November 24, 2009

"Fleeting" - Kirk MacDonald Quartet (Songbook vol. 1)
"Umar at the Dome of the Rock, parts 1 & 2" - Wadada Leo Smith (Spiritual dimensions)
"Summertime at Bamako" - Keletigui Diabate with Habib Koite & Bamada (Jazz around the world)
"Kramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla" - Ben Allison (Think free)
"Feel free" - Terry Clark (It's about time)
"Dry " - Fay Victor Ensemble (The freesong suite)
"No destination" - Fieldtrip with Jim Head and Kelly Jefferson (No destination)
"Throw down your heart" - Bela Fleck (Throw down your heart: tales from the acoustic planet vol. 3: Africa sessions)
"After the air raid" - Zevious (After the air raid)
"Polka dot blues" - Sherele (Jazz around the world)
"Punchbug" - Jason Adasiewicz's Rolldown (Varmit)
"Infinity's window" - William Beauvais (Invisible cities)
"Le conti" - Ted Quinlan (Streetscape)
"Zoom zoom (part two)" - Keith Price (Breakfast of champions)
"Chan chan" - Kora Jazz Trio (Jazz around the world)
"Fluke" - Blast4tet (Sift)
"Nanya tamgu" - Sinistrio (Ride the dragon)
"Bare bones" - Madeline Peyroux (Bare bones)
"Current" - Brad Shepik (Human activity suite)
"Actuator" - Ergo (Multitude, solitude)
"Gatekeeper" - Harris Eisenstadt (Canada day)
"Mu-turn" - Andy Milne-Benoit Delbecq (Where is pannonica?)

A few interesting things about this show:

*This was the second edition of Breaking The Tethers to come from the new CJSW broadcast facilities.

*Everything played on the show was "new"; newly released, fairly recently released, recently re-released, etc. I do shows like this now and again and this was one of them, largely unplanned (until I realized that I had a big pile of "new" CDs).

*There were a number of African-sounding tunes on the program, including the Bela Fleck track and "Chan chan" by the Kora Jazz Trio (there's a great piano solo on this).

*Best title this week: "Kramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla" by Ben Allison.


Back in a week. Three more shows before my Christmas break.

Andrew

November 17, 2009

"Seven minds" - The Dave Young Quartet (Mean what you say)
"Rubbing stone" - Jeremy Brown (Rubbing stone)
"Hamp's boogie woogie" - Lionel Hampton (Centennial celebration: 100)
"Truth is marching in" - Brotherhood Consort (Cite de al musique, Paris, France, February 9, 2008)
"Alvarado" - Brad Mehldau (Largo)
"Sphere" - Brandford Marsalis Quartet (Metamorphosen)
"Stay on message" - David Widelock Trio (Skating on the sidewalk)
"Netsanet" - Mulatu Astatke (NewYork-Addis-London: The story of Ethio jazz 1965-1975)
"Good news from the desert" - Erik Truffaz/Murcof (Mexico)
"Bass folk song no. 5 & 6" - The Stanley Clarke Trio (Jazz in the garden)
"A grand night for swinging" - Gary Wolfe (Sun up)
"Molehills mumps' betters and bards" - Vivian Houle (Trieze)
"Sids ahead" - Miles Davis (Broadcast sessions: 1958-59)
"My funny valentine" - Deepak Ram (Steps)
"Song of the soul" - Catherine Meunier (Night chill)
"Ambiente" - Ploug/Pettersen/Badenhorst (Equilibrium)
"Looking for the lake" - The Fonda Stevens Group (Memphis)
"Here and now" - Jake Langley (Here and now)
"B.B.'s blue blues" - The Cory Weeds Quintet (Everything's coming up weeds)
"Walk back" - Medeski, Martin, & Wood (Radiolarians III)
"In between moods" - Tony Foster (In between moods)
"Pentatonic tune" - John Wojciechowski (Lexicon)
"Let the monkeys dance" - The Tony Wilson Sextet (The people look like flowers at last)
"Unnamed" - Jerry Granelli V16 (Vancouver '08)

This was the first Breaking The Tethers show in the new CJSW studios. While they are still being moved into, the new digs are spacious and comfortable and most of the equipment in the booth is new. Plus, there are windows - I saw the sunrise yesterday! After the totally windowless environment of the old location, this was a very nice change. There will be more settling in to do but, so far, so good. I look forward to next week's program.

Andrew

November 10, 2009

"Humphries' tide" - Muskox (5 pieces)
"Funk city-ola" - Buddy Rich (Time out)
"Taoue" - Abdoulaye N'Diaye (Taoue)
"Air" - Jon Hassell (Power spot)
"Embarrassment of riches" - Joe Morris Quartet (Today on earth)
"Motherless child" - John Scofield (Piety street)
"Time to let go" - Terell Stafford-Dick Oatts Quintet (Bridging the gap)
"Blue monk" - Abbey Lincoln (Abbey sings Abbey)
"Intro" - Barry Romberg's Random Access (Was shall why because)
"Platypus" - Ben Allison (Think free)
"Delightful Deggy" - Ralph Moore (Who it is you are)
"Chairmaster" - Henry Threadgill Zooid (This brings us to, volume I)
"Chasing the ghost" - Darius Jones Trio (Man'ish boy (a raw & beautiful thing))
"Hooked" - Kellylee Evans (Fight or flight?)
"Lachyrmae - movement #4" - The Tony Wilson Sextet (The people look like flowers at last)
"Dock Boggs" - Canaille (Potential things)
"Don't gild the lily" - Harris Eisenstadt (Canada day)
"(Smell my) special ingredients" - Stanton Moore Trio (Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, May 12, 2008)
"Time's up" - ESP (Time's up)
"M & m" - Beaux J Poo Boo (All things are new)
"Mahkota kotor window" - Arrington de Dionyso (Malaikst dan singa)
"Nowhere" - Michael Gibbs (Lancaster University 1969)
"Reflections" - Dean McNeill (Prairie fire: large jazz ensemble)

This was an enjoyable show, at least from my perspective. Plenty of new "out there" jazz and more good stuff. My favourties this week include "Platypus" from the new Ben Allison release, "Chasing the ghost" by the Darius Jones Trio, and the totally crazy "Mahkota kotor window" by Arrington de Dionyso.

Also, I think this might have been the last edition of Breaking The Tethers in the old CJSW studio space. As has been mentioned, the station is definitely moving and is moving now. Walls are bare, the library is being emptied, and furniture is disappearing. We could be broadcasting out of the new space, on the 3rd floor of MacEwan Hall (the CJSW studio and offices are in the basement at present) within a matter of days. For more info, see the CJSW expansion blog; there's lots of photos and videos that give a good idea of what the new digs will look like.

Andrew

November 3, 2009

"When beauty reigns" - Melody Diachun (EQ )
"Family affair" - Harry Miller's Isipingo (Which way now)
"Matitu" - Bela Fleck (Throw down your heart: tales from the acoustic planet vol. 3: Africa sessions)
"Abe Vigoda" - Brandford Marsalis Quartet (Metamorphosen)
"Skating on the sidewalk" - David Widelock Trio (Skating on the sidewalk)
"Honey pie" - Sarah Corman (Happy little tune)
"Jolly rogers" - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Une anthologie 1950/1957)
"Theo's place" - Jeanette Lambert (Sand underfoot)
"Look to the neutrino" - Greg Burk (Ivy trio)
"Biru kirusai" - The Cory Weeds Quintet (Everything's coming up weeds)
"No two eyebrows" - Mannington (Sweet treats: live sessions from CJSW 90.9 FM)
"Blues for Shyam Babu" - Deepak Ram (Steps)
"Push" - John Wojciechowski (Lexicon)
"Talking with electrons" - Rachel Z (Room of one's own)
"Georgia" - Quadro nuevo (Cine passion)
"Mandrake" - Vivian Houle (Trieze)
"Our hospitality (version II)" - Ken Aldcroft's Convergence Ensemble (Our hospitality)
"Serious grease" - Tony Foster (In between moods)
"In the whitecage" - The Fonda Stevens Group (Memphis)
"Spy movie" - Bobby Selvaggio (Unspoken dialogue)
"Flying, part II" - Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette (Setting standards)

This was the post-funding drive show, the return to the usual format of Breaking The Tethers (i.e. mostly music, a bit of talk, rather than the other way around, which is what happens during funding drive). I think what was played this week was a nice mix of things, perhaps leaning to the avant/experimental side. Also, I actually played four tracks with vocals (excluding Keith Jarrett's vocalizations on "Flying, part II"); what is the world coming to? Fave piece: "Look to the neutrino" by Greg Burk.

Andrew

October 27, 2009

"The cannonball" - Rubim de Toledo (The river)
"Pigling bland" - Soft Machine (Fourth/fifth)
"Gregorian" - Steve Coleman and Five Elements (Weaving symbolics)
"Reptoid alliance" - The Fully Celebrated (Drunk on the blood of the holy ones)
"Open window" - David Friesen (Castles and flags)
"Time has no ending" - The Jazz Crusaders (Old socks, new shoes…New socks, old shoes)
"A prayer for my family" - McCoy Tyner (Sahara)
"Outro (let them eat steak)" - Jazz Liberatorz (Clin d'oeil)
"Modal trane" - Turtle Island Quartet (A love supreme: the legacy of John Coltrane)
"Irish tacos" - Sinistrio (Live sessions at CJSW)
"You never know" - Tanya Kalmanovitch Hut Five (Out where the trains don't run)
"Big eater" - The Bad Plus (These are the vistas)
"Void" - Julius Hemphill Quartet (At Dr. King's table)
"Jazzy Jeff's theme" - Nuyorcian soul (Nuyorcian soul)
"Batucada" - Walter Wanderley (Sounds from Verve hi-fi compiled by Thievery Corporation)

Only 15 tunes in today's show? Well, that's because this was the Funding Drive 2009 edition of Breaking The Tethers and featured much more talk than music. All but one of the tracks had been previously played on Breaking The Tethers before (mostly in the past year) and were also included in the mixed incentive CDs that were offered during the show (all were taken, BTW). The sole exception was "Irish tacos" by Sinistrio, which appears on this year's "live at CJSW" double CD set (which is also an incentive offered during this funding drive).

BTW, $910 was pledged during the show today. This is a little less than what I had hoped for (I was hoping for $1000) but it's still great. Many thanks to those who made pledges!

I'll be back next week with the usual kind of show.

Andrew

October 20, 2009

"Visage de Cathryn" - Free Trade (Free trade)
"Au revas" - Vivian Houle (Trieze)
"King Kong itself (as played by the Mothers in a studio" - The Mothers Of Invention (Uncle meat)
"King Kong II (its magnificence as interpreted by Dom DeWild) - The Mothers Of Invention (Uncle meat)
"King Kong III (as Motorhead explains it)" - The Mothers Of Invention (Uncle meat)
"King Kong IV (the Gardner varieties)" - The Mothers Of Invention (Uncle meat)
"King Kong V (as played by 3 deranged Good Humor trucks)" - The Mothers Of Invention
(Uncle meat)
"King Kong VI (live on a flat bed diesel in the middle of a race track at a Miami Pop Festival… the Underwood ramifications)" - The Mothers Of Invention (Uncle meat)
"Driftwood" - Ran Blake (Driftwoods)
"What if?" - Kenny Barron (What if?)
"Lil' darlin'" - Julian Lage (Sounding point)
"Perfoming arts center" - The TriBattery Pops (Happy days are here again!)
"The people look like flowers at last" - The Tony Wilson Sextet (The people look like flowers at last)
"Happy little tune" - Sarah Corman (Happy little tune)
"Pimpin' ain't easy" - Luther Thomas Quintet (CIMPosium - volume 8)
"Dizzy moods" - Jerry Granelli V16 (Vancouver '08)
"Bluedo" - Carlos Jimenez (Thoughts (pensamientos))
"Congo chant" - Big John Patton (Blue planet man)
"Notability" - Marilyn Crispell & Andrew Cyrille Duet (Live at the Knitting Factory, volume 3)
"Hurricane" - Trio Hurricane (Vision volume one: Vision Festival 1997 compiled)
"Every day is Canada Day" - Harris Eisenstadt (Canada day)
"Another planet" - Chip White (Harlem sunset)
"Divide comedy" - Andy Milne-Benoit Delbecq (Where is pannonica?)
"Birds of fire" - Visions of an Inner Mounting Apocalypse (Visions of an inner mounting apocalypse: a fusion guitar tribute)
"Axis mundi" - Ralph Peterson Presents The Fo'Tet (Ralph Peterson presents the Fo'Tet)
"Sunset on the night on the river Nile" - Sun Ra (Black Saint/Soul Note: critics' pick sampler (vol. 3))

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this show (not that I don't enjoy them all, of course). There was a fair mix of styles but it all pretty much fit my palate and, hopefully, that of many listeners as well. I was particularly pleased to be able to play the entire "King Kong" "suite" from the 2nd CD/4th side of the Mothers of Invention's Uncle Meat recording. I also drew on a fair number of compilations from the CJSW library this week; this produced some interesting finds so I think I'll do more of that in the future.... but not next week!

Next week, as mentioned, is the annual Breaking The Tethers CJSW Funding Drive show. Your support will be very welcome. More information can be found at http://cjsw.com/funding.html. As well, see my recent posts on this blog.

Andrew

Funding Drive Update: One More CD Incentive

I've added one more commercially-produced CD to the list of pledge incentives for the Oct. 27 Funding Drive edition of Breaking The Tethers. It's a great one, the Akhenaten Suite from the Roy Campbell Ensemble. Like the other incentive CDs, music from this recording was played on Breaking The Tethers. Here's the complete list of CDs:

Blast4tet -"Sift"
Roy Campbell Ensemble - "Akhenaten Suite"
Crash - "The doctor is in"
Mark DeJong - "The unknown"
Steve Reid Ensemble - "Daxaar"
Mike Rud - "Live from Lotusland"
Kevin Smith Trio - "Afterthought"

Please listen in on Tuesday!

Andrew