The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner:
The Music of Anthony Braxton (Pi Recordings)

Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman leads his trio with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Damion Reid, joined by tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, in a vibrant live homage to Anthony Braxton's small ensemble works, blending intricate modern jazz interplay with searing emotional expression in a bold, high-energy celebration of Braxton's enduring influence. ... Click to View


Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner:
The Music of Anthony Braxton [VINYL] (Pi Recordings)

Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman leads his trio with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Damion Reid, joined by tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, in a vibrant live homage to Anthony Braxton's small ensemble works, blending intricate modern jazz interplay with searing emotional expression in a bold, high-energy celebration of Braxton's enduring influence. ... Click to View


Ellery Eskelin Trio New York:
About (or On), First Visit [2 CDs] (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Reuniting for two powerful studio sessions recorded in 2011 and 2013, tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, organist Gary Versace, and drummer Gerald Cleaver form Trio New York, navigating an intuitive path between free improvisation and jazz standards with soulful depth, rich allusions, and a shared language that reimagines the classic organ trio. ... Click to View


Russ Johnson / Christian Weber / Dieter Ulrich:
To Walk On Eggshells (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

In a spontaneously assembled 2009 session at Zürich's DRS studio, trumpeter Russ Johnson, bassist Christian Weber, and drummer Dieter Ulrich sculpt a dynamic and intuitive trio performance, threading balladic lyricism with abstract tension in a deft interplay of trust, fragility, and risk that transforms improvisation into captivating and timeless art. ... Click to View


Jean-Jacques Birge :
Perspectives Du Xxiie Siecle (Musee d'ethnographie de Geneve)

Commissioned by Geneva's Museum of Ethnography, Jean-Jacques Birgé crafts a richly imaginative sonic fiction using field recordings, archival folk material, and electroacoustic composition, with a remarkable ensemble including Nicolas Chedmail, Antonin-Tri Hoang, Jean-François Vrod, Sylvain Lemêtre, and Else Birgé, evoking a post-human journey through reinvention and memory. ... Click to View


Un Drame Musical Instantane:
Tchak (Klanggalerie)

The final recordings of Un Drame Musical Instantané with co-founder Bernard Vitet, compiling sessions from 1998 to 2000 with the Machiavel Quartet and guests including Baco Mourchid and Nem, blending free jazz, electroacoustic experimentation, and multimedia spontaneity into cinematic improvisations that showcase the ensemble's enduring commitment to collective creation and sonic innovation. ... Click to View


Paul Flaherty:
A Willing Passenger (Relative Pitch)

A solo saxophone album from legendary free improviser Paul Flaherty, recorded at Pete's Basement Studio in Massachusetts in 2021, presenting a deeply personal and expressive journey through alto and tenor saxophone explorations that juxtapose raw turbulence and lyrical beauty, continuing Flaherty's legacy of shaping sound into emotionally resonant sonic narratives ... Click to View


Tommaso Rolando / Andy Moor :
Biscotti [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOADS] (Tsss Tapes)

Recorded live in Genoa in 2022, the energetic and exploratory, rock-oriented duo of bassist Tommaso Rolando (Torto Editions) and guitarist Andy Moor (The Ex) captures an improvisational dialog shaped by alternate tunings, intent listening, and kinetic spontaneity, as the two seasoned performers bridge punk-rooted experimentation with richly resonant acoustic interplay. ... Click to View


Tetsuya Nakayama :
Edo Wan [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)

Composing with assembled field recordings and environmental textures, Chiba, Japan-based composer Tetsuya Nakayama transforms mundane sounds into poetic events, as water, metal, and incidental noise intertwine in a quiet yet immersive narrative that re-enchants everyday spaces, revealing a new mode of listening shaped by nuance and fleeting detail. ... Click to View


Turbulence Orchestra and Sub-Units:
Tempestuous Hubbub (2 CDs) (Evil Clown)

A massive 22-member improvising ensemble, the Turbulence Orchestra and Sub-Units are heard live in Vermont, with five dynamic sub-unit performances and a full-orchestra hour-long guided improvisation, blending structured conduction, graphic notation techniques, and a chaotic palette of woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion and even rubber chickens in an intense and unpredictable sonic experience. ... Click to View


+Felladog+:
+Felladog+ (Love Earth Music)

A high-decibel collaboration between harsh noise veteran Steve Davis (+DOG+) and Cleveland sound artist Jim Fellahean Szudy (Fellahean), recorded in Massachusetts and Ohio, blending subterranean industrial textures with metal scraping, low drones, and brutal sonic ruptures across 14 dynamic tracks, delivering an hour of immersive and confrontational electro-industrial experimentation. ... Click to View


Masayo Koketsu / Nava Dunkelman / Tim Berne:
Poiesis (Relative Pitch)

A first-time meeting in the studio for alto saxophonists Tim Berne and Masayo Koketsu with percussionist Nava Dunkelman, captured in a dynamic session of collective free improvisation where contrasting approaches — Berne's grounded tone, Koketsu's extended techniques, and Dunkelman's textural percussion — intertwine with clarity and spontaneous expression. ... Click to View


Laura Cocks:
FATHM (Relative Pitch)

An intimate and exploratory solo recording from NY flutist Laura Cocks, known for their work with TAK Ensemble, presenting a poetic and deeply focused album where breath, silence, and sound merge into fragile, resonant gestures — Cocks bends time and expectation with extended technique and stillness, inviting the listener into a space of presence and emotional depth. ... Click to View


Julia Uehla and Dalava:
Understories (Pi Recordings)

Drawing from Moravian folk songs transcribed by her great-grandfather, vocalist Julia Úlehla leads the Vancouver ensemble Dálava in a haunting and emotionally charged set blending Czech and English vocals with experimental improvisation, as Aram Bajakian, Peggy Lee, and Joshua Zubot weave a deeply layered, otherworldly sonic journey that bridges ancestry and avant sound. ... Click to View


John Zorn (Ikue Mori):
The Bagatelles Vol. 4 Ikue Mori (Tzadik)

Downtown NY improviser, sound artist and drummer Ikue Mori reimagines John Zorn's compositions from his Bagatelles book through her distinctive electronic lens, crafting a solo album where composed structures meet spontaneous digital improvisation, revealing new dimensions and highlighting her innovative approach to sound and form. ... Click to View


Poudingue:
La Preuve (GRRR)

A song-oriented, genre-blurring album from the French quartet Poudingue (Pudding), drawing from the spirit of Rock in Opposition with richly layered arrangements, experimental textures, and playful lyricism, as multi-instrumentalist Nicolas Chedmail, guitarist Frédéric Mainçon, synthesist Jean-Jacques Birgé, and drummer Benjamin Sanz fuse improvisation and composition into an irreverent and inventive set. ... Click to View


Denis Lavant / Jean-Jacques Birge / Lionel Martin:
Les Dements (2 CDS) (GRRR / Ouch!)

Following their 2022 album Fictions, French saxophonist Lionel Martin and multi-instrumentalist Jean-Jacques Birgé reunite with actor Denis Lavant for a second collaboration, captured in a spontaneous two-disc session of spoken word and electroacoustic improvisation, as Lavant delivers chosen texts with surreal intensity amid vividly shifting soundscapes. ... Click to View


Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg / Nuno Torres / Ernesto Rodrigues / Joao Madeira / Carlos Santos :
La Rambarde Des Songes, Les Congruences Des Soupirs (Creative Sources)

A hushed and enigmatic quintet improvisation featuring Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg's extended vocal techniques alongside Nuno Torres (alto saxophone), Ernesto Rodrigues (viola, crackle box), João Madeira (double bass), and Carlos Santos (modular synthesizer), unfolding in reductionist, pointillistic interplay that explores subtle texture, utterance, and resonance. ... Click to View


Erik Klinga:
Elusive Shimmer (thanatosis produktion)

Swedish composer Erik Klinga crafts radiant electroacoustic works from Buchla synth, pipe organ, drum machine, and field recordings, weaving melodic ambient vignettes that shimmer with warmth and light, moving through celestial textures, gliding rhythms, and bird-like flourishes in a richly detailed debut recorded at Stockholm’s Royal College of Music, the first of a planned trilogy on Thanatosis. ... Click to View


Metal Chaos Ensemble:
Room 2017 (Evil Clown)

A transitional yet quintessential Metal Chaos Ensemble set, this septet blends horns, Chapman Stick, electronics, guitar, drums, and an arsenal of metallic percussion with spoken word, creating dense free improvisation that balances spacey electronics, chaotic interplay, and shifting sonic textures within the group's evolving aesthetic. ... Click to View


Unsub:
Suffer Apathy (Love Earth Music)

A collaborative ambient work from sound artists, LA-based guitarist Fetusk and Massachusetts-based synthesizer Steven Davis, blending subtly layered guitars, drones, and synth textures in a spacious, contemplative environment that unfolds slowly and delicately, drawing the listener into a refined and immersive electroacoustic soundscape. ... Click to View


Georg Graewe & Sonic Fiction Orchestra:
In Concert, Bochum 2022 (Random Acoustics)

A remarkable solo concert from German pianist George Graewe, performing at Kunstmuseum Bochum in 2022, presenting intricate and expansive free improvisations that showcase his dynamic range, rhythmic precision, harmonic sophistication, and the lyrical abstraction that has defined his work across contemporary jazz and modern improvisation. ... Click to View


NOUT (w/ Mats Gustafsson):
Live Album (Trost Records)

Flute, electric harp, and drums become fierce tools of sonic exploration in the French trio Nout, whose riotous live performances blend jazz, noise, metal, and groove with fearless originality; joined by baritone saxophonist Mats Gustafsson on three tracks, the expanded quartet erupts with raw energy, wild textures, and a thrilling disregard for genre. ... Click to View


Sven-Ake Johansson Quintet:
Stumps: Second Version (Trost Records)

Drummer Sven-Åke Johansson leads his quintet of long-time collaborators and younger improvisers through his "Stumps" compositions in a live recording at Jazzfest Berlin in 2022, schematic works of shifting rhythmic and melodic variations that provide a vibrant foundation for spontaneous solos and ensemble interplay, showcasing Johansson's unique percussive drive and concise thematic structures. ... Click to View


Franz Hautzinger / Ignaz Schick / Sven-Ake Johansson:
Rotations + (Trost Records)

Recorded live at KM28 in Berlin in 2023, trumpeter Franz Hautzinger, turntablist Ignaz Schick, and percussionist/accordionist Sven-Ake Johansson create fragile yet dynamic collective improvisations focused on color, texture, and interplay, moving between structured rhythmic support and delicate free forms in an elevated and nuanced spontaneous sound sculpture. ... Click to View


Jonathan Segel / Chaos Butterfly:
Hall of Mirrors [2 CDs] (Demagnetized)

Drone-based electroacoustic improvisations led by Jonathan Segel on Halldorophone, guitar, and Buchla synth, joined by an expanded Chaos Butterfly ensemble in longform, time-dilating works where evolving feedback, percussion, winds, and electronics blur structure and narrative into immersive, densely active yet often beautifully delicate sonic landscapes. ... Click to View


Sophie Agnel / Joke Lanz:
Ella (Klanggalerie)

An exciting meeting of French pianist Sophie Agnel, known for her extended and prepared piano techniques, and Swiss turntablist Joke Lanz, renowned for his work in noise, experimental music, and performance art, presenting a dynamic and playful duo of spontaneous improvisation blending percussive textures, sonic collage, and energetic interaction revealing a sense of humor and awe. ... Click to View


Udo Schindler / Max Arsava / Gunnar Geisse :
Sightings And Stratifications - 2nd Investigation For Trio (Creative Sources)

A live document of free improvisation from Udo Schindler (clarinets, cornet, soprano sax), Max Arsava (piano, tapes, sampler, objects), and Gunnar Geisse (laptop guitar, virtual instruments), in a performance of pointillistic exchanges and layered textures that blend intricate acoustic and electronic timbres into a cohesive, exploratory sonic tapestry. ... Click to View


Cecil Taylor Quintet (w/ John Coltrane / Kenny Dorham / Chuck Israels / Louis Hayes):
Stereo Drive + 2 Bonus Tracks (limited Edition) [VINYL] (SoundsGood)

The only album pairing pianist Cecil Taylor and saxophonist John Coltrane, recorded in 1958 with Kenny Dorham on trumpet instead of Taylor's preferred Ted Curson, creating a tense studio dynamic that fueled extraordinary performances, reissued with two bonus tracks from 1957 and 1961 sessions featuring Archie Shepp, Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Charles Davis, and Billy Higgins. ... Click to View


Leap Of Faith:
Prior Credences (Evil Clown)

A drummerless quartet of woodwinds, brass, strings, and electronics from the Evil Clown collective core ensemble Leap of Faith, navigating expansive free improvisations, shifting through dense and dynamic sonic transformations with a broad instrumental palette that emphasizes suspended textures, chamber-like interplay, and moments of controlled chaos. ... Click to View



  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear
Facebook: Squidco Sales

Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Lionel Hampton 
  1958: The Mess is Here Revisited  
  (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd) 


  
   review by Marc Medwin
  2023-02-15
Lionel Hampton: 1958: The Mess is Here Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

There is something so comforting about spending time with a Lionel Hampton album. Attending a performance was very similar. The music was beautiful, engaging and fun, and you could always count on wonderful playing from everybody on the bandstand. This 1958 recording, made on the band's 1957-58 European tour, perfectly exemplifies the congeniality and excitement the band could generate.

This Stuttgart performance opens with the rollicking title track, what annotator Mario Schneeberger aptly calls a riff number, but it has all of the traits that make a Hampton gig so special. The band is relaxed and totally swinging. Dig those call and response passages at the end where the band kicks the music up to the next level. "Hamp's Boogie-Woogie" glides and lopes forward in a similar way, and Hamp's two-finger keyboard solo is just a joy. Even in these perpetually popular numbers, there's something to tickle the ear, like the tune's ending in A-flat rather than in the original key but only after some more magnificently powerful full-band riffage.

The leader always knew how to pick his soloists, and that certainly applies to Cornelius "Pinocchio" James' shout vocals on "New Orleans Woman." You can hear homage to Joe Williams and Jimmy Witherspoon, who composed it eight years earlier, but there's more than a little rock and roll along its romping trajectory. On an entirely different plane, we get a bit of the Avant-Garde opening this wonderful version of "'Round About Midnight," presumably from pianist Oscar Dennard, who also contributes an arrangement of "Confirmation." There's some bop in his ensuing solo, but Monk also stands in the wings, his personality making itself felt through fragmentation and an astonishing rhythmic precision. Then, there's Hamp himself. Listen to his gorgeous solo on "My Prayer," Opening with two octaves, it then eases into some slowly grooving chromaticism, blues-ily incorporating scale, tremolo and arpeggio with such an effortless grace that the devices fade into perceptual background as the band gently punctuates; it's a really wonderful arrangement.

If I had to pick one track that summed up the album, it'd be "Flying Home," another Hampton favorite, it's a slow burn and build, complete with that fabled 1942 Illinois Jacquet solo in full-section transcription. The way Hampton's solo and Dennard's piano responses play into that slowly evolving crescendo is a thing to behold, as bassist Julius Browne and drummer Wilbert Hogan hold it all down, an encapsulation of all the great qualities this band displays in a relaxed but focused set.



Lionel Hampton: 1958: The Mess is Here Revisited
Is Sold at Squidco!
Squidco




Comments and Feedback:



The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (88250)