Audio One - The Midwest School / An International Report

The Midwest School (Audiographic Records, 2014) ****½
An International Report (Audiographic Records, 2014) ****½

By Matthew Grigg

"…there have been many, many interpretations of jazz standards, like "Autumn Leaves" or a Thelonious Monk tune… More and more in the 60s it seemed that the interpretations of a composition were done by the person who wrote it, with the group they were working in - that would pretty much be it… why can't they be reinterpreted?…those pieces offered a lot of possibilities that could be reexamined or maybe thought about differently… Sitting down and trying to transcribe a player/composer's work, to look at the mechanisms involved, is extremely informative. You find out there were a lot of things about a piece of music that you thought you might know, but it turns out it was only a superficial understanding. It seems like a lot of people aren't interested in doing that. There are whole decades of great compositions that haven't been reinvestigated…" - Ken Vandermark, Invisible Jukebox, The Wire, 2005

"…the dynamic activity that solidified in Chicago during the late sixties.…In particular…the dynamic activity that was taking place in the AACM…began to profoundly investigate the reality of creative music—especially as this subject pertained to the post-Coleman/Sun Ra extension that was radically changing the music. In this period the musicians of the AACM would move to investigate every area of creative music…" Anthony Braxton, Composition No. 6C - Composition Notes, Frog Peak, 1988

The inaugural releases on Ken Vandermark's freshly minted Audiographic Records are a pair of albums from his most recent large ensemble Audio One, having previously cut his 'big band' teeth in Brötzmann's Chicago Tentet, in addition to his own Territory Band and Resonance Ensemble. The initial impetus for the project was an extension of the nonet Vandermark assembled to investigate Joe McPhee's work (found on Okka Disk's 'Impressions of Po Music'), coupled with Dave Rempis' invitation to present a special project to mark the 10th anniversary of Chicago's Elastic Arts Foundation. For the latter he convened a septet under the name The Midwest School, for whom he arranged material by musicians from said geographic locale, namely Chicago's AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) and St Louis' BAG (Black Artists Group). The success of that performance, alongside the depth of potential within the music, encouraged Vandermark to present the material again. Having increased the ensemble's numbers to ten, the continued investigation focused on music from composers; Anthony Braxton, Art Ensemble of Chicago (including compositions fromoutside the group), Julius Hemphill, and Henry Threadgill. 'The Midwest School' documents the results in this concert recording from Chicago's Green Mill (January 31st & February 1st 2014).

The five pieces chosen here are presented in a way which is grounded in the intent of the original composition. Rather than using the music as something to be rendered 'in the style of' the musician(s) playing it, the delivery of thematic material doesn't really differ from the originals, and there isn't much in the way of deviation from the linear progression of the compositions either. Individual voices are afforded their place during solos, but even these moments demonstrate a knowledge and deference to the original composition. Where the music is discernibly different is the manner in which it is arranged. It would be easy for the arrangements to be overcooked given that the size of Audio One dwarfs that of the groups who initially recorded this material, the originals having been cut by trios, quartets and quintets (discounting Fontella Bass' vocal from Theme de Yoyo). However, the investigation of the musical architecture of each piece is so considered that the resultant arrangements manage to simultaneously sound as if they've always been played by a tentet, whilst appearing completely fresh and irresistible. This is arguably the great success of this ensemble, to pull fine detail from the subtleties of the original music's sonic palette, and distribute throughout the expanded numbers in a way that both befits the intention of the composition, and plays to the particular strengths and character of the instrumental voices to whom they have been allocated. Couple this with the caliber of musicianship found here, and the potential for recurrent musical discovery inherent within the compositions, and the results stand shoulder-to-shoulder with both the best material to feature any of those involved, and the revered originals.

Having initially conceived of Audio One as a vehicle for interpreting the work of others, it wasn't until a conversation with an enthused fan that Vandermark considered the possibility of writing for the ensemble, maintaining it as an ongoing concern. 'An International Report' presents five original compositions recorded at the same concerts from the Green Mill which yielded 'The Midwest School', four of which are dedicated to Midwest composers Braxton, Hemphill, Mitchell and Threadgill (the fifth is to Anna Karina). In light of the first disc, that the quality of the arrangements is consistently high is unsurprising, and again the strength of the musicianship is exemplary. However, the remarkable facet of this recording is Vandermark's writing, and how well drilled the ensemble are to execute it. Never one to shy away from 'difficult' music, yet always keenly aware of the immediacy of the groove, the material here walks a line between being, at times, almost academic in its structural design, and yet hip-shakingly immediate in its direct focus of energy. Knowing he'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, Vandermark essentially manages to get his audience to experience music with the gravitas of an Art House film, by making it appear to have the same easy digestibility and energetic pacing as a Hollywood Blockbuster.

Having a group comprised of local, well rehearsed musicians pays off in spades (it doesn't hurt that they represent much of the cream of Chicago's current crop), and across both discs they navigate the material with a control and focus which does justice to the strength of the compositions. Fully aware of the potential force generated by all ten playing simultaneously, they do so sparingly to maximise its impact, often only small aggregations of musicians play at once. The subtlety with which the ensemble interacts ensures that what could so easily become muddied through sheer strength of numbers is in fact lean and lithe, intricate when called upon, with a taut muscularity in the throw down. Like a prize fighter, the ensemble moves with all the nimble dexterity of a small group when needed, bobbing and weaving until an opening presents itself, delivering precise jabs or opening out to rain down a concentrated torrent of blows. Hailing from a city which has had a hand in producing some top class large ensembles in recent years, Audio One is instantly a contender to the throne.

The liner notes from these recordings suggest that Vandermark arranged 12 pieces by the Midwest composers in addition to 9 of his own compositions, and as only 10 of 21 potential pieces are presented here, there is good cause to be eagerly expectant of more from this accomplished ensemble.

There are only 500 of each of these titles, so grab them while you can.

Audio One is:
Jason Adasiewicz: Vibraphone
Jeb Bishop: Trombone
Josh Berman: Cornet
Tim Daisy: Drums
Nick Macri: Acoustic & electric bass
Nick Mazzarella: Alto saxophone
Jen Paulson: Viola
Dave Rempis: Saxophones
Ken Vandermark: Reeds
Mars Williams: Reeds

Listen to tracks from both records here:






Both albums are available from Instantjazz.

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Mary Halvorson: Reverse Blue (Relative Pitch, 2014)

A rare triple review ...

Mary Halvorson: Reverse Blue (Relative Pitch, 2014) ****

By Paul Acquaro

It was a couple of summers ago now when I made my way to Barbes in Brooklyn to hear a new group with guitarist Mary Halvorson called Reverse Blue. The name, she said, was inspired by her father who seemed to be toying with the possibilities of the word blue in song titles. It was a great show and I came away thinking two things: this was compositionally different than Mary's other work and that I'd love to have an album of it.

A few years later and we have Reverse Blue's first recording on Relative Pitch. The group is a who's who of forward thinking musicians: guitarist Halvorson, woodwind player Chris Speed, bassist Eivind Opsvik and percussionist Tomas Fujiwara, and all musicians frequently featured on this blog. The composition credits are half to Halvorson, then distributed among the other members, but the overall approach to the music is very much identifiable as a group. Musically, it's engaging, nimble and exciting. Tandem melodies and counter melodies pass quickly between Halvorson and Speed and strong rhythmic grounding from Opsvik and Fujiwara give them the room to maneuver.

The opening "Torturers Delight" starts off as an intricate dance between a baroque 8th note melody against and elongated tones from Speed, buts builds up to a muscular climax of distortion and even some shredding. Tracks like "Hako" feature Speed's warm tenor sound and rounded lines. The short "Ordered Thoughts Ceased" is a slow moving highlight, fraught with tension and hanging together on a bass-line that develops into an extended solo. The closing "Resting on Laurels" is a long tonal exploration that gives Fujiwara a lot of space to fill.

Might some of the tunes seem a bit straight ahead for some listeners? Perhaps. But to my ears, the delicate nature of some of these songs cleverly mask the depth and strength of the music. There is a lot to enjoy here, in the compositions, the colors, and the musicianship.

Enough from me, you can tell where my sentiments lie. I have the pleasure of sharing impressions from a similarly satisfied Martin Schray and a somewhat skeptical Stefan Wood...

Mary Halvorson - Reverse Blue (Relative Pitch, 2014 ) ****½

By Martin Schray

Recently I saw Mary Halvorson as part of Ingrid Laubrock’s extraordinary quintet Anti-House and when I talked to another visitor about her performance after the show he said that he likes her much more as a sidewoman than as a leader. Well, I wouldn’t say that – albums like Bending Bridges, Ghost Loop, Sifter or Illusionary Sea belong to the best music which has been released in the last three years. On my last radio show about women in free jazz, host Julia Neupert asked me what it was that is so great about Halvorson that everybody wants to play with her and that even mainstream media have started to become aware of her.

To me the answer is relatively simple: She has created a completely unique sound with a high recognition value. It is clear and spikey and she likes to use a Line 6 delay pedal and the whammy bar, which create the typical Halvorson bent note sound. Not many guitarists have such a distinctive style, which is why she is on a level with Bill Frisell, Thurston Moore, and Robert Fripp.

But there is more to Halvorson’s sound, it is raw and inventive in a way that eludes the classic categories like jazz or rock. There is a component of friction and angularity to it, almost as if the compositions refuse to be played. It’s a kind of fearless, unheard, puzzling and hybrid sound that you can’t get enough from if you addict yourself to it.

And “Reverse Blue” (with Chris Speed on sax and clarinet, Eivind Opsvik on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums) gives you a lot of this sound – but the album also presents Halvorson as a versatile composer. There are a lot of pieces which are structured very differently and lead the listener in unexpected directions - like Torturer’s Reverse Delight, which presents two counter-rotating melodies by sax and guitar before Halvorson joins the staccato bass with distorted rock riffs and before the sax drops out and guitar and drums get completely lost. The following title track is a typical Halvorson composition starting from a sax/guitar unison melody, then the two instruments seem to lose track just to begin to dance around each other.

There are a lot of highlights on this album like the Arabian influences on Hako, a very introspective and even jazzy tune, or Ego Man, which lives from Fujiwara’s “out in the left field” drumming (in general “Reverse Blue” consists mostly of ballads and mid-tempo numbers). But my favorite one is the spooky closing piece Resting on Laurels, a track based on Halvorson’s crystal clear arpeggios, Speed’s sax that reminds of Waclaw Zimpel’s great moments and Opsvind’s gloomy bowed bass supported by Fujiwara using clappers instead of sticks to build up a huge percussive wall.

“Reverse Blue” is really beautiful and varied album, it’s another great achievement of a great instrumentalist and a prolific composer.

Mary Halvorson: Reverse Blue (Relative Pitch, 2014 ) ***

By Stefan Wood

"Reverse Blue" is the debut cd of Mary Halvorson's newest group, with Chris Speed on saxophone and clarinet, Elvind Opsvik on bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. While one can argue that Halvorson is the leader, this is clearly a group collaborative effort. "Torturer's Reverse Delight" begins the album with a Giuffre like interplay between Halvorson and Speed, lightly dancing, springlike, before Halvorson hunkers down, kicks the pedal and unleashes a heavy riff, which the others respond with a more prog rock based dirge, while Halvorson solos frenetically a la Hendrix. Unusual, and a bit uneven in mood, as the track ends with a bit of self indulgent skronk that feels thoughtless, considering what preceded it.

This is followed by the title track, "Reverse Blue," again the main focus on Speed's clarinet playing and Halvorson's plucking, evoking Giuffre and Jim Hall's collaboration from the late 50's, but decidedly more modern, the interplay a little more atonal, the phrasing tightly intertwined, in keeping with both artists' voicings. It is even toned, moderate, not frenetic nor soft, and this mood is maintained through most of the album. "Insomniac's Delight" has Speed leading with the saxophone, lower register, sounding off key but probably not, creating a theme which is later echoed by Halvorson's electric guitar, building to a climax.

A highlight on the album. "Rebel's Revue, " another highlight, is a tight, faster paced track that again, emphasizes the intertwining of instruments, combined notes that complement in register. "Hako" is a slow mood piece, Speed's sax caressing notes over a lurking yet soft bass and swirling cymbals, Halvorson's guitar providing counterpoint. "Old Blue" has clarinet and guitar thoughtfully weaving a difficult theme which spins and turns in different forms -- Speed issuing a seemingly haphazard solo which Halvorson replies, then they combine voices and weave another pattern. "Really OK," the most straight forward track on the album, comes across as a low key Grant Green tune. "Resting On Laurels" concludes the album with almost two minutes of near silence, that builds suddenly into a soft sonic storm of notes, before receding back into silence.

The twists and turns of "Reverse Blue" make the album fairly enjoyable, but there is a sameness to many of the tracks, in tone, phrasing and mood, that makes it a little bland. The solos seem constrained and not very imaginative, as if they are pulling from a limited bag of tricks to play. Shouldn't be the case, considering the quality of the musicians involved. A decent debut by this group, who I am sure will be smoking live, but on this recording, there is a restraint and overthinking of process that prevents the album from being wholly enjoyable.

Watch their debut show at Barbes from August 2012:

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Dead Neanderthals & Colin Webster – Prime (Gaffer Records, 2014) ****

By Julian Eidenberger

It’s a fine line between unrelenting intensity and monotony; reviewing the Dead Neanderthals’ contribution to a split release back in August, I felt that it landed on the less desirable side of this divide. Afterwards, DN’s drummer René contacted me, suggesting that I give their upcoming release with saxophonist Colin Webster a try. I consented to review it, aware of the fact that the distance separating “meh” and magnificent is often a short one in music this dense, and curious to find out where they’re headed next.

And Prime really does step across the proverbial fine line, towards excitement. In general approach, however, it’s not radically different from the split track: You’ll still feel as though a giant stone wheel straight out of The Flintstones just ran over you once you’ve finished listening to the forty minutes of Prime, and arguably, the inclusion of London-based sax player Colin Webster has made their music even more intense. René Aquarius attacks his kit like a boxer subjecting his punching-bag to an endless succession of swift punches, never allowing time to swing back into resting position. It’s an approach that’s more akin to, say, Lightning Bolt’s Brian Chippendale than to classic free jazz drumming, revealing the band’s ties to noise and punk music. The boxing metaphor applies to the sax-playing, as well, and not just because Otto Kokke and Webster are more interested in quasi-percussive impact than in soloing or melody. As in a seemingly chaotic professional boxing match, which, when viewed in slow motion, reveals itself to be something like an unintentional choreography – and the result of years of training –, there’s method to the mayhem here. On repeated listening, it becomes clear that the supposedly impenetrable racket of Prime is in fact the outcome of attentive interplay, with Kokke and Webster always waiting for the right opportunity to land a punch, advancing or retreating whenever necessary, and using whatever space is available to good effect.

Returning to musical reference points, one could compare Prime’s forty minutes of uninterrupted excitement to Ascension – albeit without the ascension, if you catch my drift. Another way of highlighting the record’s intensity would be to locate it in the Northern European lineage of prosaic, in-your-face improv – think Brötzmann or Gustafsson. Either way, it’s a lot of fun.

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100 Years of Sun Ra (Day 3)

Marshall Allen Presents Sun Ra and his Arkestra: In the Orbit of Ra (Strut, 2014) ****½

By Martin Schray

“I have many names. Some call me Mr. Ra, others call me Mr. Re. You can call me Mr. Mystery”, Sun Ra said in the documentary “A Joyful Noise”. It might be true, that Ra has remained mysterious all his life considering his philosophy but as to his music many of the elements of his music have been displayed very clearly from the late 1950s until the end of his earthly existence – there has always been a stringent musical and philosophical vision in his art.

Pushing this into the spotlight on this compilation is Marshall Allen’s biggest credit. There is no one like 90-year-old Allen, the man who runs today’s Arkestra, who has a deeper understanding of what Ra’s music is about, so it is interesting how this album is compiled. The individual tracks are not in a chronological order but rather emphasize the mystical, magical, ritualistic and afro-futuristic elements of Ra’s music. Allen has chosen many tracks with vocals and flute solos, which puts a clear accent on the African roots of the music. And in addition to the percussive hellfire which has always been an essential element in Ra’s music, there is something else: Especially on the first CD Ronnie Boykins’s and Ben Henderson’s bass is excellently re-mastered and highlights what a driving force it was in the band’s playing. Tracks like Spontaneous Simplicity, Plutonian Nights, Angels and Demons at Play and Island in the Sun (in a marvelous extended version which was previously unreleased) develop an even more hypnotic groove than in the original versions, there is a real trance-like relaxed danceability to all these pieces. And danceability is the main topic on the second CD with relentlessly pulsating tracks like Dance of the Cosmo-Aliens (from his underestimated “Disco 3000” album) or almost laid back ones like The Nile or Ancient Aiethopia.

“In the Orbit of Ra” also includes a previously unreleased live acoustic piano version of Trying To Put The Blame On Me from a 1977 show in Rome and a real monster version of Astro Black ( released on Impulse in 1973) which bring the compilation full circle and back to the recordings from the Arkestra’s beginnings.

Although most of the music has already been released before, “In the Orbit Of Ra” is not a plain “Very Best Of” compilation. It is an essential for fans because of the extraordinary sound quality of the tracks but also an excellent start for Sun Ra beginners.

It is available on double CD (even a vinyl addict like me recommends this version because it includes seven more tracks), double LP and as a download. LP and CD include a full interview with Marshall Allen along with rare and previously unpublished photos by Val Wilmer.

Listen to Angels and Demons at Play here:

See Day 1 and Day 2 of 100 Years of Sun Ra

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100 Years of Sun Ra (Day 2)

Sun Ra Arkestra: Live in Nickelsdorf 1984 (Trost, 2014) ****½

By Martin Schray 

While “Live in Ulm 1992” presents Sun Ra at the end of his career with limited abilities, “Live in Nickelsdorf 1984” (a place in Austria which has become something like a “free jazz village” due to local organizer legend Hans Falb) shows a completely different Arkestra led by an agile and energetic man. The personnel for this show was Ra (piano, synth, vocals), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone, clarinet, ewi, vocals), Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, flute, kora, percussion), Danny Ray Thompson (baritone saxophone, flute, percussion), Eloe Omoe a.k.a. Leroy Taylor (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, percussion), James Jacson (basoon, flute, drums, vocals); Ronnie Brown (trumpet); Rollo Radford (double bass); Don Mumford (drums); Matthew Brown (congas, dance); Myriam Broche (dance) and Greg Pratt (dance) – and it becomes obvious what a difference musicians like John Gilmore and Danny Ray Thompson on the one hand and a healthy Ra on the other can make.

The Nickelsdorf performance is a mixture of jazz classics like Round Midnight, Sophisticated Lady or Days of Wine and Roses, Arkestra hits like Space is the Place, Nuclear War or Love in Outer Space and five untitled improvisations. And it’s these improvisations that show why Ra’s music has been so influential and why the Arkestra is such a monster of a band. It was Arkestra drummer Clifford Jarvis who put it in a nutshell: “The drummer has always played a major part in Duke Ellington’s band; at one time he used to star the drummer. Always he built his music off the rhythms. Sunny’s like to the extreme with it, but it’s the same thing. He likes the drums to dynamically guide you all the way through.”

Already in the first Untitled Improvisation the Arkestra makes excessive use of polyrhythms, a snake charming saxophone solo seems to deliver the background for a real tornado of percussions. The result is a world constantly moving, it sounds raw, unfinished, unstable and fragmented - like a constant work in progress. Untitled Improvisations Part 1 -3, a bundle of pieces on the second CD, rather focus on the saxophones and the bassoon, with the reedists hurling out ferocious blasts as if a hellhound was chasing them. Gilmore, Allen, Thompson, Omoe and Jacson build an indestructible unit of devastating quality, they create a vigor which can be compared to Cecil Taylor’s larger formations.

The Nickelsdorf performance is interwoven by Sun Ra’s threads of electronic sounds as on Carefree, apart from the improvisations another highlight of the album. At that time Ra was still a tremendous force on the keys – and he delivers a lot of solos that are interspersed between larger, more structured songs as well as surprisingly great spare piano passages (as in the opening for Sophisticated Lady).

My personal favorites are Nuclear War, Ra’s comment on the cold war, in which he criticizes the policy of the superpowers after WW II in irresistible call-and-response chants based on a tough grooves (even artists like The Violent Femmes’ Brian Ritchie and Yo La Tengo covered it) and Love in Outer Space, an infernal mixture of African jungle rhythms, Far Eastern stride piano and an Ellington-like ultra-precise horn section.

"Live at Nickelsdorf 1984" is a really wonderful performance by Sun Ra & The Arkestra, it’s a 3-CD set covering the complete 3-hour live set. The sound quality of the CDs is good although the audience is audible here as well (but it is not as annoying as on “Live in Ulm“).
It’s a must for fans and a good introduction for beginners.

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100 Years of Sun Ra (Day 1)

By Martin Schray

One hundred years ago, on May 22nd, 1914, Sun Ra came from Saturn to visit Planet Earth. In his youth in Birmingham/Alabama he already showed a considerable musical talent and played with local R’n’B groups and jazz bands. Around 1936 Ra had an epiphany and claimed that he had changed into something else and that he was taken to Saturn where aliens wanted to talk with him. They told him to communicate via music so that the world would listen. Ra was sure that he was able to get in contact with the universe via intergalactic music, a kind of music that he chose but which also chose him. According to him he was creating sound paintings of an alternative destiny, his music being about intergalactic thinking and travelling – he called it a prelude to the even bigger sound of space, a different order of things.

In her brilliant book “As Serious As Your Life” Valerie Wilmer said that “Sun Ra is a phenomenon even in a world where the unexpected is the norm (…) and the breath of his musical vision has no parallel in the big band field with the exception of Duke Ellington”.

Beside Ra’s emphasis on percussion in combination with chants of the musicians it was particularly his use of synthesizers and electronics which has had considerable effect on music (not only jazz, but also rock, funk and hiphop). Until today his compositions still offer an alternative vision of musical freedom and celebration, it’s a sound full of mystic allusions, ritualism, and Afro-futurism somewhere between new music á la Stockhausen and Cage, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington’s Jungle Band and pure free jazz. Especially in the 1960s each of his records was an “an apocrypha, a vibrant cosmic map of unknown regions, lush solarised rainforests, cold domains of infinite darkness, astral storms, (...) solemn ceremony and wild celebrations“ (David Toop in Ocean of Sound). As to Ra progressive music was "keeping ahead of time, it’s supposed to stimulate people to think of themselves as modern freemen."

Ra’s philosophy was holistic, it didn’t concern only music but also the musicians’ personal attitude and their clothes. The Arkestra members were dressed in a mixture of glittering space suits and colorful African costumes, their concerts were offering a trip through space (“Next stop Jupiter!”; “East of the Sun”) which can be seen in the documentary “A Joyful Noise”. The performances had a huge impact on artists like Fela Kuti, Parliament/Funkadelic or The Roots.

The charismatic keyboarder, composer, poet and prophet (“When the world was in darkness/And darkness was ignorant/Along came Ra/The living myth”) passed on to other galaxies on May 30th, 1993, but he has also left a complete works of wonderful art behind. While his Arkestra has still been touring the world (led by his long term disciple Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 90th birthday lately) and although his music has been documented really well (Ra has constantly recorded rehearsals and live performances which he has released on his Saturn label) there are still older recordings to be discovered. This year Leo Records and Trost have published two albums with music from the 1980s and 90s.


Sun Ra Arkestra – Live in Ulm 1992 (Leo, 2014) ***½

In December 1991 I saw the Sun Ra Arkestra at Tübingen’s Zentrum Zoo, a youth club rather notorious for its punk and rock gigs. It was an 80-km-drive from the place where I lived then and the weather was lousy (a mixture of rain and snow), so I decided to leave early in order to be there in time. Luckily, the roads were clear so I was on location much too early – time I used to have a closer look at the venue. To my surprise I realized that a man in a wheelchair was sitting on the stage as if someone had forgotten him: it was Sun Ra next to his keyboards, lowering his head - the former vigorous, energetic, proud and powerful man seemed to have shrunk to a picture of misery. An hour later the rest of the band entered the stage and I think it was Marshall Allen who pushed Ra in the correct position so that he could play. Almost out of the blue he was the boss of the band, as if he had left his body behind him.

Later I found out that Ra had suffered a stroke not long before but, typically him, he refused to allow the fire of vision inside him to be turned off. The 77-year-old Ra was able to tour again only three months later.

And although the music that night was rather straight compared to his visionary albums “Atlantis”, “Strange Strings”, “Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy”, “The Magic City”, “Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow” or “Nothing Is …” from the 1960s, the whole performance (the costumes!, the dancing!, the singing!) was still absolutely “spectacular in terms of presenting a complete world view, so occult, so other” (as David Toop put it) that the audience literally freaked out.

 “Live in Ulm 1992” was recorded shortly after I saw the Arkestra (I guess it was even the same tour) and assembles classics like Space Is The Place, Ankhnation, Shadow Worlds, Love in Outer Space, Fate In A Pleasant Mood and many others.

The band – consisting of long term members like Marshall Allen (saxes), James Jacson (reeds, flute and percussion), Michael Ray, Ahmed Abdullah (trumpets), Tyrone Hill (trombone) and newer ones like Jothan Callins (bass), Buster Smith (drums), Bruce Edwards (guitar), Elso Nascimento Dos Santos and Atakatune (percussion) – plays incredibly tight, as usual reminding of the Ellington Orchestra on a space trip (not only because they play a deconstructed version of Prelude To A Kiss). Marshall Allen is in top form here, moving from Johnny-Hodges-inspired lines to raging full-on free jazz outbursts (e.g. in Hocus Pocus). The same goes for Michael Ray and Ahmed Abdullah, their energy obviously being inspirational for the others. Ra's own contributions are a bit less energized than before (no wonder regarding his illness), but still he is the one to indicate the direction and to deliver concise angular solos as in the last encore The Forest of No Return.

Outstanding tracks on “Live in Ulm 1992” are the killer medley Space Is The Place/We Travel The Spaceways/Out Spaceways Incorporated with its relentless groove and breathtaking chants, James Jacson’s flute solo in front of a percussive wonderworld in The Mayan Temples, Bruce Edwards’ guitar in Fate in a Pleasant Mood (in general the guitar work is very prominent on the album), Tyrone Hill’s trombone in El is a Sound of Joy (including a A love Supreme allusion) and the sharp brass section in general.

“Live in Ulm 1992” is a great document of a marvelous band, unfortunately the audience is rather loud (I will never understand why people talk constantly while the band is playing – especially during quieter passages) and the sound is a bit poor and dull.

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Farmers By Nature - Love and Ghosts (AUM Fidelity, 2014) *****

By Stefan Wood

Farmers By Nature is a trio -- Craig Taborn (piano), William Parker (bass), and Gerald Cleaver (drums). "Love and Ghosts" is their third album, a double disc live set of two concerts, a day apart, both in Europe. For all their accomplishments as musicians, as leaders, as accompanists -- in Farmers By Nature, they succeed in subsuming their own individualities and fuse themselves as one. Improvisations are effortless like water flowing as a river; their success as a group are navigating the currents, rapids and calm that occur along the journey. It is effortless and of the highest musical quality.

The first disc, Marseille, starts with the title track, an eighteen minute opus that weaves between dark menace and cool calm. Piano, bass and drums alternate leads without any true sense that a baton is being passed from one to another. Mostly the three instruments are so intertwined the listener can't separate them. "Without a Name" begins with a whisper of fingers gliding up and down the bass, producing an almost inaudible squeak, and the brushes along the drums, the piano providing the rhythm with minimal notes. The repetition is hypnotic, then you realize it is a heartbeat, with finger snaps or clapping, and Parker performs a solo of abbreviated bowing and plucking on the bass. It flows into "Aquilo," an initially moody, dark piece that becomes a waterfall of sound, piano notes tumbling down and bass strings cascading up and down, cymbals tingling. The notes move faster and faster, until it is no longer a fall but a torrent, Taborn's playing out front and on high register, before it finally washes away. "Seven Years In" is the high point on the first disc, a tour de force that begins with a bass solo and moments of tranquility before hurling themselves into a 16 minute + tidal wave, with Taborn out front. Here, his sound is reminiscent part Cecil Taylor but also McCoy Tyner, from his Enlightenment era period, when he broke loose from his traditional bop background and used Coltrane's sheets of sound as a means to find his own expression. Then he steps back and lets the drummer have some, Cleaver not so much rolling out like Blakey like thunder but close! It is an exhausting and liberating piece. "Massalia" is almost dead silent by comparison, again, somber and dark with minimal deep notes, then progressing into a deconstructed Monk like bop piece, playing with the negative space of silence, a ballad that is not really a ballad, it is too restless and assertive at times. A satisfying conclusion.

Disc two, Besançon, starts with "The Green City," a gentle ballad featuring Taborn, who keeps the notes light, almost like a lullaby for a child. Parker contrasts this with a dark, deep, menacing sound bass, rumbling but never exploding. "Bisanz" is a 20+ minute track that fully expresses the trio as one, three instruments intertwining their voices and notes, point and counterpoint, going in one direction then veering off somewhere else, always organic and always consistent in their unique brand of storytelling. "Comté" is similar to "Without a Name," Taborn issuing a repetitive theme, with Cleaver's crashing drums and Parker's bass underlying them both, but this is heavier. Cleaver is in full battery mode, unleashing salvos of rolling percussion, then super funky, complementing Taborn's piano rhythm. The funk rises to a fever pitch, the focus turning to a hypnotic piano solo that fold and unfolds on top, underneath and in between the rhythm. Clearly the centerpiece of the second disc. "Castle #2" takes that funky energy and channels it into a more conventional or straightforward improvisation, piano charging straight ahead with a flurry of no nonsense, complemented by a speedy and economic bass and drums. Then it explodes into a manic punk fury, hitting with a wall of notes, before retreating to a relatively calm, minimalist mode. "Les Flaneurs" concludes the set with a dreamy set piece, the piano evoking this drift into a calm and tranquil place, while the bass and drums hint at tension underneath, but never spilling over.

"Love and Ghosts" should be mandatory listening for the adventurous listener. Although recorded three years ago, it is one of my favorite albums this year. Outstanding!

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Joe Morris Quartet - Balance (Clean Feed, 2014) ****½

By Chris Haines

Joe Morris is probably the most important guitarist working within free music at present.  He has a wealth of recordings dating back over the last three decades and has been particularly prolific with various projects during the last few years.  However, for me, I always feel that he produces his most important work in his quartet format.  This particular recording pulls together his string-based quartet of Mat Maneri (viola), Chris Lightcap (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums) and himself on electric guitar. This is the same line-up that produced the extraordinary album Underthru, and the same instrumentation as the excellent A Cloud Of Black Birds.

Joe Morris has a unique style and nobody else quite sounds like him especially when he is playing electric guitar in a more free jazz type setting, which as you would expect from this line-up is the mode of expression explored on this album. With the instrumentation that is involved the music has a chamber feel at times, particularly on the more introspective pieces such as Trust, but can be equally full-on as well.  As with all good quartet writing and playing the focus is shared throughout the instrumentation and each musical personality comes to the fore right the way through the album, giving good contrast and balance to the material and the album as a whole.

All the pieces appear quite aptly titled with the first piece Thought being a complex but static texture that bubbles underneath the surface as if the ensemble is contemplating the musical excursion to come.  This then moves into the second track Effort, which in contrast to the first piece contains a lot more ideas, textures and interplay.  Although all tracks have single word titles I wouldn’t say that the musical pieces are summed-up by them, but rather give the listener a starting point which the music illustrates and explores further.  This seems like an obvious thing to say, but I listen to so much music that doesn’t do this that when I finally hear music that does it so well it’s so refreshing to dwell on this simple fact.  As you would expect from four excellent improvisers the playing contained within is a delight to listen to with Morris and Maneri being on particularly good form and shouldering the responsibility of holding down most of the foreground material.

Although showing what could be considered abstract tendencies the music seems to be contained by larger forms and alludes to fast bop-type pieces as well as ballad-like forms, chamber pieces, and free improvisations, which are all spun through Morris’s personal musical vision and incredible technique, resulting in the type of sound-world that only he can muster in this way.  If you have heard his free jazz styled music before, (although Morris would consider all his music to be just ‘free music’ with no distinction) then you won’t be disappointed by Balance.  If you haven’t heard a Joe Morris album before then this wouldn’t be a bad place to start, although I personally feel that Underthru just has the edge on it.  However, this is a very welcome release from an important improvising musician, whom for my money works at his best within this particular format.

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Matt Lavelle and John Pietaro - Harmolodic Monk (Unseen Rain, 2014) ***½

By Josh Campbell

A very interesting album from Matt Lavelle and John Pietaro. The concept, and I love concept albums, is to use Monk compositions and Ornette Coleman’s harmolodic methods. Interestingly, we find John Pietraro on the vibraphone in addition to percussion leading to a unique duet. Matt Lavelle is found on his standard cornet/flugelhorn as well as alto clarinet which we have been seeing more of from Matt. A healthy offering at an hour and a half, Matt and John work their magic on recognizable standards, with a pleasant twist. Matt’s cornet and flugelhorn have never sounded better, bold and meaty, especially on the excellently executed “In Walked Bud”. Other standouts, “Blue Monk/ Straight No Chaser”, and the spacious and oozing with blues “Round Midnight”, showcase Matt on the alto clarinet. Recorded with an intimate feel it can be hard to remember you're not actually in the room with the musicians.

Even though the album is worth hearing and adding to your collection, at 1 hr 33 mins it does tend to drag a little. I would have liked to hear more percussion mixed into the album, even with the strong performance of John on the vibes it was a challenge over the span of the album to keep focus. The cornet and flugelhorn, being the main instrument I’m familiar with Matt playing, were much stronger than his alto clarinet. Aside from his stellar showing on “Round Midnight”, I found myself preferring his sax playing.

While not an album that I would return to every day, it is a performance and concept so unique and creative it should be investigated by fans who have yet to hear it. And even though it is not my favorite release from Matt, it reenforces my ever growing admiration for his playing and creativity.

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Jim Baker & Sarah Ritch – Articular Facet 5.3 (Pan Y Rosas, 2014) ***½

By Tom Burris

I was unfamiliar with Sarah Ritch until encountering this recording, but Jim Baker is someone whose work I have admired for awhile.  Basing his subtle explorations around the keyboard - specifically, the piano and an old school analog synthesizer with a large patch-board attached to it – Baker excels at adapting his own particular, and never obvious, ideas to his collaborations.  His most accessible gig is a weekly performance with Extraordinary Popular Delusions at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago.  He also released a brilliantly understated solo improvisational recording on Delmark almost ten years ago called “More Questions Than Answers” that is still available and comes highly recommended.
Ritch is a classically trained pianist and cellist whose work ranges from notated classical composition to improvisational noise.  She was matched with Baker for a performance at the Empty Bottle in Chicago as part of a series of concerts called “Articular Facet,” which happens to be the performance captured on this disc.  I’m not sure if this is their first collaborative effort, but their sonic union is certainly worthy of this release.  Ritch plays cello, keyboard and guitar for this date; Baker plays his trusty vintage synthesizer.

The disc opens with a synth drone and a bowed squeak that often sounds like a plastic flute.  I have an immediate flashback to the 80s, particularly sound collage cassettes, and specifically to a band called Crawling With Tarts, whose balance of acoustic and electronic sounds – and recordings of nature – I have always found exotic, beautiful, and comforting.  Ritch’s overtones are menacing and sweet simultaneously; and Baker’s washes of synth distortion provide alien counterpoint.

For awhile things get a bit trance-like, with Baker modulating tones over Ritch’s eighth-note march.  It veers into a new age territory for a short while and you’ll empathize with them while they try to find their way out of it.  Eventually they find their way to freedom in the form of modulated guitar feedback and synth bubbles, on which they float out into liberating oblivion.  It takes them over half of the set to reach it, but when they do – it’s game on!   Kinda like Sunn O))) or Boris teaming up with Richard Teitelbaum before riding into Eye Yamantaka’s sun.

See Stef's review of Articular Facet 5.3 / Download the album from the label.

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