Funny Rat

[Д.Д.]

Damn. Now I'm curious. Not so curious to buy, though.

Wanna trade railnotes for plane sounds?

Sure. I make about 120 flights per year - and just about 12 train rides. Excitement of railway sounds exploration hasn't worn off yet.

I just have to check that I don't have this Distel's disc on my collection.

[jon abbey]

Would "one of the most boring discs I've heard lately" work better ?

hehe, sure. it's not really an improv disc, it's more along the lines of a Radigue or Feldman record. are you fans of those composers?

[Guest Chaney]

Would "one of the most boring discs I've heard lately" work better ?

hehe, sure. it's not really an improv disc, it's more along the lines of a Radigue or Feldman record. are you fans of those composers?

Feldman I adore.

Don't know Radigue.

David?

[Д.Д.]

I adore Feldman.

Radigue I don't know.

Airplaines sounds I hate.

[Guest Chaney]

[7/4]

Radigue is a big analog synth drone, twisting the filter knobs. Love her.

[jon abbey]

the material is more similar to Radigue, the pacing reminds me of Feldman (Radigue too).

[Guest Chaney]

Welcome! On this page you will find items from the ex-Anomalous Records mail order catalog.

~~~~~~~~~~

I just pulled from my shelf From Between (SOSeditions) Michel Doneda / Jack Wright / Tatsuya Nakatani (Bags review and comments). I remember giving it a spin or two way back when and not being too impressed. (Back then, I was much less the lowercase guru that I am now.) ( ) Knowing that David was (rightly!) loving of this disk, I gave it the magical third spin.

Darned impressive. Three tracks, with the first being my favorite. (More variety of sounds, with Nakatani being especially impressive. The kind of track that has you sitting in a darkened room, knowing the track timing, peeping at the CD clock, knowing that the track will end, knowing when it will end, praying that it will never end.)

After that listen, I immediately ordered a copy of No Stranger to Air. (I sound like an ad for Sprout!)

~~~~~~~~~~

Let me mention this one again:

Xavier Garcia - Gianni Gebbia - Nils Wogram

pronto!

Gianni Gebbia: Alto and Soprano Saxophones

Nils Wogram: Trombone

Xavier Garcia: Sampler

Cover Art: Gianni Gebia

Cover Graphic: Dominik Süess

Liner Notes: Bert Noglik

Recorded February 2001 at Miamo Studio, Palermo, Italy, by Natale Lopes.

Published 2002 by Intakt Records

Intakt CD 076

Gianni Gebbia, Xavier Garcia und Nils Wogram:

Three who met on the outermost, southernmost tip of Europe have shaped

their music into an exciting event, a challenge and a feast for the senses.

Gianni Gebbia is at home at the place everything happened,

in Sicily's capitol Palermo, and has revitalized a scene of improvised music there.

He has made a name for himself by playing with many of the internationally-known outstanding musicians of this genre, has played solo concerts, and is active

as a promoter. Nils Wogram, who has long arrived in the scene and still can be

considered young, has distinguished him-self with his own ensembles and

compositions, and feels connected in many ways to the musical culture of Cologne, Germany. And Xavier Garcia comes from a stronghold of avant-garde music,

inspired by jazz, in France: from the circle of musical association, ARFI,

settled in Lyon: Association à la Recherche d'un Folklore Imaginaire.

He plays with ARFI groups, composes and produces works of electronic music

and has thereby created his own individual style in his dealing with live electronics.

In this trio, musical explosiveness results from the continually changing

different mixtures of known and completely new sounds.

The associations reach from songs, hymns and chorales to Bebop and Cool Jazz,

from Babylonian confusion of voices to soundtracks for imaginary films,

from Mediterranean melodies to Albert Ayler, from string ensembles

to Indian sitar sounds, from the history of the trombone in Jazz to electronic music.

In the course of the pieces, in varying shapes, it becomes clearer and clearer

what can be heard and what needs no further reference to anything else:

the identity of a trio.

Bert Noglik, Liner Notes

Source: http://www.intaktrec.ch/ge-a.htm

I think it's pretty fascinating music. Quiet, almost a bit meditative at points. The mix of electronics with Gebbia and Wogram works quite organically.

Also, Gebbia and Wogram are two fascinating instrumentalists.

It's not one to shine from the start, but one that has to grow, I think. I shall definitively listen to it again.

(I got it from the libary, by the way).

ubu

And let me add:

It's a great CD, in my opinion! I like the blend of Wogram and Gebbia a lot, and Garcia adds a lot. It's not the horns that fly and Garcia who provides background - things flow in and out of focus constantly, the horns do have solos, also long ones, but everything is organically growing out of each other. Wogram at times sounds like a didgeridoo, Gebbia does some multiphonics, too.

And they're not afraid of the melody.

ubu

Garcia / Gebbia / Wogram: pronto! (Intakt CD 076)

Well, I've listened to this one twice and, sad to say, I'm just not liking it.

I don't like the sampling very much (an understatement), Gebbia plays ugly and the trombone of Wogram mostly sputters and farts.

And the liner notes by Bert Noglik go to great pains to say mostly nothing.

I'll have to put this one aside and have a third listen after I forget -- or pretend to forget -- listening experience number two.

Had a third listen and, while I now like Pronto! much better (and am chagrined at my prior idiotic comments!), its charms still somewhat elude me.

Better put it aside for another two years. (Shuddup! I have a lot of music to listen to!)

~~~~~~~~~~

As it's been a while since I mentioned Sprout, I questioned Michael Anton Parker as to future releases and received this reply, reprinted here with his kind permission:

The third release is actually done now too. It was officially

released about a week ago so the musician could sell them during a

tour and I'll be putting the full details and sample clips on the

website, hopefully this weekend, barring ever-lurking schedule snafus!

Promotional copies will be mailed next week.

It's the debut of young improvisor from Philadelphia, Dave Smolen,

with solo pieces from the past year representing different phases of

his development, which began with a snare drum processed with various

digital effects units and now has now become essentially purely

electronic with only a minor electroacoustic component. Loose points

of reference would include Gunter Muller, Francis Dhomont, etc. The

disc also includes a sparse "new acoustica" styled trio piece with

Andy Hayleck and Paul Neidhardt (members of Trockeneis:

www.ehserecords.com), and a dense arch-form duo piece with John Heron,

in which both play snare drums heavily processed through effects

pedals. It's intended as a highly varied sampler and introduction to

an extremely promising improvisor at the very moment in time when he

has hit his stride technically and conceptually. The title is

"Feedlines" and will be priced at US$7. The packaging is 100% handmade

with chipboard and hand-carved ink stamp artwork.

Mike

~~~~~~~~~~

Hello World ! brings back to the world Sonny Simmons' musical treasures. We have unearthed piles of historical tapes and will make every efforts to regularly provide you with exclusive CD-R editions, properly mastered and packaged. Make sure to get them as long as they last! And thanks for supporting Sonny Simmons' works. 2/3rds of the benefits go directly to the artist.

Estimated calendar of releases:

June 2006: Live at the Cheschire Cat, 1980 quartet and trio.

November 2006: More Global Jungle, boxset covering Sonny Simmons' "lost period" (1980-1983).

HELLO WORLD!

~~~~~~~~~~

Edited June 18, 2006 by Chaney

[Д.Д.]

I am quite confused by Gebbia's post-Arcana Major output as well (quite sizeable by now) - not even approaching its level.

------------------

For Nakatani, look out for his solo "Green Report" on his own H&H Production label. Good stuff.

------------------

Back to the welcoming EAI land:

Xavier Charles / Diane Labrosse / Kristoff K. Roll /Martin Tétrault: Tout le Monde en Place Pour un Set Americain (Victo) is one of the most captivating and engaging things in the genre I've heard. AMG review

Edited June 19, 2006 by Д.Д.

[P.L.M]

I am quite confused by Gebbia's post-Arcana Major output as well (quite sizeable by now) - not even approaching its level.

DA SHIT seems to have fall in every aspect (musicianship level, ideas, musical ambition), lately.

But the problem for me has always been that the only thing who was of any interest to me in GEBBIA'works, before ARCANA MAJOR, was, already, his solo work.

The rest, even when associate to my avatar or DAMON SMITH wasn't on the same level and no match for the best alto/bass/drums trio recorded at that time (notably, those of Marco ENEIDI).

Edited June 23, 2006 by P.L.M

[Д.Д.]

I am quite confused by Gebbia's post-Arcana Major output as well (quite sizeable by now) - not even approaching its level.

DA SHIT seems to have fall in every aspect (musicianship level, ideas, musical ambition), lately.

But the problem for me has always been that the only thing who was of any interest to me in GEBBIA'works, before ARCANA MAJOR, was, already, his solo work.

The rest, even when associate to my avatar or DAMON SMITH wasn't on the same level and no match for the best alto/bass/drums trio recorded at that time (notably, those of Marco ENEIDI).

I will try to see Gebbia next week in Palermo, and will voice your concerns. Gebbia's best sax-bass-drums trio disc is Outland (Splasc(H), 1990) - one of his earliest records.

My nomination for one of the most insteresting alto-bass-drums combo is Mikolaj Trzaska - Peter Friis Nielsen - Peeter Uuskyla. But I would agree on Eneidi as well. When I saw Trzaska live, I recommended he checks out Eneidi, because I hear some similarities in their approach (Lyons heritage). He didn't know about Eneidi, but was interested.

Edited June 23, 2006 by Д.Д.

[king ubu]

Do check out "Outland" if you have a chance, P.L.M. - it's very fine, in my opinion!

[Guest Chaney]

Anyone interested in obtaining the entire Balance Point Acoustics catalogue for as little as $80, with free shipping?

HERE

The seller, newmusicbass, is Damon Smith.

Edited June 23, 2006 by Chaney

[Guest akanalog]

from a long time ago, i was asking peoples opinions on here of "one too many salty swift and not goodbye" or whatrever the hell it is called because i see it is often highly lauded among cecil taylor's work and i felt i wasn't feeling what was so super about it in the greater contrinuum of music.

after further listening i have grown to very much appreciate ronald shannon jackson's playing on this album and especially how it complements taylor's playing. i find some of the drumming very exciting. especially how jackson brings in elements of what would be, i guess, kind of prosaic rhythms to many listeners of this sort of music (and why most complaints about this album i have seen focus on jackson's performance, i assume). but i really like it and it brings the music together for me.

[Chuck Nessa]

from a long time ago, i was asking peoples opinions on here of "one too many salty swift and not goodbye" or whatrever the hell it is called because i see it is often highly lauded among cecil taylor's work and i felt i wasn't feeling what was so super about it in the greater contrinuum of music.

after further listening i have grown to very much appreciate ronald shannon jackson's playing on this album and especially how it complements taylor's playing. i find some of the drumming very exciting. especially how jackson brings in elements of what would be, i guess, kind of prosaic rhythms to many listeners of this sort of music (and why most complaints about this album i have seen focus on jackson's performance, i assume). but i really like it and it brings the music together for me.

This is a terrific performance by one of CT's best bands. Welcome to "that" club.

[7/4]

from a long time ago, i was asking peoples opinions on here of "one too many salty swift and not goodbye" or whatrever the hell it is called because i see it is often highly lauded among cecil taylor's work and i felt i wasn't feeling what was so super about it in the greater contrinuum of music.

after further listening i have grown to very much appreciate ronald shannon jackson's playing on this album and especially how it complements taylor's playing. i find some of the drumming very exciting. especially how jackson brings in elements of what would be, i guess, kind of prosaic rhythms to many listeners of this sort of music (and why most complaints about this album i have seen focus on jackson's performance, i assume). but i really like it and it brings the music together for me.

This is a terrific performance by one of CT's best bands. Welcome to "that" club.

Amen.

[Guest Chaney]

I thought I'd revisit One Too Many Salty... and offer a few comments but MAN!, what a firestorm! Definitely NOT what I'm in the mood to listen to.

Got thorough CD1, liked the duos, especially Lyons / Malik (short and sweet, with Malik behaving himself, shrieking only when it sounds as if Lyons throws-him-for-a-loop by playing a gently descending figure) (is that what that's called?) and the Ameen portion of Ameen / Sirone (someone PLEASE remove the bow from the hands of Sirone!). The drum solo I could live without but as it's mercifully brief, I'll not whine. The last two tracks -- the Unit, minus Lyons and Malik -- is certainly fiery but the lack of air is beginning to make me anxious..

Ronald Shannon Jackson? Not a favorite but I'm minding him less each time I hear this set. That being said, if I could substitute another player, I would, but as I can't...

I wonder how much better the new Hat reissue sounds. It would be nice if Siron'e bass had a less rubbery sound and more body / presence.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora Josephson/Damon Smith duo on kfjc Sat. 6/24 4pm

Posted by Damon smith (Thursday June 22 2006 @ 05:54PM MDT)

Saturday June 24 at 4:PM (West Coast time)

Double-bass improvisor Damon Smith and vocalist Aurora Josephson perform breathtaking duos. Hosted by Nozmo King. http://kfjc.org/

Edited June 24, 2006 by Chaney

[Д.Д.]

I'm also not quite in the mood to listen to "One Too Many..." or similar sort of stuff at the moment.

What I did listen to with pleasure recently was:

I get more excited about new Rune Grammofon (a label co-owned/sponsored by ECM) than new ECM recordings.

Have any of you heard Maja Ratkje's debut album 'Voice' on the Rune Grammofon label?

The most amazing vocal album ever.

Yes, if you are into extreme vocal techniques. I am. Recorded in various inappropriate places (elevators, roofs, basements, etc.). You want a cover? Here is the cover:

Now looking forward to listening to Fe-Mail's (of which Ms. Ratkje is a memebr) "All Men Are Pigs" (gameboy) with talented Mr. Lasse Marhaug.

You want more covers? Here is the cover:

[Guest Chaney]

I thought I'd revisit One Too Many Salty... and offer a few comments but MAN!, what a firestorm! Definitely NOT what I'm in the mood to listen to.

I'm also not quite in the mood to listen to "One Too Many..." or similar sort of stuff at the moment.

An early symptom of abbeyfication?

~~~~~~~~~~

Listening to and loving From Between: No Stranger To Air. (Sprout)

The liner notes: On March 1st, 2005 at Pied Nu in Le Havre, France, the trio From Between performed. Michel Doneda, Jack wright, and Tatsuya Nakatani used mouth, hands, air, two soprano saxophones, a sopranino saxophone, an also saxophone, a gong, cymbals, singing bowls, a bass drum, a snare drum, a floor tom, a Roto tom, brushes, sticks, rids, a bow, rosin, and possibly a few other objects.

Good stuff. Michael Anton Parker should be very proud having this gem as an initial release.

Edited June 24, 2006 by Chaney

[jon abbey]

An early symptom of abbeyfication?

he's got a looooong way to go, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Bright Moments]

has anybody bought the 12 cd set located here:

http://www.ictusrecords.com/

[ep1str0phy]

Ronald Shannon Jackson? Not a favorite but I'm minding him less each time I hear this set. That being said, if I could substitute another player, I would, but as I can't...

I wonder how much better the new Hat reissue sounds. It would be nice if Siron'e bass had a less rubbery sound and more body / presence.

~~~~~~~~~~

I find Sirone's bass to be fairly well-defined on the reissue, if (still) a little plastic here and there (at times, he's got monumental plucking pressure--makes for a unique, if often rough sound). Inevitably, Jackson swallows up the show here and there (although I'm a huge fan of his work--even in these 'jazzier' idioms... an awesome addition to the Ayler group, for a time).

[Guest Chaney]

has anybody bought the 12 cd set located here:http://www.ictusrecords.com/

Hallo, Domo, and all that...

My first post in Funny Rat.

I've been really enjoying this ICTUS 30th Ann. boxset

for the past few days, but I wanted to mention something about

it in case anyone else is considering picking it up.

ICTUS Box

You should have a razor blade handy

'cause that's what you'll need to use to get into

not only the box itself, but each of the individual 12 discs.

As a matter of fact, there are even directions for doing just this.

So, if you are at all anal retentive about the way your discs should

be treated or look, then you may want to think twice before getting it.

I kind of wish the artwork for the front of the box was as good as the

beautiful individual discs, but maybe that would've tacked on too many bucks

to the whole thing(?)

The music, as most of you know, is a superb collection of pieces

and just a look at the site above should give you some proof.

Anyway, I'm not really reviewing this set because I'm not good at such things,

but I did want to mention the bit about actually getting to the discs.

Rod

I too have the set. Very nicely done, package-wise. Thus far I've surgically opened only the first CD, In Concert, with Steve Lacy, Kent Carter and Andrea Centazzo. Weakest link? Centazzo. Good thing he's not on every CD in the set. Wait a sec...

[ep1str0phy]

has anybody bought the 12 cd set located here:

http://www.ictusrecords.com/

A pity so few will have the disposable income for this one--I'd like to hear some comments, too.

-Looks like I've been beaten to the punch--nice to hear some people have access to this stuff.

Edited June 24, 2006 by ep1str0phy

[Guest Chaney]

Keep in ming that a sampler of the set is available. A retailer sent me the sampler, gratis, after I already had the set. I sent the sampler along to a fellow Rat. He seemed impressed by what he heard.