Funny Rat

[king ubu]

A sad reminder that JAW and Chaney left... D.D., too - he just vanished...

I'm less and less listening non-mainstream music as has been discussed in this thread (the same was the case even more so with JAW), but I still attend live concerts mostly in this direction (or free jazz or whatever you want to call it... just stuff that would have most org-posters running away screaming).

Here's the mail I got a few days ago from Potlatch:

New Potlatch release is available :

Nouveauté Potlatch :

***********************

Jean-Luc Guionnet (alto saxophone, organ) and Toshimaru Nakamura (no input mixing board).

Map (Potlatch P108)

Toshimaru Nakamura is regarded as one of the most prominent musician from the electroacoustic improv scene in Japan, and he has been involved in a lot of much acclaimed recordings with Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M, Taku Sugimoto, Tetuzi Akiyama, Axel Dörner, eRikm, Keith Rowe.

Jean-Luc Guionnet is tirelessly exploring the nature of sounds in many genres including electronic composition, sound installations (with Eric Cordier, Eric La Casa), free improv (with Hubbub, saxophone quartet, Pheromone) or free jazz (Return Of The New Thing, The Fish).

In Map, he met a new challenge not only on saxophone but on church organ too. Both musicians create extreme situations and reach highest summits of musical tension and intensity.

Recorded on march 17th, 2007 at Montreuil (France) and on july 20th, 2007 at la Collégiale Sainte-Croix, Parthenay (France).

***********************

Jean-Luc Guionnet (saxophone alto, orgue) et Toshimaru Nakamura (no input mixing board).

Map (Potlatch P108)

Musicien parmi les plus productifs de la scène électronique japonaise, Toshimaru Nakamura, aux collaborations remarquées avec Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M, Taku Sugimoto, Tetuzi Akiyama, Axel Dörner, eRikm, Keith Rowe, confronte son approche à celle de Jean-Luc Guionnet. On retrouve cet infatigable explorateur de sons, non seulement au saxophone alto, mais aussi à l'orgue. Ils atteignent ensemble les plus hauts sommets de l'expression musicale.

Enregistré en mars et juillet 2007 à Montreuil et à la Collégiale Sainte-Croix de Parthenay.

***********************

http://www.potlatch.fr

I'm not familiar with these two (Guionnet may be on some live show I have, though), but the Potlatch label is a fine outfit - it has been discussed in this thread before, and I posted some about it on my blog last year:

http://ubu-space.blogspot.com/2007/06/potl...sale-order.html

http://ubu-space.blogspot.com/2007/06/potl...-2007-sale.html

[paul secor]

this was a thread that i loved to read- even though i did not participate in often. so much was said about artists i had never heard before. i hope it will be revived!

Oh yes indeed. There's a whole non-mainstream Jazz world that really never gets any discussion, mostly because no one knows about it, you really have to be an insider to be hip to it...

I used to read the Funny Rat thread, but rarely contributed to it. I had a problem with certain musicians - "non-mainstream", as you put it - being isolated from the rest of the music. I try not to listen to music in that way, and I think it would be a good thing if and when people had something to say about "non-mainstream" musics, musicians, or labels, they would post their comments in normal fashion, rather than posting them in an isolated thread. I think that's happened to some degree since the Funny Rat thread has faded, though some musicians who were mentioned in F.R. seem to be ignored now. The Funny Rat thread may have begun with good intentions, but it became a kind of insiders' club, with a limited group of people talking with each other. At least, that was my take - not a good thing for the music, imo.

[clifford_thornton]

Well, on Bagatellen and I Hate Music, the erstwhile label and other Rat-esque musics seem to be discussed regularly.

I mean, a lot of lowercase improv and things like that really fall well outside the interests of most people on this board.

[jon abbey]

yep, there's been some discussion of that Guionnet/Nakamura record on IHM, Chaney posts on IHM occasionally also.

parenthetically, Toshi Nakamura is one of my few favorite musicians in the world right now. his duo with Keith Rowe would get my vote for preeminent improv combo working today. I remember someone telling me after a show in 2003 that it's a shame more of their shows weren't documented so people could compare them, a la the classic Coltrane quartet.

anyway, I'm always happy to talk about EAI, here or anywhere else, but IHM might be the place for it these days (tons of discussion on Euro free improv stuff also recently).

[7/4]

I'll see ya over there, I have a bit of reading to do once I land.

.

[AndrewHill]

Owned/run by Assif Tsahar. Definitely some strong releases in the catalog.

Found this one in the used bin today for $5

[AndrewHill]

And after one spin so far, this is definitely a strong and wild outing; which when compared to Tells Untold with Cooper-Moore, its hard to believe that this is the same guy. A word for Parker and Ibarra too, who play excellently throughout.

Edited March 28, 2008 by Holy Ghost

[clifford_thornton]

I may have that one somewhere - can't recall if I kept it.

It's funny, when I interviewed Sunny, I'll be damned if he could pronounce Assif's name - it was always "whatever the cat's name is..."

[Nate Dorward]

Caught that trio (Tshar/Parker/Ibarra) live about the time of the CD's release.

Uh, it stunk.

[randyhersom]

I enjoyed Assif Tsahar's solo release Ayn Le-Any. Downloaded it from eMusic, so I didn't get the audacious Nirvana Nevermind thirty years later cover art. It's on Hopscotch.

Other recent ratty pleasures: Dennis Gonzalez Live at Tonic: Dance of the Soothsayer's Tongue, Noah Howard - Black Ark, Cecil Taylor - Algonquin, Trio M - Big Picture, and the Braxton Iridium set. Also been getting into Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy's pop interpretations.

I strongly tend toward American free jazz artists who emerged in the 60's and 70's (I started listening to them about 1975), although Evan Parker may be my favorite musician right now.

[7/4]

Well, on Bagatellen and I Hate Music, the erstwhile label and other Rat-esque musics seem to be discussed regularly.

I mean, a lot of lowercase improv and things like that really fall well outside the interests of most people on this board.

IHM doesn't seem to be a very busy place.

[clifford_thornton]

Not compared to here, nope!

[AndrewHill]

Caught that trio (Tshar/Parker/Ibarra) live about the time of the CD's release.

Uh, it stunk.

Can I ask whether you thought it was an 'off' night for the group or were you just generally unimpressed with them overall? I thought they sounded good on the cd, so that's why I'm curious.

HG

[clifford_thornton]

I think I liked him best either in duo with Cooper-Moore or sitting in with In Order To Survive.

[Guest Bill Barton]

I just discovered this thread...

Assif Tsahar: I heard him doing a live solo gig a couple of years back. His tenor playing didn't really do much for me. His bass clarinet was a different story.

[papsrus]

I enjoyed Assif Tsahar's solo release Ayn Le-Any. Downloaded it from eMusic, so I didn't get the audacious Nirvana Nevermind thirty years later cover art. It's on Hopscotch.

Other recent ratty pleasures: Dennis Gonzalez Live at Tonic: Dance of the Soothsayer's Tongue, Noah Howard - Black Ark, Cecil Taylor - Algonquin, Trio M - Big Picture, and the Braxton Iridium set. Also been getting into Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy's pop interpretations.

I strongly tend toward American free jazz artists who emerged in the 60's and 70's (I started listening to them about 1975), although Evan Parker may be my favorite musician right now.

This thread's a gold mine! That Gonzalez Soothsayer's Tongue is an excellent disc. His Idle Wild is also super nice. And the Braxton Iridium instantly grabbed me. Brilliant.

I haven't had time to read through this thread completely, but I'll probably skim through as much of it as I can as time premits. My tastes have generally tilted toward this sort of free-ish yet structured music for some time. There's something very "essential" about a lot of it. It taps some very inner places, I think.

Lately, I tend to bounce back and forth between early swing and bebop to this sort of stuff. The contrast is interesting, but there is something in common there as well. Can't quite put my finger on it, but it's there.

Anyways, glad to have stumbled upon this thread.

[Nate Dorward]

I have no idea if the CD's any good, but the concert was enough to suggest that I should give it a wide berth. He's one of those players who always seems "OK" to me--not terrible, but why would you go out of your way to hear him? The duo with Drake on Ayler Records is OK, I recall (though it went into the to-trade pile the moment I finished the review); I think the only other place I've really heard him was Hugh Ragin's Feel the Sunshine, where he sounds like a poor man's David Murray or James Carter.

[AndrewHill]

I have no idea if the CD's any good, but the concert was enough to suggest that I should give it a wide berth. He's one of those players who always seems "OK" to me--not terrible, but why would you go out of your way to hear him? The duo with Drake on Ayler Records is OK, I recall (though it went into the to-trade pile the moment I finished the review); I think the only other place I've really heard him was Hugh Ragin's Feel the Sunshine, where he sounds like a poor man's David Murray or James Carter.

Fair enough, thanks for responding. He is someone I just discovered by hapistance throough Cooper-Moore and he seemed like an interesting enough of a cat to pursue further, now albiet for $5, I'm willing to check almost anoyone out. Thanks for your response

[clifford_thornton]

Actually, there are some things I would avoid for $5. That $5 is a sandwich or a beer and a half to some of us!

That Gonzalez is pretty hot - Eskelin is in fine form.

[AndrewHill]

Actually, there are some things I would avoid for $5. That $5 is a sandwich or a beer and a half to some of us!

Fair enough to you too Cifford

[Nate Dorward]

Actually, aside from the duo with Drake, the other worthwhile Tsahar recordings I've heard are the two trios with Cooper Moore on Hopscotch--Digital Primitives & Lost Brother. Those ones are definitely worth more than $5!

[king ubu]

Actually, there are some things I would avoid for $5. That $5 is a sandwich or a beer and a half to some of us!

Fair enough to you too Cifford

well, to others it's half a sandwich or just about one beer...

[AndrewHill]

Actually, there are some things I would avoid for $5. That $5 is a sandwich or a beer and a half to some of us!

Fair enough to you too Cifford

well, to others it's half a sandwich or just about one beer...

[clifford_thornton]

And to chewy it's a sammich.

[king ubu]

you see, that's why this thread is *really* called the "funny rat" - this is about dried rat dogs and peruvian guinea pigs... and some such...