Funny Rat

[Д.Д.]

The Dirigibles Between Similarities (Sachimay) Dan DeChellis / Jeff Arnal

This one is beautiful - hopefully you receive it.

Got it.

Tony, have you had a chance to listen to this one yet? - would be interested to hear your opinion. I found this to be a very charming and original work.

Listened to it once but became upset as track five has some very serious sonic problems. I'm guessing your copy is problem free? I'll have to see f I can get another copy... but Drimala is now out of this one and I'm doubtful that Sachimay would be interested in replacing my $5 copy.

I'll have another listen and post an opinion.

My copy is fine.

I think you won't have problems getting a replacement from Sachimay - you got their porduct in a legit way, and the price does not really matter.

[Д.Д.]

Friends, I try to restrain myself when it comes to grand procalmations about particular recordings, but here I feel I can make an announcement absolutely responsibly - this is a M A S T E R P I E C E. I listened to it ten times at least, and my impressions gets only stronger at each listen.

Joe McPhee / Johnny McLellen - "Grand Marquis" (Boxholder, 2000).

Joe McPhee - tenor saxophone

Johnny McLellan - drums (and composition on all but one track)

Words fail me to describe this music. I thinks Derek Tylor did a decent job. And so did Thom Jurek.

I will just note that I consider myself quite a fan of Mr. McPhee's work, and highly enjoy 90% of his recordings - but this one is, IMO, the best one. And I wish there were more recordings of McLellan available (there is only other one I know of - Keith Yaun quintet on Leo, a good one).

[Guest Chaney]

My copy is fine.

I think you won't have problems getting a replacement from Sachimay - you got their porduct in a legit way, and the price does not really matter.

I'll send Drimala and Sachimay an e-mail. Maybe just Sachimay.

I may be wrong but it looks like some of these Sachimay titles are CDRs but aren't identified as such on either the individual CDs nor on the Sachimay site. Dirigibles seems to be a CDR.

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

Just had another listen to The Dirigibles Between Similarities and... . Definitely an enjoyable disk to be recommended to (almost) all who normally participate in this thread.

Pianist DeChellis is good but especially impressive is persussionist Jeff Arnal. As I'm lame at describing what I'm hearing, here's a review by Ken Waxman from Jazz Weekly:

Piano and percussion duets have been a fertile ground for expansive improvisations ever since Cecil Taylor began cultivating the territory with a variety of drummers in the early 1960s. Since that time such post modernists as Marilyn Crispell and Gerry Hemingway, Borah Bergman and Hamid Drake and Irène Schweizer and Pierre Favre have successfully plowed those Elysium fields as a matched pair. With this CD, Queens, N.Y.-based pianist Dan DeChellis and Brooklyn percussionist Jeff Arnal join that august crowd. DeChellis, who tightrope walks the thin strand between contemporary classical and jazz in a variety of contexts in performance and on other CDs, and Arnal, who has toured his percussion procedures in both North America and Europe, fit hand-in-glove here because they played together for six months before recording. With the instant compositions occupying either as soloist or timekeeper, the need for a bassist or any other instrumentalist is eliminated.

Throughout the pianist's operating procedure seems to begin tunes such as "Art After Attic" or "In Front of the Bull" at a quiet, almost leisurely pace, then ratchet up the intensity with glissandos. Never losing the thread of the improvisation, which is frequently melodic, he often annexes many of the drummer's cymbal or toms repetitions into his worldview. These steady cymbal modulations sometimes move pieces like "Seventh Exception" closer to jazz.  Meanwhile "Superimpositions" with its harpsichord allusions and "Secure Landscape" where DeChellis appears to be using a prepared piano in one section as Arnal strokes what could be kettle drums in another, head towards the new music side of the fence. Both men sometimes perform like a tag team of foot racers, slowing or speeding up the pace to let the other catch up. Probably the most revealing -- and longest -- example of this is the final tune, "Salt/Pepper to Taste." Here piano runs roam from a crawly silent movie soundtrack sound at the beginning to steady recurring slides and tiny dancing notes in the centre to an ending made up of powerful pickaxed chords. All the while Arnal and the different parts of his kit keep up the pace like a competitive runner heading into the home stretch. That composition also serves as a reverse recipe for the entire session. There's no need for extra seasoning anywhere in Dirigibles nearly 48 minutes. The two participants have created a fine, nourishing musical repast on their own.

Hand in glove, indeed! I don't know how much of this is improvised but this duo definitely benefitted from playing together for six months before recording. Either that, or each is a telepath.

Looking around the web led me to THIS Arnal page for Generate Records, a label which seems to be a recording home of sorts for Mr. Arnal (with a front door which seems to lead nowhere. C'mon guys!).

Edited March 27, 2005 by Chaney

[Guest Chaney]

Joe McPhee / Johnny McLellen - "Grand Marquis" (Boxholder, 2000).

Looks good!

Funny that Indie Jazz doesn't seem to offer this Boxholder title.

Where'd you get your copy?

[John B]

Squidco has it for $14.95 w/ no shipping.

JazzLoft has it and has samples of two tracks, as well.

Edited March 27, 2005 by John B

[Д.Д.]

Joe McPhee / Johnny McLellen - "Grand Marquis" (Boxholder, 2000).

Looks good!

Funny that Indie Jazz doesn't seem to offer this Boxholder title.

Where'd you get your copy?

Tyler from indiejazz wrote that they were about to restock all available Boxholder releases couple of months ago. What I see is that none of the earlier Boxholder's are avialbele from indiejazz (BXH3 - KONK, BXH4 - Grand Marquis, BHX5 - Malik-McBee Moffet, BXH6 - Tripleplay, BXH7 - Kolhause/Langley; BXH 8/9 - Bill Cole; BHX 10 - Keith Yuan (for which I specificall asked); BXH 11 - Bill Cole). The only one that's there is BXH1/2 - Parker/Budbill. Don't want to start a PANIC but could they be going OOP?

Will send an e-mail to Tyler - they seem to be in touch with the Boxholder guys regularly.

--------------

OK, enough for today - dinner and then to disco.

Edited March 27, 2005 by Д.Д.

[Guest Chaney]

OK, enough for today - dinner and then to disco.

Please remember that when you leave your home, you do so as a representative of the Funny Rat so PLEASE, behave accordingly.

Have fun!

[Д.Д.]

OK, enough for today - dinner and then to disco.

Please remember that when you leave your home, you do so as a representative of the Funny Rat so PLEASE, behave accordingly.

Have fun!

When I am back I would like to see written confirmations of your ordering Grand Marquis.

[Guest Chaney]

When I am back I would like to see written confirmations of your ordering Grand Marquis.

I'll see what I can do.

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

Well, all I can say is that I think it STINKS that I'm not allowed to simply buy Grand Marquis but instead I'm FORCED to also order:

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

Got 'em from Squidco. Thanks John.

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

http://www.squidco.com/tunein

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

Drimala sale:

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, we have reduced the price of all our bargain discs to $4.99 each plus shipping and handling.  No limit and no minimums, but quantities are extremely limited on most discs.  We still have some great obscurities, and not so obscure, from artists like Joe McPhee, Alan Silva, Bill Cole, Joel Futterman, Gold Sparkle Band, Jameel Moondoc, William Hooker, Andrew Cyrille, Maarten Altena, Otomo Yoshihide, and many many more to select from.

Just click on http://www.drimala.com/bargains/gallery1.htm to get started.

A lot of good stuff here. I would highly recommend (insist, basically) Michel Lambert's "Out Twice" (mp3s and reviews here) -it's on page 3 of the bargains list.

I'm glad you insisted as it's wonderful.

Still listed folks. $5. Can't go wronng.

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

Had another listen to ARP Music (Leo) and still not getting it. Although at times very pretty, I'm still struck by how vapid most of it seems.

Akemi Kuniyoshi plays prettily, with lots of cascading piano work and (that word again) pretty trills; Paul Moss contributes lots of new-agey reed / horn / "self-made instrument" work, some huffing-into-flute sounds, out of place harmonica and some embarrassing vocals. (I vocalized along with Moss and made myself laugh.) Russell Lambert wisely stays mostly out of the way; easily accomplished as this one is gentle to a fault.

David: Remember your comment on disks which feature what may be too many instruments?

Glad you like this one but sorry: I'll have to move ARP Music to my special bottom shelf.

Edited March 28, 2005 by Chaney

[Д.Д.]

Got Bailey's "Aida" from CDUniverse a couple of weeks ago - haven't had a chance to listen to it yet.

-------------------------

382 Music is planning a couple more releases in early may:

1. Natto Quartet - Thousand Oaks

2. Anthony Braxton / Matt Bauder - 2 + 2 Compositions

Not too interested in Braxton, frankly - all the recent releases I've heard lack in ideas, sound and technique compared to ealier works, IMO. But Natto Quartet I've been meaning to check out for quite some time.

Edited March 28, 2005 by Д.Д.

[Guest Chaney]

Got Bailey's "Aida" from CDUniverse a couple of weeks ago - haven't had a chance to listen to it yet.

I sent the folks at Dexter's Cigar an e-mail WEEKS ago asking if I could place with them an order for Aida. (I thought it might not yet be available as CD Universe immediately had it listed as backordered.)

No response.

[Д.Д.]

Just got an e-mail from Joe McPhee who responded to my question about the possibility of the continuation of his work with Johnny McLellan. The answer is no. Joe mentions he would elaborate when we meet in Switzerland next month (concert in quartet with Brötzmann, oh yes).

[Д.Д.]

Had another listen to ARP Music (Leo) and still not getting it.

Well Tony, you have strange tastes for music. You don't like death metal either, do you?

Sorry you didn't like it. Perhaps this thread could help finding this music some love.

The word "vapid" I didn't know. Always learn something new in this thread.

[king ubu]

Just got an e-mail from Joe McPhee who responded to my question about the possibility of the continuation of his work with Johnny McLellan. The answer is no. Joe mentions he would elaborate when we meet in Switzerland next month (concert in quartet with Brötzmann, oh yes).

So you'll be there for goon, on April 17?

[Д.Д.]

Just got an e-mail from Joe McPhee who responded to my question about the possibility of the continuation of his work with Johnny McLellan. The answer is no. Joe mentions he would elaborate when we meet in Switzerland next month (concert in quartet with Brötzmann, oh yes).

So you'll be there for goon, on April 17?

They are playing here in Geneva on April 15th (http://www.amr-geneve.ch/prog2005/jazzfest/affiche.htm), so unless I am exceptionally inspired to make a 250km drive, I won't make it your way. Who are they playing with in Zürich?

Edited March 28, 2005 by Д.Д.

[Д.Д.]

My copy is fine.

I think you won't have problems getting a replacement from Sachimay - you got their porduct in a legit way, and the price does not really matter.

I'll send Drimala and Sachimay an e-mail. Maybe just Sachimay.

I may be wrong but it looks like some of these Sachimay titles are CDRs but aren't identified as such on either the individual CDs nor on the Sachimay site. Dirigibles seems to be a CDR.

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

Just had another listen to The Dirigibles Between Similarities and... . Definitely an enjoyable disk to be recommended to (almost) all who normally participate in this thread.

Pianist DeChellis is good but especially impressive is persussionist Jeff Arnal. As I'm lame at describing what I'm hearing, here's a review by Ken Waxman from Jazz Weekly:

Piano and percussion duets have been a fertile ground for expansive improvisations ever since Cecil Taylor began cultivating the territory with a variety of drummers in the early 1960s. Since that time such post modernists as Marilyn Crispell and Gerry Hemingway, Borah Bergman and Hamid Drake and Irène Schweizer and Pierre Favre have successfully plowed those Elysium fields as a matched pair. With this CD, Queens, N.Y.-based pianist Dan DeChellis and Brooklyn percussionist Jeff Arnal join that august crowd. DeChellis, who tightrope walks the thin strand between contemporary classical and jazz in a variety of contexts in performance and on other CDs, and Arnal, who has toured his percussion procedures in both North America and Europe, fit hand-in-glove here because they played together for six months before recording. With the instant compositions occupying either as soloist or timekeeper, the need for a bassist or any other instrumentalist is eliminated.

Throughout the pianist's operating procedure seems to begin tunes such as "Art After Attic" or "In Front of the Bull" at a quiet, almost leisurely pace, then ratchet up the intensity with glissandos. Never losing the thread of the improvisation, which is frequently melodic, he often annexes many of the drummer's cymbal or toms repetitions into his worldview. These steady cymbal modulations sometimes move pieces like "Seventh Exception" closer to jazz.  Meanwhile "Superimpositions" with its harpsichord allusions and "Secure Landscape" where DeChellis appears to be using a prepared piano in one section as Arnal strokes what could be kettle drums in another, head towards the new music side of the fence. Both men sometimes perform like a tag team of foot racers, slowing or speeding up the pace to let the other catch up. Probably the most revealing -- and longest -- example of this is the final tune, "Salt/Pepper to Taste." Here piano runs roam from a crawly silent movie soundtrack sound at the beginning to steady recurring slides and tiny dancing notes in the centre to an ending made up of powerful pickaxed chords. All the while Arnal and the different parts of his kit keep up the pace like a competitive runner heading into the home stretch. That composition also serves as a reverse recipe for the entire session. There's no need for extra seasoning anywhere in Dirigibles nearly 48 minutes. The two participants have created a fine, nourishing musical repast on their own.

Hand in glove, indeed! I don't know how much of this is improvised but this duo definitely benefitted from playing together for six months before recording. Either that, or each is a telepath.

Tony, if you like this one, I'd draw your attention to another piano-drums duo with Arnal:

Temperature Dropped Again (Leo, 2004)

Dietrich Eichmann - piano

Jeff Arnal - drums

I listened to it only once, and didn't enjoy it that much - I thought there was too much Arnal, and the piano layer seemed a bit derivative. But I surely need to listen to it again.

[Guest Chaney]

Temperature Dropped Again (Leo, 2004)

Dietrich Eichmann - piano

Jeff Arnal - drums

I listened to it only once, and didn't enjoy it that much - I thought there was too much Arnal, and the piano layer seemed a bit derivative. But I surely need to listen to it again.

Here's a piece I wrote for ParisTransatlantic re Temperature Dropped Again. (Nate Dorward may claim to have penned this review. If he does, well... okay... he DID write it. Sheesh! Anyway, what we wrote sure makes this one sound interesting.)

My last encounter with Eichmann was as the composer of the weighty piano concerto "Entre Deux Guerres", written as a response to the unprecedented violence of 20th-century history; he is also composer of a concerto for Peter Brötzmann and twenty-piece orchestra with the equally formidable title "Prayer to the Unknown Gods of the People Without Rights". I'd not quite anticipated his lightness of touch as an improviser at the piano. The surface is tremulous, sometimes busy as a blackfly swarm; more often it's pointillist taps of a single note, like the proverbial crow dropping pebbles into a pitcher of water. Eichmann works inside the instrument for much of the album, and a lot of the real musical activity here occurs in the overtones, though his use of preparations and the manual damping and bending of notes is subtle, a far cry from the weird Dali soundscapes conjured up by players like Denman Maroney.

Drummer Jeff Arnal, a protégé of Milford Graves, is similarly preoccupied with light, microscopic textures, rapid and evanescent. Like Eichmann he likes to tap quietly and insistently, like a sculptor gently chipping away at a block of marble.

The album sounds fresh as paint.

[Nate Dorward]

Thanks for the props for the review but that's only part of it! Did you cut it down or did you get it in cut form elsewhere on the web? (Arnal or Eichmann's sites?) Anyway, it runs:

My last encounter with Eichmann was as the composer of the weighty piano concerto "Entre Deux Guerres", written as a response to the unprecedented violence of 20th-century history; he is also composer of a concerto for Peter Brötzmann and twenty-piece orchestra with the equally formidable title "Prayer to the Unknown Gods of the People Without Rights". I'd not quite anticipated his lightness of touch as an improviser at the piano. The surface is tremulous, sometimes busy as a blackfly swarm; more often it's pointillist taps of a single note, like the proverbial crow dropping pebbles into a pitcher of water. Eichmann works inside the instrument for much of the album, and a lot of the real musical activity here occurs in the overtones, though his use of preparations and the manual damping and bending of notes is subtle, a far cry from the weird Dali soundscapes conjured up by players like Denman Maroney. Drummer Jeff Arnal, a protégé of Milford Graves, is similarly preoccupied with light, microscopic textures, rapid and evanescent. Like Eichmann he likes to tap quietly and insistently, like a sculptor gently chipping away at a block of marble. These performances are fully improvised, but there's still a certain formality to proceedings, since the pieces are arranged into three distinct suites, "The Temperature Dropped Again", "Four French Apparitions" (including the well-titled "L'écureuil ivrogne" - "The Drunken Squirrel"), and "...durch offene Grenzen" ("through open borders"). Only the last section - a single 16-minute track that is free jazz of a more conventionally voluble and forward-moving kind - is a disappointment; the rest of the album sounds fresh as paint.—ND

[Д.Д.]

Heh-heh, that's some nice editing of the review.

[Guest Chaney]

Thanks for the props for the review but that's only part of it!  Did you cut it down or did you get it in cut form elsewhere on the web? (Arnal or Eichmann's sites?)  Anyway, it runs:

Got it from HERE.

[king ubu]

Just got an e-mail from Joe McPhee who responded to my question about the possibility of the continuation of his work with Johnny McLellan. The answer is no. Joe mentions he would elaborate when we meet in Switzerland next month (concert in quartet with Brötzmann, oh yes).

So you'll be there for goon, on April 17?

They are playing here in Geneva on April 15th (http://www.amr-geneve.ch/prog2005/jazzfest/affiche.htm), so unless I am exceptionally inspired to make a 250km drive, I won't make it your way. Who are they playing with in Zürich?

Very same group, David.

You'll be here for Gebbia? (April 12, I think)

[jon abbey]

Heh-heh, that's some nice editing of the review.

it's pretty lame actually, I think it's OK to drop the entire last section of a review (slightly shady, but OK), but totally inexcusable to edit that concluding sentence to make it seem as if Nate is keener on the whole disc than he actually is. if I was Nate, I'd be irritated.

[Д.Д.]

Just got an e-mail from Joe McPhee who responded to my question about the possibility of the continuation of his work with Johnny McLellan. The answer is no. Joe mentions he would elaborate when we meet in Switzerland next month (concert in quartet with Brötzmann, oh yes).

So you'll be there for goon, on April 17?

They are playing here in Geneva on April 15th (http://www.amr-geneve.ch/prog2005/jazzfest/affiche.htm), so unless I am exceptionally inspired to make a 250km drive, I won't make it your way. Who are they playing with in Zürich?

Very same group, David.

You'll be here for Gebbia? (April 12, I think)

I meant, if there is any other band playing the same night with them.

For Gebbia, I will try to come.

[Guest Chaney]

Bernardo Sassetti Trio: Nocturno (clean feed)

Bernardo Sassetti: piano

Carlos Barretto: double bass

Alexandre Frazão: drums

Not at all Funny Rat but amazingly beautiful music, played with a great deal of taste and restraint. Nearly every note is perfection.

Hate to say it but if you have a female significant other who despises jazz, play this one and she'll be won over... for at least the duration of this disk.

AMG Review

Cost? The paltry sum of $5 from Drimala.

ON THE EDIT: Just learned that Drimala has no more.

Edited March 30, 2005 by Chaney

[Guest Chaney]

Had another listen to ARP Music (Leo) and still not getting it.

Well Tony, you have strange tastes for music. You don't like death metal either, do you?

Sorry you didn't like it. Perhaps this thread could help finding this music some love.

The word "vapid" I didn't know. Always learn something new in this thread.

The disk will first be played forward to a frequent contributor of this thread.