, Russell Malone, Enrico Rava, and a bunch of other folks.

Thanks for the heads-up on a new Matt Wilson.

I assume Morgan Guerin is Roland Guerin's son?

Seems like a safe bet. I'm not familiar with Roland Guerin's work, though.

I liked Sorey's good humour towards that lot: Thx Pitchfork. Next time I'll try to do at least 1.4 better.

He's probably my favorite New Orleans bassist, mostly from seeing him play with Shannon Powell. He's also on various Marsalis things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV8yJa6Rk90

I interviewed Michael Ehlers of Eremite Records for Bandcamp. The dude has some great stories. The line that made me laugh out loud was this one: "[Scott] Cashman was a teaching assistant to Archie Shepp at UMASS Amherst in the ’90s who went to Paris for a while to do a dissertation on expatriate American musicians and met Sunny [Murray] over there. When he got back he’s like, ‘I told Sunny all about you and your label’ and I’m like, ‘Don’t give that dude my number.’"

"Rather than indulge his misplaced ambition to make a bebop record,"

I would have been more interested in this^