Modern/Avant New Releases: A running thread

[king ubu]

On 18.1.2017 at 8:45 AM, mjazzg said:

Crump, Laubrock, Smythe - nice line up, enticing 

does the Intakt subscription mean you're guaranteed to get sent the new releases or is it back catalogue too? Sorry, I should just go and read their website...

No, it means you're being sent six new releases per year. They around twice as many, I guess (and you're not able to pick, though I guess you can actually reach out to them, which in my case is fairly easy as I see them at concerts every other month or so).

The price they ask for in Switzerland is on the high end, but they do consider their subscribers as sponsors in the sense that they have a certain number of guaranteed sales that allow them to plan in a different manner. I shied away from joining the ranks for a looooong time, also due to the asking price (which is at the level of CDs in the nineties, in CHF it's 25, in Euro I think it's 15, based on the fact that salaries in Switzerland are higher than elsewhere, and so are production costs ... in a globalized western/northern world, that may be of little relevance, but it's part of my experience: going on vacation even within the EU is rather cheap for me, importing/buying stuff like music or books just as well etc. But of course people are greedy - to some extent also just making sure to look after their finances, I guess - and are dumbfounded by this ... but then the cost of this Intakt subscription is just a part of what I spend on music every month and I really am in a position that I can afford it, and I do like the idea of being a sponsor of this label I've admired for many years.)

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, king ubu said:

No, it means you're being sent six new releases per year. They around twice as many, I guess (and you're not able to pick, though I guess you can actually reach out to them, which in my case is fairly easy as I see them at concerts every other month or so).

The price they ask for in Switzerland is on the high end, but they do consider their subscribers as sponsors in the sense that they have a certain number of guaranteed sales that allow them to plan in a different manner. I shied away from joining the ranks for a looooong time, also due to the asking price (which is at the level of CDs in the nineties, in CHF it's 25, in Euro I think it's 15, based on the fact that salaries in Switzerland are higher than elsewhere, and so are production costs ... in a globalized western/northern world, that may be of little relevance, but it's part of my experience: going on vacation even within the EU is rather cheap for me, importing/buying stuff like music or books just as well etc. But of course people are greedy - to some extent also just making sure to look after their finances, I guess - and are dumbfounded by this ... but then the cost of this Intakt subscription is just a part of what I spend on music every month and I really am in a position that I can afford it, and I do like the idea of being a sponsor of this label I've admired for many years.)

thanks. I did go and read the website details of the subscription. Intakt releases are generally more expensive in the UK anyway, maybe £14/15 (probably for the reasons you describe) but the subscription is equivalent of £20 per disc (I assume with postage on top) which is asking a lot. I realise the sponsor angle is attractive and if I had a stronger connection to the label i might consider it. nOW, If ECM did a subscription I'd find that hard to ignore

[king ubu]

Oh, I understand ... the question is also if you generally enjoy the label's mainstays, as you're likely to get most of their releases. So if you're not into Irène Schweizer and Ingrid Laubrock for instance, I would not consider.

(Also, I have a friend working there, and he knows a few possible candidates I dislike, so I guess I can take some influence if I see something on the upcoming page that may worry me )

[uli]

Not trying to be too overtly political I was glad to read this morning that there is a Chicago London Underground and that they have recorded

 

https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-night-walking-through-mirrors

[mjazzg]

5 hours ago, uli said:

Not trying to be too overtly political I was glad to read this morning that there is a Chicago London Underground and that they have recorded

 

https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-night-walking-through-mirrors

I was at the gig. It was a pretty astonishing evening's music so I'm very pleased to see this is on the horizon

[xybert]

^^^ Looks good.

Wrote up a post earlier but it got lost, looking forward to Miles Okazaki's Trickster:

http://www.milesokazaki.com/albums/trickster-2016/

https://milesokazaki.bandcamp.com/album/trickster

 

[CraigP]

Invisible Hand from Satoko Fujii is a beautiful solo recording of contrasts. My review is up on my blog at http://improvisedblog.blogspot.com/2017/02/satoko-fujii-invisible-hand.html

[CraigP]

And here's a review of Ms. Fujii's Orchestra Tokyo recording, Peace. 

http://improvisedblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/satoko-fujii-orchestra-tokyo-peace.html

 

 

[CJ Shearn]

"Peace" is very good, I plan to review it

[uli]

Transient Takes - Ernest Dawkins New Horizon Ensemble featuring VijaY Iver Junius Paul and Isaiah Spencer.Excellent.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2017/03/10/ernest-dawkins-and-vijay-iyer-blend-seamlessly-through-the-common-language-of-jazz

Edited March 12, 2017 by uli

[CraigP]

My review of Rich and Carson Halley's new CD The Wild, sax and drum duets. http://improvisedblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/rich-halley-and-carson-halley-wild.html

 

[JSngry]

Big fun listening to this one!

[jeffcrom]

 

The two new avant-garde releases that have excited me the most recently are:

Eve Risser - Des Pas Sur La Neige (Clean Feed)

Bill Pritchard - Amplituba

Neither of these are jazz, really,, and neither of them sound like the instrument that the artist plays. They are both totally improvised, unusually and beautifully. The French pianist Eve Risser produces very few sounds that are recognizable as coming from a piano, and the same is true of Atlanta tubist Bill Pritchard. (Full disclosure - Bill is a friend of mine, and he's in one of my bands.) His Amplituba project uses electronics, loops, and effects to create some pretty amazing improvisations. "For Cliff" here is really amazing. You can  buy the Amplitua CD at CDBaby, or download from Amazon or iTunes.

 

[Edlock8718]

Wow, this is a forum that dropped off in participation lately - I mean, I had to go to Pg 2 to find it!  Have all the users here just stopped using the board, your tastes grown off into other genres, other sounds? I certainly don't think there's a lack of quality releases lately - the last couple this year from Clean Feed have included a number of great albums IMHO, albeit starting to stray a bit more into the less jazzy "improv" and "electro-acoustic" styles.  Examples from the enormous batch of releases so far this year include the Trespass Trio's third CF album, "The Spirit of Pitesi"; Harris Eisenstadt's predictably good Canada Day Quartet putting out yet another one, "On Parade in Parede"; and the one that I wasn't predicting would grab me (vocals in the more avant-garde, even operatic style typically turn me off), Kaja Draksler's 2-CD "Gledalec". I could go on there - it was overall yet another good batch put out by CF - but I should also mention the GREAT batch recently put out by NoBusiness...

NoBusiness continued their typical production of a few CD releases and limited-edition LPs. I thought the LPs put out for Klaus Treuheit/Lou Grassi's "Port of Call" and Anemone's "A Wing Dissolved in Light" (Peter Evans / John Butcher / Frederic Blondy / Clayton Thomas / Paul Lovens) were great; as was the CD "The Attic", recorded by a trio of Goncalo Almeida, Rodrigo Amado, and Marco Franco. What I especially liked about "The Attic" was that Amado playing a more subtle, relaxed style than I typically heard on his previous releases. It probably helped there that Almeida was probably understood to be the "leader" for these sessions.

Most important of the NoBusiness batch was what appeared to be the beginning of a re-issue series of releases from the Japanese label, Chap Chap. The album "Kami Fusen" features two trumpeters, Itaru Oki and Choi Sun Bae, and a bassist, Nobuyoshi Ino, and its fantastic! Not the hard-core avant garde that I was expecting, but more of the later, more experimental hard-bop that we might have been hearing from say Blue Note in the late '60s. The other Chap Chap release by Paul Rutherford on trombone and Sabu Toyozumi on drums, "The Conscience", is another fine example of what a small group can do to create a compelling release. The two are a great introduction to the Chap Chap catalogue - one that I had never heard of before.  Does anybody else know about this label (only 16 releases on discogs, including recordings by Evan Parker and Han Bennink), and what NoBusiness intends to do with it?  

Some great stuff was put out this year so far. Other releases recently include Holiday's intriguing Alexander Hawkins & Konstrukt  release and Ballister's live recording, "Low Level Stink" (better I believe than their release on Rempis' own Aerophonic label, "Slag"). Does nobody here care anymore?

[jlhoots]

Martin Kuchen: Threnody At The Gates

Edited April 29, 2017 by jlhoots

[Steve Reynolds]

6 hours ago, Edlock8718 said:

Wow, this is a forum that dropped off in participation lately - I mean, I had to go to Pg 2 to find it!  Have all the users here just stopped using the board, your tastes grown off into other genres, other sounds? I certainly don't think there's a lack of quality releases lately - the last couple this year from Clean Feed have included a number of great albums IMHO, albeit starting to stray a bit more into the less jazzy "improv" and "electro-acoustic" styles.  Examples from the enormous batch of releases so far this year include the Trespass Trio's third CF album, "The Spirit of Pitesi"; Harris Eisenstadt's predictably good Canada Day Quartet putting out yet another one, "On Parade in Parede"; and the one that I wasn't predicting would grab me (vocals in the more avant-garde, even operatic style typically turn me off), Kaja Draksler's 2-CD "Gledalec". I could go on there - it was overall yet another good batch put out by CF - but I should also mention the GREAT batch recently put out by NoBusiness...

NoBusiness continued their typical production of a few CD releases and limited-edition LPs. I thought the LPs put out for Klaus Treuheit/Lou Grassi's "Port of Call" and Anemone's "A Wing Dissolved in Light" (Peter Evans / John Butcher / Frederic Blondy / Clayton Thomas / Paul Lovens) were great; as was the CD "The Attic", recorded by a trio of Goncalo Almeida, Rodrigo Amado, and Marco Franco. What I especially liked about "The Attic" was that Amado playing a more subtle, relaxed style than I typically heard on his previous releases. It probably helped there that Almeida was probably understood to be the "leader" for these sessions.

Most important of the NoBusiness batch was what appeared to be the beginning of a re-issue series of releases from the Japanese label, Chap Chap. The album "Kami Fusen" features two trumpeters, Itaru Oki and Choi Sun Bae, and a bassist, Nobuyoshi Ino, and its fantastic! Not the hard-core avant garde that I was expecting, but more of the later, more experimental hard-bop that we might have been hearing from say Blue Note in the late '60s. The other Chap Chap release by Paul Rutherford on trombone and Sabu Toyozumi on drums, "The Conscience", is another fine example of what a small group can do to create a compelling release. The two are a great introduction to the Chap Chap catalogue - one that I had never heard of before.  Does anybody else know about this label (only 16 releases on discogs, including recordings by Evan Parker and Han Bennink), and what NoBusiness intends to do with it?  

Some great stuff was put out this year so far. Other releases recently include Holiday's intriguing Alexander Hawkins & Konstrukt  release and Ballister's live recording, "Low Level Stink" (better I believe than their release on Rempis' own Aerophonic label, "Slag"). Does nobody here care anymore?

Thanks for posting. I'm still buying and listening to new music. Been meaning to get a Ballister recording or two. Rempis has been killing it.

the strongest catalogue/label for me is Not Two. I do have a couple of great recordings from No Business, Rodrigo Amado's The Freedom Principle and Max Johnson's The Prisoner. Not cutting it with most jazz listeners. 

Tensegrity is my favorite new release of the past year. Barry Guy's Blue Shroud band in small formations. As strong and more unique 4 CD set even than the incredible Mad Dogs boxes. Maybe 1 or 2 people here might have even responded to comments on these incredible sets. Recordings that in an alternate universe someday be considered legendary recordings but alas, not happening. At least I get to listen to them.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Steve Reynolds

[Edlock8718]

15 hours ago, jlhoots said:

Martin Kuchen: Threnody At The Gates

Yes, Kuchen has released some great stuff recently, some of it traceable back to the Trespass Trio and Angles group recordings on CF and of course his own releases on NoBusiness. Thanks for pointing this Trost release out, because it had slipped through the cracks when it showed on Squidco. 

That btw, Steve, is why I often miss the latest Not Two releases, because for some reason Squidco typically doesn't carry their stuff at all.  And why I rely on boards like this to catch them.   I agree Not Two has a strong catalog, and am a bit saddened when I visit their site to see that I am several months behind. There are certainly interesting recent releases by Swell/Brotzmann/Nilssen-Love, The NU Band, and Evans/Fernandez/Gustafsson. I would love to indulge in their 8-disc box for Joelle Leandre as well, but do have to put a cap on my spending these days.  Does anybody here tend to order directly from their site? 

[Steve Reynolds]

The recent releases are all too expensive for now. I've been waiting as the prices come down on Amazon as time goes by. I've yet to get the recent Amado, Nu Band, Dragonfly Breath or the second Brotzmann - Swell - Nilssen-Love live recording. 

I would also like to get the Leandre box. 

I strongly recommend all the Ken Vandermark Resonance ensemble releases, especially the 2 CD release. Plus of course all the Rodrigo Amado releases plus the great Jones Jones CD (Ochs, Dresser & Tarasov).

not a fan of clean feed as the sound quality is far below labels like Not Two, No Business, Nessa, Intakt or Emanem, but the recent Red Trio plus John Butcher contains an incredible set of free jazz. Butcher at his most expressive.

[xybert]

Speaking for myself, the main reason i posted in this thread was to give like minded people a heads up about interesting upcoming releases, but it feels a bit redundant at this point as:

- The people that are interested are probably subscribed to the same email lists from the labels and/or check the same label etc websites that i do.

- The people that aren't interested, aren't interested.

I still have a huge amount of enthusiasm for new releases, and it's cool to share that but that itch usually gets scratched in the 'Listening To' thread or some other random artist or recommendation thread.

[Scott Dolan]

To be fair, you could cut and paste that in MANY threads here.

But if we simply cease comminucating for those reasons, then what? 

It's off topic, but I sometimes find myself asking someone a question, and then thinking to myself, "why not just look it up yourself"? Then I finally came up with the answer one day, "because that's not how humans interact and communicate". We ask each other questions to engage. I really don't like the thought of the alternative...

[xybert]

True. 

And yeah, i've often thought that the ability to 'figure it out for yourself' via the internet is kind of a conversation killer. In the 'early days' of the internet i imagine that it would have been quite cool with people coming together online on forums to try and suss stuff out. In fact, you often don't have to look far as the answer to your question is often found in an old thread right here. Case closed before it got started. Cue Bruce Hornsby singing "that's just the way it is..."

[David Ayers]

7 hours ago, xybert said:

True. 

And yeah, i've often thought that the ability to 'figure it out for yourself' via the internet is kind of a conversation killer. In the 'early days' of the internet i imagine that it would have been quite cool with people coming together online on forums to try and suss stuff out. In fact, you often don't have to look far as the answer to your question is often found in an old thread right here. Case closed before it got started. Cue Bruce Hornsby singing "that's just the way it is..."

Who's Bruce Hornsby?

 

 

 

 

[Clunky]

Steve Swell Quintet------------Soul Travellers----------------(Rogue Art) 

 

 

LP only release (?) Swell with a stellar band Jemeel Moondoc, Dave Burrell, William Parker and Gerald Cleaver. Rogue Art seem to be pretty consistently good judging by the releases I've heard. Sound on this LP is good but not noticeably better than the excellent sound of their CD releases.

 

 

[Clunky]

Playtime Trio ------- Tangential Excursions----------(Interrupto Music)

 

Scottish trio ( sax, percussion, guitar/electronics). Two set-long improvisations recorded live at The Outhouse (Edinburgh).  These guys keep the jazz/improv flag flying year round in Edinburgh , when almost all other opportunities to hear the music locally have dried up.

Playtime Trio

Edited May 2, 2017 by Clunky

[clifford_thornton]

One reason I don't post in this thread too often is that there's just so much music to take in and, at least in the contemporary avant-garde realm, a lot of it features the same players over and over in slightly different combinations. It's hard to get very excited about that stuff. I also tend to enjoy it more live.

To me the most consistent labels right now are Nessa and Emanem, and I've enjoyed the variety on NoBusiness as well. Improvising Beings is quite interesting even if not all of their releases are my cup of tea (ugEXPLODE used to be like this too -- always worth checking out even if extremely left-field). Maybe Clean Feed and Intakt have sharpened their games but I got pretty bored with their catalogs years ago -- too many releases that basically sounded the same. NotTwo is pretty reliable indeed -- that Joelle box is great.