Д.Д.

Friends, incredible things do happen. I had a dinner with my Polish colleague today. On the way out of restaurant I grab a copy of "events" newspaper. Get back to hotel, idly skim through it. What do I see in the "jazz" section? - "Yuriy Yaremchuk; abbreviation of a day; 9pm". I check abbreviation in the dictionary - means Sunday. Look at the watch - 9.10pm. Check the map - the club is 10 minutes walk from my hotel. 9.30pm I am there - Yaremchuk and his quartet (piano-bass-drums-reeds) have just started. The music they play is '60s mainstream "standards" ("Love Supreme", "Maiden Voyage", etc.); Yaremchuk is playing tenor and soprano, and he is (non-)suprisingly excellent in a mainstream setting. Very muscular post-Coltrane extravert tenor (reminded me of Joe Farrell at his most experimental) with beautiful full sound, and quite reserved Shorter-ish soprano. It was fun to watch more free elements creeping in more than occasionally - "In a Sentimental Mood" had some Butcheresque solo intro, and a most of the solos had some impressive multiphonics and extended techniques display (all not forced and really organic within relatively mainstream framework). Yaremchuk played soprano and tenor simultaniously a bit (in a perfect unison). The band was OK, but obviously not on the level of Yaremchuk. In the intermission I talk to the man - he is shocked. Think about it: Russian, in Warsaw who knows his music (I don't think he ever saw "fans" of his music; he actually was not aware that such exist). Very sweet guy. Was a bit apologetic about playing mainstream (said club owners asked him to) [i thought to myself that such a mainstream would send half of the Organissimo forum home running]. Talked about the creative music situation in Ukraine and Russia (bad, as elsewhere), and creative music in general. It was a pleasure to see a musician who is actually extremely curious about music of other people. Yaremchuk praised highly Michel Doneda, Daunik Lazro, Ramon Lopez and Urs Leimgruber - seems like these are the musicians he identifies himself most with. Mentioned that he and Doneda have been planning to record something together but cannot find a way to set it up financially. Mentioned a recent concert he did in Krakow (Southern Poland) with some 60-year old "prepared tubist" who left him mightily impressed - as an example of a world-class innovative musician whom nobody heard about. Also told me about some St. Petersburg bassist (Khomkin? Sasha do you know him, by chance?), who played duo with Han Bennink during the latter's visit to St. Pete, and according to Yaremchuk, Bennink was blown away by his talent. I mentioned I know several more people interested in his music, and we actually discuss his music on Internet - this was beyond his belief. This fact seemed to have really inspired him (in general, I noticed that he is acutely attuned to audience's reaction - he feels that playing to audience, however small and "uninitiated", is critical for development of creative musicians; I mentioned that (relatively random) crowd gave him a very warm reception (which it did, IMO) - he, in turn noted regretfully that "some people left in the middle"). Regarding upcoming projects, Yaremchuk mentioned that he might record some "tough free jazz" in a trio later this year in Krakow (to be released on Not Two, I assume). In early October there is a Moscow Composers Orchestra concert in Moscow (looks like Yaremchuk is already looking forward to it) - with Sainkho et al. (Sasha, are you going to be there, by chance?). Got some goodies, of course (Yaremchuk didn't have them on display - you have to ask for it) - CDRs released on his own 3yar records, including a solo tenor disc. Thanked me profusely for being interested in and supportive of creative music (not his specifucally, but creative music in general).

I'm in Warsaw now - went to a CD store and bought some Polish music, including Mikolaj Trzaska / Peter Friis Nielsen / Peeter Uuskyla: "Inforgiven North" (Kilogram records). Cannot listen to the record itself, but found a Kilogram records website with a lot of mp3s. This is the disc I am talking about: http://www.kilogram.pl/?l=pl&id=katalog&ex=8. Sounds good to me. Friis Nielsen / Uuskyla are bass / drums of the Brötzmann's "Nefertiti" trio. ------------------- Listened to all the samples (40 minutes available!) - this is really good stuff!

More from CDBaby - some solo alto saxophone: Hermann Bühler.

Geoff, of those I have only two: Virtuosi, and I think it is excelent - slow, pensive with great interaction of the players. The opening theme is fascinating. I found Bowise/Wilson suprisingly boring (suprisingly, because normally I like Bowie a lot) and unfocused.

Amazingly enough, there is a Tri O CD avialble at CDBaby. This is from the earlier incarnation of the band. --------------------------- Another one that sounds interesting: Agenda. Gianni Lenoci plays Steve Lacy on piano.

I have it - haven't listened to it yet. ------------------------------------------------------ Carnatic saxophone: Prasant Radhakrishnan. Very interesting, I say. And the guy was 17 when it was recorded!

David: Any recommendations from the new age category? :rsly: ← Tony my friend, you just have to ask: new age.

I'm not much on that first one, but the second grabs me. (just making sure I get my five posts in for the next 5000....) ← Got both CDs and listened to them. Both are good, but the second one, Electro-Magnetic Trans-Personal Orchestra is indeed a more interesting one. Very original music - highly recommended. It's a part of $5 sale ($ 5 !!!!) ← Friends, in case you are thinking what else form the $5 sale (yes, $5!!!!) to add to the your CD Baby order, I would highly recommend this one: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mackstaller - guitar trio, definitely on mainstream side, but tasteful, unpretentious and not without originality. Great fluid drumming. Another $5 ($ 5 !!!!) baby could as well be: for John: http://cdbaby.com/cd/medulla some pretty exciting guitar (meaning GUITARRRRRRR!!! trio jams). for everybody: http://cdbaby.com/cd/neilleonard - this one I franky don't have yet, but samples sound very interesting.

Are you sure you are not taking Smith's violin playing for scratching noises ?

Featuring regularly-updated streams of concerts.

Realtively recent Devil's Paradise on CleenFeed has a lotof straight time (as far as I can judge) played by Hemingway.

Edition is too grand of a word - these are pirated copies, of course. Ehen you get to it, let us know what you think. Ubu, you are actually more versed in Tri O music than you might think - you have this Secret Doctrine disc by Letov / Parfenov duo, which is 2/3 of Tri O...

What is it called? Is it good? ← Well, it's lyrical. It's good, but doesn't represent Alexandrov's thing as I know it from hearing him live. The CD is called Brink Man Ship, FMR 53: http://www.brennan.ch/discography/d_nisajo.htm ← Somehow I though you were tallking of Patrick Brennan (http://www.brickhaus.com/deepdish/home.html). But this is John Wolf Brennan, who I don't really like - exactly for excessive, even cheesy lyricism.

I could never catch Letov live when I am in Russia, so I bought the CDs from one little CD store in Moscow, and through Internet at HOR records (took them 2 months to put the order together; I doubt they can arrange for a reliable shipping outside of Russia). Let me know what you want, and I will try to get it for you (but it will take v e r y l o n g).

What is it called? Is it good?

My favorite one as well! - together with "Radioactivity". Martin, you don't cease to impress me with your knowledge of Russian improv music.

In fact, their lineup used to change a few times, Shilkloper played in Tri-O too, as well as Kirichenko. THere was even one concert withou Letov, even though it is his group. Is this recording on Leo from the recent concerts with Sainkho, or from the archives? ← Step aside kids, two Russians are discussing Russian improv music. It is great that Letov has been able to keep the band fairly active for 20 years. I think this is the best version of Tri O. Parfenov adds great lyricism (well, it is eadier to be lyrical on trumpet than on tuba, which Kirichenko played in earlier incarnation of Tri O) and more variety. In general I am not a big fan of Shilkloper, who, IMO, plays more or less the same solo (on French horn, for uninitiated) over and over again, regardless of the setting. He is good though, when guided by a strong leader. Kirichenko, with his tuba, I could never appreciate - and his singing is entertaining only to an extent. From what I understand, this is a new recording!

That's good news. I really liked Leandre's other solo CD on Red Toucan - I think it is called No comment. Jazzhalo label releases are distributed by indiejazz.com at very reasonable prices. If they don't have this specific release, ask them - they will get it for you.

Just received a press reslease from Leo. Three new rleases: 1. Carlo Actis Dato duo with bassist Baldo Martinez. 2. Roman Lopez trio with Joelle Leander and Sophia Domancich. 3. Tri O & Sainkho. This one I am most excioted about. Sainkho is a stunning new music vocalist, and Tri O is an outatanding Russian trio of Letov-Parfenov-Alexandrov (saxophones - trumpet - bassoon, respectively). And a reissue of Sainkho's "Letters" (an excellent disc) which has been unavialable for some time.

Earlier Vandermark thread As for me, I am mostly indifferent to Vandermark, but some releases I found to be very exciting, like AALY with Vandermark: "I Thought I Was Screaming" (Crazy Wisdom), which has some very impressive Vndermark's compositions.

Jazkamer (or Jazzkammer, I've seen it spelled both ways) is a duo from Norway (John Hegre and Lasse Marhaug) whose work I would characterize as "noise." Marhaug is fantastic, but most definitely not for all tastes. ← Tony, there is an MP3 of Jazzkammer at Lasse Marhaug website. I like it.

I'm not much on that first one, but the second grabs me. (just making sure I get my five posts in for the next 5000....) ← Got both CDs and listened to them. Both are good, but the second one, Electro-Magnetic Trans-Personal Orchestra is indeed a more interesting one. Very original music - highly recommended. It's a part of $5 sale ($ 5 !!!!)

Tony, Potlatch music causes insomnia?

From Utech: My summer release schedule is really shaping up and I have two exceptional titles to offer for the second half of June. These two artists raise the bar in their respective fields and I'm happy to be associated. As always, the discs are available on the website www.utechrecords.com Thank you. Leslie Keffer "Represents" [012] Analog electronics from Ohio. Lotte Anker "Six Row Barley" [013] Electro/Acoustic improv from Denmark. Still in the works for July/August: Henrik Rylander "Possible Risk for Pulpal Reactions" [014] Sepia Trio "Cleft" [015] Audiotrope "Feedback for the Nation" [016] Jazkamer "Ninguna Diversion" [017]

Sound samples sound interesting: Floros Floridis. Definitely will check out this trio disc with Kowald and Sommer.