Transmit - Radiation (MonotypeRec, 2015) ****

By Paul Acquaro

Radiation begins with an aggressive bass-line and a forceful thrust of percussion in a slightly odd-meter groove. Then distorted wah of a guitar joins, followed by the growl of the organ, leading us into the type of post-apocolyptic sonic landscape reminiscent of the Tony William's Lifetime circa Emergency. The group however is Transmit and is collective energy of percussionist/guitarist Tony Buck, bassist James Welburn, drummer Brendan Dougherty and keyboardist Magda Mayas.

The follow up, 'Two Rivers' is another journey, dark, serious and mysterious. Where you begin and where you end doesn't even matter, it's what you experience in between. Here texture dominates, the organ spills tantalizingly over everything. The group sound (there are no solos, just a river of music) is complex, fraught with tension and utterly absorbing.

The deconstruction of The Car's 'Drive' from Heartbreak City, is beautiful. It rolls out with a mesmerizing slowness that creeps along as the lyrics unfold. This track is followed up by chime of tiny bells in 'Swimming Alone'. This musical center-piece is well worth the slow build - first to the peculiar and delicate vocals, then to the fantastic post-rock climax, and finally back to some closing tiny bells.

Radiation is an excellent avant-rock album oozing with atmosphere and a dark and somewhat psychedelic vibe.

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GOING II "Machinery" (Silentwater, 2015) ****½

Reviewed by Joe

This is one of those very special records, although this may be a 4.5 star review, there's no doubt it's a five star listen. This is a record that crosses many boundaries and certainly guaranteed to make you not only sit up and listen but also rock around the room (if played loud enough). GOING a Belgian based group, has a skeletal line up which packs a big punch, 2 drummers, Joao Lobo and Mathieu Calleja, and 2 keyboards/synths/objects (and plenty of effects) are Giovanni Di Domenico and Pak Yan Lau. The sound that they come up with could be loosely post-rock, but also closely allied to improvised music (sound wise). To top that off they have a description on their website describing themselves as a "[..] psychedelic groove band".

The album consists of two beautifully organised pieces. The first side/track "Red Machinery" develops slowly from sparse drums and keyboard sounds into repetitive figures and a complex interlocking groove. The combinations of rhythmic patterns are at the heart of this composition, the melodic seed is simple but varies slightly to blend into (and with) the various patterns. You could 'think' of Chicago group 'Tortoise' for a reference, GOING tap into the same area, overlapping rhythms and rock beats, mixing some great experimental sounds and repetitive riffs, its a delightful combination and very addictive!

The second piece "Blue Machinery", has a slightly harder edge. Its brooding atmosphere and constant recurring single note pattern give this a urgent edgy quality. One feels the piece may brake, at any moment, into a up-tempo groove, but the group hold the music back in a way to produce tension. Minimal solo lines give the track just the right balance between a groove and melody, allowing the music to evolve naturally.

The clever combination of two keyboards/effects and two drummers really gives the music plenty of space, and the lack of a bass to drive the group is actually what gives it the group its pure sound. There are plenty of details to hear within the recording due to this combination and the different paths taken by each instrumentalist. There are no real soloists, just co-operative group made music.      

This is a vinyl release, with one track per side, although it's possible to buy a digital version. I received the music on sound-files and I have to say that it seemed (in my humble opinion) a great medium to host this excellent music, as I found myself listening to the two tracks as one long evolving piece.  

This is certainly a highly recommended release, and easily accessible to many people interested in either jazz, rock, electronica and the minimalism of post Steve Reich's world. Anyone interested should quickly head over to their website as this is a limited edition of 300 odd copies.

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Johannes Frisch and Kammerflimmer Kollektief (Day 2)

Kammerflimmer Kollektief: Désarroi (Staubgold, 2015) *****

By Martin Schray

The first thing you have to know is that this album is really good. Not in the sense as many albums reviewed here (which are also good and recommendable) - this album is outstanding, excellent, amazing, wonderful. It is simply splendid.

Kammerflimmer Kollektief’s mastermind Thomas Weber started this project almost 20 years ago. His roots are in the alternative rock scene but after the split of his first band he began to make music with samples and loops. After several changes in the line-up of Kammerflimmer Kollektief, today’s group came up – with Weber on guitar and electronics, Heike Aumüller on harmonium and electronics and Johannes Frisch on double bass.

One of the fascinating things about Kammerflimmer Kollektief is that their music is hard to pigeonhole. It contains elements of surf music, free jazz, ambient sounds, alternative rock, dub reggae, pop (to name just a few influences) - my friend Ernst calls it “free ambient”. In general their approach is a clash of pre-fabricated loops, samples and notated structures with improvised parts. Weber brings in these ideas and then the band improvises over them, the jams are recorded and then he puts them together, he edits the results before the musicians start working with this new material again. So the songs are like collages, after they are ready the band lets them rest and then listens to them again to check if they still work after a certain time – very often just to change things again. This leads to different transitions and sounds, even to new instrumentations. Sometimes the results are quite different after such a check-up.

Kammerflimmer Kollektief have released marvelous albums before (s. below) but Désarroi is their masterpiece so far. The reason for it is simple: it’s their freest piece of work, an album which is wonderfully balanced between a basic psychedelic atmosphere and angular, atonal improvisation, something Johannes Frisch is mainly responsible for because his bass is free from creating a pulse (the loops are responsible for that). Désarroi (French for confusion, disorientation, despair) indeed is confusing and disturbing, under a smooth surface (Weber’s guitar reminds of Angelo Badalamenti’s work for David Lynch) Frisch’s bass is rumbling, creaking and scratching and Heike Aumüller’s harmonium augments the sombre and gloomy atmosphere.

All in all Désarroi is a melting pot of biker rock guitars, Nico’s late albums, Pink Floyd psychedelia (in their Ummagumma days) – as if William Parker was jamming with Lee Scratch Perry and Velvet Underground. It’s a clash of a world we know with the unknown. This idea is most obvious in “Evol Jam: Edit”. The liner notes describe the track wonderfully: “Aumüller sings “the more you love, the more you can love” until her syntax deteriorates and her language dissolves, blurring into musical passages and sounds, and finally returning to her initial structure of singing.” This love Aumüller sings about is the music itself – it comes from a certain order, then it transgresses these boundaries, gets lost, tries to find new ways, maps them, and comes back to the beginning.

And in this world of love/music there is always space for pure beauty: The icing on the cake is the cover version of the old S.Y.P.H. song “Zurück zum Beton” (“Back to Concrete”), an early German punk rock classic. While the original is raw and edgy, a song where the anger about the cheesy romantic notions of nature is tangible, Kammerflimmer Kollektief’s version is full of melancholia. It’s their notion of an art form in which the musicians are builders, aural sculptors of a modern world – it’s the collective as creators.

Listen to ”Désarroi #1: Mayhem“ here:



Listen to “Zurück zum Beton” and watch Bernd Schoch’s brilliant video here:

Further Kammerflimmer Kollektief recommendations:

Teufelskamin (Staubgold, 2011) **** ½
This collection of songs is Kammerflimmer Kollektief’s winter album. In the middle of an icy landscape they have built an igloo which keeps you warm and provides shelter from the snow storms outside. There is an immense beauty in these tracks, the guitar layers are sparkling and Aumüller sounds like a dark fairy incarnation of Björk, Nico and Jeanne Lee. Very spooky!

Wildling (Staubgold, 2010) **** ½
Wildling is an album which is dominated by tenderness, vulnerability and a very laid-back groove (e.g. in “Silver Chords”). It contains some of the band’s best songs like the 13-minute-epic “In Transition (Version)” where they short-circuit dub reggae material with Ry Cooder guitars, Doors keyboards and atonal harmonium riffs, or the reduced psychedelia monster “There’s a Crack in Everything”. An album that works best when you play it loud at 4 a.m. in the morning (with headphones) in order to doze off or to sober up.

Jinx (Staubgold, 2007) ****
Jinx is music that could work for a remake of David Lynch’s mystery series “Twin Peaks“ if it was settled in the Texan desert. The cinematic quality they have always had is interspersed with free jazz saxophones, xylophones, pedal steel guitars – however, possible esoteric hints are immediately destroyed. Maybe this is their idea of country jazz (“Live at the Cactus Tree Motel”) or how “Riders on the Storm” can be integrated in a jazz surrounding (“Jinx”).

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Marc Ducret - Tower-Bridge (Ayler Records, 2014) ****

Review by Joe

For all of those who haven't heard Marc Ducret's Tower series, now is maybe the time to start. This record represents the last instalment of an incredible journey through many musical territories, yet with one musical thread tying them together, that of Marc Ducret's original musical thinking. Tower-Bridge is the fifth, and supposedly last part of the series (see below) which took as its inspiration Vladimir Nabokov's novel Ada. There are copious liner notes - as liner notes throughout the various volumes - which give some explanations to the connection between the music and the book, but for this short review it is suffice to quote the Ayler Record's presentation which states, "[t]he music [is] composed to convey Nabokov's text complex structure and writing process"¹.

Although I reviewed several albums from the series - digital versions sent by Ayler records - so I haven't seen the covers.  However, I did get a hard copy of this latest record. I'll mention the music shortly but the packaging of this disc merits a detour. The album is made up of double CD, with triptych folding sleeve, a small booklet with extracts from Nabokov's Ada, and an interesting fold-out with some notes from Ducret - which include a score of his composition Real thing #3. A last bonus is quite a crowd draw, access to exclusive video content, a 23 minute film by Sylvain Lemaire titled Tower in the Mist. I won't tell you what's on the film, after all that would only spoil the surprise! So, what can I say except buying a 'physical' copy is well worth the money.

The music on the album is taken from two live concerts recorded in Strasbourg in 2012, producing around a 100 minutes of music over the two CDs. Like the previous albums, this recording re-examines pieces from the 'tower' series. An example such as sur l'électricité (tk1 CD1), has been presented in two formats. The first time was on volume two with Tim Berne: alto saxophone; Dominique Pifarély: violin and Tom Rainey on drums, along with Ducret on guitar. The second time was on volume four (an excellent album), where Ducret performed a selection of these pieces in solo format on acoustic guitar.² The appeal of Tower-Bridge lies more in the extended performances of these pieces, and of course the line extended up that performs them. The musicians, 12 in all, are the sum of all the albums in the series, forming a sort of mini big-band. This produces plenty of sparks and some fine music with powerful solos supported by tight ensemble playing.

If you haven't heard Marc Ducret's music before and you're open to rock meets free-jazz meets Zappa meets contemporary classical music, then you'll love this. There's plenty of dynamic interaction between the musicians. Ducret has a knack in providing action-packed pieces, his rhythmic concept often develops around tight interlocking contrapuntal lines to produce long melodies which have a logic of their own. He also loves to use dissonance as a tool, combining it with rhythm in a powerful combination.

There is so much on this record it would be impossible to delve into each piece. A few highlights include Tim Berne's inimitable alto leading the way on sur l'électricité (tk1 CD1). This track has a lot of information, a great theme, and plenty of muscular interludes with several gripping solos. The fantastical atmospheres conjured up in Real thing #1 (tk2 CD1) builds around a succession of duet/trio sections leading gradually to feature for the violin of Dominique Pifarély. Track 3 (CD1), real thing #2 has a wonderful strident solo from Kasper Tranberg (trumpet) who manages to ride over the heavy rocking ensemble, punctuated by powerful piano chord clusters. Softly her tower crumbled into the Sweet Silent Sun (tk1 CD2) flies out of the speakers like an angry neighbour shouting. The final track of the album L'Ombra di Verdi (tk3 CD2) produces a mysterious theme in the closing half which hangs somewhere between a film noir theme and a 6/8 rock ballad.

What else can we say about such a great record? I guess that if you haven't heard Ducret before this is a good place to start, there's fine compositions and performances all here. And, if you like this then you'll need no encouragement to look into his work even further. As for Marc Ducret fans, if you haven't got this one, buy it!

The website says this is a limited edition of 1000. 

Here's a video of the group live. The recording is more 'centred' sound-wise, but here you get some idea of the groups sound, and size. If you look for Ducret's Tower-bridge project on Youtube you'll find plenty of other examples. 

The musicians on this record are: Kasper Tranberg - trumpet; Dominique Pifarély - violin; Tim Berne - alto saxophone; Matthias Mahler - trombone; Fidel Fourneyron - trombone; Alexis Persigan - trombone; Frédéric Gastard - bass saxophone; Antonin Rayon - piano; Sylvain Lemêtre - percussion,vibraphone, xylophone, marimba; Tom Rainey - drums; Peter Bruun - drums and Marc Ducret - electric guitar

Other albums in the Tower-bridge series:
Tower, vol. 1, Tower, vol. 2, Tower, vol. 3, Tower, vol. 4

¹ http://www.ayler.com/marc-ducret-tower-vol-1.html, accessed Sept. 6, 2014.
² It's interesting to add that volume four is the only record that has pieces unique to that record. There are a few pieces which are re-examined from the other volumes, however, tracks: From a Distant Land; Sisters; Ada; ... A Distand Land; Sybil Vane, and Electricity (by Joni Mitchell), are to be found only on this album.  

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N.E.W: Motion (Dancing Wayang Records, 2014) ****½

Reviewed by Joe

N.E.W. equals Steve Noble, John Edwards and Alex Ward. I thought this was their debut release, but if you look at the comments section (below) you'll notice this their 4th release. Anyhow, "Motion" is one killing album. Firstly, just to clear up and any misunderstandings, Alex Ward, normally known as a clarinettist, is playing guitar on this record. Steve Noble - drums, has played with Rip Rig and Panic, Derek Bailey, Matthew Shipp, Peter Brötzmann and about everybody (whose anybody) on the UK free-jazz scene. John Edwards, whom you'll find liberally throughout this blog, is one of the UK's top bass players on the improv' scene. Add those elements together and that means that this is a free-jazz-rock-thrash-metal-noise-swing-impro trio, what more can you want?

Right from the very start the trio launches straight into hard hitting improvised rock. There's no gentle introduction to this trio, they fire off all guns immediately and then don't stop until the end of the album 5 tracks later. For anyone familiar with those great improvised sections in King Crimson's music, then this could be (sort of) the next step in the musical process. The guitar playing of Alex Ward reminds me of the style that Fripp used back in those early Crimson days, although here Alex gets a chance to push boundaries in other directions.

The music focuses around Ward's guitar which points the trio in the different directions. He winds his way through hard rock and even jazzy ideas on "Betting on Now" (tk1). Here Noble and Edwards support him with swinging drums and walking bass lines. In "Tall & True"(tk3) Steve Noble and John Edwards jump in with some manic rhythms, leaving Alex to gradually creep in with chunky riffing power chords to 'rock' the group.

"4th and Three" (tk4), the longest piece on the album (10 minutes) builds from a tremolo idea. The band spends plenty of time exploring space and rhythm, but as the music progresses the guitar gradually steels in with some slide (?) playing, squealing into high registers, whilst the bass and drums rock away - reminding me of some of Rip, Rig and Panic's musical outings. On "Motion" (tk5), the group bring many of the ideas heard on previous pieces together - silent sections, powerful guitar sounds, hard hitting drums and bass. What makes it all so listen-able is the way they develop the ideas 'tonally', and although there's plenty of sonic probing they always use rhythm or melody as a focal point - if you call distorted bashed chords melodic? 

Lastly I should mention the label Dancing Wayang. They produce a very small amount of releases and this is a 300 limited edition LP, as are all their records. Anna (Tjan), the founder of the label tells me that the first 100 copies include a bonus 3" CDR of the band live, so if you're interested, don't hang about!

Highly recommended - could be a good one for all those who like air-guitar also!

Find (and buy) the record here Dancing Wayang Records

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Round-Up: Fighter Planes & Praying Mantis, Arson and Graceless

A set of new releases on OutNow showcases adventurous musicianship and diverse styles...

By Paul Acquaro

Alex Weiss - Fighter Planes & Praying Mantis (OutNow, 2013) ****

Saxophonist Alex Weiss' Fighter Planes & Praying Mantis is a peculiar mix. Layered post-rock, ambient and melodic horn arrangements, and at times hard-core vocals and pounding rhythms, all come together to create an odd and beautiful creature.

For example, the hefty '$ Mrdan' is a feedback drenched, atonal tour de force. Ches Smith's arhythmic percussion and Eyol Maoz' guitaristic mayhem is balanced by the lyrical calm of Rick Parker's trombone and the exotic sounds of Mark Hodos' birimbau. Another piece in this style, 'Glacier', as the name suggests, moves slowly but scours all in its path.

Taking a different tact, the tune 'Filler' has intense hardcore vocals. Not a genre that I'm versed in, all I can say is that the vocals and the lyrics certainly strike a defiant pose. "Get Carter Theme" is a fun number that Dmitry Ishenko holds it together on acoustic bass. It's much more hard-bop than hard-core, and is a fun reprieve before the eviscerating title track. The album wraps up with Weiss playing guitar and singing a dark spiritual tune, 'Angel of Death', which, as you may guess, is about final judgement. What a closer!


Denman Maroney & Hans Tammen - Arson (OutNow, 2013) ***½

Arson is a collections of improvisations between the hyperpiano and endangered guitar, and one that continues the long lasting musical relationship of  Denman Maroney and Hans Tammen. The instruments, as indicated by their names, extend the possibilities of the duo's sound and make for some really interesting electro-acoustic combinations. Be sure to check out the links above to find out a bit more about the instruments themselves.

The first track 'Dynamo Meat' advances along with a groove akimbo, Tammen's guitar collides with Maroney's piano in unusual Harry Partch like interactions. The follow up 'Harmony Dame' is more atmospheric, with neither instrument playing a traditional role. The sound collage and off-kilter grooves return on 'Demon Stream', a very strong track that features tinkling in the extreme registers of the piano, while the middle register acts as percussion and Tammen's modified sounds swirl about.

Arson is an intoxicating concoction of ideas and approaches, from the strong opening to the noisy closing track and textural pieces like 'Amnesty Dharma' and 'Ornamenta' in between. The recording is a challenging but rewarding journey.


Yoni Kretzmer / 66 Boxes - Graceless (OutNow, 2013) ****½

Yoni Kretzmer's sax playing covers a wide spectrum, from the traditional to the territory mapped out by Coltrane and Ayler. Capturing this range, his compositions are inventive sketches that his group fleshes out with some sublime improvisation.

The group, 66 Boxes, is a quartet comprised of cellist Daniel Levin, guitarist Eyal Maoz and drummer Andrew Drury. The instrumental range, especially between Levin's cello and Maoz's wild assortment of sounds, gives Kretschmer a wide palette to choose from, and he does so with aplomb.

Graceless is an great collection of songs that kicks off energetically with the rapidly building 'Basement Song'. The saxophonist spins elliptical lines and eventually ramps up to some gut wrenching blasts of energy. Maoz's guitar is an explosion of effects and sounds, and following the tunes climax, Levin follows up with a plaintive melody. The following track, 'New Dilemma', begins as a set of fragmented interactions between the players before coalescing around Kretzmer's free form melody. 'Leaving It To The End ' sports a solid riff that the group holds down while Maoz stretches out with his utterly unique sonic smears and textures. Atmosphere and extended techniques take over in 'One One', a 20 minute piece that delicately, and at times aggressively, exemplifies the diversity of the recording.

Check them out: http://outnowrecordings.bandcamp.com/

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Marc Ducret: Tower Vol.3 (Ayler, 2013) ***½

Reviewed by Joe

I've kind of lost my way a bit with the Marc Ducret "Tower" series. We haven't reviewed them all here but a quick look on the Ayler site tells me that "Tower Vol.1" must have been out in 2011, followed by "Vol. 2" later in the same year. We reviewed "Tower Vol.4", a solo performance which appeared in 2012 and now we have "Tower Vol.3", which was recorded before volume four! I should add that according to the Ayler website this may not be the end of the story ... more volumes to appear? Most of the titles are re-interpreted over the four albums, although not every one and not the same order on each CD - look at the Ayler website to make the comparison over the four records.

If you've heard Marc Ducret's music before you'll already have a fair idea of what this record may sound like (musically). Over the years he's built up this very interesting mixture of free jazz and atonal jazz rock that gives at times an almost contemporary classical tinge to his compositions. Working with various brass combinations he makes some highly sophisticated modern day fanfare music - obviously a little more complex than your average marching band. I was really struck by one of his earlier releases "Le Sens de la Marche", a very strong punchy record recorded (as many of his records) live with his ensemble of the same name. This album sort of follows in the same vein except here we have no drums, something that you don't really think about until reading over the list of musicians. Ducret has an amazing way of presenting his music, not unlike someone such as Steve Reich, he is able to combine instrument combinations and lines which together make melody out of rhythm. His use of marimba/xylophone/vibes player (Sylvain Lemêtre) adds to the strong pulse of the music, and helps strengthen the almost Zappa-esque atonal type melodic lines. These drive the music but leave space for a soloist(s) to "do their thing", and do it they indeed do! 
   
It would be difficult to pick out 'the' best tracks, Ducret's music just doesn't work like that. However, it is possible to cite a few sections on the album that somehow stand out. "Real Thing #2" (tk2) has some amazing moments (texturally). After fighting through some dense melodic and rhythmic music the band lapses into a fantastic coda, percussion, bells, tambourine (?), vibes, all combine with the long melody creating an almost Sergio Leone type western music full of tension. "Real Thing #3" (tk3) starts off with huge dissonant brass chords which gradually lead us towards a strange section which sounds not unlike these enormous Tibetan brass horns that sound together across the Himalayas. Finally "Softly Her Tower Crumbled in the Sweet Silent Sun" uses silence as a melody. Strongly hit chords are left to fade away leaving empty spaces. Gradually Ducret introduces one of his long dense contrapuntal melodies, brass, vibes, guitar, piano all move around each other ending up in overlapping notes that create dissonant chords like a scene in a horror film, most tense.

From the sound of  Marc Ducret's music I can imagine him listening to Tim Berne and Frank Zappa, but at the same time his compositional approach also has strong elements of 'spectral' music such as that of Jonathan Harvey. His music really seems to dig inside sound itself and yet manages to stay accessible. For anyone interested in jazz, improvised music, rock and of course maybe contemporary classical music this is fine album which I find reveals new ideas and nuances with each listen.

The line up on this album: Marc Ducret - electric guitar, Fidel Fourneyron - trombone, Sylvain Lemêtre - vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, percussion, Matthias Mahler - trombone, Alexis Persigan - trombone, Antonin Rayon - piano, celesta.

You can  purchase it at instantjazz.com. 

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Body/Head - Coming Apart (Matador, 2013) ****

A Deep Listening Review 2/2

By Martin Schray

When Sonic Youth broke up due to Kim Gordon’s and Thurston Moore’s separation many long-time fans were shocked fearing that the band would split for good and – worst case scenario – the band members would be in a state of shock which would affect solo releases as well. As it turns out just the opposite has happened. State of affairs is that Sonic Youth has just been put on ice and that the band members pursue other projects: Moore has launched duos with Mats Gustafsson, an album with his band Chelsea Light Moving, collaborations with Bill Nace and Joe McPhee and soon there will be an album with John Zorn (among other projects), Lee Ranaldo released a very beautiful solo album, Steve Shelley has joined Disappears and Kim Gordon has been focusing on Body/Head, her noise guitar duo with Bill Nace.

Gordon and Nace started Body/Head as a pure instrumental project, but in the meantime she has also started to sing (which is very close to spoken word here). Although the music is still largely improvised, they have begun to write actual songs as well and the result is that Coming Apart is the album which - of all the projects listed above - is the one that stands closest in the Sonic Youth tradition, at least in the one of their more adventurous recordings.

The last two (and by far the longest) tracks of Coming Apart show where the project started and in which direction it has evolved. The beginning of “Black” is a massive guitar-feedback-drone that reminds of the enormous, self-indulgent outro of Sonic Youth’s “The Diamond Sea” and their live orgies of the Daydream Nation days when then they crashed their instruments into each other. Then Gordon’s blurry, indistinct vocals drop in, finally quoting Nina Simone’s “Black is the color of my true love’s hair”. “Frontal”, the final piece, presents her drowsy and warped lyrics in front of echoing, repetitive guitar samples, an alternative art rock riff and shredded fragments. It is a broken atmosphere which is created here, Kim Gordon sounds like a lost soul reciting violent fantasies.

The first part of the album is more song-orientated. Gordon and Nace meander through bumpy rock songs like “Can’t help you”, minimal one-chord compositions like “Aint” that sound like The Doors’ “The End”, intimate vocals/electro miniatures like “Murderess” or classic monotonous Kim-Gordon-Sonic-Youth album tracks like “Abstract”.

It’s not an easily accessible album, in spite of the Sonic Youth similarities. Voice and lyrics are agonizing sometimes, but it is a healing agony, though. I adore Kim Gordon, and I guess I always will.

Coming Apart is available as a double LP and single CD.

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Body/Head – Coming Apart (Matador, 2013) ****

A Deep Listening Review 1/2

By Tom Burris

One arpeggio electric guitar chord plays throughout the opening track while Kim Gordon's ghostly voice speak-sings “I can only think of you in the abstract” repeatedly.  The other guitar drones on one note, goading the singer toward the abyss.  It sets the pace nicely and braces the listener for the impending psychedelic sundown. 

Up to this point, Body/Head has released purely improvised recordings exclusively.  With Coming Apart, the formula changes a bit but the chemistry is the same.  They've chopped up their two-guitar skeletal sketches into song-sized chunks while retaining the looseness of their overall approach.  They've also refined their music for their Matador debut, their first recording that hasn't seen a limited release.  (It's also the only record they've released that's still in print.)  There are overdubs here, but they are kept to a minimum.  There is more of an architectural base present, but the general feeling is that the droning jams were molded into songs after the initial recording process, making Coming Apart function as a kind of  anorexic yin to Royal Trux's Twin Infinitives' dense yang. 

I bought this record on release day (last Tuesday) & the clerk asked me who I thought was going to have the best post-Sonic Youth band.  I said my money was on Body/Head, but that the Thurston Moore / John Moloney record was really good too.  Body/Head is certainly the most interesting project.  Kim is playing guitar in this band.  No bass.  Bill Nace normally plays guitar sitting on a chair, scraping and “preparing” the strings with pieces of wood and metal.  If you 're into serious noise guitar, Nace is your man.  In Body/Head he stands, mostly picking the strings like a regular dude.  And it still sounds boss. 

Lyrically, it's psychologically dark but creatively playful enough to be haunting without being creepy.  Musically, those two guitars are kept separated in the mix so you get Bill in one channel and Kim in the other.  You will not miss drums.  This is the duo that got Ikue Mori to play an acoustic drum kit for the first time in decades at a recent gig; so the fact that they took the purist route and left this recording percussion-free should be commended.  The purity of vision and/or the willpower to pass up the temptation to ask Ikue to play on these sessions (when they probably could have done so) is certainly more than could be expected from just about anybody making challenging guitar-based music.

On “Everything Left”, Gordon has overdubbed three separate vocal tracks, giving a slightly schizophrenic impression over long sustained guitar drones.  “Aint” is a post-noise-rock cover/salute to Nina Simone.  “Black” is a hypnotic and majestic post-everything cover/salute to Patty Waters, but the intensity Waters gave “Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair” is expressed by Nace, not by Gordon's vocal, as he coaxes what honestly sounds like a one-man Metal Machine Music out of his amp!  On “Frontal,” Gordon sings “I feel so weak / so stupid too” as the music runs through several changes, culminating in a collage of feedback loop (from Nace), a 2-note loop (from Gordon) and a one-note drone on the bottom string of Gordon's guitar.  It is beautiful and intense in the way that “Venus In Furs” is beautiful and intense, but from the viewpoint of the bottom instead of the top.

Coming Apart is the sound of a band that can be pensive and confident, tentative and all-in, simultaneously.  Sensitive and aggressive, smart and dumb, beautiful and ugly, yin / yang, body / head. 

Watch:

Listen here.

You can buy from  Instantjazz.com.

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Mere - Mere (Gizeh, 2012) ****

Guitar Week

By stef

.. post-jazz post-rock psychedelic cinematic hypnotic repetitive post-jazz post-rock psychedelic cinematic hypnotic repetitive post-jazz post-rock psychedelic cinematic hypnotic repetitive full of trance-like yearning and sadness. Thomas Cruijsen fingerpicks chords on electric guitar with emphasis and repetition, supported with some free rock drums forward moving beat and accents by Leo Fabriek, over which Gareth Davis keeps repeating the same the same the same phrases full of longing and sadness on his bass clarinet and nothing changes except the power, the insistence, the drive, the emphasis and the volume with the guitar really hitting hard, keeping the forefront of the sound from beginning to end with drums and bass clarinet somewhere in the background and as a listener it just keeps coming closer to you occupying space in your mind your body your room until the thing fades and only the screeches remain like tails of a bad dream only to pick up again in the third piece which is basically the same thing repeated, relentlessly, mesmerising but slowly evolving to some quiet full of distress and built-up tension and as you can expect the madness picks up again full of repetition and trance-inducing rhythms and volume and terrifying howls and shrieks and ...

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Living by Lanterns - Old Myth/New Science (Cuneiform, 2012) ***

Reviewed by Joe

Here's a record to add to Paul Aquaro's recent post concerning Sonic Liberation Front's record tribute to Sun Ra. Here is Living by Lanterns a group co-led by Mike Reed and Jason Adesiewicz - see below for line-up. Apparently these pieces, and of course this CD, were commissioned by the Experimental Sound Studio (ESS), based on tapes from a kind of free form session of Sun Ra's back in 1961, and catalogued as "NY 1961." There are no real compositions on that tape just improvised ideas. These ideas were used to inspire the music written and played on this album. it seems, from what Cuneiform say on their site that this IS NOT a tribute. However, from the amount of ideas developed from the 'root' material it seems strange to say the contrary, but who cares anyhow, it's the music that counts.

In terms of music one could probably put this into the same bag as the Exploding Star Orchestra. It's vibrant music that swings away happily with some great themes popping up all throughout the record. The 7 themes are all fairly straight ahead affairs except for track 1 and track 6. The first track is a montage of some Sun Ra 'dialogue' doing one of his rants about, love, outer space, who we are, reality, myth and where we come from. If you've seen the various documentaries on Sun Ra and easily found on YouTube (hint!), then you'll know what I'm talking about. The sixth track 'Glow Lights' is the only 'free-form' piece on the record, surprising really considering the pedigree of this group. 

The other five tracks all have some nice moments and solid solos from the stellar line up (see below). As already mentioned this is essentially a swinging record, even if some of the themes are dark in nature. I particularly liked the second track 'Think Tank' with it's glistening vibes. The track quickly falls into an ostinato line with one of Mary Halvorson's wammy-bar distorted guitar solos flowing over it. Jason Adasiewicz comes along to add some spacey vibes as the tune develops before Taylor Ho Bynum jumps in to give the group a sort of free form Wynton Marsalis bluesy slurs to work with before the group heads back into the melody. Much of the front line melodies are carried by Greg Ward who really stands out on all the tracks, either through his solo lines or his lead playing. 'Shadow Boxer's Delight' (tk4) seems to be a feature for Tomeka Reid on cello. The tune has a lovely melody which although played at the beginning really comes into it's own at the end when the rhythm section drops out.

The other tracks such as 'Forget B' or 'Old Science' are well written pieces with attractive melodies and good solos, but for my money it's a little bit lacking in excitement, or maybe that's just what I heard from my armchair. I found the record a really good listen but when looking at the line up I couldn't help wondering if a few more chances could have been taken. It's almost as if every soloist has his/her own feature, but isn't necessarily suited to 'that' job, or maybe I could say 'in that context'. 

A nice record which could be worth while tracking down if you enjoy fairly straight ahead music from the young Chicago/New York scene. Although if you're looking for intense sounds that might be normally associated with some members of the group you're probably better off looking in other directions.

The Group :

Greg Ward – alto saxophone, Taylor Ho Bynum – cornet, Ingrid Laubrock – tenor saxophone, Tomeka Reid – cello, Mary Halvorson – guitar, Jason Adasiewicz – vibraphone, Joshua Abrams – bass, Tomas Fujiwara – drums, Mike Reed – drums, electronics.

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I Don't Hear Nothing But the Blues - Volume 2: Appalachian Haze (Irrabagast, 2012) ***½

By Paul Acquaro

A few months back I wrote a review about Nate Wooley's album The Almond. It was interesting recording in which there was one note, and slight variations, stretched across 75 minutes. This one note was layered and changed slightly over time, but essentially it was one note.

This new album from Jon Irabagon, Mike Pride, and Mick Barr is exactly the opposite of one note, in fact, it's just about every single note in every single possibility combination possible between the saxophone, guitar and drums. However I feel a connection, something almost intangible that the two recordings share, something deeper than just the amount of notes. There is something aligned in how the modulations within a flow of sounds and thoughts draws you into their musical melee.

Suffice to say, there is a constant stream of sounds on Appalachian Haze. Mick Barr's guitar continuously agitates, it's pokey, it's scratchy, and it punctures through the blankets of sound that saxophonist Irabagon lays down. Pride's drums propel and accentuate energetically. But it's the guitar, a new voice in this group, that is like an axis for the others to dance, prowl and swing about.

Like Wooley's single note, I Don't Hear Nothing But the Blues' stream also achieves a certain meditative stance. The rhythmically oscillating and melodically adventurous traversing across the guitars sonic trajectory makes this avant-rock-metal-free-jazz excursion quite lulling. I don't think I've heard anything quite like it. At the same time, the strength of the album is also the one complaint I have: it's relentless. I am not sure if it's meant for that many repeat listenings. But really a minor quip, drop into as you like, be caught in its alluring riptide but swim out when you need.

If you can, find a copy of the recording, as the cover and inside art is as fun as the music is challenging and hypnotic. An illustration of the musician's as Wild West gunslingers duking it out in a saloon, it's full of humor and passion.

Available Nov 6, 2012

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Michael Blake - In the Grand Scheme of Things (Songlines 2012) ***½

Posted by Joe

Michael Blake is often classed on websites as avant-garde, although to this day I've never really understood why? His early associations with the Lounge Lizards seem to have set up a precedent which follows him around. In my view Blake is better classed as 'left-field', looking at jazz from a very different angle compared to the average mainstream jazz performers coming from the states. However, Michael Blake's music isn't what you call avant-garde, it's very accessible and often melodic in content. His releases 'Right before your very ears' and 'Control this' on the avant-garde label Clean Feed are often very melodic even in there wildest moments.

On 'In the Grand Scheme of Things' Michael Blake again comes up with another multi-faceted 'Blake-ish' offering, something that doesn't really sit in any particular basket (*), and probably one reason he's not better known in the jazz world. As with his wonderful Blake's Tartar Michael Blake covers a lot of territory. The album is an attractive mix of rock, jazz, semi-free, gospel and electronica, bringing several directions together musically. A tune such as 'Willie (the lonely cowboy)' hovers over a lovely melody, gradually sliding into an out of tempo (rubato) improvisation. This develops organically with the soloists leading the ensemble. On the other hand there's 'Cybermonk' a swinging tune which could of come from his tribute album to Lucky Thompson. Another facet heard on the album is 'The Searchers', a long piece which stretches out to develop interesting atmospheres, melodies and solos. The last half of the album really moves into open space territory. The themes 'A View of Oblivion' and 'Freedom from Exile' are very strong pieces using the possibilities created by the electronica present of a Moog, keyboards and JP Carter's processed trumpet. The melody and development of 'Cordial Drive' particularly caught my ears as it conjures up an almost modern Bitches Brew musicality. The one track (last but one) that again falls outside the rest of the album is 'Treat her right', an old chestnut which became a hit for Otis Redding (among others) which is played with much respect. 

Michael Blake has assembled an interesting group around him known as the Variety Hour 4tet. Two of the musicians Dylan van der Schyff (drums) and JP Carter (trumpet and electronics) have often popped up on our blog, the third Chris Gestrin (keyboards) I know less well. All three are perfectly in tune with Michael Blake's music - Gestrin and Van der Schyff have already played with Michael Blake (check the above musicians links on this blog). Looking at the musicians (above) you'll probably notice the group doesn't have a bass player. So, much of the bass qualities are created by Chris Gestrin using a Moog synthesiser combined with his keyboards. This creates some fine 'spacy' sounds which float round in the pieces and at the same time manage to anchor down the chords/harmonic progressions. The other very important ingredient in the groups musical palette is JP Carter. 'JP' rarely plays any direct solos, but uses his trumpet/electronic set-up to create floating lines that either shadow Blake's own voice, or create (as we say in the jazz trade) 'guide tones' which give the colour of the harmony.

An excellent record and very clever (very creative) in it's use of electronica.          

* = Concerning Michael Blake's multi faceted musical style(s). Some more reviews on our blog here, and another Amor de Cosmos reviewed on this blog several years back. 

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Ich bin N!ntendo feat. Mats Gustafsson: self-titled (vafongool, 2012) ****

By Martin Schray

Like many Germans I am a soccer fan. And I was just watching my favorite club being beaten by its “worst” enemy. It was not a simple defeat, it was humiliation – and I watched it until the bitter end. After that I needed something really strong – something like Ich bin N!ntendo feat. Mats Gustafsson.

You need the following ingredients:

• 1 electric guitar (played by Christian Skår Winther)
• 1 electric bass (played by Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard)
• 1 drum kit (played by Joakim Heibø Johansen)
• 1 baritone saxophone (you should definitely use Mats Gustafsson).
• a handful of Captain Beefheart blues and heavy rock riffs
• some 60s psychedelia sliced by brutal saxophone shrieks
• a handful staccato punk drumming
• a teaspoon of Frank Zappa and Peter Brötzmann, and some Jimi Hendrix guitar effects
• a thudding bass
• some distortion sounds
• the good old Lasse Marhaug mix and mastering

Preparation:
Take the basic ingredients (guitar, bass, drums, sax), chop them apart and mash them in a food processor. Then pop and empty a bottle of water. Fill the bottle with the basic ingredients, the Beefheart blues and heavy rock riffs, the sliced psychedelia. After that shove the staccato punk drumming, the distortion sounds, the thudding bass, and the Zappa/Brötzmann/Hendrix  ingredients inside the bottle, too. Last but not least you have to stand the whole explosive mixture carefully in the Lasse Marhaug mix and mastering freezer and leave it for about half an hour so everything freezes around the bottle. Then take it out of the freezer and shake it thoroughly.

It tastes a bit like Original Silence, Naked City or Evan Parker/John Wiese, if you need any references.

I gulped down a good mouthful to swallow down the pain my favorite club’s defeat left in my throat and immediately felt better. But you can enjoy this mixture just for fun as well. It’s a killer!

Album release date: October 1

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Arts and Sciences - New You (Singlespeed Music, 2012) *****

Posted by Joe

I met Michael Coleman (the leader of Arts and Science) in Brussels quite a few years ago. He was on the usual European tourist trip with a friend of his - maybe Jordan Glenn, the drummer on this album? Michael told me about another interesting project called Schumann's Humans, a group playing the music of Schumann, but re-imagined. I remember checking out via MySpace the group and being highly impressed, but of course since then I'd lost track of Michael's groups and career. Well, time has caught up and here we are in 2012 with a record from Michael Coleman under the title 'Arts and Science - New You', and it's to my ears a corker! I should also add, for all those that read the recent Aram Shelton review, that this is another record out on the excellent Singlespeed Music label.

If you're ready to be taken on a burning trip of musical ideas and styles, then this is the one you might indeed be well advised to check out. If you remember the free wheeling blowing and sheer eclecticism of Human Feel then you'll already have a vague notion of what the music could be. Although not as 'free', it does however have a power and imagination that easily matches that genre breaking group. The groups makeup does (in a way) mirror some of Human Feel's elements as it's two sax front line, no bass, drums and in this case keyboard may suggest. Each of the musicians deserves a mention as everybody plays sublimely well, blowing hot and cold all over the music, prepared to take the risks needed to give the music an excitement and energy that keeps the listener pinned to their seat!

Both Jacob Zimmerman (alto sax, flute, percussion), Matt Nelson (Tenor sax, effects, percussion) are new names to me, and a revelation also. Both players seem to mold together to form a front line that instinctively thinks as one. Their solos sometimes scream out of the speakers and at others come together to form tight ensemble work. Jordan Glenn (drums) is certainly a key player in this complex music which at times sounds not unlike early King Crimson in it's ensemble work. The modern melodies fly out at you never letting one guess which direction the music will take. 'Seram' (Tk 7) swings away at a fast tempo, whilst the gorgeous melody of 'Shunting' (Tk 8) has an almost sinister obstinate riff for the two saxes to blow around. Baby Boner (Tk 3) turns into a polyrhythmic piece, like a pigmy melody taken straight from the rain forests. 'Scientology' (Tk 9) makes use of gongs and bowed cymbals leading us to a beautiful and delicate melody with extra horns and a guitar. And the final brooding 'Jazz/Shadow' (Tk 10) with strangely distorted recorded horns and keyboard, roll like the sea with the two horns wailing above. Every track is a winner!

The myriad ideas of Michael Coleman really keep each track fresh, and although there is clearly a huge range of musical styles, somehow Michael manages to make the whole thing completely coherent. His keyboard playing (only keyboards) never dominates the ensemble, yet there are constant ideas flowing back and forth. His use of the sound palettes available is always well chosen ; mellotrons, percussive glockenspiels, tiny pianos, old wurlitzers, etc. However, what is clear is that this is no solo record, but a true group project that live must be very exciting to hear indeed! The recording technique and sound also used on this record is also very interesting, at times clear and at others heavily treated, all of which (I imagine) is intended.

Highly recommended to all those who love King Crimson, rock, out jazz, Human Feel, downtown scene, pygmies...!         

Listen and download from their Bandcamp page.     

© stef

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Stephen O’Malley & Steve Noble: St. Francis Duo (Bo Weavil, 2012) ****

By Martin Schray

This blog is about free jazz, we all agree on that. But one of the comments to the concert excerpt mentioned below asks, where the jazz was here. Wynton Marsalis would support this opinion, in his eyes this was not jazz since this music did not swing and it was not rooted in the blues. He would label it under rock, maybe. But since the definition our blog offers for jazz is “improvised music for heart, body and mind”, this music is definitely jazz.

Stephen O’Malley (guitars) - famous for his Drone Metal band Sunn O))) - and the British free jazz icon Steve Noble (drums), who have been together in Æthenor for some time now, take a header in the first of two sets recorded at London’s Café Oto on August, 18th and 19th, 2010. Immediately, you feel as if you were a part of a collage of feedback and distorted fragments spliced together with ferocious tribal drumming. After this gloomy shock wave of sonic attacks the whole beast seems to collapse and fry out, Noble sets on his prepared drums, using even a metronome, putting rags on the cymbals, and small cymbals on the snare, while O’Malley is deeply respectful in the background, adding only sparse tones, giving the track enormous space. He seems to be listening to each tone until it vanishes into thin air, the guitar simultaneously dancing around Noble’s drum kit exploration. The whole set is condensed communication between two masters of sound, swinging to and fro between frontal, direct episodes of evil noise and long phases of reduced minimalism. But whenever Noble and O’Malley accelerate, the result is a psychedelic trip dragging you down to unknown areas of your soul.

In the first part of the second set O’Malley is using loopers and sustain pedals, it seems that there are at least two guitars building up exuberant layers of fragmented noise before the music comes to an abrupt stop. Both musicians seem to be looking for orientation, there is a shy gong sound and some clicking noises here and there and deep drone chords alternate with reverberating thrills before the track finds back on its way with the help of massive chords. The rest is pure heavy metal joy. The ability to use such variations of fragility and minimal guitar nothingness combined with shredded outbursts of disharmonic noise riffs give way to almost zen-like mysticism.

There are a lot of reminiscences in this music: Sonic Youth’s experimental albums, Glenn Branca noise, Keiji Haino’s Fushitsusha, Neil Young’s Weld, or Caspar Brötzmann’s Massaker, but without the obvious outbreaks especially the latter often provide. It is music you should listen to in pitch black nights and you have to play it really loud (even if it sounds like a cliché).

St Francis Duo is available as a download, CD, or double vinyl. The vinyl version makes sense here because each night of the duo’s residency is put on a separate disc, a set on each side. The obvious advantage of the CD is that the sets are not interrupted.


You can buy CD, LP and download from the label: http://www.boweavilrecordings.com/weavil_47.html


If you want to get an impression what the whole thing sounds like, you can watch this:

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Glacial - On Jones Beach (Three Lobed Recordings, 2012) ****

By Martin Schray

One of my favorite documentaries is Werner Herzog’s Encounters at the Edge of the World, in which he tries to find out why people want to live in a polar station in the Antarctic. Herzog’s camera team (which also includes guitarist and professional diver Henry Kaiser) shoots pictures of incredible and unseen beauty, for example when they accompany divers exploring the water world under the ice or when they listen to the almost inorganic amazing sounds seals produce. In a very poetic scene two physiologists lie down on the ground and press their ears against the ice to listen to the music this world creates. What they hear must be something like Glacial’s On Jones Beach.

As unusual as the nature in the film is the line-up of this group. It consists of Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo on guitars, The Necks’ Tony Buck on drums and David Watson on bagpipes, an instrument you usually do not find in free jazz or free rock contexts. But this is not the only surprise of this album, which consists of the single titular piece that runs almost 48 minutes.

The whole thing starts with a single chord that sounds like a foghorn, but it is an instable, shaky, and quivering one. Ranaldo cross-fades this tone into a long feedback before he uses heavy distortion and shrill sounds. Building up layer after layer of massive sounds you can almost visualize this psychedelic monolith which at the same time sounds like tender echoes from a distant Antarctic desert. The music is already full of energy here, but it seems to be really slow moving – like a glacier (to fulfill every stereotype you might have had considering the band’s name). In the following the band builds up an improvisation based on alternative noise rock riffs, drug-infused ambient drones, Glenn Branca minimalism, and free jazz madness, interrupted by a wind-chimish and lyrical drum solo for which Buck uses cymbals, bells and pieces of metal only. If you close your eyes you can actually see snowflakes, icicles, snow grains, and icy winds. The trio rides out on an ice storm of flageolets, single harsh guitar notes and bagpipe loops and after all this expressionist mash-up you can find redemption in clarity.

Even if you are somehow prejudiced against bagpipes you should give the album a try because you will definitely not find anything that has to do with Scottish traditional music clichés. Watson makes this instrument rather sound like a buzz saw. It reminds me even of Evan Parker using his legendary circular breathing technique (especially on the bonus tracks). It is one of the major achievements of this album that Watson has established this majestic instrument in an improv context.

The LP version consists of this track only but it offers a download as well, including three shorter live tracks. “On Friuli Island 1” and “On Friuli Island 2” are taken from recordings made at the Mimi Festival in France in 2003. “On Norfolk Street” was recorded in April 2006, at the legendary Tonic Club in New York City. The tracks are more contemplative in general, but still they have this raw dissonant power, they seem to be great finger exercises for the longer track.

On Jones Beach is published as an edition of 750 copies and is pressed on 140 gram vinyl.

You can buy it from the label.


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Beninghove's Hangmen (2012) ****½

Reviewed by Joe

If you've been wondering what to put on at your latest party, or just looking for some good time music which isn't schmaltzy type slick R'n'B, or Lady Gaga, then look no further here's Beninghove's Hangmen. In fact just at the moment when you were wondering what could possible fit in between your John Zorn, Shock Headed Peters (*), The Lounge Lizards, Nino Rota and 3-Mustafa-3 records along comes this fine raunchy band lead by naturally Brian Beninghove, a saxophonist with a mission, or so it looks like if you check out his website. Here he's following up on a sort of retro music that mixes film noir, punk, rock-a-billy and of course a slice of jazz. It's a great mixture of 'genres' which as I mentioned earlier is easily digested in plenty of situations, and like John Zorn's vision of the world of film noir and all that surrounded it Brian Beninghove obviously knows his references in this style. The album comes across as a suite, although I don't know if this is intentional, as the tunes don't link up or segue into each other, it's more a matter of coherence in the writing style that produces this effect. The tune's titles say much about the music and it's stylistic references, with names such as 'The Puppet-master', 'Tarantino (tarantella)'  or 'Jack Miller'(**) one can't miss the film, pulp fiction or comic book references.

To add to all this excitement is the fine sax playing of Bryan Beninghove who plays some splendidly screaming solos, completely in tune with the atmosphere of the music. The other players are no slouches either with some excellent guitar playing from either Dane Johnson or Eyal Maoz ... yes there's two guitarists, so whilst one is holding down the fort the other one gets a chance to rock (***). Both guitarists really let rip, balancing rocking chord player with feedback or raunchy distorted solos that risk taking your head off. It's nice to hear the blend between the various instruments, there's no ultra long sleep inducing solos, not on the album at least, just interventions with plenty of punch delivered at just the right moments. The front line of sax and trombone (the excellent Rick Parker) keep a good balance between pastiche and modern jazz when playing melodies such as Xopo (tk 2) a klezmer/Greek/Bulgarian horo type theme. Or Sushi Tango (tk 7) with it's retro melody which moves into party mode in the middle before returning to the serious elegance of the initial tango. In fact all the tunes have something on offer, Mingus like jubilance Roadhouse (tk 11) and even a ballad (of sorts) which signs off the album Film Sketch 1 (tk 12). There's not much to add really, if you like plenty of punchy music mixed in with fine themes that conjure up other worlds, real or invented, then try this one. Remember one more important thing ..... PLAY LOUD!

Where can you find it? I'm not sure if you can buy a hard copy, but you can download it from here at their Bandcamp site.

* = Do they still exist?

** = I guess this is John Jack Miller the crime writer, or maybe it was the screen writer who wrote some Tex Avery screen plays, or was it Jack Miller of DC comics fame?
*** = If you enjoy two guitar format, and especially something with plenty of hard rocking energy and sophistication, then don't miss out on an excellent Canadian band - Fond of Tigers. Highly Recommended!

© stef

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Jeff Parker - Bright Light in Winter (Delmark 2012) ****½

Reviewed by Joe

It's been a long wait for album, the third from Jeff Parker and his trio (if you include the 'Relatives' as a trio + 1). The previous record from 'The Relatives' (as mentioned) was also one very understated piece of work, but something that really stayed under the skin. This record is also another lesson in how to make great music for the guitar without flashing off your chops, playing in 23/16, or inviting some superstar to play on your record.

Jeff Parker has become his own man step-by-step, playing and writing intelligent and forward looking music for guitar. In fact it's his personal approach to the guitar that really makes him so distinctive (naturally), and although I'm sure he has his influences he doesn't seem to wear them on his sleeve. His style could be a sort of modern day Jim Hall, so understated, dry and full yet round, almost old fashioned I would say. Yet his harmonies and approach to his material are quite fascinating. 'Mainz' (tk1) demonstrates from the first notes how Parker's understated style is all about melody and atmosphere, and probably what sets him apart from the mainstream of jazz guitarists. 'Change' (tk3) hovers over a backbeat played on the rim set up by Chad Taylor (drums). The steady beat and pleasing chord melody make room for a beautifully warm solo and also another moment when we get to hear Jeff Parker's impeccable jazz chops. To a certain extent much of the music lies between jazz and rock, but certainly not jazz-rock. The melodies and grooves belong to both worlds and are always catchy and stylish. 'Freakadelic' (tk4) is a moment where we get to hear, what seems like, a sort of free-bop romp where the melody is the improvisation. 'The Morning Of The 5th' (tk5), is a wistful melody without bass as Chris Lopes plays flute, which invokes a feeling past times. Each melody has something which sets it apart from the rest, ballads, quasi Latin groves, acoustic post rock, all bases are touched upon. The final track 'Good Days' reminds you of just how fast things can pass us by.

Finally one could say that Jeff Parker and his trio approach the material in a very organic way, letting each melody tell it's own story, no pyrotechnics. Of course this may not be everybody's 'cup of tea' yet for me Parker really stands way out, someone with a strong vision of his own, making the music original, and naturally recognisable as his thing. This is something which we find rarely in jazz music today, and although this is not a record which blows the top of your head off, it's a record which calmly states it's message. 

Highly recommended for fans of the understated!

Can be purchased on Instantjazz.  

© stef

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Daniel Erdmann - How To Catch A Cloud (Intakt 2011) ****½

Reviewed by Joe

I noticed that one of our new writers Philip Coombs (kind of) apologized for reviewing an album from 2011. Well I can tell you if you look into our archives there's piles of albums that we just can't get through quickly enough to review, hence the new members of the review team. Well, this is another one that slipped through the net from 2011. So here you have it, the German sax man Daniel Erdmann with Samuel Rohrer (drums), Vincent Courtois (cello) and Frank Möbus (guitar). A record with not only a very classy line up, but also a selection of very stylish compositions.

You won't class this as free jazz, nor avant-garde. Best of all it's so NOT American jazz, no chromatic approach tones, no tired post bop-isms, it's music with European roots, and deeply planted ones. The music is difficult to describe even though it's mostly composed. If anything the music is slightly 'rock' orientated (or at least rhythmically), a very beat driven music, which has some very attractive melodies. In fact the choice of musicians is a real stroke of genius as the combination of Frank Möbus' guitar with either Daniel Erdmann's sax or the cello playing of Vincent Courtois work a treat, the four musicians (to include Rohrer's drums) bring out the subtler points of the music. The three musicians swap between roles, playing lines together either as part of a melody, part of a bass line, an ostinato, or independently as a soloist or to carry the main theme. It's almost impossible to pick out one track to write about as all of them have something interesting. 'Broken Trials' (tk4) has a wonderful cello melody over a riffy guitar and drums unfolding into a glorious melodic free for all which becomes a sort of suite which passes through various melodic landscapes some free, others rock! The title track 'How to Catch a Cloud' (tk5) literally hangs over you like it's title suggests, a cloud. Waves of cello, sax, guitar and drums spread out like some ominous storm that's brewing. Or the wonderfully relaxed '5463' (tk2) which opens in such an unhurried fashion, becoming a menacing cello/sax melody full of tension which opens up to give space for some fine solo work for Vincent Courtois' cello.     

Finally what I can tell you is I listened over and over to this record due to the excellent material which is highlighted by the groups fine playing. Everyone really plays with subtle precision and the group sound of cello, sax, guitar and drums really make a great texture. There's an excellent balance between solos and melody. The group doesn't go for long burn out heroic soloing, more small compliments to the piece itself, often returning unnoticed to play a melody or join a riff which has recently accompanied them.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes skillfully crafted melodies with never ending twists and turns, thoughtful ensemble work and solos that never outstay their welcome.

Buy from Instantjazz.  

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