BFT 140 - The Freedom Principle Revealed

[jeffcrom]

Thanks to all who listened.

1. The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet - "Miss Ann" from Sunshine Bundtcake (Horn Hut); Seattle; early 1999. Annelise Zamula - alto sax; Jessica Lurie - alto & tenor; Sue Orfield - tenor; Barbara Marino - baritone; Pal Barger - drums. I love this group and its energy; y'all either loved or hated this driving version of Eric Dolphy's tune; Interestingly, MG heard Jewish influences - I don't on this tune, but they do play some klezmer tunes on this album.

2. Connie Crothers - Lenny Popkin Quartet - "In Motion" from the album of the same name (New Artists); Brussels; November 25, 1989. Crothers - piano; Popkin - tenor sax; Cameron Brown - bass; Carol Tristano - drums. This album is (to me) a fascinating glimpse of the Tristano school playing free jazz. I kind of regret not including one of the more hard-driving tracks, but I like the interaction here.

3. Nick Mazzarella Trio - "Do Not Disturb" from This is Only a Test: Live at the Hungry Brain (Sonichla); Chicago; May 8, 2011. Nick Mazzarella - alto sax; Anton Hatwich - bass; Frank Rosaly - drums. Great freebop from one of the young guys on the Chicago scene.

4. Spontaneous Music Ensemble - "Seeing Sounds & Hearing Colors, Movement 2 'C'" from Withdrawal (Emanem); London; March, 1967. Kenny Wheeler - trumpet, flugelhorn; Paul Rutherford - trombone; Trevor Wats alto sax, flute; Evan Parker - soprano & tenor; Derek Bailey - guitar; Barry Guy - bass; John Stevens - percussion. John Steven's SME is a continual source of amazement for me. The Emanem catalog is a rich source of early (and later) material by them. This is obviously an improvisation planned/talked about in advance.

5. Shaking Ray Levis - "Heart Beam" from False Prophets or Dang Good Guessers (Incus). Chattanooga; June, 1992. Dennis Palmer - synthesizer and electronics; Bob Stagner - drums. I knew this one would be controversial. The Shaking Rays are no more, since the death of Dennis Palmer. But when they were active, they played with what seemed to be a very deliberate randomness, as if trying to thwart all rules of aesthetics and reflect the chaotic quality of life itself. But Dennis's use of a digital delay actually imposed some form on the music, since things both musicians played would reappear later. Dennis considered the delay unit the third member of the group, and called it either "The Dis-Similar Twin" or "The Hidden Hillbilly." This was the first album by an American ensemble to appear on the mighty Incus label. The cover art is by Dennis.

 

[NIS]

I am going to say thank you for all sections of the BFT here.  Outside of the Teddy Charles album, everything was new to me.  I hadn't listened to that one for a long time.  Very nice album.  This section and the Moldy Fig were my favorites.

Sadly, it appears that the Spontaneous Music Ensemble album is not readily available. : 0 (  Any other SME albums that you could point me too?  I can't believe that I have never checked this music out.  The beauty of the BFT is finding new things.  Of coarse, that is also the curse.

Thanks very much for your effort.

 

 

[jeffcrom]

NIS, I was sure that you were wrong about the SME Withdrawal CD, but I went to Emanem's John Stevens page here, and sure enough, it's listed as "out of stock." Oliv & Familie is slightly later music that the track I included, and has some similarities to that track; it's very good. Quintessence, from 1973/74, is one of the best things the SME ever did, but it's rather different from what you heard - long, detailed, quietly intense improvisations.

Glad you enjoyed the BFT.

[Hot Ptah]

1. I had read about the Billy Tipton Memorial band but had never heard it. I enjoyed it a great deal. Thanks for introducing me to their music.

2.  I had read Connie Crothers' name, but never heard her playing. Again, thank you for this introduction!

3.  I have never heard of any of these musicians, or the music label. I liked this one very much.

4.  I have some Spontaneous Music Ensemble CDs but not this one. It is very enjoyable.

5. Wow! Somehow I had never even heard of these guys. I love this track, and will now check out more of this "trio's" music!

 

Thanks for this section of the BFT--I enjoyed it all very much.

[jeffcrom]

12 hours ago, Hot Ptah said:

3.  I have never heard of any of these musicians, or the music label. I liked this one very much.

I shared a bill in Atlanta with a band Nick was in. I swapped him an Edgewood Saxophone Trio CD for this one. Great musician and nice guy.

5. Wow! Somehow I had never even heard of these guys. I love this track, and will now check out more of this "trio's" music!

The Shaking Ray's headquarters was 100 miles up the road from me in Chattanooga. Full disclosure - Dennis was a friend, and Bob is an ongoing friend and colleague. They called what they were doing "the old-timey avant-garde." I used to love seeing/hearing the Shaking Ray Levis with European free improvisers. The European guys never quite knew what was happening when Bob went into a funk beat or when Dennis pulled up a microphone and launched into an otherworldy sermon or hillbilly song. If you're a Derek Bailey fan, check out Live at Lamar's - Bob and Dennis match Bailey step for step. For anyone with a taste for the weird, I also recommend two free downloads from the Shaking Rays website. "Mind on Heaven," with Georgia folk artist/prophet Howard Finster, has that deliberately random quality until near the end, when it settles down in a very moving way that makes sense of everything that has come before. And, with Dennis's brother Kenny on bass, they did a bizarre and hilarious cover of "Heart of the Sunrise" by Yes.

Dennis Palmer was tapped into something special and different.

Thanks for this section of the BFT--I enjoyed it all very much.

Thanks for listening, and for your comments.