Funny Rat

[king ubu]

Found some used discs today which I really couldn't let at the store...

- Myra Melford, Even the Sounds Shine (hatART)

- Schlippenbach/Murray, Smoke (FMP)

- Rivers, Portrait (picked it up for a friend as I have it already)

I have not yet started exploring Schlippenbach, so I am looking forward to do so now!

ubu

[king ubu]

Listening to the Melford disc right now. Love it! Douglas and Ehrlich both shine, and the music has plenty of interesting things going on all the time without ever becoming dull. I noted that the older of my Penguins (4th, I think, I'm lagging behind) gives it 4 stars and a very positive write up. Me thinks they're right (as they are very often, I think).

ubu

[J.A.W.]

I've just been listening to

Somebody on JC asked me what I thought, and here's the reply I posted there:

Just got it and played it for the first time. Don't know what to think yet, it's very errr... Koglmann, subdued and cool. One thing that bothers me, as it bothered me with other Koglmanns, is Burkhard Stangl's guitar work; it sounds just too out of place to me, and I hate his horrible rock-like interventions, though fortunately there are very few of those on this album. Tony Coe is excellent, but I absolutely detest his "sweet", 1930-ish vocal on the final track. A mixed bag on first hearing.

[Nate Dorward]

Hm, I remember that that Melford disc got a pan in The Wire when it appeared. I wonder who wrote it--probably Ben Watson. (It's indexed in the Wire Index online--issue 138--but no author's listed.) I'm not a big fan of Melford but with Ehrlich & Douglas on board it can't be too shabby.

So why's no-one fond of Douglas's Constellations? Seems fine to me. Maybe people don't like the general moodiness? It does have a cracking version of "The Gig" on it, nearly as good as the Clusone's lovely reading.

[J.A.W.]

So why's no-one fond of Douglas's Constellations? Seems fine to me. Maybe people don't like the general moodiness? It does have a cracking version of "The Gig" on it, nearly as good as the Clusone's lovely reading.

Well, Tony likes it.

Like I said before, there's something in Douglas' playing that annoys me very much, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm not too fond of Shepik's sound either; it's not Shepik, I don't like that guitar sound in general.

[J.A.W.]

Ubu mentioned this 2CD-set a while ago:

I've only listened to the studio disc so far (will play the live disc this weekend), and I think it's one of Parker's better recordings. The interplay between Parker and Guy is perfect. The mood of this disc is very intense, yet relaxing. I will be returning to it often. Highly recommended!

[king ubu]

Hans, I still have not come around to really listen to the Guy/Parker set. Sure sounds good, though!

Currently listening to the Sam Rivers/Andrew Hill date released at the end of the Hill Mosaic - I find Rivers a more impressive player everytime I hear him again!

ubu

[Guest Chaney]

An interesting set of reviews by Charlie Wilmoth for Dusted magazine.

----> X <----

[Д.Д.]

Looks like this one is finally released:

Should be a good late-night listening for my neighbours.

Regarding Dave Douglas, just as Hans, I find his playing invariably irritating, an just as Hans I cannot really understand why - the guy has superb technique and quite original ideas. The same feeling I have about Raphe Malik, particularly in his solo projects (he was OK with Jimmy Lyons). Now, his technique is probably unmatched (well, there are Hank Robertson or Paul Smoker on the other hand), but his one-dimentional sound... all those overblown high notes, and predictability of his improvisations makes it really painful for me to listen to him.

[Д.Д.]

And this one is added to "new releases" section as well:

Although I already have a lot of Eskelin in my collection (and I am not going to buy any more Eskelin-Parkins-Black releases), I might go for this one. First, I want to hear Eskelin in bass-drums-sax setting, second, I love Phil Haynes - a very original melodic drummer with excellent composing skills - check out his terrific Live Insurgency (Soul Note) with Paul Smoker (now this is one of my favorite modern trumpeters) and Jeff Palmer (an organist, yes my favorite one).

Edited March 6, 2004 by Д.Д.

[J.A.W.]

And this one is added to "new releases" section as well:

Also I already have a lot of Eskelin in my collection (and I am not going to buy any more Eskelin-Parkins-Black releases), I might go for this one. FIrst, I want to hear Eskelin in bass-drums-sax setting, second, I love Phil Haynes - a very original melodic drummer with excellent composing skills - check out his terrific Live Insurgency (Soul Note) with Paul Smoker (now this is one of my favorite modern trumpeters) and Jeff Palmer (an organist, yes my favorite one).

It is actually an older recording by Eskelin (1990). Please post your opinion.

[Gary]

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.

I've listened to this just the once (your right it is a bit too much to listen to in one session ). Initial impressions are its money well spent - I thought my speakers were going to melt at some points of the solo soprano tracks ! The DMG review seems to sum it up nicely.

I really enjoy AEC's work & its the percussion disc that reminds me most of the AEC sound , plus its quite a unique disc to my ears.

[J.A.W.]

[J.A.W.]

[Д.Д.]

Hans, have you heard the Denzler Cluster Quartet's "Y?" (also on Leo Lab) - I like it even more than nanoCLUSTER duo

Edited March 6, 2004 by Д.Д.

[J.A.W.]

Hans, have you heard the Denzler Cluster Quartet's "Y?" (also on Leo Lab) - I like it even more than nanoCLUSTER duo

Haven't got that one yet.

[J.A.W.]

I'm not a fan of Jemeel Moondoc, but this one is

It's good to hear Denis Charles again.

[Guest Chaney]

Hans, have you heard the Denzler Cluster Quartet's "Y?" (also on Leo Lab) - I like it even more than nanoCLUSTER duo

Haven't got that one yet.

I'm with Д.Д.: nanoCLUSTER is good. Y? is better.

Gary: Thanks for posting on the Roscoe Mitchell set.

[J.A.W.]

The live (second) disc of

[J.A.W.]

Finally,

[king ubu]

Listening to Louis Sclavis' "Ellington on the Air" - pretty cool, I think!

ubu

[J.A.W.]

Still not sure what to think of this one:

[Guest Chaney]

Finally, 

Indeed!

I ordered Dare Devil ages ago from The Music Resource but of course they stiffed me. Finally picked it up on eBay for $10 - inclusive of shipping.

Would have loved to have put the money into the pocket of Brotz and Hano but...

Also ordered on February 21, 2004 the following "In Stock" - "Ships In 24 Hours" OOP Eremite titles from The Music Resource:

GREGG BENDIAN INTERZONE Compact Discs $11.25 1 Incomplete

ASSIF TSAHAR SHEKHINA Compact Discs $11.25 1 Incomplete

TOM BRUNO GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER Compact Discs $11.25 1 Incomplete

MALCOLM GOLDSTEIN LIVE AT FIRE IN THE VALLEY Compact Discs $12.75 1 Invoiced

Waiting patiently...

[Д.Д.]

Listening to Louis Sclavis' "Ellington on the Air" - pretty cool, I think!

ubu

I quite like this one. The music has a bit of dated '80s flavor about it (synths... el.drums also, I think), but is still pretty original. Nervous music. Thinking about it, this might be one of the first "jazz" musics I was exposed to (heard it on the radio way back when). I assume this CD is OOP by now - so if anybody's interested, you know what to do...

Hans, you have to do something - there should be some bowed-bass-hatred-relief therapeutic courses in the Netherlands (you have everything there) - Was Das Ist is one of the most powerful solo bass statement that I've heard (and you know, I am a solo bass freak - I have probably 20 solo bass recordings). Just not recorded particularly well.

And hey, regarding - I knew this thread has some internal logics to it: it takes 700+ posts to convince one person to buy Funny Rat CD - so I guess I will be ready to buy one after 1400 posts - and ubu, with his youthful exuberance, will be able to resist till the post #2100. And John B has got his Funny Rat already, hasn't he?

[J.A.W.]

Hans, you have to do something - there should be some bowed-bass-hatred-relief therapeutic courses in the Netherlands (you have everything there) - Was Das Ist is one of the most powerful solo bass statement that I've heard (and you know, I am a solo bass freak - I have probably 20 solo bass recordings). Just not recorded particularly well.

The bowed parts are not the problem here, since they - or at least most of them - are not off-key. In fact, they sound great, at least on my system (electrostatics with an excellent REL subwoofer). It's the first and last tracks where Kowald is "humming" (or should I say "growling") along and a few of the early tracks I'm having problems with.

Strange thing is, I like bowed bass much better in free / improv than in straight jazz. For instance, I can't stand Paul Chambers' bowed bass, which is almost always out of tune.

Edited March 7, 2004 by J.A.W.