Funny Rat

[Nate Dorward]

I just received the two new Erstwhile discs today:

Keith Rowe / Burkhard Beins - ErstLive 001

Rowe / Nakamura / Lehn / Schmickler - ErstLive 002

and both are fantastic. Very highly recommended. The Rowe / Beins disc brought a smile to my face a few times. Rowe has quite a sense of humor, and it really shines through his wash of sound on this release.

Yes, they're both very fine releases, the duo being the pick of the two.

[Clunky]

Just in case someone still needs "da shit" [<<="Arcana Major"]

I couldn't find the track called "dashit" but there are plenty of others. It's a virtuosic display of all the different sounds you can make with an alto sax.

Not wishing to commit rat blasphemy but I'm still out to lunch on this one.

[Guest Chaney]

Clunky: If you're unhappy with any purchase based upon a recommendation contained within this thread, be sure to avail yourself of our Money Back PLUS 10% guaranty.

You kept your receipt and all packaging materials, right?

[Д.Д.]

Clunky:  If you're unhappy with any purchase based upon a recommendation contained within this thread, be sure to avail yourself of our Money Back PLUS 10% guaranty.

You kept your receipt and all packaging materials, right?

I probably need to clarify the way the guarantee works - for each CD recommended here that you do not like, you pay a Funny Rat poster who recommended it a full price of the CD plus 10% (for emotional distress). The budget will go for further CD purchases (= more Funny Rat recommendations).

Edited November 17, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Guest Chaney]

Thanks David but the contents of your warranty post were actually already in my post. Here, let me magnify the print x10:

For each CD recommended here that you like, you pay a Funny Rat poster who recommended it a full price of the CD plus 10% (for emotional distress). The budget will go for further CD purchases (= more Funny Rat recommendations).

Edited November 17, 2004 by Chaney

[Guest Chaney]

Per Henrik Wallin: Burning In Stockholm (Atavistic)

Anyone planning on picking this one up? (Up for pre-order on CD Universe -- to be released on November 23, 2004.)

I'm not very familiar with Wallin, having only heard his Proklamation I / Farewell To Sweden set on Hat but that one I like a gread deal.

Opinions on Mr. Wallin?

Previously unreleased smoking trio-based energy music from Scandinavian!

(from Mats Gstafsson's liner notes:)

…sharing…

The interplay between the players in the Per Henrik Wallin Trio has always been a model for me when it comes to communication in music, that particular symbiosis that appears in a group that has been working together over a long time. The kind of interaction that comes alive after sharing joy and pleasure/ pain and shit together, onstage and offstage….all the mechanics that lay within the structures of a working group.

… the tight grooves shared, the details shared, the energy shared and the structure shared - all shared together in the moment. sharing creativity sharing sharing moments sharing time sharing it together togetherness-sharing

I learned to listen to the music of the PHW Trio in the early eighties, live in my hometown of Umeå at the Scharinska Villan, the local jazzclub. The magic shared between Per Henrik Wallin, Erik Dahlbäck and bassist Torbjörn Hultcrantz (of Albert Ayler and Bud Powell fame) was a revelation to me as a very hungry-for-action 15-year-old beginner in the mysteries of creative music. …I couldn’t believe it…telepathy was the only possible word of solution I could come up with…..and maybe that is exactly what it was…and the music was BURNING!!!

[gnhrtg]

Opinions on Mr. Wallin?

I don't know about this one but I enjoyed his playing on his "Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins" (an early 90's recording on the Swedish Dragon label with Nordeson and Gustafsson) and even more so when I saw him last month in a duo with Bennink - there I thought it was really impressive how he could keep on ornamenting and developing and improving on simple melodies and easily start anew just when you thought he'd run out of ideas. Ouyt of Monk, and thoug much more overt employment of the traditional jazz lines in his playing he also sounded somewhat similar to Mengelberg in places - if that helps. Also, I had the chance to listen to a recent solo concert he gave which was equally good.

I haven't heard "Burning in Stockholm" yet.

[Д.Д.]

I'm not very familiar with Wallin, having only heard his Proklamation I / Farewell To Sweden set on Hat but that one I like a gread deal.

Opinions on Mr. Wallin?

Same here - don't have anything except for this hatOLOGY double CD, which I enjoy a lot.

Gonna get this Atavistic reissue, since I am very much into Dyani's playing. But note earlier that I go through the recent pile of Atavistic stuff I bought (Global Unity Orchestra 1967/70; Brötzmann "More Nipples", Fred Van Hove Vogel stuff, Caspar Brötzmann and Mario Schiano reissue). These Atavistic guys are on fire.

Edited November 17, 2004 by Д.Д.

[gnhrtg]

D.D. - Sorry to be rather slow about this but having a crazy week with multiple deadlines on Friday.

These are all as far as I know (AMG or others might have more). Gush was formed in late 80's and have 3 albums as a trio and another one with Wachsmann (haven't heard this), all on Dragon. Of these I would recommend the live ones (in Tampere and at Fasching) though these were recorded in 1996 and listening to them after having heard them live, I have the sense that they're doing what they did then better now (and the discs don't really have that good recorded sound) - even though, as I understand, they are performing rather infrequently due to the busy schedule of each. I heard that Gush was formed originally following Bengt Nordstrom's suggestion that the three (Sandell/Strid/Gustafsson) should play together, not sure though.

Based on what I recently heard, I really would welcome a live/studio album by the ensemble. Sandell makes much more use of electronics (I don't what it is really) and in this case the music really was richer and more satisfying.

What I like about their music, as I said already, is the tension (quite visible too) of what will happen next, who will play, how the others will respond, if at all, of whether they will simply hold off and end the particular improvisation. I feel they employ much less of the auto-pilot mode than some other free-jazz/improv ensembles and actually listen to each other very closely, for the most part. But it's the tension that makes it work for me.

[Д.Д.]

Thanks Gokhan.

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

Friends, I see that Leo CD of Akemi Kuniyoshi / Russell Lambert / Paul Moss "ARP Music" is now OOP, and I would encourage you to get your hands on it it is beautiful lyrical free music. One of my favorite Leo CDs. I will add more when I get back home and relisten to it.

http://www.leorec.com/?m=select&id=LeoLab_004

Hey, Thom Jurek himself also thinks this is onee of the best Leo Records releases: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&s...8x6ompej9f8o~T1

Edited November 17, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Guest Chaney]

Friends, I see that Leo CD of Akemi Kuniyoshi / Russell Lambert / Paul Moss "ARP Music" is now OOP, and I would encourage you to get your hands on it it is beautiful lyrical free music. One of my favorite Leo CDs. I will add more when I get back home and relisten to it.

I always come to attention when David issues a friendly recommendation, especially on an OOP title.

Just ordered ARP Music along with three other Leo OOPs:

• Carlo Actis Dato: Urartu
  

• Lauren Newton & Joelle Leandre: 18 Colors
  

• Robert Dick: Worlds of If
  

[Д.Д.]

Friends, I see that Leo CD of Akemi Kuniyoshi / Russell Lambert / Paul Moss "ARP Music" is now OOP, and I would encourage you to get your hands on it it is beautiful lyrical free music. One of my favorite Leo CDs. I will add more when I get back home and relisten to it.

I always come to attention when David issues a friendly recommendation, especially on an OOP title.

Just ordered ARP Music along with three other Leo OOPs:

• Carlo Actis Dato: Urartu
  

• Lauren Newton & Joelle Leandre: 18 Colors
  

• Robert Dick: Worlds of If
  

Well, I relieve myself of any responcibility for these three.

Carlo Actis Dato is a fantastic musician with abundant technique, but in projects under his own name, he tends to overdo it quite a bit. I much more prefer him as a sideman (e.g. with IIO).

Leandre/Newton - I would assume Leandre contributes quite a lot of vocalizing here, and her vocal is something I can take in limited doses only (it is great on her recent "For Flowers" (on Leo as well) - very much in the context, and in sync with the ensemble playing, adding additional dark flavor to the music - but then, it is limited to a couple minutes on one track only.

Robert Dick for me is the same story as Dato - admirable, even unique technique, but a lot of it boils down to a bags-of-tricks display, IMO (talking about flutists, I very much prefer Carlos Bechegas solo project, also on Leo, believe it or not - that's where you see unorthodox flute techniques applied to create something original. Thinking about it, Bechegas might be my favorite modern flutist).

Now, I haven't heard any of these three CDs, so these are merely my speculations. Let us know what you think of them.

[king ubu]

Now that Chaney snatched the last ARP Music from Verge (I hesitated too long...), I went over to Cadence and ordered it from them (thanks, D.D.!) - I added a few soon to be OOP Hats:

Now here's the soon to be OOP I'm still looking for (or need a bit of advice whether to spend big $$ on them or not):

hatOLOGY 504 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Misha Mengelberg

The Root Of The Problem

hatOLOGY 506 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Matthew Shipp Duo with Joe Morris

Thesis (I can live without this, I remember your comments...)

hatOLOGY 511 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Guillermo Gregorio

Ellipsis

hatOLOGY 514 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Joe McPhee

As Serious As Your Life (I guess this I need to hunt, right?)

hatOLOGY 528 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

ICP Orchestra

Jubilee Varia

hatOLOGY 2-535 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Misha Mengelberg

Two Days In Chicago

hatOLOGY 536 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Steve Lacy Seven

Clichés (is this one good? essential?)

hatOLOGY 545 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Anthony Braxton

Quintet (Basel) 1977 (I have and like the Dortmund, so I suppose I'd like this one. isn't it OOP already?)

hatOLOGY 551 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Ellery Eskelin

Ramifications

And here's the OOP one I'd like to find...

hatOLOGY 523 / SOLD OUT

Clusone 3

Rara Avis (I know, I know, I might never have this...)

Any comments welcome!

On my to get list of the above discs currently are: Ramifications, Basel 1977, Rara Avis, Clichés, and As Serious as your Life. Not sure about the Gregorio and the Mengelberg/ICP's.

ubu

[gnhrtg]

ubu - I think you have the best of the lot covered in your to get list. Only, I would add the ICP disc (but skip the Mengelbergs), it's a good one with quite a bit of variety and excellent solos by all on the final track - let me know if you need to know more. I can't give a lot of advice on where to look for apart from googling if Verge/Cadence/DMG don't have them.

On a related note, on OOP albums, I've just received "Stumble" by AALY + Vandermark and will give it a spin later today. D.D. - Thanks a lot for pointing me to a very convenient source from which to get this (they had two left when I placed an order).

[king ubu]

Thanks gnhrtg! I thought the ICP was OOP for quite some time (as some others now listed as "soon going OOP" on the hat website). I'll keep my eyes open, though at the moment I shouldn't buy even more... always the same problem, backlog growing, listening time, well... not too much, as always.

ubu

[John B]

Now here's the soon to be OOP I'm still looking for (or need a bit of advice whether to spend big $$ on them or not):

hatOLOGY 504 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Misha Mengelberg

The Root Of The Problem

hatOLOGY 506 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Matthew Shipp Duo with Joe Morris

Thesis (I can live without this, I remember your comments...)

hatOLOGY 511 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Guillermo Gregorio

Ellipsis

hatOLOGY 514 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Joe McPhee

As Serious As Your Life (I guess this I need to hunt, right?)

hatOLOGY 528 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

ICP Orchestra

Jubilee Varia

hatOLOGY 2-535 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Misha Mengelberg

Two Days In Chicago

hatOLOGY 536 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Steve Lacy Seven

Clichés (is this one good? essential?)

hatOLOGY 545 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Anthony Braxton

Quintet (Basel) 1977 (I have and like the Dortmund, so I suppose I'd like this one. isn't it OOP already?)

hatOLOGY 551 / MIDPRICE / LAST CHANCE, SOON SOLD OUT

Ellery Eskelin

Ramifications

And here's the OOP one I'd like to find...

hatOLOGY 523 / SOLD OUT

Clusone 3

Rara Avis (I know, I know, I might never have this...)

Any comments welcome!

On my to get list of the above discs currently are: Ramifications, Basel 1977, Rara Avis, Clichés, and As Serious as your Life. Not sure about the Gregorio and the Mengelberg/ICP's.

ubu

Get the Braxton, the McPhee and the ICP discs. All three are fantastic. I agree with gokhan that you should skip the Mengelberg's. They did nothing for me. The Shipp / Morris is ok, but very far from essential, imo.

I would also buy the Eskelin, myself, as I really enjoy that disc. I'd guess this one depends on your enthusiasm for his recent work. I find all of it to be fantastic, and wouldn't want to be without any of it.

[king ubu]

Again thanks for the reinforcement. Going from what I read about "Thesis" that's one of the few currently available hats that I definitely won't get. I am rather fond of Eskelin, though I haven't caught up in recent times.

Now how about that Lacy?

[gnhrtg]

I traded my copy of "Cliches" not too long ago, it was too loose and for me and wasn't blown away by much of the soloing either. But I understand I may be in the minority regarding this one, if it matters.

[J.A.W.]

I traded my copy of "Cliches" not too long ago, it was too loose and for me and wasn't blown away by much of the soloing either. But I understand I may be in the minority regarding this one, if it matters.

I'm in two minds about Clichés. At one time I kinda like it (though it's not even close to Lacy's best albums), at another time I don't care for it at all. And then there's Irène Aebi's vocalizing, which I'm not exactly a fan of...

Edited November 18, 2004 by J.A.W.

[Guest Chaney]

Friends, I see that Leo CD of Akemi Kuniyoshi / Russell Lambert / Paul Moss "ARP Music" is now OOP, and I would encourage you to get your hands on it it is beautiful lyrical free music. One of my favorite Leo CDs. I will add more when I get back home and relisten to it.

Just an FYI: I just spoke to VERGE and was told that there are two remaining copies of this title in stock.

The Carlo Actis Dato and Roberk Dick titles are out of stock. (Maybe that's a good thing for me?)

Edited November 18, 2004 by Chaney

[J.A.W.]

Just an FYI: I just spoke to VERGE and was told that there are two ramaining copies of this title in stock.

minus one

[Д.Д.]

I traded my copy of "Cliches" not too long ago, it was too loose and for me and wasn't blown away by much of the soloing either. But I understand I may be in the minority regarding this one, if it matters.

I'm in two minds about Clichés. At one time I kinda like it (though it's not even close to Lacy's best albums), at another time I don't care for it at all. And then there's Irène Aebi's vocalizing, which I'm not exactly a fan of...

I thought Clichés was absolutely fantastic, with very strong compositions (sounding as if they were written specifically for the featured band, so shocase all of their powerful abilities) and exciting solos, particularly from George Lewis. As far as I remember, there is not that much of Aebi vocals there.

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

Regarding Carlo Actis Dato - I got a fresh SIC Trio CD (yes, it's on Leo, you got it) - a three-reed band. I'll report here when I listen to it.

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

Gokhan, let us know what you think of AALY's "Stumble" - as I mentioned, I found it less entertaining than I Wonder If I Was Screaming, though still good.

[J.A.W.]

As far as I remember, there is not that much of Aebi vocals there.

That's right, but still...

I didn't mind her vocalizing on this disc that much a few months ago, but let's just say that it hasn't grown on me...

Edited November 18, 2004 by J.A.W.

[couw]

For the fans of live electronics: 1000 Years of Jazz

recordings of Bimhuis workshops

from the blurb on the DOX-site:

This 1000 Years of Jazz compilation is the first of a series launched by Dox Records, representing a new generation of improvising musicians.

The music embodies a jazz attitude in it’s use of improvisation as the connecting link between musicians, rather than a particular style or genre.

1000 Years of Jazz started as a live jam session blending instrumental improvisation with live software-based laptop improvisation. The house band, comprised of members of Sfeq, accompanies guest musicians that range from instrumentalists to laptop musicians, deejays and turntablists.

I found it a bit lacking in surprises, but thought I'd point it out nonetheless.

Follow above link for a streaming of the entire album.

[Guest Chaney]

Thanks for the link, John, but, regretably, .

John B might like this.