FAVORITE DISKS
John Schott
(07/29/2014)
Favorite Pieces By Elliott Carter!
| E.C. | Symphony of Three Orchestras | only one recording: Boulez/NYP |
| E.C. | Triple Duo | the happiest atonal music? |
| E.C. | Concerto for Orchestra | last four minutes is delirium! |
| E.C. | Syringa | texts from ancient Greece and John Ashberry |
| E.C. | What Next? | opera |
John Schott
(07/29/2014)
A very partial list of CDs I love by local colleagues.
| Dan Plonsey | Understanding Human Behavio | on Limited Sedition. I could pick many, many Plonsey CDs, they're all great. |
| Peter Apfelbaum | Luminous Charms | Grammavision |
| Henry Kaiser | Everything Forever | solo guitar 2014 |
| Ross Hammond | Humanity Suite | 2014 |
| Lisa Mezzacappa Trio | X Marks The Question | with Chris Welcome and Mike Pride. |
| Vijay Anderson | Touch and Go Sextet | |
| Rova | so many but the one I've listened to most is probably Beat Kennel | |
John Schott
(07/29/2014)
Solos I transcribed that changed my life.
| Charlie Parker | Koko | |
| John Coltrane | Blue Trane | |
| Miles Davis (John Coltrane) | Oleo | Prestige label. |
| John Coltrane | Number One | from the CD re-issue of Expression |
| Lennie Tristano | Line Up | based on "All of Me" |
| Pat Metheny | Solar | from Question and Answer |
| Louis Armstrong | Weather Bird | with Earl Hines |
| Bud Powell | Dusk In Saudi | solo, no improvisation |
| Coleman Hawkins | She's Funny That Way | from the same session as the famous Body and Soul (which I also transcribed!) |
| Thelonious Monk | Thelonious | Blue Note - where he goes into stride piano. |
| Lee Konitz | April | from Live At The Half Note |
John Schott
(07/29/2014)
Favorite Tracks from My Own Records
| Junk Genius | Ghost Of Electricity | the song "Gone Away" |
| John Schott | Shuffle Play | Elegy: America |
| Dream Kitchen | Sober Songs for Drunken Times | Chantez-les Bas, featuring Richard Hadlock. |
| John Schott | In These Great Times | 1919, text by Jacob Glatshteyn |
| John Schott | Typical Orchestra | Los Angeles |
John Schott
(07/29/2014)
Favorite Simpsons Episodes
| Simpsons | Bart Trapped In A Well (Bart's Birthday) | Homer gives Bart a "your voice coming out of the radio" microphone for his birthday. Features the allstar celebrity charity song "We're Sending Our Love Down The Well." |
| Simpsons | Marge and Duff Man having an affair?!? | |
| Simpsons | Baseball all-star team for Mr. Burns | |
John Schott
(07/29/2014)
Favorite Pieces By Arnold Schoenberg
| Arnold Schoenberg | Pierrot Lunaire | |
| Arnold Schoenberg | Drei Klavierstucke Op 11 | |
| Arnold Schoenberg | Serenade for Tenor and Seven Instruments, Op 24 | |
| Arnold Schoenberg | Five Pieces for Orchestra Op. 16 | |
| Arnold Schoenberg | String Trio | |
| Arnold Schoenberg | Violin Concerto | |
lucio menegon
(07/23/2014)
| Sun City Girls | Torch of the Mystics | just so amazing in every respect. still trying to find an affordable cd or lp copy |
| Bill Orcutt | How the Thing Sings | acoustic guitar solo. his thing just makes sense to me |
| Han Bennink/Terrie Ex | Laughing Owl | electric guitar & drums mayhem. these guys are so great together |
| Anthology of American Folk Music | Vol III: Songs | just got the new Mississippi Records LP pressing of the first 3 original Harry Smith Anthology releases...so deep |
| Toru Takemitsu | An Autumn Garden | mysterious and relaxing |
Karl Evangelista
(06/30/2014)
| Albert Ayler | Vibrations/Ghosts | |
| Don Cherry | Brown Rice | |
| Charlie Haden | Liberation Music Orchestra | |
| The Brotherhood of Breath | Brotherhood | |
| Grant Green | Street of Dreams | |
| Ornette Coleman | Crisis | |
phillip greenlief
(05/18/2014)
more favorite street lacy recordings
| steve lacy | capers | with ronnie boykins, dennis charles on hat hut from a live date in nyc in 1979 |
| steve lacy - andrea centazzo - kent carter | trio live | live recording from 1976 released on centazzo's ictus label |
| steve lacy | the way | the live quintet date on hat art with irene aebi, kent carter, steve potts, oliver johnson. |
| steve lacy trio | bye-ya | with jean-jacques avenel and john betsch (aebi makes guest appearance on two tracks) |
| steve lacy - joelle leandre | one more time | three righteous improvisations on the leo label. one of lacy's last recordings, and a rare one where he focuses more on sound than diatonic melody |
phillip greenlief
(05/18/2014)
it's been seriously bluesy around here this week
| big bill broonzy | good time tonight (roots and blues label) | a collection of mostly unissued vocalion recordings 1930 - 1940 |
| big mama thornton | hound dog - the peacock recordings | compilation of great recordings from 1952 - 1957 |
| johnny guitar watson | space guitar master | compilation of recordings from 1955 - 1960 |
| king curtis | one of those seven albums on four CDs kind of thing from real gone jazz | seven LPs spanning 1959 - 1962 ... perfect party music. impossible to listen to this without smiling. |
Steve Adams
(05/13/2014)
List posted on discussion group in response to a question about Steve Lacy
| Steve Lacy | Songs (with Brion Gysin) | hatart |
| Steve Lacy | Clinkers (solo) | hatart |
| Steve Lacy | Troubles | Black Saint (quintet) (available on itunes) |
| Steve Lacy | Itinerary+16 | hatart (large ensemble) |
| Steve Lacy | Monk's Dream | (quintet w/Roswell Rudd) Classics Jazz France (available on itunes) |
Larry Ochs
(04/01/2014)
Some of Ochs favorites
| Art Ensemble of Chicago | Les Stance A Sophie | Label: Nessa |
| Albert Ayler | Live in Europe 1964 -1966 | Label: Landmark |
| Orchestra Baobab | Pirates Choice | Label: WCD |
Gino Robair
(04/23/2008)
Thinking of Toyoji Tomita, who I've known since '86 and who will be greatly missed
| Roscoe Mitchell/Tatsu Aoki | First Look | bass/reeds/percussion due that is relaxed and enjoyable to listen to. No BS, just lovely sounds. |
| Lisle Ellis | Sucker Punch Requiem (An Homage to Jean-Michel Basquiat) | A concrete post-jazz work of the highest order, w Oliver Lake, G. Lewis, Pamela Z, and S. Ibarra. |
| Tanja Orning/Natasha Barrett | Dr. Ox | live manipulation of cello in an improv setting. Varied and delicious. |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(12/29/2007)
Favorite Recordings of 2007
| Sabrina Siegel | Grace/Precarious (Pax Recordings) | |
| I'm Not There Original Soundtrack | A film by Todd Haynes (Columbia/Sony) | |
| Charlemagne Palestine | A Sweet Quasimodo Between Black Vampire Butterflies for Maybeck (Cold Blue Music | |
| Teiji Ito | Music for Maya: Early Film Music of Teiji Ito (Tzadik) | |
| Kawabata Makoto | Hosanna Mantra (Important Records) | |
| Manuel Mota | Outubro: Solo Guitar Playing (Headlights Recordings) | |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(12/29/2007)
Favorite Recordings of 2007
| Teiji Ito | Tenno (Tzadik) | |
| Aaron Dugan + Jeff Arnal | Dog Day (C3R) | |
| Marcos Fernandes/Bill Horist | Jerks and Creeps (Accretions) | |
| Nathamuni Brothers | Madras 1974 (Fire Museum Records) | |
| The Peeesseye | Mayhem in the Mansion, Shivers in the Shack (Evolving Ear) | |
| W.O.O presents Mambo Mantis | Transphonic Dimensions (Konnex Records) | |
phillip greenlief
(07/28/2007)
all over the map
| jorrit dijkstra - john hollenbeck duo | sequence | remarkable saxophone/electronics and percussion duo - astonishing sounds |
| mississippi john hurt | vanguard visionaries | great place to start with his recordings - a unique voice in the blues/folk tradition |
| giovanni fusco | music for michelangelo antonioni | amazing writing...totally sublime, expressive, free wheeling... |
| john raskin quartet | untitled (graphic scores, with Allbee, Cremaschi, Robair | Brilliant realizations of these great compositions - totally alive and kicking! very successful re-visioning of a well utlized instrumental lineup |
| asnaqetch werku | lady with the krar - ethiopiques | uncategorizable...brilliant conception...female voice and krar...(sounds like banjo, but...you haven't heard this yet...) |
| kristin miltner | grains | beautiful recording - great use of voice, electronics, processing, etc. - really spacious and open, not beaty but rhythmic, not pop but accessible - in a good way! |
(10/09/2006)
Just the new one from the Zloty Dawai: Pure Improv !
| Zloty Dawai | Dada Work Chant | http://www.wmrecordings.com/releases/wm050.htm |
weasel walter
(08/18/2006)
golden years of free jazz
| yosuke yamashita trio | clay (enja records, 1974) | the '70s japanese scene seems to have slipped through the cracks. the noises they made were devastating. |
| masayuki takayanagi new direction unit | axis: another revolvable thing vol. 1 and 2 | mythic free destruction FINALLY on CD |
| peter kuhn | livin' right | william parker, toshinori kondo, arthur williams, denis charles and kuhn on clarinet. a little known sleeper. |
| alan silva celestrial communications orchestra | my country | vintage free jazz orchestra chaos from '70! |
| michel portal | various | highly underrated '70s extrovert racked from the french scene |
| friendship next of kin feat. selwyn lissack | lp (goody records) | messed up early session with terroade, dyani, mike osbourne, et al. |
So Long Flatfoot
(08/06/2006)
fear and hope
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Yanqui UXO | the wind rumbling over ground zero |
| Jackie-O Motherfucker | Wow/ The Majick Fire Music | improvised noise/ambient music |
| A Silver Mount Zion + Tra La La Memorial Orchestra | Horses In The Sky | |
| The Rachels | The Sea and The Bells | classical music released on punk label |
| Do Make Say Think | Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn | |
| Mono | Walking Cloud, Deeo Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined | |
John Abber
(04/13/2006)
Alternative
| Dna | The Dark Project | mix of modern sounds,voices and elements |
Gino Robair
(01/30/2006)
Discs I keep reaching for... (late 2005/early 2006)
| various | Not Necessarily "English Music" (EMF) | AMM, Max Eastley, Frank Perry, Hugh Davies, Beresford, Cardew, John Stevens, SME orchestra....need I say more? |
| Steve Roach | Possible Planet (Projekt) | Gorgeous and deep real-time improv using only analog modular synths. |
| Steve Roach | Fever Dreams (Projekt) | Groovy ambient music that has that yummy Eno/John Hassell vibe |
| Steven Feld/Nii Noi Nortey | The Time of Bells, 3 (VoxLox) | New recordings of music from Ghana, focussing on bells, but including car horns, saxes, drums, etc. Excellent disc! |
dref
(12/15/2005)
piano
| keith jarrett | sun bear concerts | |
a.e.weydmann@gmx.de
(11/18/2005)
current obsessions in plastic
| Musci/Venosta | A Noise, A Sound (RéR, USA, 1992) | witty entertaining sample improv playground |
| Pierre Henry | La Ville. Die Stadt 1984 (Wergo, Germany, 1994) | dizzy sound walk through the french capitol |
| Charles Hayward | Skew-Whiff (Sub Rosa, Belgium, 1989) | Ex-This Heat/Camberwell Now drummer rocks bottom |
| dagmar krause & Marie Goyette | A Scientific Dream And a French Kiss (Resurgence, UK, 1998) | a Voice, a Sound. Live on the AngelicA `97-CD |
| Scientist v. Prince Jammy | Big Showdown At King Tubby´s (Greensleeves, UK, 1980) | Dub Soundsystem in the Boxing Ring, Knocks Out! |
| Sainkho Namtchylak | Lost Rivers (FMP, Germany, 1991) | What a human voice can do is just unbelievable... |
indy
(06/27/2005)
Ambient/Trip Hop
| Thessalonians | Solaristics | Solaristics is the 'old school' chill pill. |
| Deeper Than Space | Earthrise | Grooves like a mother. |
| FSOL | Lifeforms | Floats from one great piece to another. |
| The Orb | u.f.orb | Mesmerizing work. |
JR Gabelman
(06/23/2005)
Frithernaut
| Henry Cow | Legend | Best progressive album of the 70's |
| Henry Cow | Concerts | Sublime |
| Art Bears | Winter Songs | Fresh after hundreds of listenings |
| Fred Frith | Gravity | Best Dance album |
| Skeleton Crew | Learn to Talk/Country of Blinds | Fred and Tom At their finest |
| The Ensemble Moderne | Traffic Continues | Fred's best classical work |
R3000
(06/13/2005)
Free Improvisation from Cologne, Germany (dense freakouts !)
| Zloty Dawai | Teleopsis Belzebuth | Free Download at:http://www.wmrecordings.com/releases/wm014.htm |
| Zloty Dawai | Jazz Nazis Must Die ! | |
James Armstrong
(04/20/2005)
Favorite CDs / April 2005
| Andrew Hill | Mosaic Select MS-016, in three discs | Five recording sessions spanning 1967-1970. |
christopher
(12/28/2004)
what i been bumpin lately
| Chet Baker | Sings It Could Happen to You | probably the best album he ever made, in that it's actually pretty good |
| De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising | a favorite in high school, and just as savage today |
| Kent Carter | Beauvais Cathedral | it's good, and it holds up despite the shitty sound |
| Derek Bailey | Improvisation (you know, the Italian one) | fo' my money, the best bailey album |
| George Jones | Cup of Loneliness: the Mercury Years | his earliest shit is great, most of my favorite songs came in the 60's |
| Sam Rivers/Dave Holland | s/t | infinately better than the one where rivers plays the piano and flute |
Gino Robair
(12/03/2004)
Fun stuff on the CD player this week: improv to rock (old and new)
| Joelle Léandre - Kazue Sawai | Organic - mineral (In Situ) | bass/koto improvisation, with some outstanding moments. |
| Leslie Stuck | Pas (c74) | algorithmic compter-based works for dance that are unique. |
| Guided by Voices | Bee Thousand | This is one deceptively weird rock record, seemingly created by aliens |
| v/a Popular Electronics (early Dutch electronic mu | from Philips research labs '56-'63 | a box set of obscure EM tracks that are a treat to listen to |
| Peter Gabriel | song: My Head Sounds Like That (from UP) | great song, weird sounding vocals, amazing blend of live brass from the Black Dyke Band. |
(12/03/2004)
marine
| France Valéry | nous les marins, nous ne faisons qu'un | deux ans de vacances |
Alexander
(09/08/2004)
6 Top Favorite Free Improvsation albums
| Derek Bailey/Han Bennink/Evan Parker | Topography of The Lungs | Not just one of the best improv albums, but one of the best albums ever. |
| John Butcher With Derek Bailey & Rhordi Davies | Vortices & Angeles | John Butcher is one of the best modern Saxists. |
| Spontaneous Music Ensemble | Quintessence 1 | Features a classic line-up of wonderful improvisers. |
| Mujician | Spacetime | A very elegant disc |
| Derek Bailey/Han Bennink | Post Improvisation Vol.1: When We're Smiling | Actually, any Bailey/Bennink duo is worth the listening time & money. |
| Barry Guy & Matts Gustafson | Frogging | A personal favorite of mine. |
cypod
(08/16/2004)
Electronic music Critical Listening - Online collections
| algorhtythm | the contingency ep | http://www.kikapu.com/label/releases/kpu027.htm |
| blisaed | Feelings in General | http://www.archive.org/audio/audio-details-db.php?collection=camomille&collectionid=camomille049 |
| Brannan Lane | ambient collaborations | http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/brannanlaneambientcollaborations.htm |
| Gregory Greene | THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream | http://www.endofsuburbia.com |
Matt Davignon
(06/15/2004)
some more nice drone discs ''cuz I messed up on the last one
| Deathprod | Morals & Dogma | rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooo |
| Dielectric Drone All-Stars | Dr. One | ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo |
| Rosy Parlane | Iris | oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnn |
Matt Davignon
(06/15/2004)
nice drone discs
| Jonathan Coleclough & Andrew Chalk | Sumac | ddddddddddddddddddddddddddrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr |
Matt Davignon
(03/24/2004)
Stuff Matt flips for
| Leslie Stuck | Pas | Contemporary electronic music for ballet |
| Bizzart | Ear Drung | a perfect example of what's possible in himp-hoxp |
| Zoe Keating | one cello x 16 | layers upon layers of cello, quite good |
| Rapoon | Vernal Crossing | my "most repeatedly played" artist lately |
| Miba | The Corplate Problem | I haven't heard the cd yet, but the duo is excellent! |
Phillip Greenlief
(01/26/2004)
Minimal Verbal Responses Resulting from Recent Amoeba Shopping Spree
| Milford Graves (solo) | Stories (Tzadik) | Virtuosic & Abandoned |
| Deerhoof | Reveille (Kill Rock Stars) | Charming & Gnarly |
| Otomo Yoshihide | Chathode (Tzadik) | Austere & Audicious |
| Sun Ra | Solo Piano (Improvising Artists) | Soulful & Abstract |
| Perez Prado | El Rey Del Mambo ((MLN) (early recordings | Superb & Raw |
| Anthony Braxton | For Alto (Delmark) | Visionary & Urgent |
Phillip Greenlief
(12/23/2003)
Music for Girlfriends - Lovers - Wives
| Souad Massi | Deb | Algerian pop music by singer with beautiful voice |
| Souad Massi | Raoul | Debut CD..more stripped down...mostly just her and her guitar |
| King Bennie Nawahi | Hawaiin String Virtuoso | Acoustic Steel Guitar from 1920's....GREAT performances |
| Various | Beginner's Guide to Bollywood | 3 CD set - 1st CD is filled with amazing cuts that skirt a variet of genres but remain dstinctly Indian |
| Mahalia Jackson | Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting | Great performances with small group (organ, piano, drums) |
| Syzygys | Complete Studio Recordings on Tzadik | Japanese duo that play Harry Partch Organ and Viola |
Michael Bettine
(09/20/2003)
Fave percussion recordings I''m currently listening to
| Joey Baron/Robyn Schulkowsky | Dinosaur Dances (Private Pressing) | Amazing composed duos pf mostly drums. Very rhythmic and entrancing. |
| Aga Mayo Butocan | Maguindinao Kulintang (Tao Music) | Solo Kulintang Gong music from the Philippine - need I say more? |
| Music Of Indonesia 12: Gongs and Various Artists | Music Of Indonesia 12: Gongs and Vocal Music from Sumatra (Smithsonian Folkways) | Great sounding field recordings that feature different gong styles and some amazing Muslim vocal styings. |
| Andrea Centazzo | Visions (Deep Music Records) | Great compositions along with inspired playing - all done in real time with no sequencing. |
| Glenn Kotche | Introducing (Locust) | Very unexpected percussion trance music. If Jackson Pollock played drums he would've made this disc. |
| Lê Quan Ninh | Le Ventre Nagatif (Meniscus) | Another fantastic solo recording by the French percussionist. He gets the most amazing sounds out of so little equipment. |
Gino Robair
(08/27/2003)
From my 2003 end-of-summer listening list
| Derek Bailey/Dennis Palmer/Bob Stagner | Live at Lamar's (Shaking Ray Records) | Bailey and the Shaking Ray Levis team up for an evening of free improvisation that goes in some surprising directions. Prog elements implied! |
| EKG | Shift or Latch (Crank Satori 3") | Kyle Bruckmann (Eng. horn) and Ernst Karel (trumpet) with their analog synths playing in a relaxed and highly musical way. |
| Michael Evans | m.e. super star (ATMOTW) | Wonderful extended-percussion solos in tender bite-size chunks. The disc is completely black on both sides -- how does it play? |
| Flowtilla | Out of the Inside (Acorn Sonata) | Self-described '70s cop-show music. Groovin' and jammin' the old fashioned way. |
| Tanja Feichtmair | Kaman Wasi (Extraplatte) | Astute and energetic solos on alto sax, bass clarinet, and voice in a variety of styles. And one of the loudest sax players I've ever heard live, that remained musical throughout |
| David Greenberger/Shaking Ray Levis | Mayor of the Tennessee River (PelPel) | Spoken-word memories with haunting musical accompaniment. Includes Frank Pahl and Kenny Palmer! |
Scott Bailey
(02/26/2003)
good stuff, bay-ay-bee
| Cosmos | Tears | Japanese minimalist improv, Sachiko M-sinewaves, Ami Yoshida-voice, amazing |
| Paul Flaherty, Greg Kelley, Chris Corsano | Sannyassi | great lyrical dialogue between Flaherty and Kelley, Corsano is (eek!) a powerhouse drummer |
Gino Robair
(02/21/2003)
Exciting sounds from around the world
| Birgit Ulher/Ulrich Phillipp/Roger Turner (aka PUT | Umlaut (NurNichtNur) | Very astute and engaging improvisation |
| Yuko Nexus6 | Journal de Tokyo (Sonore) | voices (in French and Japanes) and twisted sounds. Yum! |
| Jacopo Andreini | VS 900 Vol. 1 (Frigorifero) | A collection of works, some very raw, but this fascinating Italian percussionist/composer. Some downright humorous moments. Could this be the Italian Moe! Staiano? |
| Arrington De Dionyso Quartet | The Album (Wallace Records) | A document of 18 days in the life of this kick-ass band. Noisy at times, but in just the right way.Includes Andreini on drums. |
| various artists | c74 001-007 (Cycling '74) | Interesting computer-based works created with Cycling '74 products by Tetsu Inoue, Carl Stone, Kim Cascone, etc |
| Hans Reichel | Yuxo: A New Daxophone Opera (A,L,L) | Reichel just keeps making amazing music. Great packaging, which includes color photos of his instruments and workshop. |
Gino Robair
(02/18/2003)
I''m stuck on these records right now, go away....
| Tyondai Braxton | History That Has No Effect (JMZ003) | Wow. I just can't stop listening to a couple of these tracks. Check this CD out! |
| Sistol | Phthalo 15 | Who is this? Amazing music from simple boops and beeps. |
| Roger Reynolds | All Known, All White (Pogus) | The 2nd track, Ping, just kicked my ass again. |
| Michael Byron | Music of Nights Without Moon or Pearl (Cold Blue) | West Coast new music, masterfully played. Track 1 is like a warm bath... |
| Musci/Cutler/Rose/Gabbiano | Steel Water Light (ReR) | 3-dimensional electro-acoustic improvisation |
Jacob Lindsay
(02/05/2003)
some favorites + some new stuff
| minton/butcher/hirt | two concerts | fantastic disc!!! |
| wolfgang fuchs | bits & pieces | great solo work; sopranino, bass cl., contrabass clarinet, etc. |
| lunge | strong language | gail brand, phil durrant, pat thomas, Mark Sanders; just out, very strong indeed |
| LOOS | Armstrong | Van Bergans algorithimc band + dramatic vocals, Louis Armstrong tribute; completely original |
| Polweschel | Polweschel 2 | Dafeldecker, Stangl, Butcher, Moser; dry viennese music at it's best |
| Keith Rowe | Harsh | Why |
James Armstrong (pianist)
(01/30/2003)
Favorite disks/January 2003
| Marc-Andre Hamelin/City of Birmingham Symphony Orc | Ferruccio Busoni: Piano Concerto in C major, Opus 39 (Hyperion CDA67143) | Elegant, fiendishly difficult piano concerto in 8 movements |
| Bobby Hutcherson | Dialogue (Blue Note CDP 7 46537 2) | One of Andrew Hill's finest sessions; includes "Les Noirs Marchant" and "Ghetto Lights" |
| Jeno Jando/Budapest Symphony Orchestra | Bartok Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3 (Naxos 8.550771) | Definitive recordings by this Bartok specialist |
| Carlos Bechegas & Peter Kowald | Open Secrets: A Suite in 13 Parts (Forward 01) | Magnificent, episodic duets with the late, great bassist |
| Barry Guy, Marilyn Crispell, Paul Lytton | Odyssey (Intakt CD 070) | Consistently challenging piano trio inventions |
| Steve Lacy Sextet | The Condor (Soul Note 1135) | 1986 session w/ Steve Potts, Irene Aebi, Bobby Few |
Rommel
(01/10/2003)
just this week, just this week.................
| Rova/ T. Riley | Chanting the light of foresight | the four have some sort of intra-psychic connection that is beyond me.... |
| His Name Is Alive | Someday my blues will cover the earth | heard them on the Brothers Quay short films..... |
| Mozart | Clarinet concerto A maj., Oboe concerto C maj., Fagott concerto Bflat maj. | Deutsche Gram. Wiener, Bohm, cheap. good. |
| Bach/Hilliard Ens. | Morimur | (ECM) compelling, beautiful..........did I mention free? |
| Jeff Mangum | Orange Twin Field Works vol. 1 | beautiful Bulgarian folk field recordings by Jeff of Neutral milk Hotel. Too short but worth the listen. |
| Jean-Luc Cinema Godard | Bande a Part (Criterion) | it's a disk.......... |
Gino Robair
(01/05/2003)
Old and new stuff I''m currently listening to (in no particular order)
| Douglas Quin | Antarctica (Miramar Recordings) | Incredible field recordings: the underwater tracks sound like electronic music - heavy. |
| [The User] | Symphony #2 for Dot Matrix Printers (Asphodel) | Just what it says, but very well done. Groovy mechanicals using full stereo space. |
| Stefan Helmreich | Xerophonics (Seeland) | Copying machines that make you tap your feet? And how... |
| various artists (curated by David Toop) | Not Necessarily "English Music" (Leonardo Music Journal) | Experimental music from the UK, '60-'77. Some raw stuff here. |
| various artists | BBC Radiophonic Music (BBC) | reissue of '70s LP featuring old-school sounds. From goofy to sublime. |
| Takeo Yamashita | Giant Robo (soundtrack; Ever Anime International) | From original live-action series. Sounds like free jazz sometimes. Very interesting and inviting. |
John Lee
(12/30/2002)
random picks
| Albert Ayler | Spiritual Unity | "rosetta stone of free jazz" - george cremaschi |
| Bola Sete | Shambhala Moon | reissue of brazilian guitarist's masterpiece from 1982 |
| Tronzo, Granelli, Epstein | Crunch | interesting slide guitar playing from tronzo |
| Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser | Friends and Enemies | more interesting guitar from Bay Area players |
| Sonny Simmons Trio | Live In Paris | standards and originals from a free jazz master |
| Elvis Costello | When I Was Cruel | comeback album of the year |
andre custodio
(12/17/2002)
schizophrenic mew - sic
| the sun and the moon | the great escape | more 80s shoegazing pop |
| black sabbath | heavan and hell | dio to your mother...again |
| unwoman | knowledge scars | like bannanas for hot oatmeal...sad and comforting |
| raison d'etre | prospectus I | samples representing the open arms of the apocalypse |
| twine | N/A | anything tom and doug do together is brilliant! |
| scott looney | solo piano | this is your man...really |
Roscoe 2000
(11/14/2002)
on KALX 90.7fm, Thursdays 3-5:30pm, at least for November
| client/server | end of | guitar drones & loops |
| eyvind kang | live low to the earth... | violin drones & loops |
| hands to | egress | cactus drones & loops |
| jonathan coleclough | cake | environment drones & loops |
| loren mazzacane/alan licht | mercury | back to guitars drones & loops |
| climax blues band | gold plated | hopefully i haven't now negated all above |
matt davignon
(09/18/2002)
electronic fun
| alog | duck-rabbit (rune grammofon) | norwegian electronics from developed improvs |
| jon hassell/brian eno | 4th world/possible musics (editions eg/caroline) | bizarre trumpet sounds plus percussion & loops |
| los sampler's | descargas (rather interesting) | atom heart disguised as chilean all-sampler jam band |
| philip jeck | vinul coda I-III (intermedium) | haunting music from many simultaneous turntables |
| coelacanth | the chronograph (partition) | textures upon textures |
| genius/gza | liquid swords | the competition is weak like clock radio speakers |
André Custodio
(09/09/2002)
Listening fool
| Curtis Mayfield | Curtis/Live! | Chicago funk @ its finest! |
| One Step Shift | 2002 5-song EP | Earnest indie-punk. Don't hurt yourself. |
| Judas Priest | Sin After Sin | Here comes the nostalgia |
| And Also The Trees | Virus Meadow | Nothing experimental here. Old-school goth, esé. |
| Loop.pool | Translucent Dayglo Lime Green Plastic | Loop artist makes good |
| Ernesto Diaz-Infante | Acoustic Guitar - Disc 31 | Push cart by Jen. This is the big one, weezy! |
ernesto, jen, tomas
(09/02/2002)
pax recordings 6 [august 2002]
| melgun | la macchina che moltiplica a per tre (fringes) | italian 4tet improv w/alessandro bosetti |
| marcos fernandes | hybrid vigor (accretions) | composed contructed music |
| jandek | ready for the house (corwood) | outsider music from texas |
| all time present | distant microphones pick up both direct & reflected sound (evolving ear) | 3 guitars, 2 perc. nyc/philly |
| gary hassay/anne lebaron | blackwater bridge (drimala) | alto sax, harp duos |
| donkey | big sur (accrections) | guitar/electronics duo/recorded live at 2001 big sur experimental music festival |
ernesto diaz-infante
(09/02/2002)
summer 2002 top 6
| taku sugimoto | italia (a bruit secret) | solo guitar |
| brett larner/taku sugimoto | delux nakamura (sparkling beatnik) | duos |
| the bohman brothers | a twist for all pockets (rossbin) | home-made instruments etc |
| bernard gunter | "un feu de neige salie" (element) | "what-you-hear-is-what-you-get" |
| otomo yoshihide | anode (tzadik) | conditions on improvisers |
| keiji haino | beginning and end, interwoven (streamline) | improvised music and songs |
Non-Bay Area Guy
(07/25/2002)
Stuff I''m listening to (from no particular style)
| Debashish Bhattacharya | Hindustani Slide Guitar | North Indian guitar player. The 40+ min. alap must be heard to be believed. |
| Mamoru Fujieda | Patterns of Plants | Understated and elegant microtonal stuff on Asian instruments. This finds a middle ground between East Asian and European medieval music (!). |
| Dave Liebman | Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner | Liebman doing overdubbed soprano saxes. Obviously this sounds nothing like any sax ensemble you've heard. A very personal and intense record. |
| Ivo Papasov and his Orchestra | Balkanology | Clarinetist Papasov plays like a man possessed. Possibly the definitive modern Balkan recording. |
| Aiko Shimada | Blue Marble | Singing/songwriting that is both accessible and somewhat challenging. Beautiful arrangements and production. |
| Thomas Chapin | Alive | 8 CDs from this late, lamented unsung hero of modern music. There's almost too much fantastic stuff here. Pick it up at any price! |
Pedro from down unda
(05/10/2002)
Classy free muzik , noize, & out rock
| The Shadow Ring | Wax-Work Echoes (Corpus Hermticum) | Spacious guitar, vocals, sounds |
| No Neck Blues Band | Letters From the Earth (S@1) | Classical ambient noize from NYC rooftop |
| Explosions In the Sky | How Strange, Innocence (Sad Loud America) | Lovely angst, post post-rock |
| Aphex Twin | Selected Ambient Works Vol I (R&S) | Pioneering techno enius - nuff sed |
| Pole | CD1 (Kiff) | Stefan Betke's subterranean worldscape |
| Dead C. | DR503 (Flying Nun) | Still the best one |
ernesto diaz-infante
(04/05/2002)
april 2002 top 6
| annette krebs | guitar (a bruit secret) | guitar solo |
| annette krebs/taku sugimoto | a duo in berlin (slub music) | guitars, electronics,6 string bass |
| andrea neumann/annette krebs | rotophorm (charhizma) | innenklavier, mischpult, elektrakustische gitarre |
| andrea neuman/toshimaru nakamura | aton (rossbin production) | sound devices |
| ignaz schick/andrea neumann | petit pale (zarek) | live-electronics and inside-piano |
| sven-ake johansson/axel dorner/andrea neumann | barcelona series (hatology) | drums, trumpet, and pianoharp |
tom djll
(02/18/2002)
And to think I traded my ''Sun Bear Concerts'' for this!?!
| Luc Ferrari | Interrupteur/Tautologos 3 | Re-release of 1970 recordings. Great sound and great performances. Ferrari takes minimalism and shoves it. |
| Anthony Braxton | Quartet (Dortmund) 1976 | George Lewis' baptizum of fire. As Gino sez, "He plays those heads as if he's the guy who wrote 'em." |
| Anthony Braxton | Creative Orchestra Music 1976 | All-time classic. What a year. What a band. What a shame it's OOP. |
| Natsuki Tamura | A song for Jyaki | Solo trumpet by a master. Traversing the tightrope from jazz to noise. |
| Rajesh Metha | Reconfigurations | "I've been allured by the poetic dimension in mathematics," says this former Bay Area trumpet-noisester. Thankfully there's lots of poetry here. Great ensemble work. |
Brett Larner
(01/13/2002)
January - not much improvisation this time, it seems
| Black Eyed Peas | Bridging the Gap (Interscope) | mmm mmm |
| Anthony Braxton | Composition N. 247 (Leo) | Bagpipes and two woodwinds, circular breathing, ghost trance music. This makes me want to find Matthew Welch's disc of Braxton's music played on solo bagpipes. |
| John Cale and Terry Riley | Church of Anthrax (Columbia) | I can't believe they were so funky. |
| The Coctails | Live at Lounge Ax (Carrot Top) | An oldie but a goodie. I never get tired of this. |
| Yoshihide Otomo | Anode (Tzadik) | What is this? The jury's still out. I want to listen more. The only thing for sure is that this sounds nothing like anything else any of the people on this disc are doing these days. |
| Charley Patton | Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton (Revenant) | 7-CD box set with a truckload of notes. Absolutely incredible packaging, first-rate documentation, and of course the music. |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(01/06/2002)
January 2002 top 6
| pablo st. chaos | when you force me against the breaking earth (lo-bango sound) | ambient/noise from texas |
| zabloudila | 2000, mc (mdk) | noise improv from czech republic |
| ovo | assassine (bar la muerte) | total morbid improv from italy |
| allun | et sise (bar la muerte) | female pagan improv no wave from italy |
| seth misterka and the misterka clones | president's day (newsonic) | noisy, enormously energetic music from new york |
| brandon evans/seth misterka | misterka death march/day of the persuassive presence (newsonic/parallactic recor | dynamic new york based electro-acoustic/reeds duo |
Gino Robair
(12/21/2001)
On my disc changer, December 2001: Electronic Music I Enjoy
| Fuzzy Bunny | Fuzzy Bunny (Sonore) | lovely amalgam of messed-up loops, samples, and noise from HUB members. Live electronic music at its finest |
| Mark Trayle | RPM::MHZ (Artifact) | Exceptional music from unlikely digital sources and real-world detritus. Trayle is a personal fave in this genre |
| Robert Rich | Bestiary (Release) | analog synth-based "space music" (I hate that term). Finely crafted and superb sound quality |
| Laurie Spiegel | Obsolete Systems (EMF) | Innovator, pioneer...a collection of works on older electronic instruments, such as the Buchla synth. |
| Her Space Holiday | Manic Expressive | File under Indie Rock, I suppose. Fun to listen to. |
| Fuxa (pronounced fuschia) | 3 Field Rotation | Okay, it's a few years old. logy rhythms and beepy synths. Warm-blanket music |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(12/04/2001)
December 2001 Top 6
| Concrete Violin | Force Fed (Lazy Squid Rekkids) | Texan (Houston) Austin Caustic current noise project |
| The Abrasion Ensemble | Music for the same 500 people (beta-lactam ring records) | a classic 'Texas' (Austin) take on European free improv |
| Noumeno | Regression now for the future (Gameboy records) | dual guitar improvisations from Ohio. droney, noisy, an all around good time! |
| The Bran (Another Plight of Medic's...) Pos | 3XX3 (chitah) | a triple-layered concept album to be listened to at appropriate hours of the day |
| Trio Chroch | Live in New York (Av-Art records) | Denmark trio (electronics/guitar/drums).. music recorded on their last tour to NY |
| Costes with Toshi Hiraoka | No sex boy (Hard Disc International) | Divine free noise meditations . Recorded in Tokyo/Paris |
Tom Djll
(12/03/2001)
tunes to erase the holidays from your head
| Honsinger/Beresford/Toop/Kondo | Imitation of Life/Double Indemnity | Just re-released on Unheard Music Series. Wild Brit-improv from 1981 with the awesome KONDO! |
| Frozen Brass: Asia | Anthology of brass band music #1 | Albert Ayler lives -- in Sumatra! Also, Philippino bamboo 'brass' orchestras |
| Gebbia/Powell/Smith | People in Motion | just great improv |
| Kondo/Bernocchi/Laswell | CHARGED | What Miles Davis should have been doing post-1980 |
| Sonny Rollins/Coleman Hawkins | Sonny Meets Hawk | Try as he might, Sonny couldn't get the best of the Hawk. Some very weird jazz here. Paul Bley shines |
Moe! Staiano
(11/24/2001)
My current list of discs bashing my head with it''s soulful tunes....
| This Heat | Deceit | I'll just say it's a pity they didn't continue after this LP |
| Swell Maps | Sweep The Desert | Compilation of stuff from these art rockers |
| Erase Errata | Other Animals | A new discovery of no-wavers frm SF, nice |
| Diagram Brothers | Some Marvels in Modern Science | Very pre-Spaceheads; awesome agit-punk ala DHF |
| Witold Lutoslawski | Postlude; Cello Concerto, et al (Vol. 3) | 20th Century (Polish?) composer I've been listening to |
| Ex Orkst | Een Rondje Holland | 20-piece orchestra performing music of the Ex |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(11/06/2001)
November 2001 Top 6
| Emergency String Quartet | Hill Music (Spring Garden Music) | chamber music for the 21st century..improvisations for string quartet |
| Richard Cholakian/Philip Gayle | Hud Pes (Yabyum) | duo improvisations for guitars and percussion |
| Neglige-electronic underwear | Pranatal Inferno (Archegon) | live electronics and live computer music, no overdubs |
| Gunter Schroth | Barcode Music (Archegon) | all electronic sounds are 100% barcode controlled |
| Six and More | Oisi Voci (Archegon) | improvisation with electronic and electro-acoustic equipment |
| Six and More | Blue Q (Archegon) | free collective improvisation with electronic and electro-acoustic instruments |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(11/06/2001)
October 2001 Top 6
| Phillip Greenlief | Russian Notebooks (Evander) | music for 2 guitars and 2 wind instruments |
| Eric Leonardson | Radio Reverie In The Waiting Place (Not In The Family Records) | an array of devices and materials |
| Tony Bevan/John Edwards/Mark Sanders | nothing is permanent but woe (foghorn records) | music for bass sax, double bass, drums & percussion |
| Burkhard Stangl/Christof Kurzmann | Schnee (Erstwhile Records) | music for acoustic & electric guitars, percussion and g3 |
| Matt De Gennaro & Alastair Galbraith | Wire Music (Corpus Hermeticum) | music for 2 piano wires and violin |
| Nuisance Beacon | Nuisance Beacon (CIP) | power electronics/noise..high pitched abrasive sounds |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(09/27/2001)
September 2001 Top 6 (addendum)
| Jeffrey Allport/Tim Olive | Jeffrey Allport/Tim Olive (Celo Recordings) | seven improvised sound environments miniatures for guitar and percussion |
| Carol Genetti/Eric Leonardson | Animus (Not In The Family Records) | duo improvisations for voice and springboard |
| Dafeldecker/Kurzmann/Fennesz/O'Rourke/Drumm/Siewer | Dafeldecker/Kurzmann/Fennesz/O'Rourke/Drumm/Siewert (Charhizma) | sheets fo sound textures, pops, cracks, and buzzes of guitars, electronics, bass, g3, clarinet, and theremin |
| Coelacanth | The Chronograph (Partition) | textural drone ensemble of Jim Haynes and Loren Chasse |
| Fernando Grillo | Fluvine (Ampersand) | solo explorations of the limits of the contrabass...Stockhausen dubbed him the Buddha of the contrabass |
| Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza | Musica Su Schemi (Ampersand) | inaudible whir, clatter and scrape and bubbling blast of sound...Franco Evangelisti (piano/perc) Egisto Macchi (perc/strings) Ennio Morricone (tpt/fl.) Antonello Neri (piano) Giovanni Piazza (horn/fl/ |
Brett Larner
(09/09/2001)
currently in my player as of 9/8
| Atari Kohsuke | Kurudando (Jabara) | 2nd disc by 19-yr old folk shamisen player/vocalist from Amami Oshima |
| John Cale | Sun Blindness Music (ToTE) | solo recordings, purportedly from the '60s |
| John Fahey | Days Have Gone By (Fantasy/Takoma) | reissue of my favourite Fahey album |
| Andrea Neumann/Toshimaru Nakamura | AT0N (Rossbin) | the album I wish I had recorded with Toshimaru..... |
| Nakamura Mizuki | Island Girl (Jabara) | another teenager from Amami Oshima playing old-time tunes; incredibly gorgeous vocals; every person I've ever played this for has bought a copy |
| v/a | Deluxe Improvisation Series Vol. I: 2000 (ASE) | a damned good comp, even if I did release it; the first track by Tetsu Saitoh is the best solo improvisation I've ever seen anyone play |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(09/01/2001)
September Top 6
| Lozenge | Doozy (ToYo records) | Chicago-based Lozenge is an “experimental” rock band (formed in Texas). Lozenge plays noisy, complicated songs and other times improvises.... |
| Anna Homler | House Of Hands (ND) | A compilation of atmospheric and haunting recordings made by other-wordly Los Angeles vocalist Anna Homler. |
| La Reproduction Interdite d'une Peinture de Crise | La Reproduction Interdite d'une Peinture de Crise (Kids Eat Free Records) | A collaboration between songwriter Dorothy Geller of Laconic Chamber and Washington D.C.sound composer Douglas Wolf. |
| London Improvisers Orchestra | The Hearing Continues (Emanem) | A 2-CD set recording of 37 London musicians performing free improvisations, conductions and rule-based schemes, and in one case the musicians reacted to a film. |
| Khoury/Shearer/Hall | Insignia (Public Eyesore) | Enigmatic Detroit free jazz trio featuring violin improviser Mike Khoury, percussionist Ben Hall, and saxophonist Jason Shearer. Features the trios best studio and live recordings of 2000. |
| The Toids | Ruupert Dances in Fins | A local bay area CD of extra adventurous Balkan, original, and thrash creative jazz. |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(08/13/2001)
August 2001 Top 6
| Brett Larner | ITADAKIMASU - improvised duets 1994-2000 (Spool) | 13-string koto, 17-string bass koto, and 21-string gu zheng duet improvisations with Jim O'Rourke (hurdy-gurdy); Ted Reichman (accordion); Samm Bennett (electronics); John Shiurba (acoustic guitar); |
| The Slab | The Slab (Elephant Music) | New Zealand free improvisation: Brian Hutson, bari sax/tenor sax; Matthew Mitchell, guitar; Simon O'Rorke, percussion |
| James Coleman: Theremin | "Zuihitsu" (Sedimental) | Theremin improv collaborations with Greg Kelly (tpt.); Tatsuya Nakatani (perc); Vic Rawlings (cello/electronics); Bhob Rainey (sax); Liz Tonne (voice) |
| Matt Turner | Crushed Smoke (Tautology) | solo cello and noise improv |
| Kyle Bruckmann | Entymology (Barely Auditable) | solo improvisations for oboe/english horn/suona |
| Jason Kahn | Analogues (Cut) | soundfile assemblage> radio, drums, metals, piano |
Tom Djll
(08/12/2001)
Local favorites and some klassics
| Left Coast Improv Group | (eponymous) Jimzeen CD 1003 | highly-evolved collective group improvisation. Privately-released "Live at 21 Grand" is even better |
| matt ingalls | recent work (2001) | severe formalist composing and improvising by our own Bay Area clarinet monster punk |
| John Oswald | Plunderphonics | just re-released on Seeland, a collection of some of the most significant and listenable music concrete ever stolen |
| Alterations | Up Your Sleeve | David Toop, Steve Beresford, Peter Cusack and Terry Day. Just about my favorite free-improvisation recording. Witty, sardonic, oblique, out-of-print |
| Morton Feldman | Patterns in a Chromatic Field (Cello and Piano) | Rohan De Saram of the Arditti Quartet and Marianne Schroeder bring to life Feldman's terrifying silences |
| Miles Davis | OLYMPIA (11 Juillet 1973) | one of several new live bootlegs of simply the greatest electroacoustic funk/improv band that ever existed. can't wait to hear "Another Unity" from '75... |
Gino Robair
(08/03/2001)
Favorite electronic and improv discs during July/August 2001
| Morton Subotnick | Volume 1: Electronic Works (Mode 97: DVD) | amazing multichannel works, especially for fans of analog modular synthesizers and Buchla instruments |
| Palette Sonore | Structures Sonores Baschet (SSP 01) | Pieces played on the marvelous Baschet sound sculptures. |
| Ivan Tscherepnin | Flores Musicales, etc (CRI 684) | Lovely works for acoustic instruments and electronic processing via Serge modular synths. |
| C-Side & Petit Mal | Swarm Warnings: Gatmo Sessions vol. 2 (Gatmo) | Improvs by the finest instrument inventors in California w. Tom Waits on vocals |
| M. Griffin/D. Fulton | The Most Distant Point Known (Hypnos) | Slowly evolving soundscapes using MOTM/Doepfer gear: yummy! |
andy
(07/25/2001)
in the house
| Olivier Messiaen | par lui-meme | best ever recording of La Nativite du Seigneur |
| Karlheinz Stockhausen | Kontakte | Piano, percussion, 8-channel tape |
| Akio Suzuki | Soundsphere | Experimental music for solo performer... minimalist but very rich (also hard to find) |
| OHM | The early gurus of electronic music | 1948-1980 ; 3 discs ; excellent buy, compilation of many artists |
| Olivier Messiaen | Catalogue d'oiseaux | Piano - music depicting birds and their environments |
Alwyn Quebido
(07/12/2001)
Al''s Heavy Rotation List, 12 July 2001
| Nico | Desert Shore | The Queen of the Goths |
| Painkiller | Execution Ground | Yummy |
| John Coltrane | Ole Coltrane | Dolphy! Trane! Yeah! |
| Mr. Bungle | Disco Volante | The feelgood album of 1995...or was it 96? |
| Zeena Parkins | Isabelle | I'm dying to make music with her |
| Dream Theater | Scenes From A Memory | Incredibly cheesy yet amazing prog-metal, complete with screaming vocals! |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(07/08/2001)
July 2001 Top 6
| Jack Wright Large Ensemble | 8 x 9 (lIMItEd SEdItION) | woodwinds, brass, contrabass, guitar, voice, percussion |
| Scott Rosenberg | IE (for large ensemble) (barely auditable records) | strings, guitar, brass, accordion, voice, percussion |
| High Desert Duo | Inside The Landscape (Zerx) | Kurt Heyl (trombone), Dave Nielsen (drums) |
| Peter Kowald & Damon Smith | Mirrors - Broken But No Dust (Balance Point Acoustics) | double bass |
| Jack Wright/Bob Marsh/Bhob Rainey/Fred Lonberg-Hol | The Darkest Corner, The Most Conspicuous (CIMP) | saxophones and cellos |
| Greg Kelley | Trumpet (Meniscus) | solo trumpet |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(06/02/2001)
June 2001 Top 6
| Nels Cline | Destroy All (Atavistic) | guitars, bass, percussion, electric harp, & d6 clarinet |
| Marcelo Radulovich | (case of the missing) THUMB (Accretions) | phonography locations: San Diego, Mexico, Big Sur, Hong Kong, Chile, San Francisco |
| Eric Glick Rieman | Ten To The Googolplex (Accretions) | prepared rhodes electric piano |
| Janet Feder | (Guitar) Speak Puppet (ReR) | prepared classical, dobro, & wrong-strung guitar |
| Gustavo Aguilar | Looking for Aztlan (Acoustic Levitation) | solo percussion, guitar, voice |
| Lantana | Tanka (Sparkling Beatnik Records) | koto trio: Ryuko Mizutani, Shoko Hikage, Noriko Tsuboi |
André Custodio
(05/28/2001)
O.K....I''m listening!
| Pandit Sharda Sahai | The Spirit of Benares | Expressive tabla from a master. |
| Franco Degrassi/Gianni Lenoci | No Title (1998) | Free-Improvised sound [quite industrial] |
| Morgenstern | Zyklen | VERY industrial [painfully so] |
| Tri-Cornered Tent Show | ? [i don't know] | Side-show free-jazz |
| Black Sabbath | The Mob Rules | DIO to your mother! |
| The Chameleons U.K. | Strange Times | Timeless album, Ageless pop. |
Gino Robair
(05/07/2001)
Spring 2001 CD highlights
| Paul Dunmall | solo Bagpipes (DLE 001) | Completely masterful playing. Best solo wind disc I've heard in quite awhile. |
| Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 | Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby
Turdner's Celebrit | What rock SHOULD sound like in the 21st Century. |
| Derek Bailey/Eddie Prevost | Ore (Arrival Records) | Damn fine duo by two master improvisers |
| various artists | Medical Milestones (Hot Air: CD compilation) | Strange music music brought to you by Stock, Hausen, & Walkman and friends |
| Spezza Rotto | Cinque Canzoni (Recordi Ripugnante) | If the Ruins used an online Italian dictionary, it might sound like this |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(05/01/2001)
May 2001 Top 6
| Koji Asano | Quoted Landscape (Solstice) | electroacoustic |
| Bob Falesch/Bob Marsh | Water Music (ZeroEggzie) | metaPiano, electronics, cello, voice |
| Gino Robair | Singular Pleasures (Rastascan Records) | percussion music for listening and sampling |
| 99 Hooker & Akio Mokuno | Techzilla (No Solution) | sax and electronics |
| Franco Degrassi/Gianni Lenoci | Franco Degrassi/Gianni Lenoci (ASC Records) | piano, musical workstation, environmental and acoustical instrument sounds |
| Jaap Blonk/Jacky Merit/Paul Plimley/Barry Traux | Musicworks CD 79 (Musicworks) | ongoing explorations in sound |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(04/10/2001)
April 2001 top 6
| Protuberance | Treated and Released (Zerx 019) | Paul Pulaski-guitar;Mark Weaver-tuba;Dave Wayne-drums |
| Jack Wright | Rattle OK (Spring Garden Music) | Jack Wright and friends--a sampler sept.1999-feb.2001 |
| Fetish | Fetish (Tautology 013) | David Gross: alto & baritone saxophones, clarinet; Michael Bullock: contrabass; Tatsuya Nakatani percussion |
| Clocked-Out Duo | Every Night the Same Dream (COP-CD001) | Erik Griswold, piano | Vanessa Tomlinson, percussion |
| Oscar Noriega's Play Party | Luciano's Dream (OmniTone) | Oscar Noriega, bass clarinet, alto saxophone; Cuong Vu, trumpet; Brad Shepik, guitar; Tom Rainey, drums |
| The Joel Futterman/Ike Levin Trio with Randall Hun | InterView (IML 26-001) | Joel Futterman: piano, curved soprano saxophone, and indian flute; Ike Levin: tenor saxophone, brazilian kalimba, canfi indian flute, and tambourine; Randall Hunt: contrabass and bells |
André Custodio
(04/05/2001)
top 6 listening [4/5/2001]
| The Chameleons U.K. | What Does Anything Mean? Basically. | 80's earnestly-sad brit-pop |
| King Felix | Owls | Post-Modern electroacoustic compositions. |
| Morgan Guberman | Hamadryas Baboon | abstract upright bass |
| The Broken Men | self-titled | sad new wave for the painfully alone. |
| Michael Masely | Best Of | Finger-Bowed and struck Cymbalom! |
| Phillip Greenleaf/Scott Amendola | ? | Incredible "free-jazz" done with spirit and skill! |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(03/01/2001)
March 2001 top 6
| Old Time Relijun | La Sirena de Pecera (K) | Avant rock trio with Arrington de Dionyso |
| The Recordings | <<Recordings>> (Megaphone/Reference) | John Dierker (alto sax), Bob Wagner (drums), Jason Willett (bass) and John Berndt (guitar) |
| Henry Flynt | You Are My Everlovin'/Celestial Power (Recorded) | New American Ethnic Music, New York Concerts |
| Brad Dutz/John Holmes | Dutes for Percussion (Truemedia) | LA improv percussion duo |
| Air Traffic Controllers | Whisper Number (Parallelism) | Gerard Cosloy (guitar, boxes), Jon Steele (drums) |
| John Fahey | The Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites (Takoma Records) | ...influential acoustic guitarists of his generation |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(02/12/2001)
February 2001 top 6
| W.O.O. Revelator | The Theory Of Reversed Effort (Sweet Stuff/Evolving Ear) | tenor sax, electric guitar, drums avant-rock improv |
| Aaron Bennett | Live at Luggage (ADBSound) | solo soprano sax; plus a duet with Katt Sammon, voice |
| Thurston Moore/Wally Shoup/Toshi Makihara | Hurricane Floyd (Sublingual) | electric guitar, alto sax, percussion; free jazz/avant rock trioimprov |
| Hans Fjellestad | Red Sauce Baby (Accretions) | improv-compositions, electronics, with guest performers |
| Philip Gayle | Pnbna (Fleece Records) | solo acoustic improvisations; 6/12-string guitar, mandolin etc. |
| Matthew Goodheart/Dominic Duval | Crossings (Cadence Jazz Records) | piano/contrabass improv/composition duets |
Ronald Thompson
(01/29/2001)
What I''ve been listening to lately
| Elliott Carter | String Quartet #5 | One of my main influences and great stuff |
| Maybe Monday | Saturn's Finger | Great music by three great musicians |
| Roger Sessions | Symphonies 6, 7 and 9 | Dennis Russell Davies conducts |
| Anthony Braxton | Tenet | Newish release on Braxton records |
John Lee
(01/12/2001)
Stuff I''ve been listening to lately
| Anthony Braxton | For Alto | Recently released on CD. Essential |
| Rent Romus' Lords of Outland | Avatar in the Field - A tribute to Albert Ayler | First release on Edgetone Records |
| Marco Eneidi, William Parker, Donald Robinson | Cherry Box | Mills College concert from 1998 |
| Evan Parker Trio | Atlanta | with Barry Guy and Paul Lytton |
| The Lost Trio | Remembrance of Songs Past | Phillip Greenlief, Dan Seamans, Tom Hassett play Monk, Strayhorn, etc |
| Etta James | Chess Box Set | Classic R&B |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(01/01/2001)
January 2001 Top 6
| Matt Weston | Vacuums (Sachimay) | solo percussion and electronics |
| Saadet Turkoz | Marmara Sea (Intakt) | voice, gtr, bass, ud, and electric cello |
| Return To One | Hopes and Dreams (Circumvention) | woodwinds, bass, and percussion |
| That Nothing Is Known | Quartet Improvisations (Recorded) | vocals, electronics, drums, and saxophones |
| Mike Cooper & Viv Corringham | Avantroots (Mash) | vocals, electronics, slide guitar, and keyboards |
| Philip Tomasic | Figure (Sachimay) | solo guitar |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(12/07/2000)
December 2000 Top 5
| Jeff Arnal | Solo Percussion (Generate Records) | Brooklyn free improv drumming |
| All Time Present | good vibrations/no expectations (Evolving Ear) | NYC trio guitars/percussion improv (Toshi Makahara, special guest) |
| Francisco Lopez | Qal'at Abd'Al-Salam (Asellus) | Madrid, Spain sound artist EA |
| Donald Miller/Michael J. Schumacher | Flood (Warpodisc) | Music derived from 2 electric guitars |
| Dan DeChellis | Chamber Music (Sachimay) | Improvised chamber music (pn, vln. voice. theremin, perc) |
| Trio Chroch | Live at Dexter (AV-Art) | Danish free improv (pn, tpt, voice, gtr, drms) |
john clair
(11/28/2000)
high times
| joe maneri | Anything | jimmy giuffree in the year 2000, with amazing musicians by his side |
| martin tetreault | anything | turntable manipulations |
| john coltrane | meditations | the ab slide of jazz music |
| clair/sosis/graham/ginsberg | higgs boson | coming out soon on offshoreauding drilling |
| art ensemble | the spiritual | lots of acid i the water |
| simon fell | vhf | lots more acid |
Gino Robair
(10/27/2000)
Fascinating new releases (year 2000) of improvised music
| Tom Nunn | Burning Palms (garuda records) | Nunn's finest and most mature playing to date. |
| Thomas Lehn/Marcus Schmickler | BART (Erstwhile) | Fine duos pitting analog synth against computer-generated sounds. |
| Denman Maroney/Hans Tammen | Billabong (Potlatch) | prepared "hyperpiano" & "endangered guita lovely! |
| Gunter Muller/Le Quan Ninh | La Voyelle Liquide (Erstwhile) | Meaningful electroacoustic music by 2 percussionists |
| Jon Rose | The Hyperstring Project (ReR) | Fine fine collection of messed-up violin music: Masterful |
| Adam Bohman | Music and Words (Paradigm) | Heavy & disturbing vocals/prep guitar cutups. Ok, it's a 1999 issue. Tough! |
Phillip Greenlief
(10/19/2000)
You should hear this
| Bela Bartok | String Quartets | Recording by the Eder Quartet, on the Telarc Label makes other recordings sound academic |
| Marion Brown | Duets | This was one of the first improvised music albums I ever heard (1976) and it still kills me |
| Nels Cline | The Inkling | Marvellous compositions for acoustic and electric-based quartet with Xena Parkins, Mark Dresser and Billy Mintz - an awesome date, both conceptually and performance-wise |
| PJ Harvey | Rid of Me | You've probably already heard this, but I'm knocked out by her writing and execution of those great tunes. |
| Arnold Schoenberg | Suite, Op 27 | Check out the performance by Boulez' Ensemble Contemporaire, an exciting performance of this great and difficult work |
| Splatter Trio | Hi-Fi Junk Note | My favorite improv-based recording of the 1990's. A gem, buy this CD and glue your ears to it. |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(10/07/2000)
October 2000/Top 5
| Rene Lussier/Martin Tétreault | Dur Noyau Dur (dAMe) | acoustic/electric guitars, turntables, radio collages |
| Bill Horist | Songs from the Nerve Wheel (Bill Horist) | solo guitars improvisations - grungy-soundscape-surreal loops |
| Marcelo Radulovich/Marco Fernandes | The Whisper Chipper (Accretions) | wood chipper field recordings combined with ambient guitar loops, noise collage
recordings combined with layers of ambient guitar noise loops, radio
collages and tamboura box percussion |
| Adam Lane | Hollywood Wedding (CJR) | mingusesque hard-driving avant jazz band music |
| London Improvisers Orchestra | Proceedings (Emanem) | large ensmeble improv explorations |
| Kaoru Abe | Last date 8.28.1978 (DIW) | 3 extended solos for sax, gtr, harmonica |
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
(09/13/2000)
september2000 favorites
| Butcher/Robair/Sperry | 12 Milagritos//spool | 'heterogeneity of consecutive sounds' |
| Gustafsson/Newman/Gennaro | Port Huron Picnic//spool | 'post-cagean, discrete sounds, short in duration" |
| Ali/Kowald/Tsahar | Deals, Ideas & Ideals//hopscotch | 'trio forming an arc(k) of sound' |
| Rutherford/Bailey/Guy | Iskra 1903: Chapter one/emanem | 'watch the sunflowers' |
| Wadada Leo Smith | Reflectativity | 'blending trio improvs and composition' |
| John Cage | Etudes Australes: Grete Sultan, piano//wergo | 'atonal clutsers, harmonies, resonating drones' |
Gino Robair
(09/05/2000)
Favorite new ElectroAcoustic releases/reissues
| Raymond Scott | Manhattan Research Inc | Scott is an unsung pioneer in elec.inst design |
| various artists | OHM: Early gurus of Elec. Music | Fascinating survey of electronic music |
| George Antheil | Ballet Mecanique (EMF records) | Premiere of orig. vers. w/ 16 players pianos! |
| various artists | Power & Responsibility (Leonardo Music Journal v. 9) | CD-ROM of interesting crative works |
| John Cage | Bird Cage (EMF) | Important work for tapes and voice |
Morgan Guberman
(08/09/2000)
individual worlds
| Robert Ashley | El Afficionado | profoundly poetic words/insights w sound fieldss |
| Frank Pahl | Remove the Cork | lullabies with a circus twist |
| Hans Tammen | Endangered Guitar | brash psycho improv |
| Thinking Plague | Extremises | Art Rock |
| Leandre/Tramontana | E'Vero | european improv w/Joelle Leandre & Sebi Tramontana |
| Arto Lindsay | aggregates 1-26 | Rock Trio w/some improv |
Zenobios
(07/03/2000)
CD''s no consciousness should be without, and don''t forget Danielle DeGruttola
| Derek Bailey/Henry Kaiser | Wireforks | What it must be like to do LSD in a big room filled with windchimes and fine crystal. |
| Mats Gustafsson/Barry Guy/Paul Lovens | Mouth Eating Trees And Related Activities | Sometimes scary, sometimes beautiful, always wonderful. Plus it's one of the best recording quality, captures these guys' tone(s) perfectly. |
| Evan Parker | Monoceros | Not as dense and challenging to "hear" as Conic Sections, but it's wonderful. Better for beginners, you'll be able to hear what Evan is doing. Once you master this, buy Conic Sections. |
| Tisziji Munoz (also with Pharoah Sanders, Rashied | Spirit World | This guy is my God of "free-jazz guitar". He is so free and going way beyond anything more "famous" people are even attempting. Pharoah's best playing in years. |
| Nels Cline/Gregg Bendian | Interstellar Space Revisited | Intergalactic guitar-and-percussion version of Coltranes album. This goes to places that would make Coltrane scratch his head in bewilderment. |
| Derek Bailey/Min Xiao-Fen | Viper | I feel bad putting two Bailey cd's up here but Min's playing on this is so surreal. This is her only free-improvisation cd as far as I know which is too bad, she is one of my all-time favorites. A tru |
john clair
(01/05/2000)
active improvisers
| assif tsahar | shekina/ein sof/ home cooking- all amazing | my personal favorite sax player and rythmn section. most original and underapprecited sax player ever. always compared with gayle etc as modern ayler but has a style so completely his own and subtle a |
| william parker | compassion seizes bed stuy | personal favorite from most influential musician around, one of many classics |
| david s ware quartet | wisdom of uncertainty | classic quartet |
| matthew shipp string trio | by the law of music | favorite piano player in a chamber setting |
| mats gustafsson | anything with barry guy | two amazing europeans doing things no one else does on their instruments |
| john butcher | the scenic route | very english improv with durrant violin very nice |
John Lee
(12/15/1999)
Recent CDs by Bay Area Musicians
| Damon Smith | Contradictory Conseqences: the Unavoidable Route | Solo Double Bass |
| Shiurba, Robair, Rosenberg, Guberman | Spotted Dick | Purchase at <a href="http://www.limitedsedition.com/">Limited Sedition</a> |
| Tim Perkis | Perkolator | Electronics, also at <a href="http://www.limitedsedition.com/">Limited Sedition</a> |
| Ronald Thompson | Spirit Park, vol3 | Ron Thompson, Guitar, Larry Ochs, Saxophones, Karen Stackpole, percussion |
| Danielle DeGruttola | Oaktown Dreams | Danielle on Cello, mandolin, bouzouki |
Gino Robair
(12/15/1999)
Fave Non-Improv CDs today
| Think Plague | In this Life (ReR) | complex rock at its finest |
| 5UUs | Hunger's Teeth (ReR) | another fine disc of complex rock |
| Stereolab | Dots and Loops (label?) | unimaginable electronic beauty disguised as hip indie rock |
| Jon Spencer's Blues Explosion | Orange (Matador) | amazing energy and production |
| Lydia Kavina | Music from the Ether (Mode) | masterful theremin virtuosa! |
damon
(09/19/1999)
the most improtant event of ''99 is gunter christmann''s return to recording
| g.c./mats gusstafson | "one to(two)"- okkadisk | advanced improvisation for cello/trombone +sax |
| g.c./evan parker | "here/now"- concepts of doing | same as above w/solos & duos |
| g.c./alex frangahiem | "alla prima"-concept of doing | clo/trmb. with double bass |
| g.c./elka schipper | "parole"-edition explico | soundpoetry(one word) w/g.c. |
| vario | "vario" 34-2-concept of doing | gunter's group concept all-star, recomended |
Jim F.; SxF SD
(04/11/1999)
Top 5 Free Jazz CD''s
| Dunmall/Adams/Sanders | Ghostly Thoughts - Hatology | 90's Kaput Play |
| Something Else | Playing w. Tunes - Bruce's Fingers | Simon Fell, Mike Beck & Paul Hession swing like mad |
| T. Borgman Trio w. P. Brotzman | Stalker Songs - CIMP | Brotzmans best to these ears |
| Scott Fields Ens. | Disaster at Sea - Music and Arts | Electric guitar assault from Academia |
| Evan Parker | London Air Lift - FMP | My favorite Parker since his Metalanguage recordings |
Philip Gelb
(03/13/1999)
what is on top of my cd player now
| Yokoyama Katsuya | Untitled on Ocara | The greatest living shakuhachi player performs masterpieces from the dokyoku school of shakuhachi playing |
| New Winds | Traction | Ned Rothenberg, Robert Dick and Jd Parran |
| Duke Ellington | Far East Suite | Duke ROCKS! The orchestra is on fire on this recording |
| Teruhisa Fukuda | Espirits Animeaux volume 2 | new compositions for shakuhachi with violin and cello from Japanese composers. Fukuda is one of the premiere new music shakuhachi players along with Yoshikazu Iwamoto, Yokoyama Katsuya, Ned Rothenberg |
Tom Harper
(03/03/1999)
Melange a Trois
| lee pui ming | strange beauty | solo piano - lyrical new music, her own stuff, but reminiscent of Crispell |
| vladimir rezitsky | Hot Sounds from the Arctic | I love the changes this explores - new music from Russia |
| don byron | Bug Music | music of Scott, Kirby, and Ellington. harken back to the days of maturing collective improvisation |
Dan Plonsey
(02/03/1999)
Sun Ra Classics (in print) Which Everyone Must Own
| Sun Ra | Space is the Place (Impulse) | early 70's; classic title track & Rocket #9 & more |
| Sun Ra | The Magic City (Evidence reissue) | 65, conducted improvs, much austerity & elevation |
| Sun Ra | Angels & Demons at Play (Evidence) | any 50's era Sun Ra Chicago stuff is equally great! |
| Sun Ra | Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy (Evid.) | weird transitional music between big band and free |
| Sun Ra | We Travel the Spaceways (Evidence) | also transitional, often simple |
| Sun Ra | Mayan Temples | by far the best Ra album after mid-80's |
Dan Plonsey
(02/03/1999)
Recent Favorites (not necessarily recorded recently)
| Lee "Scratch" Perry | The Return of Django | reissue of keyboard-led jaunty dub |
| Various Launeddas Musicians | [various recordings from Sardinia] | circular-breathed triple-clarinets (one drone) |
| Joseph Spence | Good Morning Mr. Walker | Bahamanian guitarist/singer knows half the words |
| various | Zydeco Classics (Arhoolie) | Gets the two-year-old dancing |
| Braxton/Graewe duet | Braxton/Graewe duet (or whatever) | high spirited and humorous improvisations |
| me | Understanding Human Behavio | utterly ridiculous music for oboe, synth, & voice |
John Lee
(12/19/1998)
The 80s
| Anthony Braxton | 19 [Solo] Compositions, 1988 | More solo Braxton, available on CD from New Albion Records |
| John Zorn | Spy vs. Spy | Zorn plays Ornette really fast |
| Rova Saxophone Quartet | This time we are both | Rova live in the Soviet Union |
| David Moss | Full House | Moss with Zorn, Frith, Laswell, Lindsay, Tacuma, etc (on Moers Music). If you get tired of saxophones, check this out |
| Kate Bush | The Sensual World | With David Gilmour |
| David Murray | The Hill | With Richard Davis, bass and Joe Chambers, drums. Black Saint Records |
John Lee
(12/19/1998)
Early Influences - This is the stuff that got me hooked.
| Anthony Braxton | For Alto | Very influential in solidifying the concept of a solo free jazz performance |
| Sun Ra | Angels and Demons At Play | It's remarkable where these guys were at in 1956 |
| John Coltrane | Sun Ship | The Classic Quartet. This record is not as well known as some of his others. Check out Trane's solo on the title cut |
| Wilson Pickett | The Exciting Wilson Pickett | Do that jerk! Watch me work! |
| Albert Ayler | Spiritual Unity | Trio with Sunny Murray and Gary Peacock |
| Ornette Coleman | The Art of the Improvisers | My first Ornette album, and still one of his best |