Thursday, July 31, 2008

July 29, 2008

I'm a day or so late in posting the list for the July 29th show. Apologies to anyone who was waiting:

"Here and now" - Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake (Transitions)
"Intercosmosis" - Sun Ra (Heliocentric worlds vol. 3)
"Hush hush" - Heather Blush and the Uppercuts (Vice)
"Samba de Orpheus" - Vince Guaraldi Trio (Jazz expressions of Black Orpheus)
"King Tut's strut" - Stefon Harris & Blackout (Evolution)
"American dreams" - Charlie Haden with Michael Brecker (American dreams)
"Still in my own prison" - Simon Fisk/Chris Gestrin/Jerry Granelli (Vague hotels)
"Karibu" - Lionel Loueke (Karibu)
"Song of the morrow" - Collin Walcott (Works)
"Cure all" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Pritzin'" - Andy Fusco Quintet (Out of the dark)
"Darkest hour" - Mark Dejong (The unknown)
"The dog" - The People's Band and Congress of Musicians (B.J. Levy presents The People's Band and Congress of Musicians)
"Supper's ready" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"Mechanique populaire" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)
"Return of the prodigal son" - Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band (Season of changes)
"Night life" - Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis (Two men with the blues)
"Scattering of the following" - Bill Dixon (17 musicians in search of a sound: Darfur)
"Eyes in the back of my head" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"Shivers" - New Guitar Summit (Shivers)
"Set the alarm for Monday" - Bobby Previte and the New Bump (Set the alarm for Monday)
"Hostage release party" - Rabnett 5 (Dan's party)

For some reason, I played a fair number of title tracks on this show e.g. three out of the final four pieces were title tracks (all but the Rabnett 5 tune). I've been doing this a lot recently. No idea why.

Faves this week include "King Tut's strut" by Stefon Harris & Blackout (though I wasn't fussed about the rest of the album that it comes from, Evolution) and "Still in my own prison" by Fisk/Gestrin/Granelli. Also, anything by Bobby Previte is always good.

Andrew

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

July 22, 2008

"Smile" - Mark Dejong (The unknown)
"Down here on the ground" - Grant Green (The finest in jazz: Grant Green)
"Hindustan" - Preservation Hall Jazz Band (The essential Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
"Pivot point redux" - Fieldwork (Door)
"Parts and holes" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Circular movement" - Eri Yamamoto (Duologue)
"The sidewinder" - Lee Morgan (The finest in jazz: Lee Morgan)
"I'm glad there is you" - Roland Kirk (The inflated tear)
"Capricorn" - Bob Erlendson (All about jazz)
"I'd advise you not to miss your train" - Bobby Previte and the New Bump (Set the alarm for Monday)
"And/or" - Bob Claire (Another day)
"Don't let the dragon eat your mother" - John McLaughlin (Devotion)
"Allen's alley" - Cy Touff & Sandy Mosse (Tickle toe)
"Drume negrita" - Manuel Valera (Forma nueva)
"Smoke stack" - Andrew Hill (Smoke stack)
"Remy's revenge" - Corey Wilkes (Drop it)
"No bull" - Cory Weeds Quartet (Big weeds)
"The winding way" - Dave Holland Quartet (Dreams of the elders)
"Yellow are the crowd of flowers, II" - Myra Melford (Be bread)
"Flex flux" - Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band (Myth understanding)
"Swapan tari" - Devadip Orchestra (Scandinavium, Goteborg, Sweden, November 11, 1978)
"Lulu" - Hutchinson Andrew Trio (Lost but not forgotten)

This was a show with many solid tracks and some great ones, IMHO. Keepers for me were Robert Walter's "Parts and holes" (fave piece this week, maybe), "I'd advise you not to miss your train" by Bobby Previte (the album features titles that are as good as this one), and "The winding way" by the Dave Holland Quartet.

More of the same kind of thing next week (what that will be, I do not know exactly :-)

Andrew

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

July 15, 2008

"Knocked my socks off" - Heather Blush (Vice)
"Brilliant corners" - Thelonius Monk (Brilliant corners)
"Flying home" - New Guitar Summit (Shivers)
"Conversations" - John Carter (Castles of Ghana)
"Code view" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"L'homme de fer" - Four Free
"Darfur" - Bill Dixon (17 musicians in search of a sound: Darfur)
"Dos d'ane" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)
"Big weeds" - Ian Hendrickson-Smith (Blues in the basement)
"Seven sides to the story" - Jamie Baum (Sight unheard)
"Time flies" - The Anthony Wilson Trio (Our gang)
"Quest" - Mario Pavone (Trio arc)
"Road hog" - Cinghiale (Hoofbeats of snorting swine)
"Discipline strikes again" - Jason Marsalis (Music in motion)
"Ski-wee" - Von Freeman (The improviser)
"Piegrande" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"Circle in the round" - Miles Davis (The Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings)
"In retrospect" - Muhal Richard Abrams (Things to come from those now gone)
"A good idea" - Delius/de Joode/van der Schyff (The flying deer)

The main feature of this show was Miles Davis' "Circle in the round", which, at 33:32, took up much of the last hour. It's long, it's controversial but it's probably my favourite Davis track. The late Tony Williams does a great job on this piece; in many ways, his drum work makes the performance. The version of "Circle" featured here is the long version, which appeared on the 1965-1968 Quintet boxed set; there is a shorter version, at 26:19, that appeared on the "odds and ends" compilation of the same name, released in 1979. Check both out if you can.

Andrew

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

July 8, 2008

"The wobbler" - Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake (Transitions)
"African cookbook" - Randy Weston (Spirits of our ancestors)
"The Holly stomp"- Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band (Myth understanding)
"Seven days of falling" - Esbjorn Svensson Trio (Seven days of falling)
"Los guiros" - Chucho Valdes (New conceptions)
"Sunspot" - Bob Claire (Another day)
"Panorama" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus(Project 9)
"Rite shoe" - Chet Doxas Quartet (Sidewalk etiquette)
"Reve pour Louis" - Brad Shepik Trio (Drip)
"Koolbonga" - Mary Lou Williams (Black Christ of the Andes)
"Chucktown" - Steuart Liebig/Tee-Tot Quartet (Always outnumbered)
"Slide by slide" - Roswell Rudd and Archie Shepp (Live in New York)
"Winnipeg at night" - Bob Erlendson (All about jazz)
"Pivot point" - Fieldwork (Door)
"Simply said" - Cory Weeds Quartet (Big weeds)
"Purple people" - Mark O'Leary/Mat Maneri/Randy Peterson (Self luminous)
"Thank you" - Eri Yamamoto (Duologue)
"Firecracker" - The James Danderfer Group (Accelerated development)
"For Roy (Haynes)" - Jay Boehmer (Autumn afternoon)
"A strong glue is not neceesary" - Jean Martin, Evan Shaw (Piano music)

Several tunes with Canadian content today but, by far, my top piece this week was "African cookbook" by Randy Weston. It's an interesting work with lots of good performances all-round but what really sets this apart from the others is the work of the bass players on the track, Alex Blake and Jamil Nasser; they do great stuff throughout, particularly in the last couple of minutes.

More in the same vein next week, including what might be my favourite Miles Davis performance (hint: it's very long and somewhat hard to find).

Andrew

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

July 1, 2008

Happy Canada Day!

"Tempo" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"The gathering" - Pharoah Sanders (Elevation)
"S'wonderful" - Jutta Hipp (Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims)
"Toronto" - Lenny Breau (Five o'clock bells)
"The rumpus" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"Chandelier" - Bloom Project (Prismatic season)
"Broken arrow drive" - Liz Story (Escape of the circus ponies)
"Shining tear of the sun" - Elizabeth Shepherd (Parkdale)
"The seven powers" - Bahia Black (Ritual beating system)
"Aquarian moon" - Bobby Hutcherson (Happenings)
"Piano de patio (y bongo)" - Gabriel Alegria (Neuvo mundo)
"Hello again" - Mario Pavone (Trio arc)
"Dragon gate" - Larry Coryell (Tricycles)
"Slots" - Revolutionary Snake Ensemble (Forked tongue)
"Greasy drums" - Joe Dukes with the Brother Jack McDuff Quartet (The soulful drums of Joe Dukes with the Brother Jack McDuff Quartet)
"A long way from Beacon Hill" - Martin & Fisher (Little man on the boat)
"The birds near her house" - The Lounge Lizards (Queen of all ears)
"Intrades" - Bill Dixon (17 musicians in search of a sound: Darfur)
"Stella by starlight" - Kristian Alexandrov (Akoustika)
"Speak in tones" - Speak in tones (Subaro)
"Caravan of winter" - Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet (Tabligh)

I decided not to do anything special for Canada Day; I ended up playing about the usual number of tracks by Canadian performers. Maybe next year I'll do something different.

Fave tunes this week: "The gathering" by Pharoah Sanders and "Speak in tones" by Subaro. Also can't forget "Toronto" by the late Lenny Breau; this and "Ebony queen/Pam's pad" are my favourite Breau pieces.

Andrew