.:.impossible Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Anyone bought this yet? Any Chicagoans seen them perform? I don't recall reading any reviews here. Click here to listen. The Exploding Star Orchestra is, for this recording: Rob Mazurek – Composer, Director Cornet, Electronics Nicole Mitchell – Flutes, Voice Jeb Bishop - Trombone Corey Wilkes - Flugelhorn Josh Berman - Cornet Matt Bauder - Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone Jeff Parker - Guitar Jim Baker – Piano, ARP Synthesizer, Pianette Jason Adasiewicz - Vibraphone John McEntire – Marimba, Tubular Bells, Edits, Recording Engineer Matt Lux - Electric Bass Guitar Jason Ajemian - Acoustic Bass Mike Reed – Drums, Percussion, Saw John Herndon - Drums All compositions, arrangements, text and concepts are by Rob Mazurek unless otherwise noted. In 2005, cornetist Rob Mazurek was approached by The Chicago Cultural Center and the Jazz Institute to put together a group that would represent the more contemporary / avant-garde side of sound in Chicago for a concert in Millennium Park’s Frank Gehry-designed concert hall. The music was conceptualized/composed in Manaus Brazil, Fontevraud, France and Chicago, and developed over more than a dozen performances of the Orchestra before it was recorded by John McEntire at his Soma Studio in Chicago. We Are All From Somewhere Else is comprised of 3 distinct sections, and corresponds to a story involving an exploding star, cosmic transformation, a sting ray, the travels of the sting ray, intelligent conversations with electric eels, the destructive power of humans, the death and ascension of sting ray, the transformation of sting ray ghost to flying bird, and the transformation of bird to phoenix to rocket to flying burning matter to a new-born star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ep1str0phy Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Cripes, that's a great band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Been playing it on the radio and have featured the first suite as well as Baker piano solo so far. Will play more this Wednesday at midnight "Out On Blue Lake." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 My copy is in the mail. I don't know if this is a good representation of what is really happening in Chicago right now or not, but that was the idea behind the commission. I like what I hear. I was surprised by his choice in drummer before listening to the music, but listening to the tracks on the TJ site, it made more sense. I hope there is more money in Chicago for projects like this. I'd certainly like to catch this band live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 I have it in my "Save for Later" folder in eMusic. I read an interesting review somewhere about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Just played the entire second suite on the air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 (edited) Cornetist Rob Mazurek's avant "super group" where, "the overall organic approach included actual organic sounds - for example, the sounds of electric eels recorded by Mazurek at INPA research laboratory in Manaus. The juxtaposition of two drums, two basses, two mallets, multiple flutes, two cornets, bass clarinet, ARP synthesizer, guitar, trombone, voices and flugelhorn all played important roles in the development of the final sound. "“Psycho-Tropic Electric Eel Dream” is a group improvisation centered around the sound of electric eels. The electric eel tanks Mazurek recorded at INPA contain two species of eels, Pulsating and Waveform. The sound was recorded in a special tank of 15-20 eels of various sub-species, each with its own tone. The results are fascinating tonal clusters not unlike the sound of violins." There's so much going on here that after three full passes through the album it hasn't completely sunk in. Nichole Mitchell's flute is a centerpiece in the work. http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/?id=10140 Edited March 9, 2007 by Lazaro Vega Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 You beat me to it, Lazaro! I haven't been listening to a lot of jazz lately, but this one got left in the changer for a week, and gladly so. Highly recommended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted March 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 I was wondering what everyone here thought of this album! I really like it. Glad to see that Lazaro and Jim are enjoying it. Anyone else? Nicole Mitchell is certainly a stand-out here. I also think Jeff Parker takes some great time and uses some fitting/surprising guitar tones for this music. Jim Baker anyone? I'd love to have heard them perform live prior to this recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 I was wondering what everyone here thought of this album! I really like it. Glad to see that Lazaro and Jim are enjoying it. Anyone else? Nicole Mitchell is certainly a stand-out here. I also think Jeff Parker takes some great time and uses some fitting/surprising guitar tones for this music. Jim Baker anyone? I'd love to have heard them perform live prior to this recording. Looks like they worked up to the recording and it sounds like it: there are all kinds of things happening to hold this together. The eels thing is a trip, though, wow. Who thinks of that? Whales and wolves and other critters with Paul Winter in a romantic (classic sense, not sexual sense), sentimental, even nostalgic "environmental jazz" thing in the 70's. But eels just for their sound. "Baby baby its a wild world...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Catching up on some posts and saw this one. This is a great record - my album of the year so far. Impressive work from all - particularly Jason Adasiwicz's vibes, Mazurek's horns/soundscapes, Mitchell's truly astonishing flute and Parker's guitar. Have to say that their initial live performance in Milennium Park (with vandermark and david boykin) bested the disc, but this still does a great job at capturing a tight and interesting ensemble. BTW - this is only but a shade of the Chicago scene (esp. because Mazurek lives in Brazil). So much going on here, as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted October 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 I saw Exploding Star Orchestra "rehearsing" during last year's Chicago Jazz Festival with Bill Dixon, but missed the performance. Most of the time, Bill Dixon was going around the band and thinking of people who stood out in his mind on each musician's respective instrument. They did some improvisational exercises as well, but the majority of the time I was in the hall, they were resting. I recently picked up the live recording of this group released on Thrill Jockey a few months ago and have only had the chance to listen once. The group is coming at the date from a much different angle than the original piece. Has anyone been checking this date out? I'll probably listen again today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazaro Vega Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 You mean the pieces with Bill Dixon that have come out? Yes, they're powerful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 The Exploding Star Orchestra...what a great name for a band! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 (edited) I haven't heard this album, but knowing that I am generally predisposed to this sort of large ensemble creative music, I would love to listen to it, and I'm sure I will someday. However .... We Are All From Somewhere Else is comprised of 3 distinct sections, and corresponds to a story involving an exploding star, cosmic transformation, a sting ray, the travels of the sting ray, intelligent conversations with electric eels, the destructive power of humans, the death and ascension of sting ray, the transformation of sting ray ghost to flying bird, and the transformation of bird to phoenix to rocket to flying burning matter to a new-born star. sting ray ---> flying bird ----> phoenix -----> rocket ----> flying burning matter? Seriously? Am I being too critical? Is there supposed to be a larger social commentary here? Just a thought(s). Edited October 14, 2008 by papsrus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted October 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 I hadn't thought twice about that "storyline" paps. I don't think you would even take it into consideration once you had heard the music. May be an homage to Saturnalia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted October 14, 2008 Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 I hadn't thought twice about that "storyline" paps. I don't think you would even take it into consideration once you had heard the music. May be an homage to Saturnalia? True 'nuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted October 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2008 Titles for paps: Sting Ray And The Beginning Of Time - Part I Sting Ray And The Beginning Of Time - Part II Sting Ray And The Beginning Of Time - Part III (Psycho-tropic Electric Eel Dream) Sting Ray And The Beginning Of Time - Part IV Black Sun Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers - Part I Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers - Part II Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers - Part III Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers - Part IV (Fifteen Ways Towards A Finite Universe) Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers - Part V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted October 15, 2008 Report Share Posted October 15, 2008 'snice stuff. Think Mazurek has a new one coming out this winter. That Johnny Herndon sure has gotten good since his Tortoise/etc. days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cat Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 for me today was an exploding star orchestra day, i just grabbed the new one yesterday and heard it today after a little bit of exploding star feedback with their first album, i just put it on the highest volume, the sound was great and all my windows and doors were kind of stumbling down...great stuffhere's the new one Stars Have Shapes released on Delmark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted December 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2010 I tried to order this one through my local record shop and it still hasn't come in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 Finally picked this up. It’s really, really good. Are their other recordings as impressive as this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 Don't know that much about them, but been interested for a while. I've seen Rob Mazurek's name on other albums, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 4 hours ago, Guy Berger said: Finally picked this up. It’s really, really good. Are their other recordings as impressive as this one? They are all very good to my ears. The more recent are a bit more focussed, some others can sprawl both in numbers of players and time (see Rogue Art 2CD release for example). Having said that one of my favourites is an early one, the first https://www.discogs.com/master/143927-Exploding-Star-Orchestra-We-Are-All-From-Somewhere-Else Mazurek is a fascinating artist who I've been following for about 25 years now. He performs his compositions in so many configurations from solo (great when on trumpet, a lot more challenging when solely electronics) up to the ESO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinmce Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 Corbett vs. Dempsey will be releasing an ESO "small unit" CD in the next couple weeks. I assume this is drawn from a CvsD gallery performance last spring that featured Mazurek with Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten, Tomeka Reid, Damon Locks, Chad Taylor, and Angelica Sanchez: https://www.dustygroove.com/item/167526/Rob-Mazurek-Exploding-Star-Orchestra-Small-Unit:Spectral-Fiction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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