John B

Interesting....has Wrapped Islands already been repressed or did you do a larger initial run than for Do? I'm also surprised to see The World Turned Upside Down so high on the list. I find it to be a fantastic album, but one that doesn't seem to get as much mention on these boards as several other Ersts. (Hands of Caravaggio, for instance.)

Never heard of him, but the AMG review makes this disc sound interesting. Anyone who played with Moholo and Feza can't be bad. Great avatar, by the way!

I'll join the chorus: see them live if you are able. I came back to the studio recordings with increased appreciation after seeing the band live.

I'd like to recommend "do" to any people who suffer from Tinnitus. d'oh I believe Do is the best selling Erst so far. I have no desire to hear it.

My friends used to have an old dog who created "minimalistic low farting sounds," but we never found it enjoyable to any extent.

As much as I am open to the concept of sine waves as music, I really have trouble listening to Sachiko M or Toshimaru Nakamura. I find the higher pitched sounds they create to be painful and annoying at times. I had enough high pitched whining resonating in my head the last time I had to go under the drill at the dentist.

I agree with Chaney, and want to add that I love the fourth track. Very nice and relaxed groove from Hamid, et al.

per a request from our own Roi Ubu, a few words on an album I was listening to earlier this afternoon: Jérôme Noetinger / ErikM - What a Wonderful World (Erstwhile) Jérôme Noetinger: electroacoustic devices ErikM: 3-K.pad ƒ system, MD, turntables This is, at turns, a very abstract and a fairly accesible (relatively speaking) album. Noetinger and M take recordings of found sounds, layer them in amongst their own recodrings, and subject the whole to an intensive amount of post-production. To quote from the Erst website: "Over the following months, Noetinger and ErikM painstakingly edited and shaped the material into a coherent whole, flavoring their complex, abstract electronics with insistent repetitions and field recordings, creating instant concrète-- each individual idea as carefully constructed as the impeccably chosen first and last sounds." One of my favorite moments on any electroacoustic album occurs towards the end of the album, where Noetinger and M drop in a French pop song, seemingly playing off of an old record, and gradually add layers of electronic fuzz and grinding over the voice of the nameless chanteusse. I find the track to be transcendent and the entire album, while not one of my top five discs in the genre, very satisfying.

I just saw this posted on the Henry Grimes thread in the Artists forum and didn't want my Funny Rat friends to miss it: "Joyful news!! The first label release by the NEW Henry Grimes will be out soon!! It's The Henry Grimes Trio featuring David Murray and Hamid Drake live in Europe, 'O4 on Ayler Records " Supposedly they are aiming for October. Nothing about this that I could find on the Ayler site yet. Great news! I will be ordering this one as soon as possible.

yes, this is fantastic news! still nothing up on the Ayler site about this. This will be a pre-order for me.

I don't know, I've never heard that album. Other than the Nessa disc I've only heard his Unheard Music Series discs and the album he did with the DKV Trio.

Another Fred Anderson recommendation, this time on Nessa: This one was recorded in 1979 and features Fred along with Larry Hayrod on bass, Hamid Drake on drums and Adam Rudolph on percussion. Four long tracks, including a 15 minute cd bonus track composed by Hamid. Highly recommended!

I listened to this one this past weekend: Who needs coffee or espresso when you have the Brotzmann Tentet? Broken English starts off pleasantly enough, with Hamid chanting from the Koran and Brotz entering somewhat ecstatically, but, fairly quickly, the entore band explodes into the song, in what is, to my ears, the closest Brotz has come to revisiting Machine Gun in recent memory. Part of the jolt lies in the dynamics of the cd. There are some very quiet, almost lyrical passages, which are, before too long, ripped to shreds by the fury of the collective. Not for all tastes, and not always what I am in the mood for but this is a very good album.

I just received an email from Eremite, letting me know that they will be having a sale through the end of July. If you buy three discs directly from the label, you will get a fourth disc for free. This only applies to discs on Eremite, not on one of the labels they distribute, and the free selection can not be a double cd. fwiw, I own No Nothing, but not the new solo disc, so am also unable to compare the two.

For one thing, when you do talk about Free-Jazz, or A/G on other threads, you get a bunch of people who always grip about how "That's not jazz, it's just noise!" I, for one, am just damn tired of that act, so I don't even bother to talk about the kind of jazz I mostly listen to on anything but the "Funny Rat" thread. I think it is great that, ever since this discussion started, the Funny Rat thread has been devoted almost exclusively to Coleman Hawkins.

I just received another package from Dennis Gonzalez last night. Right now I am listening to Herido, a disc recorded live in Chicago in 1999. This one prominently features the spoken word of Yusef Komunyakaa, which will probably not be to everyone's tastes, but I am really digging the laid back vibe of thsi recording. One Final Note has a nice review of this one: "Dennis Gonzalez / Yusef Komunyakaa Herido : Live At St. James Cathedral (8th Harmonic Breakdown) by Frank Rubolino January 2002 It takes a special kind of talent to combine successfully the nearly mutually exclusive art forms of jazz and poetry. Dennis Gonzalez and Yusef Komunyakaa have accomplished this difficult amalgamation with a bluesy, down-home presentation that features the ever-enchanting music of Gonzalez melded with the lush, resonant voice of Komunyakaa. Gonzalez wrote just about all the music for this live performance in Chicago, and it has his noted brand emphatically stamped all over it—melodic themes, rhythmic pulsation, intricate improvisations, unique instrumentation—all that we have come to recognize in his music is present here. Gonzalez very effectively adds a few modern twists with his display of sampled material, keyboard variations, and walkie-talkie inserts, which all co-exist naturally with his multiple brass instrumentation. With this motivating undercurrent, Komunyakaa is able to command strict attention as he expresses himself in a most regal way. He has a deep, penetrating voice that reeks with richness. His poetry speaks of life's experiences, some of it ordinary and some of it special but much of it centered in the South and portraying a rustic Southern lifestyle. The stories come alive as he eloquently relates these very personal moments with vivid imagery. Komunyakaa has a way of expressing himself that makes a lasting impression. His verse often has a profound impact, such as when he states the obvious but often forgotten truism 'Elvis stole from R&B' within his storytelling of rural life on "Gristmill". With each succeeding tale, the mental pictures unfold, and one's mind simultaneously absorbs the stimulating music that becomes inseparable from the words. Sugar Blue masterfully creates the Southern scene through his weeping, sadness-laden harmonica. Mark Deutsch adds an element from another culture as he embraces Komunyakaa's words through his soulful sitar. The use of these two diverse instruments works wonders in the mood-establishing department, taking one back in time on a journey down dusty roads at sundown where troubles were meant to be temporarily vanquished through the joy of the music. Gonzalez mixes in his soulful and yearning trumpet pleas, giving Komunyakaa a perfect soundstage from which to emote. Throw in the sensitive and accent-filled percussion work of Susie Ibarra, and you have a musical formula that works to perfection to complement the meaningful words. Several of the selections are all-instrumental ventures, providing a platform for Gonzalez and the band to delve into his stimulating compositions. "Hymn for Tim Green" has an infectious beat that gets into one's blood while allowing the musicians to expound with improvisations to match the rhythmic pulsation. There are many moments when the band stretches out on its own, but when the lustrous voice of Komunyakaa reenters, the picture somehow becomes complete. The storyline of Komunyakaa is telling, and the emotion-drenched music of Gonzalez and its treatment by the band merges naturally with Komunyakaa's deep baritone voice. The ingredients are just right for making their marriage of poetry and jazz a viable union. "

I'll go explore the Hawk thread in a minute. I think BMG has the Hawk / Ellington disc in stock, and I have a few free discs to redeem....hmmmmnnnn.... Hawk / Ellington has now been ordered, along with Sonny Rollins - Newk's Time, both for free.

Is anyone here familiar with this one: I've had my eye on it for a while, but I'm not sure it would be one of the better places to start exploring Hawk.

Paypal donation just sent. Thank you for all the work you put into this board!

No, not yet. I'm guessing you would recommend this disc? Yes John, you are guessing correctly Absolutely. Please stop beating about the bush...how do you really feel about Vintage Duets? As Chaney said, consider it ordered.

Hold a mirror up to that thought. Exactly. Actually not! If we talk about influences, yes, of course, but if we talk about "hearing" someone in someone - you can hear Brötz in Hawk looking at it (or rather: listening to it) now, with the benefit of knowing Brötz and all the post-Hawk saxophone history. ubu I have heard a lot of Brotzmann, but almost no Hawk. Those of us coming at this music "backwards" (chronologically) could hear a lot of Brotz in Hawk, even if we understand the river was flowing in the other direction. That said, I have a bunch of Hawk at home that I haven't gotten around to listening to yet, which I'll have to start to remedy this weekend.

What if we start a third thread about this thread, which is about that other thread? A sort of meta-meta-thread?

Errr... Dan, it's not meant to be funny or rodent-related - the title refers to a Peter Brötzmann album. NOW you tell me.

Has anyone here heard this set yet? It is two discs, recorded live at the Georgia Theatre last year. The setlist looks great: Disc 1 1 Kam-ma-lay 2 Gonna Move 3 Volunteered Slavery 4 Sahib Teri Bandi - Maki Madni 5 Leaving Trunk 6 I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free 7 Angola 8 Feel So Bad Disc 2 1 For My Brother 2 Sonido Alegre 3 Joyful Noise 4 So Close, So Far Away 5 Freddie's Dead I'm curious how their takes on Volunteered Slavery and Angola turned out. I saw the DTB live back in '97 or '98 and they did a great version of Afro Blue, so I have high hopes for these performances. The set is only available online, either on itunes or through Derek's website. I already ordered a copy, as the set was on sale for $9.50. I haven't really followed the DTB but, for less than $10, I'll take a chance on this release. Any reviews or opinions on this one?

Very interesting! Another disc where I was unable to guess any of the tracks. I've had the Paolo Fresu and the Chano Dominguez discs on my "to buy" list for quite a while based on recommendations I received. I was underwhelmed by the Fresu, and will hold off on picking up that album, but the Dominguez was great! I'll have to track down a copy of it soon. Thanks again for putting together this BFT! Not all of the tracks are to my liking, but I really enjoyed listening to this.