Funny Rat

[J.A.W.]

I must admit Hans that I was wondering what you saw / heard in Configuration. (I agree with your present assessment.)

Hmmm, you're right; it's on the way to my "Get Rid Of" pile as we errr... "speak".

[king ubu]

My presence on the board lately is quite rare, as most of my spare time goes into the Count Basie website some of us are doing... some listening, of late:

What a fantastic disc! HELLYEAH! This is some of the best no-nonsense jazz I hear, lately!

Disc one is quite good, I think. Billy Hart makes a difference, and Harrell has some good moments.

Disc two is more conventional, but good, as well. As Lovano is quoted in the liners: the group with Miller, McBride and Hart is about "swinging", mainly. Elegant mainstream, while disc one has a more open feel, that I do prefer. Lovano, though, is at home in both settings, for sure.

Another fantastic one! Howard Johnson, James Newton... great band playing. Haven't heard much of Blythe's music, and none of his releases as a leader, so far, but I definitely need to check out more.

I remember having read somewhere he was a rather erratic player?

Quite good and interesting big band. Among the members are Manfred Schoof, E.-L. Petrowsky, Larry Schneider, Howard Johnson, Chris Hunter, Marvin Stamm, co-founder Franco Ambrosetti...

If you find Gruntz' "MPS Years" compilation (one of those Motor Music late Nineties MPS-reissues), GET it! He has made some great records with the Concert Jazz Band. Founders were Gruntz, Flavio & Franco Ambrosetti (they're father and son), Daniel Humair, and a few others. Gruntz has led this band for decades now, and still gets top players from all over, though mainly it seems from NYC. Schoof is a big asset, though, on this one.

Then I got some nice ones from D.D., but haven't listened to the discs more than once, and thus won't post any comments yet. Suffice to say: I did like what I heard, so far.

ubu

[Guest Chaney]

I must not buy more music I must not buy more music...ahem... I must buy more music I must buy more music...

Morton Feldman was always good with words (check out Give My Regards to Eight Street a fantastic collection of Feldman essays on Exact Change) and Patterns in a Chromatic Field is an appropriate title for a piece that, simply put, skips from one tightly calculated repeating pattern to the next, letting each melodic pattern exist just long enough for us to settle in before abruptly moving on to the next passage. At once menacing and tranquil, the piece quickly transforms the listener's perception of time allowing them to concentrate on the sounds that are occurring at that moment rather than focusing on the overall structure that becomes more apparent as the piece moves on.

There is a reason that there are few available recordings of Feldman's Patterns in a Chromatic Field. With all its carefully notated pauses and abrupt changes it's truly an intense physical undertaking to perform. But it's not virtuosity that is on display here. The two performers, Alex Karis (a well known classical pianist) and Charles Curtis (cellist and a former student and well known interpreter of La Monte Young's work, as well as an interesting composer in his own right) exhibit a lot of dexterity and restraint in their interpretation of the piece. Their acute attention to detail shows a sense of extreme focus not often heard in these parts. While at 80-minutes and 40-seconds, this may not be Feldman's most accessible work -- consider that around the same time as he wrote this piece in 1981, he started work on several pieces well over two hours long! A refreshing take on one of the pioneers of the Modern Classical tradition, well worth checking out. [KH]

A July 2004 TZADIK release.

[Nate Dorward]

Incidentally I don't suppose anyone's got any opinions on Feldman's Three Voices for Joan LaBarbara? I got it largely because of the unusual (for Feldman) instrumentation (one live voice, two overdubbed) & because of its setting of a Frank O'Hara poem, "Wind". Not quite sure what I make of it--it's mostly endless repetitions of a single phrase from the poem ("who'd have thought that snow falls": the allusion is surely to O'Hara's early death), & it just kind of stops after a while. Even one hardcore Feldmanite I talked seemed a little nonplussed by the disc.

[Guest Chaney]

I've never heard Three Voices for Joan LaBarbara. Don't know that I'd have the guts to buy it unless I could get it cheap.

Have you read THIS?

Seen THIS?

(I hadn't until just now.)

[Nate Dorward]

That's interesting--so LaBarbara decided to double the speed to get it back to the originally planned tempo (& to CD length)? I wonder what it would be like at the "right" speed. (It's not exactly a quick-moving performance even in the recorded version.)

[king ubu]

Bought this used today - great stuff! And very nice to hear Benny Powell in such company!

ubu

[Matthew]

I was on vaction the past couple of weeks, and I took along the Art Ensemble: 1967/68 Box Set that Chuck Nessa put out, it was music that I found to be overwhelming at times. I found the music very human for some reason, by that, I mean it was music that communicated directly to me. There were some amazing moments, there was a moment where I could hear a baby crying in the background, obviously a musicians baby, and it added a poingnant touch to the music. Even their use of "vocals" had a tremendous emotional resonance. Another aspect I found interesting was that the music seemed to come out of silence. Sometimes in A/G jazz, it seems as if musical discoveries come after an extended amount of music, but the AE music seems to have silence as a source of discovery. Don't know if that makes any sense or not, but there it is. I'll have to listen to this set a couple of more times to get my thoughts straight.

Edit: P.S. Chuck, if you read this know that I will (finally) get around to e-mailing you more extensive thoughts on the AE Box, I just need to listen to it more.

Edited August 27, 2004 by Matthew

[Guest Chaney]

I really must spend some quality time with the Nessa AEC set.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gianni Gebbia's Arcana Major is now OOP!

Hi Tony,

Unfortunately, it is out of print. However, I expect to get some as returns

from my distributor in the next month or two, so have your friend check

back with me then.

cheers,

ginorobair

While it's nice that it sold out, it's a shame that it's OOP.

[king ubu]

I guess the rat people own about 1% of the number of this set, at least, no?

let me add: arcana major is da shit!

ubu

[John B]

I guess the rat people own about 1% of the number of this set, at least, no?

let me add: arcana major is da shit!

ubu 

Funny Rat was probably responsible for at least 2% of all Arcana Major sales. Someone should point Gono Robair over to this thread to see all of the reviews of his records.

I need to cull my collection a bit. I've decided that, unless I sell some discs from my collection and use any proceeds, I'm not going to buy any new music for a few months. I know I have more than enough music to keep me busy, but there are always new discs I would really like to hear.

I listened to AMM's Newfoundland again last night, during a long drive for work. Since I was by myself in the car and there wasn't a lot of traffic I was able to really play the disc at a volume level that brought out more detail and nuance than I had heard before. It was almost like hearing an entirely different album. I really was caught up in its beauty and restrained / overt power. I think some more AMM will be in my next order, whenever that is, along with Zen Widow and the Ayler box on Revenant and, and, and......

Edited August 27, 2004 by John B

[Guest Chaney]

Looks interesting: Signal to Noise: Vinny Golia Quintet: One, Three, Two (Jazz'halo)

[P.L.M]

Looks interesting: Signal to Noise: Vinny Golia Quintet: One, Three, Two (Jazz'halo)

It is.

[J.A.W.]

I've just been listening to this one (for the third time):

and it couldn't hold my attention; there's too much noodling going on. Not recommended, unless you're into that kind of thing.

Edited August 28, 2004 by J.A.W.

[Matthew]

I guess the rat people own about 1% of the number of this set, at least, no?

let me add: arcana major is da shit!

ubu

O.K., Thanks to Chaney, I should be getting this in a couple of days, and if this IS NOT DA SHIT, the King might start worrying about a revolution!

[J.A.W.]

I've just been listening to this one (for the third time):

and it couldn't hold my attention; there's too much noodling going on. Not recommended, unless you're into that kind of thing.

Actually, the later pieces were a bit more interesting (I had listened to this CD only halfway through when I posted earlier; I didn't manage it right through the end, but later decided to listen to the rest). Have to play it yet again... (sigh)

[Guest Chaney]

O.K., Thanks to Chaney, I should be getting this in a couple of days...

If that supplier comes through for you, I'd suggest posting its name here so others might grab one of the few remaining copies.

[Matthew]

O.K., Thanks to Chaney, I should be getting this in a couple of days...

If that supplier comes through for you, I'd suggest posting its name here so others might grab one of the few remaining copies.

I alway listen to an angel! It was CD UNIVERSE. Any other angelic messages for me?

[Guest Chaney]

I alway listen to an angel!  It was CD UNIVERSE.  Any other angelic messages for me?

Yes.

Find me an inexpensive copy of the Japanese pressing of Bill Evans: The Last Waltz. (An expensive copy is also acceptable but only if you're buying.)

I'll give you one week.

[brownie]

From Alan Lankin's Jazzmatazz Upcoming Jazz releases list:

Patty Waters - You Thrill Me: A Musical Odyssey 1962-79 (Water 137) Aug 31

— collection of previously unreleased recordings

I'll look forward for this new one from Patty Waters. Her two ESP albums were real out of the ordinary!

And since Burton Greene is just one step away from Ms. Waters, currently listening and enjoy Greene's Columbia LP 'Presenting Burton Greene' (with Byard Lancaster, Steve Tintweiss and Shelly Rusten) which I had not spinned in a long, long time.

Doubt that Sony will ever reissue that one! Hope somebody else will. Water maybe???

What on earth was going on at Columbia when they recorded this (and the Sonny Murray album they never released)?

The Greene album was produced by one John Hammond! Was Columbia trying to get hip and follow ESP's path?

In any case, 35 years after it came out, the Greene music still sounds fresh!

[king ubu]

I guess the rat people own about 1% of the number of this set, at least, no?

let me add: arcana major is da shit!

ubu 

O.K., Thanks to Chaney, I should be getting this in a couple of days, and if this IS NOT DA SHIT, the King might start worrying about a revolution!

Have just seen the Louis Malle flick "Viva Maria," and I do have to admit, the king does like the Bardot-Moreau-revolution quite a lot - if you do something similar, no problem!

ubu

[John B]

I've been reading a book that many of you might find interesting - Haunted Weather, by David Toop.

From the back cover: "Is it possible to grow electronic sounds, as if they were plants in a garden? Can the resonance of an empty room be played like a musical instrument? Why are childhood memories of sound and silence so important to our emotional development? Is it valid to classify audio recordings of wind or electrical hum as musical compositions? Can computers replace more conventional instruments like the piano or the electric guitar? How can improvisation coexist with computer software? Why have the sounds of our environment become so important to sound artists and why is atmosphere so important in music?"

So far I am really enjoying it. The book is not perfect. I have some problems with the overall coherence and narrative of the book...it seems a bit scattered and too stream-of-conciousness at times. Overall, I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in post-AMM electro-acoustic, laptop improvisation, musique concrete, film scores, soundscapes and field recordings.

[John B]

I just learned that Tim Berne is releasing live albums directly throght his website. The first one is out and, if it sells well enough, more will follow.

Acoustic and Electric Hard Cell Live

Tim Berne: Alto

Craig Taborn: Electric keyboards and electronics 2 and 4 and acoustic piano on 1 and 3

Tom Rainey : drums

There is a rave review of this one up over at JC. I'll be picking up a copy of it one of these days.

[Geoff]

My stereo system died yesterday

On the bright side, I bought The Golden Years Of Soviet New Jazz Vol.I 4 CD box set.

And I only paid $25 AUS (Conversion approx $17.50 US, 8 Pounds, 12 Euros) for it new!

Wow

The bad news, is that as soon as I walked out of the shop, I dropped the bag it was in, and broke the jewel case, and it is one of those double/(double sided 4 CD carrying) cd case, which is hard to replace.

Bah, just my luck.

[John B]

My stereo system died yesterday

On the bright side, I bought The Golden Years Of Soviet New Jazz Vol.I 4 CD box set.

And I only paid $25 AUS (Conversion approx $17.50 US, 8 Pounds, 12 Euros) for it new!

Wow

The bad news, is that as soon as I walked out of the shop, I dropped the bag it was in, and broke the jewel case, and it is one of those double/(double sided 4 CD carrying) cd case, which is hard to replace.

Bah, just my luck.

sorry to hear about your stereo. That is a fantastic price on the Golden Years set! You will really enjoy it, once you are able to hear it.