Funny Rat

[J.A.W.]

On the Tsahar tip, I'd recommend Ein Sof (trio with Parker and Ibarra), Deals, Ideas, and Ideals (trio with Kowald and Ali), and The Hollow World (7 horns + drums). The trio set with Kowald is probably the most attention-grabbing, but all are worthwhile. The only Tsahar I have that I probably wouldn't recommend is his solo Ayn-le Any. Not a bad disc really, but there are so many other solo horn outings that I'd reach for first.

Just been listening to Deals, Ideas, and Ideals

and, apart from some caveman growling on track 7 (), it's a great album. Thanks for the recommendation!

Edited February 26, 2004 by J.A.W.

[Guest Chaney]

How about this from the DMG newsletter:

ROSCOE MITCHELL - Solo 3 [3 CD set] (Mutable 17515) A massive undertaking from head Art Ensemble of Chicago reeds master and percussionist - Roscoe Mitchell.  'Tech Ritter & the Megabytes' (disc 1) features Roscoe on numerous saxes, flute and the percussion cage, solos and overdubbed saxes, written and improvised, often with that focused modern classical thread, yet show a wide variety of approaches.  'Solar Flares' (disc 2) features ten pieces for solo alto sax and again Roscoe's tone, overall sound and execution of ideas blends the lyrical with more angular and harsh extremes - honks, screams, multiphonic layers and a rich palette of sonic sources.  'The Percussion Cage and Music on the Go' (disc 3) features the incredible four-sided percussion cage which must be seen (at an Art Ensemble gig), to be believed, as it contains hundreds drums, cymbals, gongs, toys and percussive things too numerous to mention.  Roscoe's approach goes beyond the rhythmic nature to a more orchestral approach that often evokes the spirits of our ancestors.  3 CD set for $28

[Д.Д.]

How about this from the DMG newsletter:

ROSCOE MITCHELL - Solo 3 [3 CD set] (Mutable 17515) A massive undertaking from head Art Ensemble of Chicago reeds master and percussionist - Roscoe Mitchell.  'Tech Ritter & the Megabytes' (disc 1) features Roscoe on numerous saxes, flute and the percussion cage, solos and overdubbed saxes, written and improvised, often with that focused modern classical thread, yet show a wide variety of approaches.  'Solar Flares' (disc 2) features ten pieces for solo alto sax and again Roscoe's tone, overall sound and execution of ideas blends the lyrical with more angular and harsh extremes - honks, screams, multiphonic layers and a rich palette of sonic sources.  'The Percussion Cage and Music on the Go' (disc 3) features the incredible four-sided percussion cage which must be seen (at an Art Ensemble gig), to be believed, as it contains hundreds drums, cymbals, gongs, toys and percussive things too numerous to mention.  Roscoe's approach goes beyond the rhythmic nature to a more orchestral approach that often evokes the spirits of our ancestors.  3 CD set for $28

Sounds good!

Edited February 27, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Д.Д.]

Anyone have Gebbia's People in Motion?

I do, I do - but haven't listened to it yet. Will do, and will report here.

[Late]

Just been listening to Deals, Ideas, and Ideals

and, apart from some caveman growling on track 7 (), it's a great album. Thanks for the recommendation!

Good to hear you're liking it, Hans. You'll probably like Ein Sof, too. (No growling! I think that's Kaveman Kowald, incidentally.) Ibarra gives that set quite a bit more space than Ali's (admittedly fine) pulse machine.

[Late]

Will do, and will report here.

Looking forward to it. Out of curiosity, are all Gebbia's discs in paper sleeves, or just Arcana Major?

[Д.Д.]

Just been listening to Deals, Ideas, and Ideals

and, apart from some caveman growling on track 7 (), it's a great album. Thanks for the recommendation!

Good to hear you're liking it, Hans. You'll probably like Ein Sof, too. (No growling! I think that's Kaveman Kowald, incidentally.) Ibarra gives that set quite a bit more space than Ali's (admittedly fine) pulse machine.

So "Deals.." will be the fist Tsahar I will start with. I like sax-bass-drums format a lot, and you can't get too wrong with Kowald and Ali.

[Д.Д.]

Will do, and will report here.

Looking forward to it. Out of curiosity, are all Gebbia's discs in paper sleeves, or just Arcana Major?

Only Arcana Major - it is joint Rastascan/ Studio Supremo release, so the packaging is different (and I like it this way).

[Guest Chaney]

...Out of curiosity, are all Gebbia's discs in paper sleeves, or just Arcana Major?

I have H Portraits which is contained within a rather elaborate paper sleeve. It's on RASTASCAN and I believe -- Д.Д., help me out here -- all Rastascan releases are issued in the same type of packaging.

[Д.Д.]

...Out of curiosity, are all Gebbia's discs in paper sleeves, or just Arcana Major?

I have H Portraits which is contained within a rather elaborate paper sleeve. It's on RASTASCAN and I believe -- Д.Д., help me out here -- all Rastascan releases are issued in the same type of packaging.

Not too much interested in getting into the packaging discussion (OBIs!, OBIs!) but Rastascan CDs I have (Gebbia's "People in Motion" and Rova's "Morphological Echo" ... that's it, I think) are in jewel cases.

What's more interesting is how H Portraits is, compared to Arcana Major?

[Guest Chaney]

Not too much interested in getting into the packaging discussion (OBIs!, OBIs!) but...

Ahem...

Not interested? Don't Knit titles come with an obie? Guess I'll throw those away.

[Gary]

How about this from the DMG newsletter:

ROSCOE MITCHELL - Solo 3 [3 CD set] (Mutable 17515) A massive undertaking from head Art Ensemble of Chicago reeds master and percussionist - Roscoe Mitchell.  'Tech Ritter & the Megabytes' (disc 1) features Roscoe on numerous saxes, flute and the percussion cage, solos and overdubbed saxes, written and improvised, often with that focused modern classical thread, yet show a wide variety of approaches.  'Solar Flares' (disc 2) features ten pieces for solo alto sax and again Roscoe's tone, overall sound and execution of ideas blends the lyrical with more angular and harsh extremes - honks, screams, multiphonic layers and a rich palette of sonic sources.  'The Percussion Cage and Music on the Go' (disc 3) features the incredible four-sided percussion cage which must be seen (at an Art Ensemble gig), to be believed, as it contains hundreds drums, cymbals, gongs, toys and percussive things too numerous to mention.  Roscoe's approach goes beyond the rhythmic nature to a more orchestral approach that often evokes the spirits of our ancestors.  3 CD set for $28

Thanks Chaney

[Guest Chaney]

Do me (us?) a favor Gary: buy this one and give me an opinion.

I'm a big fan of Roscoe Mitchell but I must admit that three CDs of him alone (or anyone, really) is a bit daunting.

Of course, no one says that all three CDs have to be listened to in one sitting.

[Gary]

I ordered it when i saw your post - I'll update you Funny Rat guys as soon as....

[KOB]

Coming in on this one late, but read an earlier post on this thread something to the effect that for jazz music to be challenging, it had to be avant garde or so-called 'free jazz'. It seems to me that a challenge or something equally challenging would be for someone to play Round Midnight like only Monk could play it or 'Body and Soul' like only Coleman Hawkins could play it, etc. I would challenge a lot of 'free jazz' musicians try to to play those tunes like some of the earlier masters that made those reocrdings classic.

For the record, I own and enjoy several Brotz CD's and LP's as well as many Roscoe Mitchell discs. And, I too have Assif Tsahar's Deals, Ideas and Ideals, which I also happen to like. My point is that I am not so narrowly focused in my tastes in jazz, to determine that one form is more challenging than another. That is a self-appraisal statement and not meant to imply that others are narrow-minded or narrowly focused. However, that's a fairly powerful statement to imply one form of jazz is more challenging than another. If I misunderstood the earlier inference as such, then my apologies.

[Д.Д.]

Not too much interested in getting into the packaging discussion (OBIs!, OBIs!) but...

Ahem...

Not interested? Don't Knit titles come with an obie? Guess I'll throw those away.

Throw away OBIs?!?!?! You know this will totally ruin the listening experience for me.

Edited February 28, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Д.Д.]

The Beak Doctor label has just got a its website up and running, finally: http://www.thebeakdoctor.com/

Their release They Were Gentle and Pretty Pigs is pretty phenomenal (although not too gentle), but not that easy to describe (Tony could help probably?).

They have one more CD in their catalog: The Social/Science Set and it looks very intriguing.

Hope they will reissue the rest of their catalog on CD.

And excellent packaging (no OBIs though):

Edited February 28, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Д.Д.]

This might be a special period for independent labels to get their websites done - Clean Feed have their website up. Interesting catalog. Anybody heard any of those?

According to Jazzmatazz there will be many more releases on Clean Feed this year, including Braxton, Gayle, Ivo Perelman, Dennis Gonzales and others. Not bad.

[Д.Д.]

Anyone have Gebbia's People in Motion?

I do, I do - but haven't listened to it yet. Will do, and will report here.

OK, I listened to it and it's good, but does not quite have the intellectual rigor, variety and melodism of "Arcana Major". Garth Powell is an interesting percussionist, and is often compatible with Gebbia - can't say the same about bassist Damon Smith.

I would probably recommend another Gebbia's trio session Cappuccini Klang (Splasc(H)) with Peter Kowald and Günter Sommer over this one.

[Д.Д.]

After some previous discussion on Fred Anderson, I dug up some CDs of his I have, and found this one to be absolutely stunning: Fred Anderson / Steve McCall - "Vintage Duets, 1980".

It seems to be the very first Okka release (1994), so there is a chance of it going OOP fast, and YOU wouldn't want to be without a copy.

[Д.Д.]

Never heard anything by the Revolutionary Ensemble, but heard a lot about them as being one of the most interesting improv groups of the '70s. Looks like something of their output is finally avaialble on CD:

(from the DMG newsletter):

REVOLUTIONARY ENSEMBLE - The Psyche (Mutable 17514) Featuring Leroy Jenkins on violin & viola, Sirone on double bass and Jerome Cooper on drums & piano. The legendary Revolutionary Ensemble were one of the most influential and distinctive units to emerge from the late sixties avant jazz scene here in lower Manhattan. Their six albums (in seven years) are nearly impossible to find, often sell for big bucks and have never been reissued unitl now!?! Leroy Jenkins, who moved here from Chicago and was a member of the AACM, was one of the first avant jazz string soloists. 'The Psyche' captures the adventurous spirit of free jazz as it evolved during the late sixties/early seventies and was recorded & released in 1975. 'The Psyche' consists of three pieces, the side long "invasion" which evolves organically, swinging in the first part with some great bent violin playing and later followed by a long, turbulent and free-flowing piano solo from their drummer Jerome Cooper with Sirone's inventive bass weaving wonderfully underneath and commencing with another strong, cerebral solo from Leroy's powerful violin and Jerome's equally inventive mallets swirling around him. 'The Psyche' captures the turbulence of the times, the angry, frustrating vibes of the US after the end of unjust war in Viet Nam. All three members of the Revolutionary Ensemble went on to play with other pioneers of jazz - Leroy with Muhal, Sirone with Blood Ulmer and Jerome with Cecil Taylor. It is truly a joyous occasion to have one of classics of avant-jazz available once again. Word has just arrived that the Revolutionary Ensemble will reunite and play their first gig in nearly thirty years at the Vision Festival this coming May - whoa! Will wonders never cease!?! "One of the key albums in my LP collection...finally on CD! I'm in heaven (again)!!" - Mannylunch

[Nate Dorward]

OF the Clean Feed discs, I've mostly heard very good things. The one I have, Live at LX_Meskla, by the Lisbon Improvisation Players, is excellent. Despite the name of the band it's not "free improv" but free jazz in a tuneful Ornettish vein for the most part.

[Guest Chaney]

Their release They Were Gentle and Pretty Pigs is pretty phenomenal (although not too gentle), but not that easy to describe (Tony could help probably?).

OY! How to describe They Were Gentle And Pretty Pigs?

How about we start with the musicians and their listed instruments?

Greg Goodman: Unprepared Piano & Objets d'interieur

Mats Gustafsson:Imposing Saxophones, Disgruntled Flute

George Cremaschi: Contrabass & Very Strict Rulers

Goodman generates some very eerie sounds -- as do all -- by, I believe, playing the piano strings (or do we have prepared piano?) as much as by using the piano keys in the traditional manner. I'm also guessing that he does quite a bit of tapping and banging on the piano enclosure.

Gustafsson, sounding very pig-like at times, shrieks and snorts into his instrument in what can only be described as a harrowing performance.

The variety of sounds created by all with their listed instruments and various bits of percussion is otherworldly. There's probably not an inch of any of the instruments not "played" and it's often a challenge figuring out which musician is responsible for each disturbing sound.

In the end, this one plays like the soundtrack to a mostly violent nature special. NO narration, just three men musically interpreting the emotions and actions of a wild kingdom - and very nearly destroying their instruments in the process.

Highly recommended but proceed with caution.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I still haven't taken a liking to The Social/Science Set but I'll be giving another spin very soon.

ON THE EDIT: Just had another listen.

Д.Д.: If you like, I'll send this one to you when I send the Knits. I have a feeling you'll be better able to appreciate it.

Edited February 29, 2004 by Chaney

[Д.Д.]

I knew Tony would do a great job describing the "Pigs...".

Tony, of course send me The Social/Science Set - you know, for me the noisier the better. I'll send you something as well.

According to The Beak Doctor, Evan Parker at the Finger Palace (a solo performance from 1978) might be reissued on CD eventually.

And according to Eugene Chadbourne, this might be the best Evan Parker solo recordigng (see HERE).

Looking forward.

Edited February 29, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Д.Д.]

Anyone heard Solodrumming?

I have it - it's excellent (surprise, surprise), as most of the hat(now)ART CDs are (check out these Soviet Avantgard solo piano CDs). Solodrumming is very...hmm...disciplined. Excellent sound, also.

Make sure you get the hat(now)ART edition of it (hat(now)ART 129, 1999), not the older hatART CD 6023. Just in case.

Edited February 29, 2004 by Д.Д.