June 19, 2018:
It's been very quiet in this blog, owing to my trip to New York City and Connecticut. for the last 10 days. That was extended a day from American Airline's massive technical glitch causing the cancellation of 100s of flights, my return flight being one of them. All that aside, it was great to be back in the city for a few days, catching up with friends and hearing some live music. Of that, the best was no doubt Bruce Gallanter's weekly free series, where I heard two sets, one from Carlo Costa / Christian M Svendsen / Sam Kulik - Percussion / Bass / Trombone; and the other from and Jonathan Moritz / Sean Ali / Carlo Costa - Sax / Bass/ Drums. Carlo Costa (Neither/Nor) records organized the night, knowing that bassist Christian M Svendsen (Nakama Records) would be in town for a couple of days while waiting for Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit tour to start. Both sets were incredible examples of fully free improvisation, two journeying sets of incredible technique, imaginative development, and intense listening between the players.
I spoke with Svendsen and Costa after the show, as well as with David Grollman of Wee Tapes and Prom Night, and we made plans to add the new Nakama Records in the near future, and to revisit Neither/Nor to catch up with the label.
We carry several Nakama releaases that are in stock now, and I can't recommend them highly enough:
Filosofer: Landet Er Gitt Oss [VINYL] (Nakama Records)
An hallucinogenic and commanding blending of improvisation, song, spoken word, and tonal/timbral music from double bassist Christian Meaas Svendsen's Filosofer, creating beautiful sonic environments out of which voice and message emerge and submerge, buoyed by a string quartet (two violins and two double basses), computers, turntables, synths and samplers.
Svendsen, Christian Meaas : Avin (Nakama Records)
Known more for his double bass work, Christian Meaas Svendsen releases a stunningly beautiful album of unusually orchestrated pop songs with an 8-piece band of Nordic improvisers and performers, a dramatic album of tension and release which, despite lyrics in Norwegian, draws all listeners in through inventive and innovative musical structures.
Tanaka, Ayumi / Johan Lindvall / Christian Wallumrod: 3 Pianos [VINYL LP] (Nakama Records)
This trio joins 3 disparate approaches to composition and improvisation--Japanese improviser Ayumi Tanaka, Oslo composer Johan Lindvall, and ECM artist Christian Wallumrod-developing the engaging material on this album by focusing on elements like tuning, register, intervals and dynamics, for an absorbing album of compatible and concentrative playing.
From Neither/Nor Records we have this fascinating album, which reflects the set that I heard at DMG:
Costa, Carlo Quartet: Sediment (Neither/Nor Records)
A new NY label from percussionist Carlo Costa in its 1st release, a quartet with Steve Swell on trombone, Sean ali on bass and Jonathan Moritz on sax, presenting an improvisational language that subsumes the individual players into a distinct group sound.
June 7, 2018: New @ Squidco:
Magnus Granberg -Es Schwindelt Mir, Es Brennt Mein Eingweide [CD] (Another Timbre)
John Cage -Two2 [2 CDs] (Another Timbre)
Bondi/Martel/Schiller -tse [CD] (Another Timbre)
Angles 3 -Parede [CD] (Clean Feed)
Honest John w/ Ab Baars -Treem [CD] (Clean Feed)
Chris Pitsiokos/CP Unit -Silver Bullet In The Autumn Of Your Years [CD] (Clean Feed)
Scott Clark -Tonow [CD] (Clean Feed)
Lynn Cassiers -Imaginary Band [CD] (Clean Feed)
These were the last updates before I left for this trip. I'll be working dilligently this week to get our next mailing list together and get a large list of new releases on my desk in stock, and ultimately, fully cataloged. It's going to be a busy week, but I'm feeling recharged from the time off!
June 6, 2018: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Insub Meta Orchestra - 13 & 27 (Another Timbre) by Jeph Jerman.
June 6, 2018: New @ Squidco:
AMM -An Unintended Legacy [3 CDs] (Matchless)
Mary Halvorson -Code Girl [2 CDs] (Firehouse 12 Records)
Mary Halvorson -Code Girl [VINYL] (Firehouse 12 Records)
The Thing (Gustafsson/Haker Flaten/Nilssen-Love + McPhee) -Again [CD] (The Thing Records)
The Thing (Gustafsson/Haker Flaten/Nilssen-Love + McPhee) -Again [VINYL] (The Thing Records)
Moholo-Moholo's, Louis Five Blokes -Uplift The People [CD] (Ogun)
Daniel Carter/William Parker/Matthew Shipp -Seraphic Light (Live At Tufts University) [CD] (Aum Fidelity)
Ceramic Dog (Ribot/Ches Smith/Shahzad Ismaily) -Y R U Still Here? [VINYL] (Northern Spy)
The Ex -27 Passports [CD] (Ex Records)
The Ex -27 Passports [VINYL] (Ex Records)
Mette Rasmussen/Tashi Dorji - [LP] (FEEDING TUBE RECORDS)
Elisabeth Harnik/Joelle Leandre -Tender Music [CD] (Trost Records)
Zu/Mats Gustafsson -How To Raise An Ox [VINYL] (Trost Records)
June 5, 2018: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Jean Derome - Resistances (Ambiances Magnetiques) by Massimo Ricci.
May 31, 2018:
My most frequent sentiment as I sit down to write in this blog is that I haven't found the time to adequately express the excitement of the new music we keep seeing come in the door. This is the perfect week for that, as I prepare for a quick trip to Syracuse, NY this weekend to see family, and then a longer trip to NYC the following week to catch up with friends and see (hear) some music. That's made for a tight week as I turn everything over to Carl to keep things running. The secondary consequence for that is that our mailing list for the next two weeks will arrive on Thursday instead of Friday, and my guess is I'll have no blog entry for the next two weeks after this (though the NY journey may prompt a few words).
That said, I don't have anything more (or less) profound to say than Clean Feed! Tzadik! Another Timbre! Relative Pitch! Chadbourne! Northern Spy! Dare2 Records! Mary Halvorson! Jason Kahn! The real story I'd like to tell is found in our Just In Stock Section, and in our New Releases section.
Personally over the last couple of weeks I've spent the most time on the following albums, which isn't to say anything against the rest. And those that just arrived are yet to be listened to, and will be accompanying me on my travels. More detail when I'm able!
Tatakai Trio (Kuchen / Lindsjo / Strid): HappI (Relative Pitch)
A trio of well-versed Swedish free improvisers--Martin Kuchen on soprano & sopranino saxophones, Raymond Strid on drums, and Anders Lijndsjo on guitar--in 8 studio improvisations of unusual and highly rhythmic and upbeat interplay, titled with happy adjectives, an apt description of the joy these three find in unconventional approaches to improvisation.
Richards, Stephanie : Full Moon (Relative Pitch)
An extremely interesting experimental record of free improvisation and electronics from the duo of Dino J.A. Deane and trumpeter Stephanie Richards, whose work with Henry Threadgill and Butch Morris is felt in these pieces where Richards explores resonance in brass and percussion as Deane samples and manipulates her playing live; an inventive and effusive album.
Knuffke, Kirk / Ben Goldberg: Uncompahgre (Relative Pitch)
Two extraordinary players from two coasts--clarinetist Ben Goldberg from the West and cornetist Kirk Knuffke from the East--in an exuberant duo of lyrical and virtuosic free jazz that astonishes the listener with the ease of their interactions in both parallel and contrasting lines, supporting the other as they express themselves uniquely; an impressive achievement!
Fujii / Fonda / Mimmo: Triad (Long Song Records)
An album recorded on the 59th birthday of pianist-composer Satoko Fujii, the second recorded with bassist Joe Fonda on the Long Song imprint, this time in a trio with soprano saxophonist Gianni Mimmo, the focus of the album the 42 minute monumental improvisation "Birthday Girl", a sophisticated and engaging dialog of lyrical playing and great beauty.
Hawkins, Chester: Natural Causes - Original Music For Pale Trees, A Film By Tim Ashby [VINYL] (Intangible Arts)
Washington, DC based electronic experimenter Chester Hawkins (Blue Sausage Infant) was commissioned by director Tim Ashby to compose this work for the soundtrack to his feature-length film "Pale Trees", Hawkin's music illustrating the film's gradient of psychological colors from darkness, rage, and vengeance through a mix of kosmische drone in a Tangerine Dream vein.
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