Funny Rat

[king ubu]

Friends, I've just had a first complete listen to the great Marco Eneidi disc provided by John B - and I am impressed, I have to admit! Lisle Ellis (never heard him before) is smokin', and so is Ellis! Thanks very much, John! I'll have another listen to this disc as soon as I can, for sure.

ubu

[John B]

I'm glad you enjoyed the disc! Lisle is playing a free show here on the 16th with Larry Ochs and Donald Robinson. I will not be able to go, as I will be out of the state all weekend. I am really dissapointed by this.

[Nate Dorward]

doesn't think AB's Parker project is REALLY worth thinking about compared to actual Bird records (to say the least) tho' Paul Smoker ** is ** always interesting...

Well I think the comparison was to other Braxton discs not to Bird's original recordings...

[king ubu]

Jean Michel Pilc on Radio Suisse Romande

More to be found there, some great music!

ubu

[John B]

I'm continuing my crawl through albums I haven't listened to in quite a while and, after finishing with Dollar Brand's African Piano, which all of you should check out at some point (it is a beautiful solo piano album) I am now listening to this one:

Gregg Bendian's Interzone - Requiem for Jack Kirby

Bendian on vibes, Nels Cline on guitar, Alex Cline on drums and Joel Hamilton on bass. It took me a while to get into this disc, perhaps due to its length, but, once I did, I found this album to be fascinating! Excellent writing, great music and wonderful playing by all involved. I can't say that Joel Hamilton really stands out in any way, but he supports the others ably.

[brownie]

Jean Michel Pilc on Radio Suisse Romande

More to be found there, some great music!

ubu

Pilc, in Funny Rat?!?

Don't think he belongs in this thread...

Enjoying now the album from Bright Moments (Jarman, Kalaparusha, El'Zabar, Favors and Steve Colson) 'Return of the Lost Tribe' on Delmark and will follow that with another from a Chicago musician 'It's Krunch Time' the Roy Campbell Quartet (with Khan Jamal) on Thirsty Ear!

[John B]

Cecil Taylor to Star in NYU Jazz Masterclass Series Webcast

NEW YORK - The New York University Jazz Masterclass Series live webcast premiers 4 p.m., October 10 and will feature pianist Cecil Taylor at the Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., New York City. Taylor will be in a solo performance setting as he critiques a variety of student performers. The students will be asked to research Taylor and will be assembled for questioning prior to the masterclass in a round table discussion. They will also be interviewed after the masterclass to share any insights they may have learned. Log on to www.artistshousemusic.com or www.cjh.org to view the webcast on Sunday.

[king ubu]

Jean Michel Pilc on Radio Suisse Romande

More to be found there, some great music!

ubu

Pilc, in Funny Rat?!?

Don't think he belongs in this thread...

Uh, we've had Coleman Hawkins, even Jelly Roll Morton... why not Pilc? How is he, anyway? No chance to listen yet. The announcer compares him to Solal (who's been in the rat undeservedly, as well, but then what is deserved and waht not?).

ubu

[king ubu]

Cecil Taylor to Star in NYU Jazz Masterclass Series Webcast

NEW YORK - The New York University Jazz Masterclass Series live webcast premiers 4 p.m., October 10 and will feature pianist Cecil Taylor at the Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., New York City. Taylor will be in a solo performance setting as he critiques a variety of student performers. The students will be asked to research Taylor and will be assembled for questioning prior to the masterclass in a round table discussion. They will also be interviewed after the masterclass to share any insights they may have learned. Log on to www.artistshousemusic.com or www.cjh.org to view the webcast on Sunday.

Got the following from the CT list:

*************

Cecil Taylor to Star in NYU Jazz Masterclass Series Webcast

NEW YORK - The New York University Jazz Masterclass Series live webcast

premiers 4 p.m., October 10 and will feature pianist Cecil Taylor at the

Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., New York City. Taylor will be in

a solo performance setting as he critiques a variety of student performers.

The students will be asked to research Taylor and will be assembled for

questioning prior to the masterclass in a round table discussion. They will

also be interviewed after the masterclass to share any insights they may

have learned. Log on to www.artistshousemusic.com or www.cjh.org to view

the webcast on Sunday.

The NYU Jazz Masterclass Series was created eight years ago to nurture a

relationship between aspiring jazz performers at NYU and the most

significant jazz artists willing to participate. The series not only

documents and preserves the greatest jazz artists of our time, but also

captures them in the process of teaching their craft, helping viewers to

better understand their process of improvised music. Only through the

resources of New York City, can a masterclass claim the significance and

depth of the jazz artists that NYU intends to capture on camera.

"Until now, the success of this series could only be measured by observing

such interaction within the intimate setting of the masterclass series

offered at NYU," said series co-producer Dr. David Schroeder. "With the

expansion of the scope of this project through the partnership with our

co-producer John Snyder, President of the Artist¹s House Foundation, we

intend to bring the NYU Jazz Masterclass Series Webcast to the world stage."

The jazz faculty at NYU includes some of the most significant jazz artists

in the world such as guitarist John Scofield, saxophonist Chris Potter,

pianist Kenny Werner, drummer Bill Hart, trombonist Robin Eubanks, and 35

other world-renowned artists/faculty.

"By combining these artists with the greatest living jazz legends scheduled

for the masterclass series including Cecil Taylor, Hank Jones and Clark

Terry, we have the opportunity to share our experiences with the world,"

Schroeder said. "Capturing this interaction is our mission for the future of

jazz education, distance learning and the the preservation of great

performances in jazz music. We hope that you will join us."

This series is made possible through the generous support from the Center

for Jewish History, the Artist¹s House Foundation, and the NYU Jazz Studies

Program at Steinhardt. Admission is free to anyone who wishes to attend the

event in person.

*************

Same source, John? Anyone happens to know if this is ONLY available on Sunday 4 PM US time? Or will this be up after that? Will miss it if it's only a live broadcast. If there is actual Taylor music, it would be great if someone could provide me with a CDR!

ubu

[brownie]

Jean Michel Pilc on Radio Suisse Romande

More to be found there, some great music!

ubu

Pilc, in Funny Rat?!?

Don't think he belongs in this thread...

Uh, we've had Coleman Hawkins, even Jelly Roll Morton... why not Pilc? How is he, anyway? No chance to listen yet. The announcer compares him to Solal (who's been in the rat undeservedly, as well, but then what is deserved and waht not?).

ubu

OK he's in good company then.

Everything you care to know about Pilc is here

[king ubu]

Thanks for the link, brownie! Sounds all a bit over the top, but that's something many an artist's website suffers from. Will burn that concert and listen this weekend.

ubu

[John B]

Same source, John? Anyone happens to know if this is ONLY available on Sunday 4 PM US time? Or will this be up after that? Will miss it if it's only a live broadcast. If there is actual Taylor music, it would be great if someone could provide me with a CDR!

I believe so, but I have no idea if they archive all of their shows or not.

I'm guessing "Ralph" is Raphe Malik in this review I just got in my email. I've never heard of this label, or of a few of the musicians, but this sounds like it mighht give the Brotz / Eneidi disc a run for it's money in terms of sheer sonic assault:

"Daniel Carter / Randall Colbourne / Paul Flaherty / Ralph Malik / Sabir Mateen - Resonance CD $12.99 (Zaabway Music)

"’Truth’ is a concept I lost touch with long ago, but ‘truths’ I've still got a handful of; two that've seemed particularly durable are that the three greatest collective improv recs ever are Free Jazz, Ascension, and New York Eye & Ear Control, and that I won't live to hear a fourth. Not that the number of superior free-playing individuals isn't currently at an all-time high; but as most of today's worthwhile recs are inhabited by at most four people, the saintly mix of mutual leadership and all-star collectivism uncannily shared by the Holy Trinity seems unlikely to re-arise. And while I haven't yet burned that last scrap of personal Bible, Resonance has me considering it. That these six individuals actually inhabited one building simultaneously (Amherst Unitarian Meeting House, Amherst, MA, May 16 1997) is history enough; that they proceeded to turn their flaming insides fully outward next to a fire-proof tape recorder is the kind of ulti-moment civilizations build archives for. Of the 10 or so climaxes spread out among the 70 raging minutes of what may be jazz's Fourth World War, the eye-stretching outburst of gut-yelps, throat-calls, and heart-hacks that arises about 2/3rds into 'Piece II' is the candidate most likely to reintroduce you to every millimeter of your skull. Tempting to isolate individuals for appraisal (particularly Flaherty and his virus-carrying tenor coughs), but, much like three other albums I've heard, Resonance's group weight wipes out the concept of sound-separation. Nothing here exists in and of itself; everything is defined by that which it surrounds (and is surrounded by). The only work left is to figure how we're going to wrestle the remaining 37 minutes that Flaherty couldn't fit on this CD from his endlessly strong hands.” - Marc Masters, Opprobrium"

[John B]

I'll file this one under "an embarrassment of riches." The Ayler discography site is listing an upcoming ESP records release of additional live Ayler, previously only available on an Italian bootleg:

" hot on the heels of the Revenant set comes another NEW AYLER RECORD! Or, to be precise, a legitimate reissue of an incredibly rare Italian bootleg. As speculated on a few months back, ESP are releasing a CD of the first Fondation Maeght concert - the quartet recording issued as Albert Ayler Quintet 1970 - Live on Blu Jazz (Italy) BJ023CD. According to the ESP site the new CD (available in both traditional stereo CD and 5.1 surround sound DVD-Audio formats) will be released at the end of November under the title Maeght Foundation (ESP 4001/ESP DVD-A 101). If you’re a fan of the original Shandar album, Nuits de la Fondation Maeght, then this is great news since this recording of the July 25th set is comparable in sound quality and music. It also contains Ayler’s final recording of his signature tune, ‘Ghosts’."

[Д.Д.]

I've never heard of this label, or of a few of the musicians, but this sounds like it mighht give the Brotz / Eneidi disc a run for it's money in terms of sheer sonic assault:

"Daniel Carter / Randall Colbourne / Paul Flaherty / Ralph Malik / Sabir Mateen - Resonance CD $12.99 (Zaabway Music)

Zaabway is Paul Flaherty's label, as far as I remember. The only thing I have by Flaherty is his 2003 release with Wally Shoup in Leo, and it's an extremely noisy (and not in the best way so) fire-music affair. Here is the link: http://www.leorecords.com/?m=select&id=CD_LR_369

Was quite a disappointment for me after excellent Wally Shoup trio release a month before that (Fussilades and Lamentations, Leo 2003), one of my favorite 2003 releases.

[king ubu]

I'll file this one under "an embarrassment of riches." The Ayler discography site is listing an upcoming ESP records release of additional live Ayler, previously only available on an Italian bootleg:

" hot on the heels of the Revenant set comes another NEW AYLER RECORD! Or, to be precise, a legitimate reissue of an incredibly rare Italian bootleg. As speculated on a few months back, ESP are releasing a CD of the first Fondation Maeght concert - the quartet recording issued as Albert Ayler Quintet 1970 - Live on Blu Jazz (Italy) BJ023CD. According to the ESP site the new CD (available in both traditional stereo CD and 5.1 surround sound DVD-Audio formats) will be released at the end of November under the title Maeght Foundation (ESP 4001/ESP DVD-A 101). If you’re a fan of the original Shandar album, Nuits de la Fondation Maeght, then this is great news since this recording of the July 25th set is comparable in sound quality and music. It also contains Ayler’s final recording of his signature tune, ‘Ghosts’."

So this would be the Maeght material exclusively in the Ayler tree until today? Will have to check once tehre's some tracklisting available, or rather: timing, as the tracks are, it seems, often difficult to title (several tunes on record with the same title and similar oddities in Ayler's discography).

ubu

[Clunky]

I like the Varner and have just ordered the Hemingway  !!

I love the Hemingway! I think you will really enjoy it.

I love this album , it's right up my street. Glad I didn't cancel the order !!

[John B]

I like the Varner and have just ordered the Hemingway  !!

I love the Hemingway! I think you will really enjoy it.

I love this album , it's right up my street. Glad I didn't cancel the order !!

Have you heard his album Johnny's Corner Song? The lineup is almost the same, just switch Robin Eubanks for Ray Anderson. The music is very much in the same vein and might be my favorite of the two discs.

[Д.Д.]

I like the Varner and have just ordered the Hemingway  !!

I love the Hemingway! I think you will really enjoy it.

I love this album , it's right up my street. Glad I didn't cancel the order !!

Have you heard his album Johnny's Corner Song? The lineup is almost the same, just switch Robin Eubanks for Ray Anderson. The music is very much in the same vein and might be my favorite of the two discs.

Agree. Johnny's Corner Song is less polished and less safe - and I like it more this way. You can get it from Gerry Hemingway directly: http://gerryhemingway.com/.

Edited October 9, 2004 by Д.Д.

[Guest Chaney]

A little cross-thread-pollinating: Aside from John, any of you boys interested in JANDEK?

[J.A.W.]

A little cross-thread-pollinating: Aside from John, any of you boys interested in JANDEK?

Don't want to be too negative, but I listened to several sound samples and didn't like what I heard at all.

[Guest Chaney]

Well, Jandek is not for everyone.

I hate it when people say that!

Very understandable, Hans. I'm a bit surprised that I've taken a liking to him.

[jon abbey]

I won't defend Jandek as being good, or recommend him to anyone else. but I own 36 of his CDs, every one he's released except 1 or 2 of the acapella ones, which I got a bit sick of. they're cheap ($7 or $8 for 40 minutes of music), and I always enjoy listening to them, even if I don't revisit them much (although with 6300 CDs or so in my collection, plus whatever Erst stuff I'm working on at the time, I don't revisit too much of anything these days).

[Д.Д.]

A little cross-thread-pollinating:  Aside from John, any of you boys interested in JANDEK?

I've been meaning to check out some of his stuff soon.

Edited October 10, 2004 by Д.Д.

[John B]

Two more discs to highly recommend to my Funny rat friends:

Joost Buis - Astronotes and Guus Janssen - Sound-Lee! plays the music of Lee Konitz.

Both are absolutely wonderful discs! Very playful, but with none of the ICP-esque "wackiness" that seems to characterize a lot of recent Dutch improv. These are both right at the top of my list of best recent releases I have heard.

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah the Buis is pretty wonderful--touches of Mingus & Sun Ra & even 1970s Miles Davis (check out Cor Fuhler's groovy electric organ!). One of my faves from this year.

The Sound-Lee! disc I have mixed feelings about--it's a bit longwinded & Janssen's pingpong approach to the keyboard bugs me (this is going on memory: I gave the disc to a friend), & there are some sloppy moments. The review I did at the time runs as follows:

Dutch pianist Guus Janssen, who has an affectionate but subversive approach to the jazz piano canon (Wilson, Tatum, Tristano and Monk are obvious reference-points), hasn't recorded all that frequently in recent years as an improvising pianist - he's also active as a "straight" composer - so it's a pleasure to receive this latest bulletin from him in his improviser's guise. "Plays the Music of Lee Konitz" is a live recording from Amsterdam's BIMhuis in 2001 in which Janssen's quartet mulls over half a dozen 1950s Konitz tunes, plus alto saxophonist Jorrit Dijkstra's "Near-Lee" (based on "One-Note Samba"); some of the readings stretch to as much as twelve or thirteen minutes. Lennie Tristano's aesthetic is given an intriguingly skewed revisiting: whereas his single-note lines took a winding, snake-charmer's course across the keyboard and his block chords fell across the keyboard like landslides, Janssen's approach recalls Monk and Mengelberg in its obstinate refusal to let go of a clutch of notes until he's dealt with it to his own satisfaction. There's little trace of up-and-down runs in Janssen's playing, which favours instead stride-piano styles that set the two hands talking back at each other; as a result there's a playful, bouncing-ball quality to his work. These mannerisms are sometimes pushed to the point of self-indulgence, and in a few spots Janssen's two-handed toying with rhythmic displacements risks losing the thread entirely (notably a confused passage on the saxophonist's re-entry in the middle of "Ablution" that might well have been edited out) - but I'd rather hear music whose risks don't always pay off than music that doesn't take any in the first place. Dijkstra's nonchalant phrasing and tone recalls Michael Moore as much as Konitz himself, but it's Eric Dolphy who often comes to mind here - especially his fondness for placing an absurdly sour note at the terminal point of a phrase. Indeed, one might argue that this disc inherits the legacy of Dolphy's "Last Date" (on which, lest we forget, Dolphy was partnered by Dutchmen) as much as it does the Cool School. Questions of musicial genealogy aside, it's a welcome addition to the catalogues of Janssen and Dijkstra, who demonstrate with flair that Konitz's work as a composer is in need of reassessment and exploration.

I like Dijkstra a lot--he's on that Bite the Gnatze disc which I excerpted on BFT14. I think he's resident in the States now.