Henry Threadgill tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake

[Lazaro Vega]

(This is probably too simple for the organissimo community. It was written for a broad audience on FB)

In jazz 'soloing' there can be a tendency to lean on practiced patterns that fit certain melodic and/or harmonic forms, allowing a player to sound good though not really be 'in the moment' per se. Henry Threadgill, following the examples of Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman, seeks to continually challenge his band members to truly improvise.

He often employs unusual instrumental combinations, and has developed a system of intervals to build solos from, as well as many other composer-led suggestions. Check him out. Henry Threadgill tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. via www.bluelake.org/radio

In addition, at midnight, we'll hear two new Nessa Records releases -- the Anthony Braxton/John McDonough duet recording; and a reissue of Roscoe Mitchell's 1967 quartet; plus a bit of "Air Time" with Threadgill ("Keep Right On Playing Through the Mirror Over the Water," a sort of avant-guard jazz study in crescendo).

Late tonight, after 2 a.m., we'll dip into three new limited edition releases from Gerry Hemmingway's Auricle label, including a cross cultural meeting with the Korean komungo player Jin Hi Kim. A komungo is a six foot long zither with six silk strings.

If you're up in about an hour, hope you can join us.