Search Versus Re-Search: Stephen Haynes, Damon Smith, Matt Crane, Jeff Platz

Search Versus Re-Search (Setola Di Maiale, 2019) ****
Theory of Colors (Umland, 2019) ****

By Dan Sorrells

The group now known as Search Versus Re-Search is evidence of just how formidable a working band can become when improvisational energies rightly align. With membership drawn from across New England, the quartet of guitarist Jeff Platz (Boston), bassist Damon Smith (until recently Boston), cornetist Stephen Haynes (Hartford), and drummer Matt Crane (Providence) is a union of four highly sensitive and generous players. The band underwent a flurry of activity in 2018 and 2019, playing a number of shows throughout the Northeast and quickly recording two albums.

Theirs is music full of fine detail and supporting gestures, centered on convergence rather than confrontation. In the liner notes to Theory of Colors, Joe Morris aptly notes the group’s “mastery in the improvisation of form” and throughout both albums, the band tends to favor framing and occupying spaces and moods over counterpoint or trading lines. Despite the short time between records ( Search Versus Re-Search was released on CD in January 2019, followed by Theory of Colors in September), in some respects Theory of Colors already sounds more assured, and it moves away from the longer improvisations of Search in favor of a handful of shorter statements, some as brief as one minute.

Smith’s rich bass tone emerges as something of a centering force across both albums, melding his arco rasp with Haynes’ low sighs on “Bonshō,” or flirting with a swinging groove as he strides along Crane’s ride cymbal on the jazz-inflected “This All Is Everything.” Haynes, focused for many years now on cornet, continues to develop his masterful use of mutes, voicing smeary strokes and brassy textures that erase the idea of—or really, the need for—discrete notes. He whispers and wheezes before more enthusiastically joining an excellent colloquy between Platz and Smith in the unhurried “Midnight and Noon,” the conversation selflessly highlighted by Crane’s careful brushwork. Platz in particular is fascinating in this context, which is unbounded in a way not found in his previous work. Here, and on tracks like “Elevational View” and the title track from Theory of Colors, he dips into curious pedal effects that highlight new aspects of his playing.

There’s something else important that this group touches upon through its allusions to Josef Albers, its fixation on color, and its eventual incorporation into Crane’s visiting artist residency at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine: improvisation as an educating force. If there’s a unifying thread running through this group’s work, it’s the idea that, for musicians and listeners alike, improvisation is both a searching working-through and a broader means for reflection and instruction. Through sound, the quartet embodies Albers’ lesson to “note that balance, proportion, harmony, [and] coordination are tasks of our daily life, as are also activity, intensity, economy and unity.” In each meeting, Platz, Haynes, Smith and Crane commit to an ongoing educational practice in which they not only learn the changing contours of how to create music together, but in doing so, teach the rest of us about music in dialogue with the other arts, about the spaces we listen within and the communities we inhabit, and ultimately, something about our own expectations and sensitivities.

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Search - Today Is Tomorrow (Search Music, 2008) ***½

With the first notes of this record, you can hear that Ornette Coleman is not far, or at least that Don Cherry is not far. I've been racking my brain to find the exact spot where Cherry plays the phrase that is used as the theme of the first piece "Blues If It Is", I can hear it, with Haden's arco bass in accompaniement, but only in my head. I will share the track below and will thank the reader who can find it for me. Anyway, the band is called Search and consists of RJ Avallone on trumpet and wooden flutes, Matthew Maley on tenor saxophone and clarinets, David Moss on bass, and Bryson Kern on drums. I like the emotional opening track, the middle-eastern flavor of "Herds", the second piece, the openness of "Next", the joyous theme of "Joujouka", the dark theme of "Day Terrors", but then some of the other tracks, especially the more boppish ones, are all too familiar and predictable, going back to the early free jazz of the 60s without adding much. In search of the Don Cherry phrase in my head, I listened again to the best Ornette Coleman Quartet, i.e. "Old & New Dreams", the band that played his music but without the master himself, and to me still one of the best bands ever. It all still sounds so fresh, so joyful, so deep, so creative, and I know, it's unfair to compare this band to them, but the difference is of course huge. "Search" has the skills, both in the compositions and in playing the instruments, but this band could do themselves a big favor by indeed looking at tomorrow, and to get rid of the past. Create your own voice, guys. Even more. Very promising debut.

Listen to "Blues If It Is"



Listen, buy or download from CDBaby.

© stef

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Re-examining the 70s

By Paul Acquaro

My first realization that the 1970s was an unusual time for jazz came when I discovered Pablo Records. I had just started listening to and collecting jazz recordings, and at the time CDs were expensive and records were really really really cheap, so I picked up a lot of them. One was Dizzy’s Big Four with Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Joe Pass, and Mickey Roker (check out the first track, Frelimo, this one killed me). Why, I thought, were these heavyweights on what seemed, to me, a indie label? Having no idea of the history or the personalities, I assumed it was because jazz had fallen out of favor and was being dropped, from what I considered at the time, to be the major labels. (To give you some context, please understand, this was the late 80s, the internet was in its Gopher stage, and no one I knew told me otherwise.) Over the years I’ve of course learned that the real story is much more complex. Regardless, I think it is safe to say that the era does occupy a special place in jazz history, and a number of recent releases excavating and re-examining the era have come out recently.

Michael Heller - Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s (University of California Press, 2017) ****

The 'Loft Jazz' era in New York City is nearly mythic. Obviously, it's real, it happened, and there are survivors, but it has become something of legend, marking a time in the life of the city that is long gone. Researcher and author Michael Heller takes a serious and methodical approach to his study of the era, which makes sense as it had its roots in his doctoral dissertation. In this slim, dense volume, he explores the conditions that created the loft scene using overlapping frameworks to view and analyze the rich source materials he’s collected. Essentially, it was a time when opportunities to play were scant and labels weren't interested in boundary pushing music any longer, but rents were cheap in Manhattan, so musicians seized the opportunity to create their own ecosystem, and the creativity exploded.

Throughout the book, Heller is quite aware of the mythology and his own assumptions, and in good ethnographic fashion, documents it carefully. For the most part, he eschews deep dives into particular artists or their catalogs and offers a history of the scene from its early points with Ornette Coleman’s loft on Spring Street and the reaction to the Newport Jazz Festival's move to New York in the early part of the decade, to the scenes ultimate disintegration under the pressure of gentrification and development. The backbone of his research is the curation work that he partook in with the bassist Juma Sultan on the creation of his archive (www.jumasarchive.org), and when he gets into the chapter speaking about this work, he does describe the music from the players as they pertain to the archive. For example, he discusses how Sonny Simmons and Sultan’s work and music had intertwined and leads the reader through their music. This part is as nicely written and descriptive as his earlier analysis of communities, spaces, pay, and politics. His primary sources are excellent as well. In one passage, pianist Cooper-Moore remarks how much of his time, during the loft era, was actually spent trying to keep the loft building running! 

So, the loft scene has passed into the history of jazz kind of like Woodstock did for rock (and Juma Sultan was a part of both, as Jimi Hendrix’s bassist), and Heller's book can be read nearly as a how-to manual for constructing a vibrant musical scene. It's an examination of a treasure trove of archival materials and primary source interviews, and a smart read. 

Alan Braufman - Valley of Search (1975 / 2018) ****

Valley of Search is a re-release of an India Navigation record from 1975, and it was born from the very loft that Cooper-Moore mentioned above: 501 Canal St. Released under saxophonist Alan Braufman’s name, who was also a resident in the building (which according to Clifford Allen’s excellent line notes cost $140 a month per floor - let that sink in for a moment), the album is a savory time-capsule. The loft was home to a number of Boston (from Berkeley) transplants, such as saxophonist Dave S. Ware, with whom Cooper-Moore played with in Apogee. The band on Valley of Search is Alan Braufman on saxophone, Cooper-Moore on piano, dulcimer, and recitation, Cecil McBee on bass, David Lee on drums, and Ralph Williams on percussion. 

The music is fun and genuine, and there is a pure joy of playing and exploring together that captures the ethos of the time and the spirit of the loft scene. When Cooper-Moore recites the Bahá’í prayer in “Chant,” it is like a perfectly crafted prompt to transport you to a more innocent and exciting time (oh crap, there is that mythologizing again). Leading up to the chant is the short ecstatic track “Rainbow Warriors” which sets the stage for the woolly album that follows. On the follow-up “Thankfulness”, we hear the first theme of the album, which along with the figures on “Ark of Salvation” and “Little Nabil’s March”, provide a solid foundation for the recording. The splashy cymbals and insistent pulse of Cooper-Moore’s piano drive the music along, and on “Love Is For Real”, Braufman digs in with intensity, delivering a stunning solo over the colorful impulse of the piano, and a little too-eager athletic whistle. McBee is featured on “Miracles”, on which he delivers an intricate pizzicato solo. “Little Nabil’s March's” however, with it’s Ayler-esque martial theme and exuberant delivery is the hit, and the closing “Destiny” offers a lovely, accessible and aching melody.

This re-release was made possible by Braufman's nephew, Nabil Ayers, the namesake of "Little Nabil's March". His recollections of 501 Canal St. recently appeared in the New York Times and captures the atmosphere of the loft in wonderful non-varnished detail. From the decrepit steps to the plastic sheets in the window to jamming with his uncle, Ayer's article gives this re-release some proper context:

"So 501 Canal existed in quiet isolation in the midst of one of the biggest, most vital cities in the world. This was, and will always be, my New York. And in fall 1974, this is where Alan Braufman recorded his debut album, “Valley of Search,” a free jazz offering that embodies the city during this time."

Be sure to check out Ayer's piece and enjoy the music. Overall, a very welcome re-discovery!

Michael Cosmic / Phill Musra Group – Cosmic Paradise: Peace In The World / Creator Spaces (Now-Again, 2017) ****

While the folks at 501 Canal St. left for New York, there was a still world of music being made in Boston. This triple CD release from Now Again records, re-issues what were only private press releases. The work of twin brothers, Phill Musra and Michael Cosmic, are searching spiritual recordings that breath with passion and earnest intensity. Finding inspiration in the likes of Coltrane, Ayler, and Pharaoh Sanders, their music was loose, but with an ear tuned into the zeitgeist. Two of the three albums re-released here are Michael Cosmic's Peace in the World and Phill Musra Group's Creator Spaces. The brothers were also a part of the World Experience Orchestra, a collective out of Boston whose own private press albums were considered to be something of a holy grail to collectors (they were re-released by Now-Again a few years ago as well). The third CD is a track from the WEO, however the 1972 concert recording precedes the brothers' involvement.

The first disc, Cosmic's Peace in the World, kicks off with "Arabia", which also makes an appearance on the Musra Group recording. The depth of the sax, basically in conversation with the piano, is pretty grabbing. The following title track features a wrenching bass solo and suspenseful piano work. 'Space on Space' would seem to be this album's hit - its repetitive and punchy melody serves as a base for some tough soloing. Of these two efforts, this is the more 'polished' one, but as you may imagine, both have a wonderful DIY spirit and free approach. 

On Creator Spaces, Musra wears his heart on his sleeve with song likes "The Creator is So Far Out" and "Egypt". The music follows the spiritual jazz modal template and it's at times a bit gangly. The title track is pretty free blowing, with simultaneously intense sax work and a rousing drum solo, even though the primitive organ playing is a bit jarring at times. Overall, he recording contains some excellent and intense playing. 

Aside from the exploratory, non-commercial nature of the recordings, also connecting both this release with Valley of Search is the involvement of jazz historian and writer Clifford Allen who contributed thoughtful and well researched line notes for both recordings. 

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Big Bold Back Bone - In Search of the Emerging Species (Shhpuma, 2017) ****

By Derek Stone

How does one come to appreciate, let alone enjoy, a new genre of music? Despite the cries that ring out from some musical essentialists, it is my belief that the enjoyment of new, as yet un-grappled-with types of expression can be developed. As many of the writers and perusers of this site will tell you, a love of free jazz didn’t just spring out of the soil one happy day - it took considerable time and effort, an investment of interest and a willingness to occasionally put oneself at the mercy of tones, timbres and textures that were often downright ugly. But soon, the effort paid off; familiarity helped round the edges, so to speak, and the oblique, forbidding architecture that makes up so much of free jazz began to slope and curl its way into shapes that could arrest us, captivate us, leave us foaming at the mouth in anticipation of more. The critical viewpoint played its role as well. While much of free jazz is seemingly senseless on first listen, the astute observations of many a free jazz critic were instrumental in giving us a foothold, so to speak - by fixing a grid atop the swirling chaos, we suddenly had some coordinates with which to find our place. The development of enjoyment doesn’t just move in one direction, either; doubtlessly, some of our readership started with the strong stuff, imbibing Sun Ra, Coleman, or late-period Coltrane before eventually working their way back through the ‘60s and ‘50s to arrive, like battle-hardened generals returning to the scene of the first fight, at the earliest jazz recordings of the ‘30s and ‘40s. And, once again, enjoyment didn’t just spring up. After a diet of fiery, intense free improvisation, the bouncing sounds of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra are like another planet, with all of the dread and uncertainty that that implies.

The reason I make this preamble is that I, personally, have not yet found a good entry-point into electro-acoustic improvisation (often simply called EAI). While I’ve been exposed to a fair number of the genre’s respresentative recordings, there has been nothing to grab me and give me that “aha!” moment - that split second when everything falls into place and the sounds begin, little by little, to open up and make themselves known. Big Bold Back Bone’s debut on Clean Feed, In Search of the Emerging Species, while not explicitly an EAI record, has enough stylistic overlap with the genre to have been a cause for concern for me - would I have anything meaningful to say about it? Would it just be wind in my ear? In any case, I decided that the path to enjoyment had to start somewhere, and it may as well start here.

A quartet, Big Bold Back Bone features Marco von Orelli on trumpet and slide trumpet, Sheldon Suter on prepared drums, Luis Lopes on electric guitar and other objects, and Travassos on electronics. One thing to note when going into this recording, however, is that Big Bold Back Bone approach their instruments in the same way that I once heard Derek Bailey approached his guitar - as an alien artifact, a found object without context or connotation, a tool with which one could experiment freely. As such, the focus here is not on making “music” in the traditional sense of the word, but on exploring the sounds that can be constructed when a certain group of people come together at a certain time, in a certain room, with certain instruments and objects at their disposal. As the title suggests, In Search of the Exploring Species is an investigation of possibilities, a circuitous trek, rather than a direct route to some predetermined destination.

At an unbroken 43 minutes, it might be feared that the sole piece here, “Immerge,” is a slog to get through, but that’s not true at all. If anything, because of the lightness (volume-wise) of the textures and the relative lack of structured movement, it seems to speed by. It opens with a tentative series of knocks from Suter’s kit, some hard-to-pinpoint rubbery scrapes, von Orelli’s metallic gurgles, and the softly roiling static of Lopes’s electric guitar. Meanwhile, Travassos provides some high-pitched tones that, due to their relative faintness, fall somewhere between bird-song and the whine of drills. From this initial setting, deviations seem to occur in imperceptible waves - notably, von Orelli treats his trumpet as an open canvas of sorts, extracting all manner of timbres from its body: hollow sussurations, watery burbles, dry crackles. At some point, Suter moves from the more forceful pops and taps of the opening to cymbal-work that casts an uneasy shadow over the entire piece, and Travassos follows suit with cavernous electronics that open up the bottom and threaten to submerge everything. Lopes is ever-subtle, preferring to use his guitar as a textural device - from staticky drones to unsteady scrapes, he’s continuously in service of the overall tone of the piece. In fact, one of my abiding impressions of “Immerge” is that no single player seems to dominate the proceedings; in the spirit of the best free improvisation, the individual sounds bleed into each other, mixing and melding in ways that help to elevate the whole. Interestingly, the final ten minutes of the track find some of the musicians getting close to something that might be called “traditional music-making.” Lopes produces open notes that ring out with astounding clarity after the muffled drones of the preceding half-hour, and von Orelli emits a series of, well, trumpet-like tones. Suter engages in glacial, abstract percussion-work, and Travassos murmurs quietly in the background, a constant presence that never makes itself unduly felt.

By the time “Immerge” comes to a close, I feel that I have gotten ever closer to understanding the world of electro-acoustic improvisation - if I’m not yet putting every release from the Erstwhile label in my Discogs shopping cart, I’m at least considering the possibility. At a brisk 43 minutes, and with a variety of textures and sounds to keep your ears busy, In Search of the Exploring Species is a better place than any to get started on a new journey of musical enjoyment. And as a selfish addendum - feel free to post recommendations for more of this type of music in the comments below!

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Guitars on the Sunnyside - Joel Harrison & Scott DuBois

By Paul

Scott DuBois' 'Landscape Scripture' and Joel Harrison's 'Search' were recently released on Sunnyside Records and both showcase their respective leader's guitar playing and compositional skills, however in two very different settings. While it seems that Harrison's compositions are highly detailed charts with a good deal of freedom given to the players, DuBois' seems to let the players define the shape of song. In both cases, there are references to folk, classical and a little bit of rock wrapped in a free/modern jazz approach.


Scott DuBois - Landscape Scripture (Sunnyside, 2012) ****   

'Spring Haystacks', the opening tune, gets off to a slow and probing start. DuBois' clean-toned reverb-tinged electric guitar delivers a fragmented melody over shadings from Gebhard Ullmann's bass clarinet, while the percussion and bass provide subtle momentum -- subtle at first that is. The song builds at its own pace, then maybe about a minute and a half to the end, all the pieces snap together for the payoff. Ullmann sputters and spits along with DuBois' spare melodic knots. Underneath it all, there is a deep interlocking groove, supported by strong rhythm from Thomas Morgan's bass and Kresten Osgood's drums.

'Prairie Suite' follows, starting out with just the drum and bass about at the same tempo where the last song left off. This time, while DuBois delivers a ephemeral melody, Ullmann comes in strongly on the tenor sax. Tension drives the song and momentum is built in the friction created by the rhythm section's restraint, especially when DuBois comes in with his knotty solo. I almost feel like there are echoes of Abercrombie, DeJohnette and Holland's Gateway at points. The groups interactions are exciting and driving, building up to Ullman's high energy solo, where he employs all sorts of technique to color and energize his crackling lines.

Later songs offer more pastoral and folk like leads, while others delve into free-er territory. Overall, 'Landscape Scripture' packs a lot of energy at opportune times and a good deal of economy overall. It develops slowly with intentional tension and when the energy picks up, it's riveting.


Joel Harrison 7 - Search (Sunnyside, 2012) ****

Like on 'Landscape Scripture', the songs on 'Search' are brought to life by the momentum and restraint in the writing and playing. Harrison's compositions and arrangement of all the voices in his septet shows great care and precision. Yet, there is also a certain looseness. For example, this is on display as the space that pianist Gary Versace exploits to great effect on the opening 'Grass Valley and Beyond'. The pianist builds an internal energy that passes onto the next soloist, Donny McCaslin, and subsequently his emotive tone and lines interact fantastically with the rhythm section.

Harrison's compositions provide a strong framework for the soloists to really dig into and all of the songs are interesting and complex creations. The quarter hour 'A Magnificent Death' puts the violinist Christian Howes and cellist Dana Leong to good use. The song deftly runs through several moods and feels, from the classically infused beginning to the uptempo middle section, to the swelling climaxes and the eerie spoken word section. Bassist Stephen Crump's presence is felt throughout and he locks tightly with drummer Dan Weiss in complex rhythms that take on a life of their own.

Leong's cello, which is featured prominently on a reworking of the Allman's 'Whipping Post', is vibrant and aggressive . An arrangement of 20th century composer Olivier Messiaen's 'Oh Sacrum Convivium' is an interesting recasting of the classical work. Harrison, for the most part, lets his musicians have the spotlight, taking some choice solos but mostly playing to serve the compositions.

Both of these recordings are well worth seeking out and available via eMusic, iTunes, and just maybe at your local record store (if you still have one … support them, we need them!)



© stef

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Search Ensembles - s/t (and/OAR, 2015) ****½

By Stefan Wood

The Search Ensembles is a collaborative work, not so much a working group as it is a concept where many people contribute recordings to. Initiated by an/OAR founder Dale Lloyd, the Search Ensembles is a collection of old field recordings and new studio recordings that are intended to be sonic voyages to unexplored places, past and present, mysterious and evocative. They are abstract field recordings, aural textures of alien fields and landscapes that have traces of familiar tribal rhythms and beats, but any direct recognizable influences are not discernible. 

Contributors to this initial effort are: Alan Courtis, Cédric Peyronnet, Cyril Henry, Dle Lloyd, David Tobin, Jani Tulchin, Katerina Nejepsova, Loren Chasse, Michael Northam, Petr Tzar, Phil Legrand, Slavek Kwi, and Stuart Arentzen. Some just provide the field recordings, others are musicians. Listening to this reminds me of the abstract soundscape albums of the 70s and 80s, African Head Charge channeled through F/i and early Tangerine Dream. The rhythms are trance-like; haunting and with reverb. The instruments - whistle, guitar, flute, banjo, percussion, electronics - are rarely identifiable, the exception being the track “PL,” Phil Legard employing Robbie Basho-like abstractions with his banjo, and “KN SK,” with Nejepsova’s haunting flute and Kwi’s percussion. 

What makes this album above average is its creative use of “found” recordings, and mixing with electronics to create unusual and compelling soundscapes. I am eager to hear more from this project. Recommended for the sound adventurer.

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Wadada Leo Smith - Compassion *****

This is a unique CD, just trumpet and percussion. Wadada Leo Smith and Adam Rudolph both belong to the free jazz avant-garde, masters with great technical skill, unafraid to search for entirely new forms of expression, but always with a strong spiritual element into it. This kind of initiative often fails because the music itself suffers from this search for new form. Smith and Rudolph have both made albums for which you really need open ears in order to be able to endure the music till the end of the album at one stretch. On the other hand both have also already issued beautiful CDs with relative accessibility (Smith : Kulture Jazz, Rudolph & Pharoah Sanders : Spirits).
Compassion is again a spiritual journey, starting with lonely and voiceless stuttering by the trumpet, soon joined by slight percussion, like the sounds of the night. The second piece brings us dawn, and as the sun breaks through we get the long notes of Smith's trumpet, supported by Tibetan bells and gongs of Rudolph. This is a quite intimistic kind of improvisation without any preconceived structure, but with an authentic joint search to subdued beauty and emotional expression. On Fragrance of Light, Rudolph a changing rhythm on the framedrums, with great improvisation by Wadada. The pièce-de-resistance is the long "Love Rhythms, Heart Songs", on which Rudolph also sings, sometimes in overtone. On the last piece, The Caller and The Called, Rudolph digs up his dousn' gouni and we get sounds that remind us of Codona with Nana Vasconcelos and Don Cherry. This is music which will not directly appeal to those who expect clear melodies, structure and harmonic changes. It is in any case no mellow new-age emptiness, because despite the minimalistic line-up, the music is exciting from beginning to end, and the focus of both musicians is clearly kept on the creation of a coherent musical journey. Highly recommended.

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Alan Braufman - Live in New York City, February 8, 1975 (Valley Of Search, 2022)

By Stef Gijssels

By the end of last year we discussed internally whether we should have a list of "historical albums" that were released in the course of the year, either re-issues, re-masters or new released of as yet unpublished material. Some of us did - I did not for no apparent reason - and their recommended albums can be found here, with a clear preference for Peter Brötzmann, Cecil Taylor and William Parker. 

Other albums were not included, for the simple reason that we had either not received the promo material yet or had not had time to listen to the album. One album we could have included in this list was Alan Braufman's "Live in New York City, February 8, 1975". 

Braufman is not widely known, and - including this one - he actually released only four albums: "Valley of Search" (1975/2018), "The Fire Still Burns" (2020), and "Alan Braufman &  Cooper-Moore – Live at WKCR, May 22, 1972" (2021). He released two other albums under the name Alan Michael, which he still uses today as a music teacher and performer. I learn on Wikipedia that during the 70s and 80s he worked as the saxophonist of such unlikely company of Carla Bley, the Psychedelic Furs and Philip Glass. 

Back to the album now. 

It's a live radio performance recorded at the WBAI Studio in New York, and with a phenomenal band, Alan Braufman on alto saxophone and flute, Cooper-Moore on piano, ashimba and recitation, William Parker on bass, John Clark on French horn, Jim Schapperoew on drums, and Ralph Williams on percussion. This was actually the first time that William Parker and Cooper-Moore met and performed together. 

The great thing about the album is that you get the entire performance, almost unedited, with the announcements by host Susan Mannheimer, who also encourages the audience to be generous for attending the recording session. The result is 94 minutes of music, available on a double CD or as 3 LPs with five sides. 

The beginning of the performance is actually a complete new rendition of "Valley of Search", containing the following compositions: "Rainbow Warriors", "Ark Of Salvation", "Little Nabil's March", "Destiny" "Chant", "Thankfulness", "Love Is For Real", "Forshadow". It's an interesting exercise to compare both albums. 

Cooper-More and the rest of the percussionists also play one traditional, "Ashimba" which also features on David S. Ware's "Apogee", another musician with whom Braufman shared a building at 510 Canal Street in Manhattan in the early 70s, and with whom Cooper-Moore and William Parker performed and released many albums over the years. 

The music is loft jazz and free jazz at its best: exuberant, powerful, energetic, dynamic, relentless, nervous, tribal, without any concern about sophistication or arrangements, as long as it sounded good and created even more energy to move deeper and further. The whole rhythm section is magnificent, with a propulsive power that drives the frenetic and fierce sax of Braufman wilder and wilder. He sounds like the alto equivalent of Gato Barbieri in his best days. The French horn of John Clark can only be heard sparingly, as if he was uncomfortable to intervene: in the beginning piece of the album and on "Bright Evening", a folksy uptempo dance, and on "The Muse" and "Sunrise" for the finale. 

We get the new tracks are all after a short break, with a variety of musical ideas and influences integrated into the improvisations, and with Braufman switching to flute except for the last two pieces.  There is Cooper-Moore's rhythmic "Emancipation", the joyous "Tree of Life", the tribal "The Muse", the meditative "A Tear And A Smile". The best pieces are the longer explorative pieces, with Braufman on alto, that end the album: "O Nossa Amor", and "Sunrise". 

Like its predecessors, it's a great album and a wonderful time capsule into the loft jazz of the seventies: great songs, strong performance, wonderful energy and authenticity. 

To end with the words of the enthusiastic announcer Susan Mannheimer at the end of the album - remember it's the seventies - "Just love each other and listen to the music". 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

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Bridge 61 - Journal

Bridge 61 is one of the musical highlights of 2006, Vandermark on sax and clarinet, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Nate McBride on bass and Tim Daisy on drums. McBride is also the bass player of Spaceways Inc., and Tim Daisy is the drummer of the Vandermark 5. Despite his incredible output of albums, Vandermark manages to keep the attention up. The pieces on this album are all composed but with room for improvisation, the search for new effects and sound combinations. Styles differ from more hesitant work, such as in Superleggera, over a more bop-oriented approach in Atlas, to funk with Nothing's Open, with McBride on electric bass. The sax and the clarinet search for each other, complement each other, respect each other. On the beautiful and slow "29 Miles of Black Snow", McBride brings a long solo, tenderly joined by Vandermark and Stein. On "A=A/b=b bass and clarinet start with a strong rhythmic intro, to be replaced after approx 4 minutes by drums and baritone sax : the same theme, different music. The song is closed by a powerful unisono line of the whole band. On the last piece, "Shatter", which is dedicated to guitar player Sonny Sharrok, McBride plays both distorted and non-distorted bass guitar, bringing noise rock elements, yet remaining composed and fresh. The band manages to keep up the high level of composition and performance throughout the album. Recommended.

Download on http://www.emusic.com/
More info :http://www.kenvandermark.com/

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Mathieu Bec/Michel Doneda - A Peripheral Time (FMR Records, 2019) ****½

By Fotis Nikolakopoulos 

As we object fetishists all do, I occasionally search and hunt down new material from artists that I really appreciate. Be it in the ever expanding Discogs database or just surfing the internet. It has proven fruitful in a number of occasions. Michel Doneda is one of those artists. Along a handful only other musicians he has explored, in every direction possible, the sonic possibilities of his instrument. He does not, in any way, confine himself between even the blurred lines of free improvisation, and is willing to explore and dynamics that shape the sounds he produces. Be it those coming from his instrument, those from the recording space and the interactions with other musicians.

Before A Peripheral Time, I wasn’t aware of Mathieu Bec’s work. What never ceased to impress me through is that for over an hour, his limited resources (only a snare drum) proved limitless in regards to sound. His raw, non-technique oriented approach makes him really unique. If there was not any image of him playing I would totally succumb to the idea of him (like a modern version of Paul Lytton) performing with a vast variety of drums and percussion instruments. Even though I consider Doneda a master of the sax, it’s Bec who attracts most attention on this recording.

This is an improvisational duo though, and the interaction is amazing. Bec uses a variety of approaches and Doneda follows eagerly with the same amount of passion. Their playing as a duo is pretty intense, employing 'a raw animistic approach,' as Bec himself describes it, and he is absolutely right. Sometimes it feels like it’s a battle between them. Even though the sheer volume is totally bearable, the levels of energy and pathos are high up in the stratosphere. Considering that all four tracks of the CD last more than ten minutes (with the titular track clocking just under half an hour) the intensity of their playing never fails the listener.

It seems always so difficult that, at some other points during this CD, they incorporate silence as a means of subverting themselves. It’s those moments, and their integration throughout A Peripheral Time, that convince me they are out on a search, not following one single path. Even though this path (high energy improv following a cohesive straight line) takes most of this CD’s time, they dare to change it, re-approach themselves and allow us to look for more. They take risks, do not take themselves so seriously, and present with clarity and pathos all the swifts and changes that real discoveries produce. They feel like this is an ongoing relationship with more audio fruits to come. We will be waiting.

@ koultouranafigo

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Solo bass

 By Stef Gijssels

We love solo bass albums, and it seems that they keep coming in great numbers. The overview below is indeed nothing more than that: an overview, a list that allows bass afficionados to be informed on new material and see what pleases them by clicking on the links. I think that I have not listened enough to each album to provide a star rating. 

Needless to mention it, but several of the albums have been recorded during lockdown moments across the world, from Argentina over Portugal to the United States and the United Kingdom. 

William Parker - Live Ateliers Claus (Les Albums Claus, 2021)

We will start with William Parker, who has already been very prolific lately. This album was recorded in June 2014 in the somewhat less known Ateliers Claus in Brussels, a concert venue with a very independent choice of artists in any genre or style. They have now started releasing albums with the strong recognisable visual approach (the photo of a tool against a white background). 

Parker offers us two very long improvisations, one of 37 and the other of 28 minutes. The first is a surprisingly calm piece for plucked bass, and the occasional spontaneous emergence of a steady rhythm never lasts long. On the second piece he takes his bow, and the intensity increase as does the pace of the music. 

Despite his huge output during his long career, William Parker has only released six solo albums, including this one: Testimony (1996), Lifting The Sanctions (1998), At Somewhere There (2010), Crumbling In The Shadows Is Fraulein Miller's Stale Cake (2011), Option Audio 005 (2018). 

Even if the album does not add much to his catalogue musically, fans will surely want to check it out. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

Gonçalo Almeida - Monologos A Dois (A New Wave Of Jazz , 2021) 

Portugese double bass player Gonçalo Almeida has been residing in Rotterdam for many years, performing with jazz musicians from both countries, and with lots of positive acclaim: Wilbert de Joode,  Martin van Duynhoven, Raoul van der Weide, Susana Santos Silva, Rodrigo Amado, Luis Vicente, to name just a few. He is also known from the very idiosyncratic music of bands like Albatre, Spinifex and Tetterapadequ, of which more can be found through our search engine.

This is his second solo album, after "Monologues Under Sea Level" (2015) presenting twelve improvised pieces of superb quality. His command on the instrument is strong as is his sense of keeping the listener's attention throughout the album. The title is called "Monologues for Two", suggesting that the artist and the instrument become one even if both have their own characteristics, equally suggesting that there should be a struggle or at least tension to make the two into one, although that does not really transpire through his music. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

Hernâni Faustino - Twelve Bass Tunes (Phonogram Unit, 2021)

We know Hernâni Faustino probably best from the wonderful RED Trio and many other ensembles. Type his name in the search engine on our blog and you'd be suprised how many albums show up. Primarily self-taught, Faustino's has his own approach, combining a natural lyricism with an equally natural sense of creating anticipation. The twelve pieces he serves us are quite intimate, with such a good production quality that you feel real close to the music, as if he's playing next to you. The pieces are varied, with slowly built narratives revolving around silence (as in Pertença Do Gato Grande), more abrasive and exploratory tracks (as in Luar) or the dark Com Venus. One of Faustino's greatest strengths is his capacity to build tension in every piece. 

This is his first solo album. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

Noah Punkt - Scene/ Yet Very (Otherunwise, 2020 & 2021) 

Noah Punkt is a Swiss avant-garde and jazz musician, active on double bass and programming. He has performed with musicians such Gerry Hemingway, Chris Pitsiokos, Christian Wolfarth, Bart Maris, Teun Verbruggen, Tim Daisy, Tobias Meier, Peter Van Huffel, Keefe Jackson, Tomeka Reed, Christoph Erb, Jacob Wick to name just a few.

"Scene" was recorded in Zürich between January and October of last year, so only partly affected by lockdown. "Yet Very" was released earlier this year. Both albums are of a completely different nature. 

"Scene" offers twelve relatively short tracks, all titled with one word, and presenting us intense, minimalist and repetitive bowed pieces, all very close to each other in terms of concept and scope, even if on the last pieces, the mesmerising sound become more distorted and moves towards noise. 

"Yet Very" consists of twelve tracks of each more than thirty minutes, each with a relatively long title. Interestingly, they're twelve renditions of the same musical piece, performed with minor variations. It will require some mental effort and energy to listen to it all in one go, but I don't think that was the artist's intention. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

Maximiliano Kirszner - Isla (Ears & Eyes Records, 2020)

"Isla" is the first solo album by Argentinan double bassist Maximiliano Kirszner, originally classically trained, after which he studied jazz, and he graduated at the Manuel de Falla Superior Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires. His recorded output is still limited, although he has played in several bepop ensembles, including a trio with trumpet player Enrique Norris and his own trio with Nataniel Edelman on piano and Fermín Merlo on drums. 

The album's title reflects the isolation of the corona lockdown, making the artist confront his instrument and his musical legacy, delving deep into the sounds, harmonies, rhythmic possibilities and structures of the genres he's familiar with, bridging modern classical idioms, jazz and avant-garde together to explore fresh new possibilities. He is not shy to use extended techniques to in order to get there. On a deeper human level, the story is his own, his personal experience and introspection. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

Dion Nijland - I Play Me (Trytone, 2021) 

Dutch double-bass player Dion Nijland is less known internationally. He has played in various jazz ensembles in the Netherlands (Talking Cows, De Bende van Drie, Dimami, Vanbinsbergen Playstation, ...). This is first solo album, on which he offers us 19 pieces, some as short as 38 seconds, and the longest 3.19 minutes, presenting interesting ideas that were collected over the years. The upside of this approach is that there is a lot of variation and the pleasure of listening to a whole array of inventive concepts, including some very rhythmic parts with accompanied vocalisations. On the downside there is no real development of the ideas or the chance for the listener to be fully immersed and part of what's happening.

Listen and buy from the label. 

Dominic Lash - Necessity (TakuRoku, 2020) 

I know, we already paid nice attention to British double bass player Dominic Lash, but hey, why not one more? In contrast to Gonçalo Almeida's "Monologos A Dois", this album could be called "Dialogue For One" because out of the "necessity" of Covid-19, the bassist accompanies himself on acoustic guitar, using recordings, so this is not a solo bass album in the strictest sense. It is unclear what was recorded first: the bass or the guitar, but that does not really matter: Lash is enjoying himself, and sharing his joy with us in delayed relay. The album is dedicated to bassis Simon Fell and guitarist John Russell. 

Enjoy!

Listen and buy from the label. 

Asger Thomsen - Solipsis (Polyjuxta Records, 2021) 

This is the third solo bass release by Danish bassist Asger Thomsen. We know him from his collaborations with Mia Dyberg on "Ticket!" (trio) and "Spejlrytme" (duo). 

What he does on "Solipsis" is uncompromising and that he deserves credit for this. His music is a very physical exploration of the possible sounds of his instrument, including extended techniques, and this in a coherent way (as in the opposite of experimental sounds for the fun of coming up with unheard noises) to create musical narratives. He uses his instrument as it is on all tracks, except for "Samsa", the longest piece for which he prepared his instrument, allowing to have multilayered sounds and different sonic dynamics. 

His music will not be to everyone's taste but you can only admire Thomsen's willingness to "go for it". 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

Nat Baldwin - Autonomia III - Endnotes (Tripticks Tapes, 2020)

American bassist Nat Baldwin has made it a speciality to release solo bass albums, with his first one, called "Solo Contrabass", dating from 2003. His stylistic scope ranges from singer songwriter over folk rock to avant-garde. Some of his solo albums showcase his songs, accompanied only by his bass. 

On the "Autonomia" trilogy, he takes his art deep into the minimalist avant-garde, reducing the sound of his instrument to repetitive, often monotonous and muted bows. His musical vision is quite singular and requires some effort to listen to. This will not be to everyone's taste, and that's a compliment. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

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Big Bold Back Bone - Emerge (Wide Ear Records, 2018) ****

By Derek Stone

Last year, Big Bold Back Bone released the perplexing and astonishing In Search of the Emerging Species. In that recording, the quartet scraped away the melodic and tonal associations of their respective instruments, often with unrecognizable results - Marco von Orelli’s trumpet became a sputtering tubule, a brassy extension of the lungs. Sheldon Suter’s prepared drums were a degraded pulse. Luis Lopes’s electric guitar crackled and fizzed. Travassos applied electronic noise in subtle strokes. That album revealed a group that was eager to tap into the raw physicality of the instrumentation they possessed; trumpets, guitars, drums, and analog electronics became alien artifacts that the players seemed to approach with equal parts curiosity and hesitation. 

Emerge, the group’s newest outing, finds them taking a similar, if more expansive, approach. One of the biggest changes lies in the presentation itself; instead of releasing one long track, they have split the album into several shorter ones. In Search of the Emerging Species (and it’s single track “Immerge”) was definitely not the most varied outing - nor did it need to be. With Emerge, on the other hand, the group have wisely decided to take a different approach, with the result that now they have given themselves the freedom to draw from different tonal palettes. While “Immerge” was a long-form exploration, with all the detours and circular movements that that implies, Emerge seems to be driven along by a more narrative flow.

As before, the players often seem to treat their instruments as bodily appendices, to be manipulated, fumbled with, and, at times, forced into odd contortions and tonal shapes. There are some surprises this time around, however. On “Tidings,” for instance, over an ominous wash of electronic scrapes and muffled percussion, von Orelli undertakes a brisk bebop solo. It’s jarring, like finding some decayed trace of human culture (a statue overgrown with moss, perhaps) in an otherwise barren wasteland. On the final piece, “Ground Found,” he takes a similar tack, darting minnow-like through the clouds of ink stirred up by Suter’s thunderous percussion, Lopes’s siren calls, and Travassos’s muted whirls. 

On other pieces, Big Bold Back Bone embrace the throbbing and minimal physicality that they utilized so well on their first release. “Silent Stream,” the opener, stays true to its title. Beneath von Orelli’s searching lines, Travassos’s electronics and Lopes’s guitar churn together, a pitch-black morass. “Sealust” cuts through this frothing mix of tones and textures and allows for the individual elements to be better discerned: Suter’s arrhythmic and clattering percussion, for instance, sounds like seashells being strewn along a rocky shore, while Von Orelli avoids full-throated phrasings entirely, opting instead for quiet gasps and spurts. 

Compared to the quiet intensity of the aforementioned pieces, the brief “Tentaculita” sounds absolutely gargantuan. Jagged shards of guitar and nervy, stop-start percussion propel the track forward; Travassos’s electronics shift tectonically underneath, while von Orelli veers between caustic expulsions and jittery cries. If the other pieces on Emerge came from trenches and geysers, “Tentaculita” is the sound of approaching the surface - predators and prey locked in a brutish dance. In its wake, “Mergulhador” (Portuguese for “diver”) is almost sublime. Lopes takes on a more skeletal and laconic approach, allowing Suter to fill up the empty space with loose clacks and peals that, despite how sparse they are, conjure up a great deal of tension. Von Orelli, meanwhile, offers up lines that are (for this recording, anyway) uncharacteristically melodious - they bob along in buoyant repose, belying the immense pressures underneath.

Emerge is sure to entrance fans of Big Bold Back Bone’s previous album, and it’s likely to win new fans as well. While it is by no means a turn towards accessibility, it is more digestible - perhaps due to the choice by the band to tackle shorter, more concise movements. Despite these “bite-sized” pieces, however, there is a sense of cohesion underlying the individual tracks, along with a sensation that you are being propelled forward by some ineluctable current. At the end, you may not feel that you’ve reached any destination at all - but you’re likely to find that the ride was well worth it. 

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Martin, Haynes and Driver: Freedman at Western Front (Barnyard Records, 2012) ***

By Martin Schray

One day, when Quentin Tarantino will shoot a remake of John Ford’s “The Searchers”, which will also be about a search party of righteous men, there will be a scene at a campfire out in the loneliness of the American prairie. The men are looking for the youngest daughter of a female left-wing African-American politician who was kidnapped by some KKK members to teach her a lesson. The area where they are is rather inaccessible, that’s why they have to use horses. The men had a hard and frustrating day, they do not know if they are on the right track and it’s been a while that they had left their beloved ones, so the mood is rather melancholy. Then the leader of the search party suggests that it would be great if someone could play some music but he guesses there were no instruments. Justin Haynes, one of the men, answers: “Well, actually I have a ukulele with me. I could play some songs.” “And I could use the little suitcase we found this morning as a drum kit,” Jean Martin, another member of the party, adds. “I have some bristles of a street sweeper. I could play on the edge of a table which would make a nice bass,” says another man called Ryan Driver. And then they start playing a crude way of swing, sometimes delightful, sometimes melancholic, and the others round the campfire fall in some kind of melancholia, smoking their cigarettes, longing for the good old days.

“Freedman at Western Front” is weird jazz music; however, the musicians are prominent figures of Toronto’s experimental music scene and they have chosen instruments that are deliberately makeshift which makes it possible to deconstruct the music. Thus, the trio exposes the bare skeleton of jazz and brings up new possibilities and provocations set upon them by the collective limitations of their tools. The band’s way of playing is relaxed and Haynes is a very skilled ukulele player. But the greatest surprise is Jean Martin, who articulates the notes so well with such a tiny piece of steel making it really sound like an upright bass. But he is not only trying to sound like an acoustic bass, he manages to create a lot of burpy, purring, and clanging noises you wouldn’t expect to come out of his instrument as well.

The trio plays the music of Myk Freedman, a jazz composer and lap-steel player for St. Dirt Elementary School (another project on Barnyard Records), and it is truly innovative. What makes this music so interesting is its immediacy, its banality and its minimalism.

The album is fun to listen to but in the end the concept does not last for a complete record, the novelty factor loses its fascination after a while. The music is tighter when the trio sticks to strict song structures like in “The Gunk Under Pretty Pebbles”, “Hay” or “Plants and Animals”, when they lose the grip on the songs (“Clicking with the Clique”) it gets a bit pretentious. Nevertheless an interesting approach.

You can buy it from the label barnyardrecords.com or download it from emusic.com.

Watch “The Gunk Under Pretty Pebbles”:


© stef

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Dennis Gonzalez’s Yells at Eels – In Quiet Waters (ForTune, 2014) ****

By Troy Dostert

On the most recent offering from the amazingly prolific Dennis Gonzalez, we get to hear him once again playing with his sons Stefan and Aaron.  This time, however, the trio plays on its own, without the guest musicians that have most typically characterized its recordings.  (Case in point: 2012’s terrific Resurrection and Life, which featured the ageless drumming legend Alvin Fielder)  Anyone worried that the group might be missing something with just the three of them holding down the fort can rest assured, since the musicianship on display here is truly first-rate.

The ten tracks offer a wide range of moods and styles, from the mysterious and open feel of “Lorca,” to the more conventional freebop of “Hymn for Julius Hemphill” and “Document for Walt Dickerson.”  Fans of Gonzalez may recognize the latter tunes as they were recorded previously, on 2006’s Boston Project and 2011’s Cape of Storms, respectively.  And they really are the highlights of the album, as the group stretches out and plays with a special fire and passion on these cuts.  It also helps that they are the two live tracks on the record, as the audience’s enjoyment of the music definitely spurs on the group.  The players utilize a lot of different instruments: drummer Stefan can sometimes be heard on marimba or vibes, for example, while bassist Aaron employs both electric and acoustic bass, and all three musicians jump in on various percussion instruments from time to time on the record.  The result is a recording which often feels like it’s been recorded by a larger band; there’s always plenty going on to hold one’s attention and to create moments of surprise. 

Holding it all together, of course, is the marvelous trumpet and cornet work of the senior Gonzalez, Dennis, whose lyricism and emotional depth are as apparent here as ever before.  While it can be a cliché, there is indeed a “spiritual” side to Gonzalez’ music that has always been a hallmark of his playing and his compositions as well; it’s not coincidental that he’s titled many of his pieces “hymns” over the years.  Gonzalez’ technical proficiency is great as always, but it’s the restless search for something deeper that helps him stand out as a trumpeter and musician.  And when all three players shout and whoop it up at the end of “Document for Walt Dickerson,” one realizes that there is a lot of joy in the search.

A worthy addition to a catalogue which has grown enormously over the past decade, and proof that the Gonzalez family is still going strong.  It’s a great thing to hear.

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Some Recent Solo Percussion

By Nick Ostrum

Scott Clark – This Darkness (Out of Your Head Records, 2021) ****

Apart from a few references on OOYH materials (he is involved with the label), I was largely unfamiliar with Scott Clark’s work. A quick search online, however, shows the drummer and composer has released a few albums as leader for Clean Feed (Bury My Heart and To Now), and he seems to have another ten or so releases under his belt. He is young, but seasoned. And, as This Darkness reveals, he has a striking musical maturity, evident in his patience and precision.

The Darkness is a departure for OOYH, which hitherto has released numerous more straightforwardly “free jazz” and contemporary composition/improv releases. On this album, the track titles are an excerpt from a Rilke poem, “Let this Darkness Be a Belltower,” a poem about perseverance and adaptation, finding one’s self and purpose in a period of gloomy uncertainty. The titles read: “Quiet friend/who has come so far/let this darkness/be a belltower/and you the bell.” Quite fitting for this loose verbal score, The Darkness is an album of gloom and gloam, but also of discovery and, toward the end, something approaching clarity. The sonic range extends from Quiet Friend, who evokes Kraftwerk’s quirky techno-ritualism to minimalist metallic clang and drum-set scrapes, rattles, and thuds to the final track, And you the Bell, which consists of tempered full-set work. As many solo percussion albums, The Darkness narrates a story, or trace a journey, in this case through tenebrous spaces.

The quarantine inspiration may seem obvious. However, recorded a year too early in May 2019, This Darkness seems to speak either of a more personal and intimate experience of the lugubrious, or of a wider, non-Covid shadow cast across the land. Either way, cue that fatalistically optimistic epic line from New Speedway Boogie: “One way or another, this darkness got to give.” This Darkness seems to be making a similar statement of resigned resilience albeit in a more abstract, amelodic shape.

This Darkness is available as a digital download and vinyl, which is currently being pressed.

 

Susie Ibarra – 7.11.19 (Otoroku, 2020) ****½

I had not listened to any new Susie Ibarra material since the mid-2000’s, when she went on hiatus from recording. A quick internet search indicates this break was brief, and, by the mid-2010’s, she was back on the scene. (Incidentally, this is around the time I caught her and Evan Parker on a magical night at the old Stone.) Ibarra had always stuck out to me as a drummer of unusual vision in the free jazz world. She had the chops, but she always seemed to be pulling her drums into a more progressive (prog minus the rock) direction than many of my favorite drummers who were happy to keep digging deeper into the jazz and clangorous avant-garde traditions.

Like Clark, Ibarra seems more interested in the development of the piece than virtuosic eruptions or catch-all machine-gun strafe. Instead, 7.11.19 undulates. I have listened several times now and the 40-plus minutes fly by. Or rather, time stretches. Or, something happens wherein I simply get lost in the performance. 7.11.19 has a time bending ceremony to it, but Ibarra takes the performance beyond the conventional repetition and layering with playing that is subtly commanding and varied, and affecting. This is no small feat. Although I love the idea of isolating an instrument and pushing it to its limits, solo percussion albums often appeal to me more in theory than in practice. Despite some strong efforts (and too many exceptions to name), they too often fall into the background for me after a few listens. This is not the case with Ibarra. She plays with unwavering concentration and meticulous attention to the details of textures and timbres that is all the more impressive given that, as far as I know, this is improvised. To be honest, I am not sure what exactly Ibarra does differently than others, here. Maybe it is her confident restraint, and attention to bricolage as process rather than product. Maybe it is her still firm free jazz chops, which inform her playing more than adorn it. Whatever it is, Ibarra’s got it. Just take a listen.

7.11.19 is available as a digital download via the Otoroku shop. https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/shop/susie-ibarra-71119/

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John Hughes - Sunday Interview

Photo by Cristina Marx/Photomusix

1.  What is your greatest joy in improvised music?
   
   Joy is subjective. I hope to experience joy in life, on a daily basis. The idea of feeling any emotion in the present tense is contradictory to what I hope to share and experience in a free improvised musical setting. If I were to name one attribute of music-making which I find particularly rewarding, it would be the shared experience. That hopefully transcends any singular perception of joy, any emotion, or triggered reaction. It is that myriad of thought and feeling balling together and unraveling, not from any singular person or source, but from everyone present who is engaged in the moment, (audience members included!) which seems to be most palpable in free improvised concerts and events.
   
   
2. What quality do you most admire in the musicians you perform with?
   
   There is no single quality or characteristic which every musician I work with shares. I'm extremely grateful to have met very distinct individuals, each of whom seems to be saying something in a unique voice. All of the musicians, who I make a concerted effort to continue working with, are extremely dedicated to what they are doing.
   
   
3. Which historical musician/composer do you admire the most?
   
   Sun Ra
   
   
4. If you could resurrect a musician to perform with, who would it be?
   
   Rolf Pifnitzka. Rolf was one of the first musicians I met after moving to Hamburg, and we played together - sometimes on a regular basis, other times sporadically - over many years. Rolf was unpredictable, full of energy, and could be extremely provocative - in the truest sense of the word. Our last band together was Piho Hupo, with Jörg Hochapfel and Chad Popple. I would love to play one last, very long, concert together with Piho Hupo.
   
   
5. What would you still like to achieve musically in your life?
   
   Thankfully, I don't feel the need to get "better" at being myself. I'm fortunate enough to work with so many musicians that I don't ever feel like I stop learning. I'd like to be able to pay my bills, debts, still have the liberty of having a day off now and then, and even be able to take the odd trip back home every other year. I'm grateful for time to practice the double bass, so that's definitely a benefit of not having too many "gigs". The downside is the precariousness of my financial situation, which can be a bit taxing.
   
   
6. Are you interested in popular music and - if yes - what music/artist do you particularly like?
   
   For some reason, most popular music I gravitate to is either from another time or another place. I have a few students who keep me engaged in the search; sometimes they need to learn some song, and I'd prefer to give them something I don't know yet, so we can share the learning experience. I had the great pleasure of working in Hamburg with musicians from Brazil and Syria, also playing popular music. I have been enjoying internet radio from around the world, but I don't search for any particular artist, more for different countries or regions. The radio in the kitchen here is on in the morning, but nine times out of ten, I couldn't tell you who is singing.
   
   
7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
   
   I'd like to own a German driver's license. A driver’s license costs more than 3000 Euros here. Truly, a privilege reserved for the wealthy. I got my NY driver's license in... I think 1988, for 30$.
   
   
8. Which of your albums are you most proud of?
   
   I'm happy the new Gravelshard CD has been released. It was a lot of work and a huge collective investment on the part of my bandmates! I still like the duo with Alberto Braida on Broken Research, which is quite old in terms of free music (2004). There have been more releases in the last few years that I'm also grateful to have been a part of, and I even started a Bandcamp page in hopes of reaching more listeners.
   
   
9. Once an album of yours is released, do you still listen to it? And how often?
   
   If it's an album I've released myself, I've probably heard it many, many times in order to get the sound right. I'm grateful to work with an excellent and opened-minded engineer here. Once an album is finally released, I back away from it for some time, maybe even years. If a friend is staying the night here, I may play them something current; or maybe we'll just trade CDs and I'll add theirs to my stockpile.
   
   
10. Which album (from any musician) have you listened to the most in your life?
    
    There are a few albums, tapes, and CDs which have had a hypnotizing effect on me. "Reign in Blood" by Slayer; "Double Nickels on the Dime" by the Minutemen, "The Complete Genius of Modern Music" the Blue Note 4 CD box set of Thelonious Monk. I once spent an entire summer listening to "The Trance of Seven Colors" (Maleem Mahmoud Ghania & Pharoah Sanders) every day, after work, on my balcony in Baltimore. It's hard to say which album I've heard most, but I'd guess the double album release of "Angels and Demons at Play / The Nubians of Plutonia" by Sun Ra & His Myth Science Arkestra. It was one of those rereleases that came out on Evidence in the early 90's featuring two of the original Saturn LPs on a single CD format. That was the first one I found and I was mesmerized by what I heard.
    
    
11. What are you listening to at the moment?
    
    The birds in our garden. Last night, I just listened to Mars Williams and Vasco Trilla's excellent duo CD "Critical Mass". One from the stockpile. It's always tragic to find out about a crucial artist after they've left this plane of existence. Such is it with Mars! His playing on Critical Mass is intense, and he's moving from instrument to instrument in a completely natural manner. The level of communication and flow with Vasco is transcendent.
    
    
12. What artist outside music inspires you?
    
    Any artist who continues to make art, despite the hardships of life, and isn't hateful or hurtful is inspirational. Nature is inspiration. The wind. The sea. Trees. Unfortunately, I haven't been to a museum in a while, but have spent time recently visiting my friend Rüdiger Tillmann's exhibitions; whose illustrations of forests inspired the cover art of the Gravelshard release. Rüdiger's meticulous attention to detail is remarkable.
    
    

 John Hughes on the Free Jazz Blog:

• Frank Paul Schubert, Olaf Rupp, Lothar Ohlmeier - Entropy Hug (Not Applicable, 2024)
• Lina Allemano - Canons (Lumo Records, 2023)
• Ove Volquartz, Gianni Mimmo, Peer Schlechta & John Hughes - Cadenza Del Crepuscolo (Amirani, 2023)
• Andrew Raffo Dewar, John Hughes, and Chad Popple - Reflejos IV-VII (Waveform Alphabet, 2023)
• Two new releases by guitarist Olaf Rupp
• Piho Hupo - Foump (Indigo, 2014) ****

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