lundi 28 juin 2010

Joseph Jarman - Song For

Joseph Jarman: alto saxophone, voice
Fred Anderson: tenor saxophone
William Brimfield: trumpet
Christopher Gaddy: piano, marimba
Charles Clark: bass
Steve McCall: drums
Thurman Barker: drums

Reviewby Scott Yanow

This was one of the early classics of the AACM. Altoist Joseph Jarman, who would become a permanent member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago shortly after this recording, is heard in a sextet with trumpeter William Brimfield, the legendary tenor Fred Anderson, pianist Christopher Gaddy, bassist Charles Clark, and either Steve McCall or Thurman Barker on drums. The four very diverse improvisations include one that showcases a Jarman recitation, a dirge, the intense "Little Fox Run," and the title cut, which contrasts sounds and a creative use of silence. Overall, this music was the next step in jazz after the high-energy passions of the earlier wave of the avant-garde started to run out of fresh ideas. It's recommended for open-eared listeners. The 1996 CD reissue adds an alternate take of "Little Fox Run" to the original program.



1967 SONG FOR
thanks a lot to Joao from exp etc

samedi 26 juin 2010

Daniel Humair, Tony Malaby, Bruno Chevillon - Pas de dense

Daniel Humair: drums
Tony Malaby: saxophone
Bruno Chevillon: bass

Two years ago, Swiss drummer Daniel Humair released "Full Contact" with Tony Malaby on sax and Joachim Kühn on piano for a whirling series of intense improvisations. Now, two years later, the piano is replaced by French bassist Bruno Chevillon.

The playing is no less intense, and spread over 12 "séquences", that move quite organically one into the other. Although fully improvised, the pieces are quite boppish and Malaby's natural lyricism make this a quite accessible album. Humair's drumming is like on the previous album : powerful and subtle at the same time, a fine quality which also defines the overall nature of the music. Malaby is never less than sensitive, whether in the weak squeals of "Séquence HCM 4", or in his full-voiced Latin phrasing of "Séquence HCM 3". Fans of Malaby will recognize some of his signature phrasings on several pieces, yet that does not really bother, quite to the contrary, since there is again such a wealth of ideas that there is no risk of repetition from previous albums.

Whether swinging or abstract avant-gardism, the three musicians feel equally at ease in every environment, and have sufficient stories to tell, playing with tone, timbre, silence, phrasing, rhythm, interaction, density, volume, pulse in a way that can only be admired from beginning to end. The relative shortness of the pieces forces the musicians to create with a rare immediacy: you have to listen and be in the improvisation on the moment to make it work : there is no time to listen and absorb the other's ideas. And that's possibly the unusual power of this album: even if the improvisation is only two minutes long, or even one minute, the trio moves the initial notes or rhythm into a tiny story, with its own characteristics, development and ending, an improvised capsule of intimate conversation. So there is no real soloing, the trio creates the sound together, as one dense mass, yet full of shifting flavors. The last piece, because of its length, shows a different, more expansive side of the trio's possibilities, with room for soloing, and it is a great ending for the album.

Even if the music is less expressive than on "Tamarindo" or "Voladores", possibly because of the compactness of the pieces which does not allow for long developments, the end result is an absolute joy.
(http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2010/05/daniel-humair-tony-malaby-bruno.html)

2010 PAS DE DENSE

lundi 21 juin 2010

Keith Rowe, Martin Küchen, Seymour Wright


Keith Rowe: electric guitar
Martin Küchen: alto saxophone
Seymour Wright: alto saxophone

The dual alto saxophones of Martin Kuchen and Seymour Wright meet guitarist Keith Rowe for an impressive journey of free improvisation with Rowe generally taking the lead. The pieces are sparse, building in ebb and flow, with both saxophonists using extended techniques and the action of the instrument intself to create a quilt of timbre, buzz and sound. The single long improvisation is beautifully paced to create an aura of mystery, building implicit chapters in extended passages of flowing abstraction.

2010 ROWE/KÜCHEN/WRIGHT

vendredi 11 juin 2010

Derek Bailey & Han Bennink - ICP 004

Derek Bailey: guitar
Han Bennink: drums, oeoe, gachi, conch-trumpet

1969 ICP 004

Kihnoua - Unauthorized Caprices

Larry Ochs: sopranino & tenor saxophones
Dohee Lee: voice
Scott Amendola: drums, electronics
Liz Allbee: trumpet, electronics (tracks 1,2,5)
Fred Frith: guitar (track 2)
Joan Jeanrenaud: cello (tracks 2,5)

Kihnoua is a new ensemble that combines the thoughts, sounds, and structures of contemporary improvised music with the traditional music of Asia and other folk-music influences from Asia, Africa, and Europe. With Larry Ochs of the critically acclaimed Rova Saxophone Quartet, drumming powerhouse Scott Amendola, composer, vocalist, and dancer Dohee Lee, and acclaimed cellist Joan Jeanrenaud, plus guests: Liz Albee on trumpet & electronics, Fred Frith on guitar and Joan Jeanrenaud on cello. I didn't know this vocalist, Ms. Dohee Lee, before this disc, but this is a good showcase for her as an integral part of Larry Ochs' fine new trio. Both Scott Amendola and Liz Allbee contribute strange electronics sounds to the long opening piece which works well with Ms. Lee's bizarre vocal sounds. You can tell that Mr. Ochs' exhilarating sax and Mr. Amendola's propulsive drumming have been working together for many years since they compliment each other so well. Ms. Allbee is another strong Bay Area improviser who has worked with Henry Kaiser, Damon Smith and Weasel Walter previously. Ms. Allbee contributes a good deal of extended trumpet sounds to these pieces and is also a good match for Larry, Scott and Dohee. Former Kronos cellist Joan Jeanrenaud & guitarist Fred Frith add their sonic spice to a long piece called "Nothing Stopped but a Future" which is expertly navigated by Scott's strong drumming. Joan's soaring cello adds flames to this burning piece while Dohee's voice and Larry's sax swirl intensely around one another. Ms. Lee's scary whispered vocals are featured on "DeeHyak" while she erupts on "Weightless", spewing out intense layers aggressive vocals with sprawling drums underneath. This disc is one of the most intense and spirited exhibitions I've heard in recent memory. Don't miss out on this jewel. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

2010 UNAUTHORIZED CAPRICES

mercredi 2 juin 2010

Sun Ra and his Solar-Myth Arkestra - The Solar-Myth Approach

Sun Ra (piano, moog, clarinette), Kwame Hadi (trompette), Ahk Tal Ebah (trompette, mellophone), Ali Hassan (trombone), Charles Stevens (trombone), Marshall Allen (saxophone alto, haut-bois, flûte, piccolo), Danny Davis (saxophone alto, clarinette, flûte), John Gilmore (saxophone ténor, percussions), Danny Thompson (saxophone bariton, flûte), Pat Patrick (saxophone bariton, flûte), James Jacson (haut-bois, flûte, percussions egyptiennes), Ronnie Boykins (basse), Clifford Jarvis (percussions), Lex Humphries (percussions), Nimrod Hunt (percussions), June Tyson (chant), Art Jenkins (chant)

Reviewby Lindsay Planer

These two discs from Sun Ra and his Solar Myth Arkestra are not, as their title suggests, parts of a singular or continuous work. They were initially issued as two separate titles -- similar to the two-part Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra -- by the Belgian BYG Actuel label in 1971. Both volumes consist of mid-fidelity and primarily self-realized and -produced recordings. Despite the claim that these sides were taped in New York City at Sun Studios, Ra discographer Robert L. Campbell notes that by the time these tracks were documented, the Arkestra had ended its N.Y.C. residency and returned to Philadelphia. Although this collection may not be the highest priority for potential converts or the uninitiated, there is a tremendous spectrum of sounds from Ra and the Arkestra on these discs. Volume One ranges from the atonal sparseness of the keyboard solo "Seen III Took 4" to the equally intimate ensemble work of "Adventures of Bugs Hunter" -- which in true Ra fashion doesn't even feature the musician. There are also more percussive works such as "Realm of Lightning" -- whose lead instrument sounds like newspaper being struck with pencils. This is augmented with a percussive onslaught featuring several distinct waves of rapid and emphatic timbale-style solos. The performances on Volume Two contain a noticeably heavier and more aggressive sound from the Arkestra. "The Utter Nots" is a classic example of many early-'70s arrangements, which were becoming almost ridiculously arithmetical. The extended work features some inspired and nimble fretwork from Ronnie Boykins (acoustic bass). Also of note are early renderings of "Outer Spaceways, Inc." and "The Satellites Are Spinning." These vocal tracks would be reworked and recycled into Ra's groundbreaking film Space Is the Place. [In 2001, after some years in obscurity, The Solar Myth Approach, Vol 1-2 was issued as a two-CD set for the first time in the domestic U.S.]


1970 THE SOLAR-MYTH APPROACH VOL. 1 & VOL. 2

mardi 1 juin 2010

Larry Ochs, Jean Jeanrenaud, Miya Masaoka - Fly Fly Fly

Larry Ochs: tenor & sopranino saxophones
Joan Jeanrenaud: cello
Miya Masaoka: koto

2004 FLY FLY FLY
Review

Archie Shepp - Live at the Pan-African Festival

Archie Shepp: tenor saxophone
Clifford Thornton: cornet
Grachan Moncur III: trombone
Dave Burrell: piano
Alan Silva: bass
Sunny Murray: drums
plus algerian & tuareg musicians

Reviewby Bob Rusch, Cadence

Archie Shepp probably led more BYG recordings than anyone else. The first of his BYG's has been reissued as Live At The Pan African Festival. The Pan African Festival in Algiers served as a great realization of art and culture for many of the participants and on this recording we heard Shepp, Clifford Thornton, and Grachan Moncur III in an impromptu jam ("Brotherhood at Ketcha") with various native Algerian percussionists and "horn" men...Any study of Shepp makes listening to all of his BYG recordings essential.


1969 LIVE AT THE PAN-AFRICAN FESTIVAL

Art Ensemble of Chicago - A Jackson In Your House / Message To Our Folks

Lester Bowie: trumpet, flugelhorn, bass drum, horns
Roscoe Mitchell: soprano-,alto- & bass-saxophones, clarinet, flute, cymbals, gongs, conga drums, logs, bells, siren, whistles, steel drum, etc.
Joseph Jarman: soprano & alto saxophones, clarinet, oboe, flute, marimba, vibes, conga drums, bells, whistles, gong, siren, guitar, etc.
Malachi Favors: bass, fender bass, banjo, log drum cythar, percussion, etc.

1969 A JACKSON IN YOUR HOUSE / MESSAGE TOUR FOLKS
Review

Archie Shepp - Blasé

Archie Shepp: tenor saxophone
Jeanne Lee: vocal
Lester Bowie: trumpet, flugelhorn
Chicago Beau: harmonica
Julio Finn: harmonica
Dave Burrell: piano
Malachi Favors: bass
Philly Joe Jones: drums

1969 BLASE

Don Cherry - Mu

Don Cherry: pocket trumpet, indian & bamboo flutes, piano, vocals, bells, percussion
Ed Blackwell: drums, percussion, bells

1969 MU