CraigP

sgcim, what instrument do you play?

The Italian duo of Paolo Monti (Guitar) and Federico Gerini (Piano), known as The Star Pillow, have two concurrent releases that are very different from each other. Here are some excerpts from my review on Improvised Blog: "The Beautiful Questions could best be described as ambient. It’s a quiet, ruminative affair, with the musicians establishing soundscapes that float in the air. There’s an ornery side to their musical personality, though, as one or the other will throw in a curveball to disrupt the flow, before returning to a more placid state." "Via Del Chiasso is a very different affair. The Star Pillow add Bruno Romani on sax and flute, and this brings out the free improv side of their personality. The three musicians work well together, generating a nice dialogue between them. The music on Via Del Chiasso seems to have some pre-determined themes, generally introduced by Gerini, that frequently have a darker, pensive quality about them." You can read the full review on the blog.

Nice - I hate that so many shows in Houston and Austin are in the middle of a week. Makes it hard to get down there.

I'm afraid I just don't get the attraction with Perelman. He records - a lot - with some great people, but to me he's not that interesting an improviser and he goes into ear-piercing registers too often. I'm curious what others think.

Good point Allen. I agree that there are a lot more varieties of music to digest now, and it's easier to access them now as well. I haven't heard enough of Ribot to render an opinion about him specifically.

Nils Wogram has put together a trombone quartet and released Developing Good Habits on his Nwog Records label. Here's an excerpt from my review: "...Developing Good Habits is an engaging, multi-textured record. It’s fascinating to hear how lines get introduced, extended, blended and developed between the four players. Some of the record brings to mind a swaggering Ellington brass section, and some of it a classical chamber quartet. The group doesn’t get into a lot of extended techniques, but they’re not missed, as the quartet generates a nice full, rounded sound with intricate arrangements that support solo passages." You can read the full review of Developing Good Habits on improvised blog.

Wow, that is awesome!

Thanks for the info, Ricky.

Yes, the lack of time to listen is becoming almost as big a consideration as budget.

I heard samples on YouTube of the Angles 9 CD/LP and it sounds great. I'm intrigued by the Cene Resnik release - not familiar with him.

Peter Epstein is a name I hadn't heard in quite a while, but he's got a nice new CD out on Songlines called Polarities. Here's an excerpt from the full review on my blog: "Epstein has always had flawless technique, but he tended to be a little too laid back over the course of an entire album, and his improvisations could wander a bit. I'm happy to report that he's fixed those minor flaws on Polarities. There's a nice variation in mood and tempo, and he brings the heat when needed. It's a controlled burn, certainly, and Epstein never loses the lyricism that defines his style. He’s good on both horns, but on alto is where you can really hear his unique voice." You can read the full review of Polarities on Improvised.

Are the Walter Page sides readily available somewhere?

Does Iverson wear a cape? This is sounding very 70's!

Dallas didn't make the cut But the room was not ideal acoustically, bare concrete floor. I had a nice talk with Mr. Bradford.

I didn't think of that! Makes sense, though. And Leeway, you certainly get around!

I liked The Invisible Trio as well, and reviewed it back in January: http://improvisedblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/max-johnson-trio-invisible-trio.html

In honor of this, is Matthew only going to play with his left hand? Count me in for a CD.

Sounds like a good show. You mean Jonathan Finlayson, right?

The very busy bassist Max Johnson has released The Prisoner, inspired by the 1967 British TV series that starred Patrick McGoohan as a secret agent help captive by a mysterious organization. The CD features Ingrid Laubrock, Mat Maneri and Tomas Fujiwara. Here’s an excerpt from my review: “…even in the freer passages there’s always something anchoring the music - a rhythm, a bass line, a repeating figure - that provides some structure but doesn’t sacrifice the feeling that the musicians generate. There are some exciting passages where free-form explorations suddenly transition into theme statements with a swinging pulse, and then take a right turn in another direction. You never know what’s coming next, which from what little I know of the plot of the show is probably what is intended.” You can read the full review of The Prisoner on my blog improvised.

I like this comment about Kenny G translated from a post on the Chinese version of Spotify: "This is the forefather of saxophone playing!! It surpasses the past and the future."

Thanks, Ubu, can't wait, but the U.S. release date is June 10. (Sad face)

Yep, looking forward to that new Ideal Bread set coming out this month, I believe.

http://eliotcardinaux.wordpress.com/ He's a poet too!

Wow! A shock, thank you for all the great albums you helped see the light of day.

Makes me want to check out his new CD.